#one of my favorite scenes in the show was when Charming and Snow talked about this

[harrysfolklore]

tom blyth being obsessed with his girlfriend: a compilation

this was inspired by @astranva’s famous blurbs, love you and miss you novs <3

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

It seemed like the entire world was crushing on the same man: Tom Blyth

Unfortunately for those who watched The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and came out of the theater in love with the man who played Coriolanus Snow, he was happily taken and loved to talk about his girlfriend any chance he got, which lead to fans making several compilations about the times he was a simp over his girl.

The most popular video was a 10 minute and 33 seconds compilation, which had around 445k views.

It started with Tom's interview with Good Morning America to talk about Billy the Kid, the interviewer asking about how he prepared for the role.

"It was during the pandemic, like any actor during that time I was just hoping that the world came back to normal so I could start making a cent," everyone in the set laughed at this, "I was living with my girlfriend YN in a barn house and we were like chopping wood every morning and visiting my friend's ranch. So when I got the part I kinda felt like I was ready for it."

"Your girlfriend, you say," one of the interviewers said making Tom smile right away, "Did she help you prepare for the role too?

"Of course she did, she's my biggest supporter ever."

The video moved to show some behind the scenes of Songbirds and Snakes footage, Tom dressed in his peacekeeper costume and dancing around while Rachel recorded him.

"See this moves?" he got closer to the camera, "I used them to charm my girlfriend."

"And I doubt they worked." Rachel laughed behind the camera.

"She loves me so I'm pretty sure they did."

The next thing shown was Tom sitting next to Hunter as they did an interview for Rolling Stone, the crew just asked about their thoughts on Olivia Rodrigo's single for the movie.

"I love Olivia Rodrigo," Hunter cheerfully said, throwing her arms up to the air, "The new album is so good."

"I'm a big fan as well," Tom joined in, "My girlfriend YN, she's obsessed with her, plays her songs all the time."

"Just so everyone knows, YN is like the coolest person ever," Hunter said, making Tom smile, "She brought us snacks on set so many times, such an angel."

"She's the best."

The following footage was Tom and Rachel's rapid-fire questions with Vogue.

"Can you guess where this is from?" Rachel asked holding up a card that showed a zoomed in picture of a suit.

"That's my Prada suit from the London premiere," Tom asked confidently, Rachel confirming that he was correct, "My girlfriend YN loved that suit, that's why It's one of my favorites."

"Oh I miss YN."

"So do I, so do I."

Next clip was Tom's interview Stephen Colbert, who just asked him if he was a fan of the books growing up.

"I was such a huge fan, I grew up watching the films. My mom and sister used to go to opening weekends to see the movies," the audience cheered at that, "Actually, for my third date with my girlfriend I took her to see the last movie, so getting to play a young president Snow is a real honor."

The video quickly moved to show the lat clip, one of Tom's interviews at the London premiere of the movie.

"Are you here on your own? No date?" The interviewer said once Tom finished answering the previous question.

"I'm here with my girlfriend, actually," his face beamed as he spoke, "She's probably somewhere taking selfies with Hunter, those two are like best friends."

"Is she close to your cast mates?" the interviewer asked again.

"Definitely, they try to steal her from me and I can't blame them, she's the best."

[ouatsqincorrect]

ok no one asked for this but i’m going to talk about some of my favorite little details from 1x01

1. the door to emma’s apartment have the words “cast a spell” on them (which apparently was completely unintentional but still pretty cool)

2. i don't think this rubix cube means anything, i just like that we get this tiny little insight into emma here

3. you can clearly see emma’s baby blanket in the background of her apartment, as well as some boxes, which i believe are the same ones that get sent to her in storybrooke later on in the season

4. we see snow with a bluebird in the EF, and then later on, at the school, she’s with a bluebird again

5. i know this has probably been talked about a thousand times but i love that we get this shot of emma driving by the clock store (there are so many good nods to clocks and time in this episode and throughout s1)

6. and then of course, the nod to tinker bell

7. there’s a painting of a pear behind regina, which is what a student hands snow (instead of an apple)

8. speaking of apples, regina touches a clock here and then the shot immediately pans to emma setting her drink next to a bunch of apples

9. when emma crashes the bug, we see a the monkeys from the wizard of oz and then a picture of wonderland (i doubt the wizard of oz one was hinting at s3—they didn’t think that far ahead—but wonderland might’ve been there on purpose)

10. here charming brooding over a bowl of apples

11. there are a lot of fairytale pictures in henry’s room in s1 (kind of looks like one of those crime scene boards lol)

12. also henry’s emails don’t mean anything—i just think they’re funny

13. our first hidden mickey

14. henry's swan night light

15. i love this shot of henry looking at the clocktower but also the fact that the library itself is so decrepit looking in s1

16. of course, the key to the room at granny's that is given to emma has a swan on it

17. this is kind of vague but the ring regina's wearing was actually handpicked by lana parrilla and i just love this little detail (it was meant to show that regina is still hanging onto her darker side and past in the EF)

[drdavidhuxley]

Because I recently went to see WDAS' most recent film, Wish, and because it's their centennial, and because I'm currently listening to a mega-draft podcast of the films, here are my Top Ten Walt Disney Animation Studios films (not my list of personal favorites, the top ten films I would say are the top ten best of the canon):

Beauty and the Beast (1991) - an assuredly told version of the story, an outstanding score, stellar cast and voice work paired with great animation, a highlight of the medium of animation

Pinocchio (1940) - this was their second one out of the gate! i mean there's so much to admire: the shot of jiminy's perspective as he hops to geppetto's shop, the overhead shot of the town, the horror of lampwick turning into a donkey, the monstro chase, everything with figaro and cleo!!!

Sleeping Beauty (1959) - they set out to create a literal moving work of art and they did it. the tchaikovsky score and gorgeous painted backgrounds, PLUS you got The Golden Girls raising a child in the woods, "And now you shall deal with me O Prince, and all the powers of Hell!" FUCK.

101 Dalmatians (1961) - I watched this in its entirety for the first time as an adult after previously only seeing part of it once or twice and I never knew how fucking tight of a film this is. So tightly told. And it looks exciting and charming. A real gem from the studio.

Cinderella (1950) - the part when the grand duke is talking to the king about how the prince would react if the girl of his dreams showed up to the ball and they show the prince reacting to cindy walking into the ballroom, good shit. the message of "a dream is a wish your heart makes" gets a bad rap, but it's a pretty song and sentiment. also this movie has one of my favorite animated scenes where lady tremaine wakes up the stepsisters to tell them about the slipper and cinderella slowly realizes she danced with the prince the night before and she has this dreamy look on her face and then lady tremaine figures what's up and they pull in on her glowing green eyes and it's over for her. also I think this is one of the most gorgeous and elegant animated films. cinderelly, cinderelly!

The Little Mermaid (1989) - this probably wouldn't be on my list a few years ago, but with the live action adaptation this year and its entry into the National Film Registry, I've been reconsidering this movie and it's such a joyous and ✨ magical ✨ animated work with an emotional center that connects with so many who watch it. the YEARNING. ashman understood it. also, glen keane's (i believe he animated this part?) animation on the part of your world reprise is glorious with that fucking hair, pat carroll and the design of ursula, a heavenly match. and menken's delightful score. it's so good.

Aladdin (1992) - this is actually my number one personal fave, it's the VHS tape I watched the most growing up, but I think this is a good placement for it. It's beautiful to look at, it's a full-fledged animated comedy, it's the last of howard ashman's contributions, "friend like me" is one of the best animated sequences ever, aladdin was my first animated crush, i still stan jasmine, it spawned a pretty terrific spinoff series, jonathan freeman's cackle is the best villain cackle, and of course, robin. also, ron clements and john musker are kings.

Lilo & Stitch (2002) - the more time passes, the more I think this film proves itself to be a grand achievement in the canon. the amount of sentiment is just right, stitch is an entertaining creation and his connection with lilo is relatable, i mean the ending scene always gets me with the "it's broken but still good", also the fact that not another film in the canon looks like this one makes it stand out. and the ending shot of stitch's picture attached to the weathered family photo, ugh. it's also a love letter to "weird little kids". i love it.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - i mean, yeah. it's scary, it's silly, the queen's transformation into the hag still rules. "one song" is an underrated song.

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) - this movie is legendary. the story of how it came to be is insane. i read that there is actually no completed screenplay of the movie??? that's how much they had to scramble to put this together? i would also put this on a list of great comedy films. eartha kitt, eartha kitt. i don't know what things would look like if we actually got kingdom of the sun, but we are so lucky to have this hilarious movie.

[mirikitakato]

[Translation] Halloween 2023 - A capricious love for an endless night: Episode 10

Snow: This teapot is empty. On the night of the last feast, I tried to capture the scenery here, but I gave up.

White: Why? You seemed to like this village.

Snow: It can't be helped if only one of us likes it. This teapot can only hold one scene, ever. It can't capture two different places.

Raising his face, Snow looked straight into White's eyes.

Snow: We've seen so many amazing places that it would be a waste to hold this one in. There's no point in capturing a scene only I love. I want to find a place that is special for both of us to share forever.

White: Snow...

Snow: Now this teapot has returned to my hands. If someday we can find a scenery that we both find truly beautiful, let's capture it in this as our favorite.

In response to Snow's gentle smile, White's face showed a hint of sadness.

His body was hazy as if glowing, and his fingertips were slightly translucent. White's fragility itself told the story of the past rift.

White: ...Is that so.

Snow: Of course!

The twins, who were identical since birth and did everything together, eventually drifted apart.

The changes and attachments that took root in their hearts once tore them apart forever, only to bind them together again.

When will the scenery that the two, who have seen all the strange things in this world, want to capture with all their hearts appear? It may take decades or centuries, but surely, the time will come when this teapot will be filled.

Snow: The scenery of the night I loved will also disappear tomorrow morning once the afterglow of Thewlis' magic fades. I finally have no regrets for this land….Well, that's how it was from the beginning.

White: Hohoho. As expected of my other half. You are a loving and heartless bastard.

White gently touched Snow's cheek.

The way their faces got closer until their foreheads touch is like a scene from a movie, making my heart race and flutter.

Just like when I was captivated by the charm of the Thewlis who took on the form of a human a moment ago.

Owen: Hey, don't get lost in your own world, you two?

Lennox: Well, at least the children aren't here today...

Figaro: Were you two bickering again?

Oz: Don't drag us into your problem.

Bradley: Take your lovey-dovey fight elsewhere.

Snow: Well, well, well…what's this? Everyone is here! Just when I was having a lovely moment reaffirming my love with my dear White.

White: Oz and Figaro too! You remember we talked about how nice it would be to see Thewlis’ wedding here when we built our mansions in this area, right?

Snow: It's a dream come true, but can't you be more sentimental?

Oz: I never dreamed of such a thing.

Figaro: You're exaggerating. I was thinking it would be nice to see it as a drinking snack because it’s a lucky charm, that's all.

Lennox: Haha. But it's nice that we can all witness this together.

Cain: Yeah. Besides, Oz kind of reminds me of the sulky Arthur when he's with the twins.

Oz: …....

Cain: Haha, even your face looks like his, when he's not on his best day.

Long-bearded old man: Uhm...Lord Snow, Lord White.

Snow: Hmm?

White: What’s wrong?

The villagers gather around them.

They look around anxiously, their eyes darting back and forth along the gold-paved path.

Long-bearded old man: Are you two no longer going to protect this village...?

They knelt on the ground, looking at each other.

Bulky man: Now that Lord Thewlis is gone, this village is finally unprotected and left to fend for itself. The spring will freeze when the time comes, and we may lose our water source for the winter...

Long-bearded old man: Then we won't be able to live the way we used to. And the cold winter wave isn't the only thing that can take our lives.

Bulky man: We may starve and suffer from hunger, unable to find food or drink... And when the others learn of the guardian's departure, someone may appear to attack the village.

Long-bearded old man: Please, once again, won't you take pity on this village...? I beg you, please, please...

Pressing their foreheads against the cold snow, the villagers pleaded.

As if gently embracing them overhead…

A low, soft, compassionate voice descended.

Snow: We understand your feelings.

White: We know how harsh it is for humans to live in this land without the protection of wizards or spirits...

Thickly-dressed bulky man: So, if that's the case...!

Snow: But we refuse.

White: It's not our concern.

They answered casually, as if refusing an afternoon tea.

Long-bearded old man: B-but... didn't you love this village...?

As the villagers' hopes dwindled, they clung to their pleas, their desperate faces etched with despair.

Two faces, as perfectly formed as artificial dolls, gazed down upon them from above.

Their eyes held a strange mixture of coldness, akin to that of one looking at a stone lying on the roadside, and compassion, akin to that of one cherishing a wildflower.

The two figures exchanged identical smiles.

White: What good would it do to love it? In the first place, this is a land we once abandoned. We have not protected this village for a long time.

Bulky man: W-what...?

Snow: You may be mistaken, but Thewlis who left this place, and we are the same. We are not gods who love and give everything. It is up to us to protect the land or abandon it at our own convenience, but if you have something you want, ask for it as you wish. For we give whimsically and love whimsically.

They love and abandon the place as they please, whimsically.

No one could force or control their love, which had endured countless nights and spanned countless years.

Perhaps that is why this village was born and will perish.

White: But isn’t today the beginning of the banquet? Then we shall be entertained for a while longer.

Long-bearded old man: ...I understand...The preparations for the banquet will be ready soon...

Bulky man: Please, make yourselves at home...

Although this outcome is also a result of their love, perhaps they will cherish it someday in the distant future.

As one of the memories told in their long history.

Figaro: There you go again, doing whatever you want...

Figaro muttered disdainfully as he watched the twin and the villagers.

Figaro: Look at the villagers’ faces. Each one is filled with a hint of doubt and resentment. Just because you're wizards doesn't mean you have to take responsibility for human lives. You can choose to care or not care, for all I'm concerned. But still... Toying with these pitiful lives at this age, and for no reason at all… I wouldn't call your whims very admirable, you two.

Bradley: Couldn't agree more. Pickin’ up something you’re just goin’ to throw away anyway. What a terrible taste.

Snow: Oh, really? Quite unusual for you two to agree on anything.

White: As fellow wizards of the North, you two might find yourselves doing the same thing someday.

Figaro: Well... maybe. But you two should really take it easy.

Bradley: Hah! I wouldn't do something as rotten as you two.

Shaking his head dismissively, Bradley turned his attention to the villagers.

Bradley: Don't get too complacent, you lot. In this country, the weak-willed die first. It's up to you to decide whether you live or die. If you keep whining and obeying the twins, you're just going to die anyway.

Owen: Then perhaps I can offer you my protection?

Cain: Owen...

Owen stepped forward silently, standing before the villagers who are kneeling in the snow.

The villagers hold their breath, captivated by his gentle smile.

Cain: You... have you ever protected a settlement before? I often see you in places with a lot of people, but I've hardly ever seen you actually care about them.

Owen: Hmm, never done it, but should be a simple task. I'll give you everything you need. There's no need for you humans to do anything. You won't have to fear or worry anymore. Believe in me and surrender to me, and you'll find happiness.

Mufflered woman: R-really...? Is that true?

Short-haired man: Is it true that Lord Owen would…

Oz: ...Don't be fooled by that man's words. He's a clown. If you open your heart to him, you'll be consumed by a curse.

Snow: Yes, indeed. Don't be too trusting.

White: These people are grieving. Don't be cruel to them.

Bradley & Figaro: You two dare to say that...

Owen: Oh, come on. I was just trying to be nice.

Young girl: Sir Cain, Sir Cain.

Cain: You guys...

Cain looked at the children he spoke with earlier. Their eyes, once filled with fear and apprehension, now gaze up at him pleadingly.

As if seeking new protection.

Young girl: Is it true that we'll be left alone in this village?

Freckled boy: If the spring dries up, will we be able to survive...?

Cain: ...I won't let that happen. And besides, you have all that gold dust. If you fortify your homes and increase your supplies, can't you make this village even stronger? …Is there anything else I can do...?

Young girl: But... in this land, even with money, we can't be sure of survival.

Freckled boy: We can't withstand the cold or hunger...

Akira: Ah, umm...

I tried to offer some words of comfort, but was at a loss for words in the face of the children's pleas.

Then, Oz spoke up.

Oz: Children of the village.

Young girl: Y-yes...

Freckled boy: Ah, you're Sir Oz...

Oz: The twins left the village centuries ago. Yet, the village has not perished. To this very day, life has continued. Even if there was an undying spring and the protection of mythical beasts, it would be nothing more than a temporary solace in this land. If you were to perish, it would have happened long ago.

Speaking in a low, steady voice, Oz delivered the harsh truth. There was no malice in his tone.

Oz: Humans seeking shelter also gathered near my castle, but I have no recollection of caring for them.Yet they still live, by their own strength. Both then and now.

Young girl:...Can we survive without the help of wizards or guardian spirits?

Freckled boy: Can we humans live on our own...?

Oz: There is no guarantee. But humans are surprisingly resilient.

A gentle breeze suddenly blew through Oz's long hair, caressing the children's cheeks.

It seemed to be a whisper of advice for their future lives.

Akira: (That's right... the village hasn't perished even though Snow and White haven't returned in a long time) (I guess it's because of the existence of the Thewlis, the rumor about the twins' territory, and the mild climate...)

But the threats of nature can't be underestimated. They're not so weak that they can be sustained for hundreds of years just with those factors.

So, maybe this village will continue to exist in the future.

Even without the wizards protecting the village and the mythical beasts that guard the spring, they will continue to live together and help each other, just as they have always done.

It's the same as the Thewlis who left this place. I think this village is also welcoming an end and a new beginning at the same time.

Young girl: Is that so...? I can't quite imagine it yet.

Freckled boy: But... it's true that we've been living on our own all this time while the two of them haven't been back...

Looking at the children with their heads bowed, Cain placed his hand on Oz's shoulder. He stepped forward and bent his waist.

He picked up the Thewlis’ scale he had just found and placed it in his palm, chanting a spell.

Cain: Thewlis’ protection hasn't been completely lost. This will be your amulet. I've also added my blessing magic. It's a small token, but please accept it.

Cain placed the scale in the girl's small hand.

The scale, which changed color depending on the angle, looked like a real jewel.

Cain:...In the Northern lands, even wizards can't live without some determination. Despite that, you have survived admirably in this environment. There will be hardships, but I'm sure you will make it. However…

Cain stopped speaking. His gorgeously rimmed eyelids rose and fell as his voice continued with sincerity.

Cain: It may go against the Northern code, but it must be fate that we meet. I can't just leave you without doing anything.

Lennox: Me too... I only come here for rest, but I can't bear to leave just like that. If there is anything you need help with, I can at least do it. Carrying luggage, doing repairs…Especially if it's manual labor, leave it to me. If there's anything I can do, please don't hesitate to ask.

Cain: I'll help too! I'm good with physical labor. Also... couldn't we find a place for them to relocate to, even if it's not in the North? Just like Oz said earlier.

Oz: What if we find a place? What will you do then? If you say you can't leave them alone, won't you be concerned about their lives after they move?

Cain: Their lives after they move... That's right. To begin with, these people don't want to move anywhere else. After all, you get attached to the land you were born on...

White: ......

Snow: .......

Resting his chin on his hand, Cain lowered his gaze. Then, as if an idea struck him, he spoke casually.

Cain: Hey, how about this? Even if it's just when we're leaving, could you pack a little extra of this village's wine for us?

Hooded woman: Oh, of course, but... Are you taking it back as a souvenir?

Cain: That too, but I have a friend who runs a famous bar. I'll ask if he can sell it there. It's a bar for wizards only, but if word gets around there, maybe someone will be interested in this village, right?

Akira: Indeed... Shylock loves alcohol, so he might be interested. Besides, that place has all sorts of customers from all over the world.

Lennox: Fortunately, this place is near the border with the Western Country. Even the high mountains wouldn't be impossible to cross for a sufficiently powerful wizard. And from there, the rumors could gradually spread...

Akira: Maybe this will turn into a secret hideaway for wizards...

Cain: That's it! The first ones to gather will probably be wizards from the West, and I'm sure they'll be talkative and cheerful fellows.

Figaro: Before we have more people coming and going, we should focus on the wizards first. That's an interesting idea.

Lennox: Yes. This country is a harsh place for wizards too, but..It might not be an impossible idea.

Bradley: Not too sure about that. I don't know how many people would go out of their way to come here. But maybe it's not a bad place to get blown to by a sneeze every now and then.

As the wizards conversed, the villagers also whispered among themselves.

For them, it might still be a dreamlike, hypothetical scenario.

But their eyes, which had been stained with despair, now held a glimmer of hope.

Cain: ...I don't have the power to protect this village, but I'll come here to play by the spring with my friends sometimes. The guys who aren't here today will surely love it.

Freckled boy: Sir Cain...

Owen: Hmph. How are you going to get to the North Country? You're still not used to brooms or magic.

Cain: I'll ask Oz. He'll teleport me here.

Owen: Huh? What?

Oz: Me…?

Cain: Why not? Stay my friend so I can ask you for favors like this in the future. But I'm going to get strong enough to come here on my own someday.

Owen: Aren't you ashamed to make big claims before you can even do it? You just want to show off, don't you? Borrow Oz's power to make yourself look bigger.

Cain: I can't help it right now. I could use your help too, you know.

Owen: Hmph, cheeky.

Akira: I'll come back and visit again! With Cain and the other wizards too. So if you don't mind, could you pack some honey candy for me? It was so delicious, I'd like to give it to the people who can't drink alcohol. Next time, we'll bring some souvenirs for you.

Young girl: Even the Sage…Yeah! I'd be happy to!

Freckled boy: I'll be happy to pack it for you. Please... until we meet again...

Cain: Ah, yes. So until then, please stay healthy.

Snow: Well, well, well, there you are!

White: Let's put an end to this standing around and have a toast!

Akira: Huh!? Snow and White, where have you been…?

Figaro: They just slipped away quietly... And of all times, when we were talking about the future of the village.

Snow: Sorry, sorry. We were showing the villagers around the cellar. Look at this.

White: It's aged wine from a good year. Let's toast with this one.

Oz: Are you going to drink? You're lightweight drinkers.

Figaro: I don't know what you'll do if you get drunk again.

Snow: Then, so be it. Come, you too, pour us a drink sometime.

White: This is the beginning of our beloved, joyous festival. Let us surrender ourselves to the last sights of this night and the revelry of the feast.

The twins' smiles towards the villagers and wizards remained unchanged. It was as if this day was just another ordinary day in the passing of time.

Above the spring where the Thewlis was no longer seen, the evening sky signaling the end of the day and the morning glow signaling the beginning of a new day enveloped the village sky for a while.

Their homecoming, which might be their last, continued for a while longer, guided by whim.

Episode 9

[inspectorspinda]

what are YOUR five top favs in the sisters Grimm series? OR, what are your faves in each book? (Like which character you think shines the most in each title in the series)

For Overall:

Mr. Canis: I think you'd understand why. He's full of angst. The good stuff. Though to be honest, as a kid and even as an adult I was super disappointed when he was cured of the wolf. And MB's writing for him afterwards didn't really help convince me otherwise. Tobias Clay is just not as interesting of a character. I mean he had small moments, but with everything else going on it felt like MB lost a bit of interest in him as well. Still for 6 books he was the best thing.

Sabrina: Really solid main character. I really related to her as a kid and she's one of the rare kid protagonist that's even better as an adult. I even made an OC to be her big sister/mom figure because she needs that support. So many times the books have been unfair to her when her point of view is correct or at least very understandable. She deserves much better.

Charming: He, Sabrina and Canis are probably the trio in this series with really significant character development and growth. With Charming it is probably the most apparent out of them all. As an adult, he is also the character type I love the most. The ego-manic who learns to be a bit more humble even though he had a heart of gold all along. Rare opinion though, I wish he kept some of his book 1 ego until the end. That kind of stuff doesn't just go away and you can be a better person while keeping some of your quirks. Still I think MB did a great job with him.

Mirror: I did not see the twist coming at all as a kid. He's a bastard, but amazing. His death made me cry even though it was kind of lame in some respects. His feelings were valid even though the books didn't follow up with his schemes in the best ways, he's still great, unique and interest as a villain. I wonder how Mayor Heart and the rest would have felt though to know their "Master" was a "lame mirror".

Bunny: She's hawt. It is rare that a female character gets the same status and vibe of a tumblr sexyman, but that is her for me. She's perfect. I love her lots. I wish this series as an animated show just so I could see her and hear her talk cool and be all mysterious. We love a queen.

I don't think too many of the one off character stand out enough for me to really call them my favorites. Sure there are a lot of funny scenes and quirky Everafters, but without backstory/development, I don't care for them that much in the wider picture. A handful I really like are maybe: Hamstead, Scrooge, The Wizard of Oz, Puck's brother (the one that became king), the Editor and Baba Yaga.

Book 4 had a lot of really good characters.

Hot take though. Ms. White was kinda lame. Maybe it just because her knowing martial arts is too expected from Shrek and all the Disney hate. But okay what does her going to self defense actually have to do with her backstory? Nothing. She ate some poison because she didn't know about stranger danger. The Queen didn't attack her physically so her knowing martial arts ain't gonna help with shit. I would like to see a version of Snow White that works with CPS or the FDA.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Brick Walls by LA Witt - 3.25/5 stars

Honestly not a great book, from a writing mechanics perspective. This definitely could have benefited from a few more editing passes. It dragged in parts because the characters kept having the same internal monologue over and over, and there were too many scenes of the two mains sniping at each other with the exact same argument. THAT SAID, the MCs themselves were charming and likable, and the second chance romance was compelling. I also thought the cocaine addiction storyline was pretty well done, especially considering this is a hockey romance.

Deny Me, the Nightshade Boy by Mary Vanalstine - 5/5 stars

This is the debut novel of a pal! Very fun book set primarily in Minnesota. It's gay, plus there's a cat named Arwen Undómeow, which is obviously an A+ pun. Also points for a dig at Chaska.

Young Men in Love, edited by Joe Glass and Matt Miner - 4/5 stars

Nice little queer comics romance anthology.

Fire and Sand by Andrew Grey - 3.75/5 stars

The Professor's Green Card Marriage by Heidi Cullinan - 4.25/5 stars

This book was delightful and taught me that I had selective mutism as a child, despite the fact that apparently the therapist I saw insisted I didn't. I was even able to forgive Cullinan's fudging of USCIS's requirements for dramatic purposes because the story was lovely.

Up in Smoke by Annabeth Albert - 4/5 stars

Once a Rogue by Allie Therin - 4/5 stars

The Doctor's Secret by Heidi Cullinan - 4/5 stars

His Reluctant Cowboy by AM Arthur - 4/5 stars

Charmed & Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy, edited by Jordan Castillo Price - 5/5 stars

One of the best short story anthologies I've ever read. There are some real legends in here, like Ginn Hale, KJ Charles, and Jordan L Hawk. Ginn Hale's story belongs to one of my favorite genres, "Harry Potter was a defining piece of fiction for me but what if I ran with its sketchy elements?" (see also: Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow trilogy). I think a lot of the stories in this collection are spinoffs of the authors' already existing fiction (KJ Charles's definitely is—I had actually already read the sequel to the story in this anthology), but that didn't detract from my enjoyment.

Precious Metals by LA Witt - 4/5 stars

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood - 2/5 stars

Oof. Look, I know it's YA. But I've read some great YA—and this is not it. First off, it's a myth retelling, which I categorically despise. Second, the blurb makes it clear there's a love triangle involved. Blech. The only reason I read this one is because I got it in an Illumicrate. And to be perfectly fair, I was enjoying it a fair bit until about the last quarter. That was the point at which we got Melantho's rape scene and, very shortly afterwards, Leto and Mathias having sex, which I found extremely squicky because it was structurally and narratively very similar to the rape, even though it's consensual. It made my skin crawl. Also I really Did Not Like the fact that Leto was in love with both Melantho and Mathias (yeah yeah polyships whatever, I hate polyships though). Didn't like the theme of 'choosing' one or the other when the choice was made for Leto but she still got to take credit for it. The idea that all the death could have been avoided if People Had Just Talked To Each Other made me wonder why the book had to be 490 pages long. The ending has none of the gravitas of an actual Greek tragedy, even though that's what it's supposed to be. And like, I got it. I got what Underwood was going for like 100 pages in. It wasn't subtle. Ultimately I think a better/more mature author could have pulled this stuff off, but Underwood was twenty-one when she wrote this, and it shows.

[poetsandlores]

Suitcase Essentials: don't forget to bring these things or you'll end up in trouble, Lilly.

A wallet containing my visa, passport, and all the necessary cards for any transactions throughout my three-week stay.

Bringing my passport and visa for a three-week stay in Switzerland isn't just about being prepared—it's about avoiding some hilariously disastrous scenarios. Imagine this: I arrive at the border, all excited about Swiss chocolates and picturesque lakes, and the officer asks for my passport. I reach into my bag, only to pull out my favorite snack instead. "Sorry, I must have mistaken it for a passport," I say, as they give me a look that screams, "Really?"

Then there's the visa situation. I picture myself trying to explain to the Swiss authorities that I thought my winning smile would be enough to get me in. "But look, I'm charming!" I'd insist, while they shake their heads and direct me to the nearest exit.

Without my passport and visa, I'd probably end up camping out in the airport, making friends with the janitorial staff, and forming a one-person band to entertain travelers. "Welcome to my terminal concert!" I'd say, strumming on my makeshift instrument—a broom and a dustpan.

So, to avoid turning my Swiss adventure into an airport comedy, I'll definitely pack my passport and visa. After all, I'd rather be exploring the Alps than getting to know the airport janitors!

You're not only taking some pictures with your camera, you're making memories!

Alright, picture this: I’m heading off to Switzerland for three glorious weeks at a villa by the lake with Wütrich's grandparents. Naturally, I’m packing the essentials – clothes, toiletries, and my trusty camera. You might wonder, “Why the camera?” Well, let me paint you a picture – pun intended. First off, Switzerland is basically a real-life postcard. Every corner you turn, there's a scene straight out of a fairy tale. I'm talking snow-capped mountains, crystal-clear lakes, and picturesque villages that look like they were crafted by elves. My phone camera is great for selfies and quick snaps, but to truly capture the majesty of the Alps and the serene beauty of those lakes, I need my real camera – the one with the fancy lens that makes me look like I know what I’m doing. Now, let’s talk wildlife. There’s a good chance I’ll run into some friendly Swiss cows with their adorable bell collars. And who doesn’t want a close-up of a cow smiling for the camera? Exactly. Plus, there’s always a possibility of spotting some majestic alpine creatures. Imagine trying to explain to my friends that I saw a marmot without photographic evidence. They'd probably think I was just hallucinating from too much cheese fondue. Speaking of food, have you seen Swiss cuisine? Raclette, fondue, chocolate – oh my! I’m going to need to document every delicious bite, partly to make my friends jealous and partly to remember what happiness tastes like. And let’s not forget the epic family dinners at the villa. The Wütrich's grandparents are going to be dishing out some serious wisdom and hilarious stories, and I’ll want to capture those candid moments of them laughing and enjoying life. And then there’s the adventure aspect. Hiking, boating, and maybe even a little yodeling contest (I hear it’s a thing). These moments are pure gold and deserve more than a shaky phone video. I’m going to need crisp, clear photos to truly capture my inner mountain goat spirit. Lastly, think of the bragging rights. When I get back, I'll have a treasure trove of stunning photos to show off. My Instagram is going to look like a travel blogger’s dream, and my friends will be begging me for tips on how to take such epic shots. Little do they know, it’s all thanks to bringing my trusty camera. So, in a nutshell, bringing my camera to Switzerland is not just a good idea – it’s essential. Because when life gives you Swiss mountains and lakes, you don’t just take pictures – you make memories. And those memories deserve to be captured in high definition.

Perhaps it is time for a moment of tranquillity and a break from our busy lives.

There's only so much talking I can do with the grandparents and new friends before I start repeating myself. "How's the weather?" "Lovely lake, isn't it?" I've got these lines down pat. But there are times when I need a break from small talk, and that's where my trusty book comes in. Picture this: the villa by the lake is a slice of heaven, but let's face it, nature can be a bit too... natural. Birds chirping at dawn, the wind rustling the leaves – it’s like Mother Nature’s alarm clock, and she doesn’t have a snooze button. So when I need to escape from all that "peaceful tranquility" and plunge into a world of adventure or mystery, my book is my portal to sanity. Also, let's talk about those picturesque moments by the lake. Sure, sitting by the water is serene, but after you've counted the ripples for the hundredth time, the novelty wears off. Enter my book. Now, I can lounge with a stunning backdrop, looking intellectual and cultured to any passerby. “Oh, that person must be really deep in thought,” they’ll think, not knowing I'm actually chuckling at a plot twist involving an overly enthusiastic parrot. Then there's the inevitable rainy day. We all know it’s coming. The clouds roll in, and suddenly, everyone’s cooped up inside. The grandparents start reminiscing about the good ol' days – stories I've heard a million times. But with my book, I can politely nod along while secretly escaping into a thrilling chase scene or a romantic escapade in a far-off land. And let's not forget the Swiss food comas. Cheese, chocolate, more cheese – it's a deliciously dangerous cycle. After stuffing myself with fondue and truffles, I’ll need a good lie-down. What better way to recover than sinking into a comfy chair with my book? It’s the perfect way to digest – both my food and a great story. In short, my book is my travel buddy. It's my conversation starter, my escape plan, my entertainment on tap, and my perfect excuse to look fabulously introspective by the lake. So yes, my book is definitely coming to Switzerland. Who else is going to keep me company when the grandparents start the third round of “When I was your age”?

[chocominnie]

Can you trust me? | knj

⇢ pairing: namjoon x reader (idol! Namjoon)

⇢ genre: Angst because Namjoon may or may not be an asshole about important things but also fluff because of sweet-talking

⇢ word count: 3k

⇢ warnings: Arguements but honestly thats it because the rest if fluff lmao.

⇢ Copyright:  please do NOT repost, translate, or modify my works in any way, shape or form, on any platform. If found doing so , it is considered as plagiarism and appropriate LEGAL action will be taken

⇢ Summary: Namjoon keeps making excuses of not meeting up with you and given that you guys have been having fall outs recently, things are about to be put on the line. Will you guys break up? Or will you stay together? Can you trust him..

You have reached the voice mailbox of-

You shake your head lightly as tears feel the brim of your eyes. This is the third time today. You knew that in this relationship with Namjoon would mean that he wouldn’t always have time for you. But for him to not even give you a quick text or just even answer his phone is absurd. You’ve been talking about this meet-up for the past two weeks. Although he is mostly busy majority of the times, a dinner for one night surely wouldn’t affect his schedule right?

Especially with all the things going on between you and him. This date tonight would of approached everything that has been happening. The arguments you guys have are just nerve wracking. Especially when he argued with you for being clumsy because you had spilled fruit juice in his studio.. on the wooden floor. You just didn’t get how it would be a big deal as it was not carpet so an easy clean up. At the end of the day, you guys knew how to get on each others bad side and that’s not good at all.

So here you are now, dressed  in an elegant black dress with that Swarovski crystal bracelet he gave you for your 1 year annivesary. Atleast, that’s when he actually gave a fuck about the relationship. Actually, you can’t even count the amount of excuses he’s made within the past months to not spend time with you. The last time it was because he was washing clothes and didn’t have any to wear right now. In which you had called bullshit because he has more clothes than anybody could ever.

Needless to say, you had ignored his calls and texts for two days to give him a piece of your mind. Namjoon wasn’t the type to over-react on such things so it wasn’t a win situation for you. Instead he sent you some of your favorite chocolates and flowers as an apology as you weren’t speaking to him. Yes, you gave in because who wouldn’t over the dozen of roses and Switzerland made chocolate?

This time is something different though.

The waitress returns with a bottle of champagne with a bucket of ice in her hands, and while she sets it down, you quickly wipe the stray tears away and force a smile. You didn’t even notice they were there before.

‘‘ It seems as though my significant other..” You take the napkin from your lap and throw it on the table. “ Will not be joining me today. I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

The poor waitress had been waiting for you to order your food for an hour now. You’d kept insisting to wait because Namjoon would’ve been there any minute. Turns out you were very wrong.

She smiles softly, popping the cork off the bottle and pouring a glass for you.  ‘‘Shall I give you the bill then?’‘

As if you would be the one paying for this, when he had broke his promise for you. Broken promises are a thing you hated and he knew that. Putting this on his tab wouldn’t bother him with your petty little antics. The boy is a millionaire, something like this doesn’t even make a dent. Somehow though, you wanted to pay him back for not even showing up.

‘‘Put it on Kim Namjoon’s tab. He’ll be the one paying for this.’‘ You mumble to the young girl. The girl nods her head and pulls out the tab and hands it to you.

You sign your signature on it, and place a good thousand dollar tip on it. The feeling of satisfaction soothes you. He’d surely be paying for his time away, and wasting this waitress’ time. You hand it back to her, waiting for her reaction to the amount. Sure enough she doubled back to you when she realized how much was on the tab.

“ Ma’m? You added two extra zer-”

“ My date wasted your time love. He’s deeply sorry for it. Do something good with the money yeah?” As if the sinister smirk to yourself wasn’t enough, you quickly get up from the table and thank her again before heading to the exit.

The taste of the sweet yet tangy wine soothes the emotions flowing through you right now. Kim Namjoon. A guy who cancels dates a lot. A guy who does not keep his promise.

The only place you knew he would be at rather than his apartment would be at the BigHit building in his studio. He’s always there rather it be snowing or sunny outside he’s just.. there. It always astonishes you how one can just lock himself in a room for hours. What is it about him and doing that? Last time you paid a visit here Namjoon was eating the dinner he ordered in the room, instead of coming over to your house as he promised.

You punch in the code to the brand new building and a charming sound lets you know you may enter. You smile at the two security guards who give a slight smile then back to the blank expression towards the outside world.

Your heels click against the cold tile making your way over to the receptionist. The air smells fresh, as if someone had just cleaned the room again. The receptionist politely stands up quickly and greets you with a smile and a slight bow of her head.

“ Miss Yn, how may I assist you today?” Her eyes are warm and bright, along with her small smile at you. You wish you could feel happy in this current situation right now.  

“Is Namjoon in his studio again.”

‘‘ Yes Ma’m should I tell him that you are coming in?’‘ She says, smoothing her skirt out before sitting back down about to grab the phone.

You immediately shake your head no. Since he doesn’t like showing up and canceling dates he doesn’t need to know anything at all.

You force a fake smile upon yourself to please her. ‘‘No. It’s a surprise since we have not had the time to see each other in a while.’‘ Oh yes, a surpise it will be.

She nods her head, ‘‘ Yes ma’m. Have a nice night with him.’‘

You say your goodbyes to each other and you go your separate way down the hallway of studios. Each door standing out in it’s own way makes you smile.

Mang Gae Deok Room

Hope world

Golden Closet

Genius Lab

And finally, Mon Studio.

You fluff your hair a little bit before turning the corner to the secluded area. But something takes you by surprise, it makes you tense up. Eyes watering and a little whimper chokes out of you. So this is what he’s been doing. This is what he’s been up to for the past weeks.

Its as if almost you feel your heart stop beating for a mere second. As if the blood in your veins went cold. As if what you’re seeing right now is only your imagination but in reality it is not.

There he is, sitting in his chair while a female takes it upon herself to casually take a seat on his desk, smiling and laughing and all. The pain in your heart makes it hard for you to keep looking. Sure, you guys argue, but ditching plans to do whatever it is with a girl is a low blow. That’s all you can take. That’s all you can manage to see right before he turns to look at you in complete and utter shock. There is no stopping the flow of the tears coming down your warm cheeks.

You look down at the boxed up food you had bought him and the bottle of wine that you had taken then back up at the door. Raising the box in the air, you throw it against the window making the food splatter everywhere leaving a mess. The two inside jump at your actions, but you ignore them and just walk away with utter disbelief.

Foot steps and yelling are heard behind you but you don’t stop. You continue walking, but then speeding up your pace passing the receptionist, who is confused yet concerned, and pass the two security guards with no expression.

Running to the open, vacant elevator you quickly wipe your tears and repeatedly abuse the close button to keep Namjoon from joining you. The image of him you get just before the door closes, is him running attempting to get the elevator door to open. You make sure to make eye contact with him just so he can see your pain.

You sniffle heavily while hanging your head low walking to your apartment. You could understand if it was one of the boys in the recording room. It doesn’t look like a great situation, but the girl did seem comfortable enough with him to sit on his desk. So that only leads you to think about how long has she been around him. The thoughts barricade your mind and before you know it you are face to face with someone standing directly on your doormat.

You dont bother to look up already knowing that body structure. Instead you try and shove past him to unlock your home, but there’s no use because next thing you know you’re being held by your upper arms standing in-front of him.

‘‘ Namjoon I don’t want to fucking talk about it.’’ You grumble, shoveling yourself out his arms quick enough to unlock your apartment enough for you to slide through and slam shut.

Knocks are loud on your door to cause some neighbors to wonder. Let them wonder they can scold him themselves for causing so much of a scene.

‘‘ Yn im coming in.’‘ He yells through the door.

You roll your eyes and stand a few feet from the door with your arms crossed on your chest. The door gives a charm letting him know the pin-code was correct. He shuffles in lightly through the door and closes it gently behind him. You stand there waiting for his explanation as you slowly walk towards him.

‘‘ Yn-’‘

Smack!

It felt good for your hand to connect with his cheek. How dare he disrespect the relationship of you two like this?

Namjoon holds his now sore, red cheek and gives you a serious look, ‘’ That was unnecessary. Let me fuckin expl-’’

Smack!.

Your nose flared in and out as you breathe heavily with your eyebrows furrowed in anger. ‘’ Another woman Kim Namjoon? You didn’t show up to our date because you were doing god knows what with another woman?”

Namjoon bites his lip hard as his eyes narrow, ‘’ Stop fucking smacking me. Let me got damn explain you brat!’’ He yells, pushing you to against the wall.

Your strength towards him was no match. You try to run away but he pins you back onto the wall. You were useless at this point.

‘‘ What’s your problem! Calm down!’‘ He semi-yells, grabbing your face to  make you look at him. You look at him, you look him dead straight in the eyes with anger all over you.

‘‘ Shut up. Shut the fuck up Namjoon. I planned the date to talk about everything happening but you don’t show up? Instead you were chatting it up with another girl.” You pause, ripping your arms away from him. “ That’s not a good look for you.”

Namjoon steps back, scoffing in disbelief. That only pisses you off even more, but you decide that it had been enough smacking him for the night. ‘‘ I wasn’t cheating if you think that. You and I both know I wouldn’t do that, right?”

You glare at him, ‘’I don’t know you fucking tell me.’’

That one single sentence sets him off. Trust is something you two really try to have with each-other but lately that’s been all over the place. Questioning his loyalty to him is like a stab in the back with a sharp, piercing knife. Namjoon puts his hands on his head in shock while walking towards the kitchen. You follow him because the last thing he was going to do to you, is ignore the entire fucking conversation.

The silence is rough. You sit yourself down on one of the island chairs as you watch him pour himself a glass of wine. The one you had bought from the restaurant. The way his jaw locks with a serious pout on his face lets you know, he has some choice words to say. That sharp tongue is just holding it in.

But did you over-react? Perhaps you did? Either way, it wasn’t a great scene to walk in on. Your man and another woman alone in his studio. You can’t help but to have reacted that way. Wouldn’t any other person would? It’s not that she was there, it was the way she was very comfortable around Namjoon to the point of doing what she did. She was also a person you had never met.

Namjoon puts the tip of the glass to his lips, making direct eye contact with you as he takes a long sip of wine. You roll your eyes at his dramatic action.

He clears his throat, ‘‘ Im still young. I have female friends and I have male friends. I would love to have time with them before you start barking up my ass.”

Barking up his ass?

‘‘ So you’re saying that all you were doing was having fun with her cause you’re still got damn young huh? Is that what i’m hearing Namjoon?’‘ That rage begins in your stomach again. Simmering in you like boiling water.

You continue, “ It’s like you just don’t care you left me at the fucking restaurant looking stupid right?”

‘‘ No I wasn’t having fun with her. You ran out without letting me explain, instead you were all dramatic throwing fucking food at my windows.”  The sound of the glass clinking against the counter-top is sharp. You wince at the sound of it.

Maybe you did over-react. But in your defense, you still had no idea who the girl was.

“Yn, how childish can you be right now? Did you ever think that me, one of the members of a worldwide known boy-group will be busy? Hmm? Yes, I should of told you that I couldn’t make it beforehand. I honestly thought I would be able to join you, but I overlooked my schedule wrong. That is my fault. The girl came because she was scheduled to work on our collaboration tonight with me.”

Oh gosh. The guilt takes over your body all at once. This was the last thing you wanted to happen. You really outdid yourself now. During all your rage and tantrum about this situation, you had failed to realize that you had indeed signed up to live this type of relationship with him. Of course he’d be busy, he’s an idol. Not once did you take his feelings and thoughts into consideration this entire time.

“ I don’t know Yn, I don’t know if we can continue our relationship together. You and I seem to be clashing a lot now-a-days. You questioning my loyalty really hurt me. We should think about taking a break, or ending things.”

Tears well in your eyes but you just let them fall. Those words you never wanted to hear ever. Sure couples clash with each-other, but isn’t that what makes them stronger? It’d be One year and a half down the drain if things were to go south now. Namjoon is a sweet guy, but your recent over-reacting scenes is becoming too much for him.

There goes that silence again. You two just sit there, not saying a word. The tension is thick as wood. This isn’t right. This won’t be right. Th emotions in you are running high. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Things were only said in the heat of the moment. You were tired of him always canceling and didn’t even bother to let him explain. This could of been handled better.

“ I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been wanting to spend time with you and you keep canceling on me Namjoon..”

He sighs, placing his now finished glass of wine in the sink. He runs his hands in his hair shaking his head again. “ I’m sorry for that. I should do a better job at telling you my schedule.”

It still hurts though. The way he said those words without hesitation. “ Do you.. still want us to take a break after this?”

“ I think that now that we understand each other a little more, we can work on being better together and not seperate.”

You’re happy to hear those words. Namjoon comes from behind the counter straight towards you where you were now standing beside the chair you were once sitting in. His arms snake around you and pull you into his chest, hugging you tightly. You sink into him, nuzzling your head into him with a small sigh.

“ I don’t like when we fight like this. You know I love you right? So much. So, so, much.” He whispers down to you. You nod your head in agreement. It’s something about being in his arms that soothe you.

You feel so complete with just the presence of him. He makes you happy, as you do him. Namjoon is understanding, caring, kind, and so much more to you. He was there for you on your worst days, and was there on your best days.

He plants a small kiss on your forehead, “ Let’s become better together yn. I want big plans for us in the future, and I don’t want to lose you.”

“ I want that for us too. I love you so much Namjoon. Even when things are bad for us, I care a lot about you.”

The butterflies in your stomach settle. Being in Namjoons arms is what home feels like to you. You’re secure and safe.

‘‘ Can you trust me next time? I promise from now on I will tell you in advance if I cannot participate instead of just leaving you wondering.‘

You nod your head, not caring about what he said but only caring about his embrace right now. The only thing you care about att he moment is him and his understanding.

‘‘ Can you trust me?’‘

[birdy-bat-writes]

Library Dates with the Batboys

Books fill shelves all over Wayne manor, but there’s just another charm about the manor library, and who else better to enjoy it with than our favourite Batboys?

A/N: Hello precious human and other creatures! This is the first thing I’ve written after a long time and I’m honestly not sure how i feel about it. I wrote down this idea ages ago but never elaborated on it until now and I may be a little rusty. I might rewrite this later and add Bruce, Duke, Babs, Cass and other characters. I’d still really appreciate any feedback! Comments and reblogs make my heart happy. Please Enjoy!

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

Jason Todd

◦                Jason takes you to the section of the library Bruce had built for him when he was Robin and shows you his collection.

◦                He normally reads laying in your lap with you against a wall. Sometimes he'll have you read Sherlock Holmes to him and you'll look down at him with his eyes closed as he mouths the words that he memorized from the novel.

◦                You’ll occasionally read out an incorrect word or skip a sentence just to watch his eyes open and look up to you as you smile at his reaction.

◦                Jason’s library is a section of Wayne Manor that connects to the main Manor library (which is bloody huge) and also holds an entrance to the Batcave through a series of passageways.

◦                Sometimes Jason will just take you by the hand and run off into the tunnels with you. It’s like your own little peaceful space, cordoned off from the rest of life’s trials and troubles.

◦                The two of you will sit in silence in the warm light from the windows, never on chairs, always on the floor, just enjoying each other’s company and the delights of literature.

 Damian Wayne

◦                You and Damian always sit on the topmost floor of the library right by the windows in the back, hidden in a corner by the bookshelves.

◦                You have a little stack of books you chose and even pulled up little bean bag chairs.

◦                The only people who know about your secret place are you two and the animals who sometimes sneak up and cuddle with you.

◦                Damian usually tends to wear a face of indifference in front of people. He’ll smile and frown and smirk most of all but you will rarely if ever catch pure, unchecked emotion in his expressions. Except for when he’s reading.

◦                It’s one of the main reasons he perches up in this little corner. He doesn’t want anyone else to see him gasp and widen his eyes when a plot twist is revealed, or smile like an idiot when two characters finally become a couple (so basically he’s us when we read fanfiction). You of course, are an exception to this.

◦                Damian feels safe with you. Safe enough to be open with you and share his emotions with you. Safe enough to take you to his special place.

◦                Sometimes the two of you don’t even want to read. You’ll just go up there and watch the snow fall outside the windows and Damian will reminisce about his days in the mountains. Or you’ll bask in the first light of the glowy sun after a long winter.

◦                The best days are when you fall asleep reading, and Damian will put a bookmark in your book for you. Then, he carries you to your room and dozes off with you.

◦                The two of you have matching bookmarks that he made for you. Little watercolor scenes of your favorite park and the café you went to for your first date.

 Tim Drake

◦                You and Tim and have a tent where you like to read.

◦                On special occasions, Tim puts fairy lights in there. The tent is behind a couch on the first floor of the manor library

◦                It was originally built from blankets and pillows and then eventually turned into a real tent (the original may or may not have been destroyed in a pillow-fight over Harry Potter storylines).

◦                Tim doesn’t really know when to stop working. He’s one of those people who will burn himself out in the cave or in school and he never really knew how to recharge when he finally did take a break.

◦                One day, he came home from school and Bruce decided that he should skip patrol for a few days and recuperate. After a long nap, he woke up with the urge to do something, and in an attempt to prevent him from working, you dragged him off to the library.

◦                You made it a habit to take him there once a week, forcefully if need be. He began to love the quality time with you and the peaceful serenity of the library so much that he gets there before you sometimes.

◦                You have a little book club almost. You both read the same book so you can talk about it with each other.

◦                Some days, you’re just too exhausted to focus on the pages, and being the sweetheart that he is, he lays your head on his chest and reads aloud to you. It makes your day when you hear him audibly gasp or change his tone when the chapter takes a turn.

◦                Of course, you two happen to be “just one more page” people. You never get enough sleep. But at least you finished the book. :D

 Dick Grayson

◦                Dick and you are more or less sane.

◦                Dick sits with you at the long wooden tables in the library and reads. Sometimes he'll get up and bring you coffee or hot chocolate.

◦                On occasion he'll look up from his book to see your vivid expressions as a result of reading a dramatic scene. He lives for your nose scrunches and the goofy grins you wear when you read something sweet.

◦                You like to look up from your books to admire the architecture of the manor, as well as your boyfriend's handsome features. You remember reading a remarkably detailed description if a beautiful library in a book and looking up at the ceiling of the manor library. Your eyes wandered to the woodwork on the shelves and the rows upon rows of books heading up until you reach the window-lit ceiling. Although you didn’t know it yet, Dick looked up from his book to admire the wonder in your eyes.

◦                He loved these days. It’s not that well-known but he loves to read. The two of you met in a library while he was on a case and you were trying to pass your midterms. One thing led to another and here you are.

◦                When you finally catch his stare, you blush and look at him questioningly. “What…?”

◦                “You’re really cute, you know that?”

◦                *more blushing*

[keltonwrites]

I bought a house in the middle of nowhere

“Yeah, I loved it, but she’d never move there.” It was something akin to that, at least. He didn’t mean any mischief, no deceit or planning. It was an honest take on what, at the time, was true. I saw the road into town on Google Maps, noted that it was closed during the winter, acknowledged the reality that a person can own a snowmobile, and I said, “we are not moving there.” But, all good truths are just dares in the making.

And here I am, living in the “there” I said I would not. Two years ago, I left my job at Headspace for a life reset. It was pre-pandemic, and Ben and I were planning a big road trip. Our perfect paradise in Topanga, CA, had crystallized itself as many people’s perfect paradise, and those “many people” all had more money than us. Our options to buy a home were nil, and home-buying was essentially all we wanted. Ben’s a builder and I’m a world builder, and we wanted somewhere to invest that didn’t belong to someone else. We packed the car with the tent and the bikes and the dog and all the things that come with tents and bikes and dogs, and off we went on our own Tour de l’Ouest, looking for a place to call home. We knew what we wanted, knew our odds of finding it, and hit the road anyway. Here was the dream list — concocted by two pie-in-the-sky dummies who married each other:

Not rainy or consistently windy

Notable access to the arts

Remote and challenging to get to/close neighbors

Wild West influenced architecture

Progressive community

Exceptional trail access out the front door

High-speed internet

In our budget

And my personal favorite: had to “feel right” Good luck to us with a list like that, but thus began our hunt. We camped in the snow, tried every dirty chai in the Rockies, and explored every town we could. Whatever a good time it was, it felt useless. Every town Ben was OK with, I hated. Every town I was OK with, Ben despised. And the few places we both loved required money we just didn’t have. We came home with our sails down, limping into the harbor of our rental. But as is the way with romantics, our dreams began to slowly eclipse our reality. Books fell victim to Zillow and Trulia. TV was replaced by the MLS. All writing time was dedicated to Realtor.com. Hours were spent pouring over maps, county records, and updating spreadsheets that tracked price per square foot compared to beds and baths. Over time, all that internetting led to one singular town of 180 people at 10,000 feet in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado with a road that said “Closed Winters” on Google Maps. Look, I don’t know what happened. Ben found this town on a map, I said don’t be ridiculous, and after a year or so of him telling people I'd never move here, here I am, being ridiculous. Was it reverse psychology? Maybe. Was it the charming “town plan” that mandated all houses be rustic cabins and forbade AirBnB? Could be. Was it the fact that when I looked at Strava’s Heatmap, it showed what seemed like thousands of miles of trails just out the front door? I mean, yes. All these things played a part, but all I know for certain is that one day I woke up and said, “we’re going to move there.” Ben doubted this conviction (and the realities behind it) thus cementing it into place in my head. In a town of 180 people there’s only ~60 houses, which means maybe 2 or 3 get listed per year — but my spreadsheet had the proof: we hadn’t missed our chance yet in this tiny town. The data showed a strong likelihood there would be at least two houses listed within the calendar year. This, however, was also our last chance. The spreadsheet also showed that if we didn’t find a house this year, we wouldn’t be able to afford one the next. We called a realtor, made our case, and harangued her until she believed us that we were truly the kind of yahoos who would move to an avalanche field and stay there. And then it happened. A pocket listing. It was a darling home built in 1890. It had the beds, the baths, and the views. We were the first and only to know. We put in an offer, they agreed, and we would come to see the house in a few weeks. But in those few weeks, the circumstances changed. The sellers lost their own sweet deal, and they couldn’t sell yet. Their agent promised we had right of first refusal, it was only a matter of time. Ben lamented, I preached patience, and we went to see the house that was no longer for sale anyway.

It was a quiet winter morning in Covid when we drove across the packed snow to meet our realtor outside the house. The sun was out and the 13 degrees Fahrenheit felt warm. I unzipped my jacket, mask on my face. I took long videos and talked about where I would set up my office and where we’d put the bikes. As we closed up and I settled into a future where this house would eventually be mine, our realtor told us there were comps in the area — other residents quietly interested in potentially closing out. Would we like to see them? Sure, let’s.

One home came with an incredible commercial kitchen. The whole house was a whopping 3500 sq ft if my memory serves me correct, which falls under the category of “houses too big to find your cat in."

Another home had an open-air-to-the-kitchen bathroom.

The third was dark and overpriced with cracked windows and open beer cans scattered about.

And then, plans changed.  “Hey guys, there’s actually one more house we can see.” The last house we saw was a log cabin, nestled in the hillside by itself, with massive A-frame windows looking out onto the peaks beyond. Inside was a labyrinth of a life lived long and large. The cabin was built and loved by a man we’ll call Jack. Jack was 82, and as we walked toward the front door on that sunny winter morning, he exited with two beers in his pockets, headed to the mountain to ski. Jack was an attorney — in his life he’d been both criminal and defender — and from the stories, somewhat interchangeably. There were artifacts from running in the same scenes as Hunter S. Thompson and Willie Nelson; there were stuffed birds, bad books, sheet-covered couches, smoked spliffs, and piles and piles of mouse shit. Every inch of the house was lived in, and not just by people. You think millennials like plants? No. This man likes plants. The biggest monstera deliciosa I’ve ever seen, spanning some 10 feet wide and 15 feet tall. Draping cactuses, spider plants, massive aloes, and an ambitious hoya carnosa clawing its way to the top of the massive fireplace. But there were problems. I’m trying to be diplomatic saying the house was lived in. The wood by the door handles was dyed black from years of hand grease rubbing against it. The carpet in the upstairs was soiled almost everywhere with bat scat. Newspaper was stuffed between the massive logs to keep the wind out. There was cardboard taped over almost every window, blankets nailed over the others. Half the doors wouldn’t open. It was unnerving to touch the crusted light switches. It was early enough in the season of Covid-fear that touching anything felt like gambling. On our way back to our rental in the bigger neighboring town, we shared our awe and our no-ways, lamenting how long we’d have to wait for the little 1890s fixer upper. That night, I sent the video I took of the cabin to my parents. “Can you believe this?” I asked. And do you know what my dad said? “Great log construction.” After that, the cabin was all we could talk about. “Could you believe those plants?” “Did you see how big those logs were?” “I just googled Jack, look at this.” “Do you know what the insulating factor of logs is?” “How much did he say he was asking?” It came down to the plants. Amidst all the chaos in that house, the tender care of those decades-old plants sung the clearest. This wasn’t just a place Jack lived in, it was a place that wanted to be lived in. We made an offer the next day.

Jack had six months to clear out his 30 odd years of collecting, and the town had six months to speculate about the worrisome Californians moving to their high-altitude, high-risk town. The town itself is an old mining town. It rests in a high valley, surrounded by peaks over 13,000ft, and is over six hours from the nearest major airport. Five people died around this town in avalanches this past year. The dirt road into town is littered with avalanche fields, warning visitors to not stop when driving in. The other way out is a pass road, only drivable in the warm months, but you could skin out if it was dire. Most August days, the high is in the mid-60s. The valley is blanketed in wildflowers, and the aspens littering the mountainsides suggest a promising fall display. The town had a heyday, a low day, and now it’s a community of preppers, adventurers, appreciators, and “get all these idiots away from me”ers. We don’t know these people yet, but the ones we’ve met have the same like to live hard attitude we do. Heli-ski guides, ex-CIA agents, woodworkers, bakers, teachers, just a general can-do group of people. The kind of people that see a California license plate and peer with skepticism between the thin gap over their sunglasses and under their caps.

You might say I’m romanticizing the place, but the residents are worse. Like all good old-timers, they’re full of threats: “wait’ll you see the snow drifts,” “let’s see how you do outrunning an avalanche,” “good luck with the winds,” “the last Californians didn’t last a year.” God, what does that remind me of?

“Yeah, I loved it, but she’d never move there.”

With every taunt, my teeth ground more enamel, fingers rolling into a clench. And maybe Jack recognized this intensity, because on the day of closing, he hosted a gathering for us in the town's open space. He had us introduce ourselves to the skeptical locals, and I made my case in court, eyes narrowed and lips curled. “I’m the daughter of a smokejumper and wildlife biologist. I grew up watching the wind and the door. I’ve lived in big cities, small boats, and more than one cabin. I always take the stairs, I never use air-conditioning, and I’m a very good shot.” I’m just a girl, standing in front of a town, asking them to give her a fucking chance. Jack stepped forward to speak. “You know, I had my doubts about a couple Californians coming to look at my house. But these people? These are the nicest people you’re ever gonna meet.” And then I helped Jack set up his cot so he could spend his last night under the stars in the town that kept him young. Cooper ran circles with the other dogs. People brought homemade cocktails and bowls of dip and we felt welcomed. Even the mayor, a fellow writer, came and she struck up a conversation. “I hear you’ve got a little bit of a following on social media!” She teased. “I guess, nothing wild.” “Well I just wanted to let you know if you ever geotag this town, I’ll drag you out of it.” She grinned. This was a special place. And every visitor who couldn’t handle the realities of being here threatened the very wellbeing of the people who lived here. This town survives on a delicate balance. They source their own water, manage their own roads, and fervently protect the land and the people around them. Their stories about racing avalanches, snowmobiling in the dark of night to the doctor’s house, hunkering down in each other’s homes as the storms pass — these stories were bylaws. You can join when you’ve proven you’re ready to join. By their own projection, they are hardy and steadfast people, and when they see a Californian, they see something fleeting. Many years ago, I worked in the British Virgin Islands. The people born and raised there were called Belongers. At the customs office, the placards above the lines literally read, “If you belong, stand here” and “If you do not belong, stand here.” Whether or not we belong isn't up to the town council, and it's not up to these residents. It's up to years spent drifting my old Mustang in the snow on the way to school, up to Ben's months and months spent in the backcountry, up to my years of reading fire reports and assisting with evacuations, up to Ben's ability to read the landscape and the weather, up to my doggedness, his diligence, and our pathological love to do difficult things well. It’s up to us, to these old logs, and to this valley. Doesn't mean we'll belong, but it does mean we'll try. And for the record, the road is open in the winter. But do these sound like the kind of people who’d tell Google that? Next week, a tour of the house that we get to call ours — stuffed with newspaper, run by plants, and filled with mice. P.S. Here's where we get our mail.

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[cherry-valentine]

Spring 2021 Anime Season

Mars Red is one of two series this season set in one of my favorite periods, the Meiji era. It’s a vampire series that deals a lot with the politics of war as the Japanese military is attempting to establish a vampire unit, supposedly to compete with the British vampire unit (because of course that’s a thing). It focuses on a human military officer named Maeda who is charged with recruiting and managing vampires. Maeda is the type of character I really enjoy. Handsome, a little older than most anime protagonists, chain-smoking, overly serious, and voiced by Junichi Suwabe (who has to have the sexiest voice in all of anime). The series has a classic, romantic feel to it. Its take on vampires is somewhat traditional (they evaporate in the sun, drink blood, sleep in coffins, have super strength and speed, etc.). If it brings anything new to the table, it’s the concept of vampires having different ranks, from S-class down, and how lower ranks naturally fear higher ranks. Still yet, the classic vibe works in the show’s favor. Combined with the historical setting, it gives the show a certain charm. The art is lovely, from the backgrounds to the character designs, and the music is a high point. It easily has the best ending theme of the season.

Fumetsu no Anata e (To Your Eternity) is a unique series. I’ve seen a lot of people comparing it to Mushishi, but with an overarching plot, and that assessment is pretty accurate. The show follows an entity that comes to be known as Fushi. It begins as an orb, and as it makes contact with other objects and creatures, it learns from them and can possibly take their forms. Among the forms it most often takes are a white wolf and a young man. Originally, it’s a somewhat empty shell, incapable of communicating, but as it meets different creatures and learns, it develops a personality and begins to speak. The series is, overall, about Fushi’s journey through this world and all the experiences it gains, both wonderful and tragic. There’s a subtle beauty to the series, with an early focus on nature, but it also has scenes of trauma and violence. The animation is fluid and the facial expressions are amazing. There’s an overall natural feel to it that, like others have pointed out, reminds me of Mushishi (though it’s definitely faster paced than Mushishi). The show also likes to make you cry, so keep that in mind.

Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood is the other series set in the Meiji era this season, albeit an alternate version of it that has a strange form of technology. To be honest, I’m a little fuzzy on some of the details, but it seems to be about a group called the Nue who work for the government to fight against a growing rebellion. The main character is Sawa, a member of Nue who has some sort of special powers involving her blood, which allow her to transform and battle monsters, or whatever else stands in her way. Her goal is to get revenge for the death of her entire clan (implied to be wiped out because of their power). Sawa is a decent heroine, a woman who craves vengeance and is determined to get it through any means, but is, at her core, a compassionate person who would rather live in peace. It’s this internal conflict that makes Sawa compelling (even if it’s not entirely original). The other characters are interesting, particularly Tsuki, whom I won’t talk much about because it would involve spoilers. The plot and details can get a little convoluted, but the action and animation are solid. When Sawa transforms, the art style changes, and it’s a really cool visual effect. The music is also nice.

Shaman King received a remake this season. I was a huge fan of the original, and so far I’m enjoying the remake, but to be honest, I’m having trouble seeing the point. The art is almost the same (just a lot shinier), the voice actors are the same, the plot is the same. Maybe it’s just that it’s been so long since I saw the original, I’m unable to remember the details and so I can’t tell what’s different. But to me it feels like I’m just rewatching the show. Which is fine, because I loved it to begin with. Maybe it gets different later on. Maybe it more closely follows the manga. I’ll keep watching to find out. For anyone new to the series, it looks like the remake is a solid place to start if you want to get into it. I won’t go into plot details for a story this old, so I’ll just say it’s a top tier shounen fighting series with a unique art style and some very memorable characters. If you like that sort of thing, and missed the original (or you just want a refresher), definitely check it out!

Godzilla Singular Point is a true delight. I’m a huge Godzilla (and kaiju in general) fan. I’ve watched every single Godzilla movie, as well as all the related movies (the Mothra films, Rodan, etc.), but I never watched the previous Godzilla anime that was on Netflix a few years ago. It just didn’t sound like something I’d like. Singular Point, however, is right up my alley. Set mainly in a small seaside town that’s suddenly attacked by bird-like monsters known as Rodans, we have two geeky protagonists using their intelligence to figure out what’s going on while more and more monsters appear. Mei and Yun are excellent heroes. They rely on their wits rather than physical strength, which is a refreshing approach. It’s also interesting that they have little to no face-to-face interaction. Instead, they chat with each other via text as they work separately. They often challenge each other with science questions. It’s adorable. The show’s overall feel is fairly upbeat and energetic. The colorful art and peppy character designs by Kazue Kato (who did Blue Exorcist) help with this feel. It should be noted that Godzilla himself doesn’t fully appear until halfway through the series. It says a lot about the quality of the show that I don’t actually mind that at all. Some of the science stuff does go over my head, but the general plot is easy enough to follow and the action is very well done. It also has fantastic music, with my favorite opening theme of the season. Even if Godzilla isn’t your thing, consider giving this series a shot if you like nerdy science types as heroes.

Burning Kabaddi is a sports anime about an unsual sport. I’d never heard of it before now, and if people in the comments were not talking about the very real sport, I would have assumed it was made up for the anime. The show is aware that the sport is obscure, so it takes great pains to explain the rules and details so that we can all follow the action. The story centers on Yoigoshi, a soccer prodigy who decides to drop all sports once he gets to high school due to all the drama and angst that surrounded him (mostly due to his teammates being jealous of his talent), and pursue a career as a streamer. All the various sports clubs at the school want to recruit him (especially the soccer club, of course) because they’ve heard of his skill and he has an athletic build. He rejects them all, but the Kabaddi club is strangely relentless. He ends up being manipulated into joining (the vice captain of the team straight up blackmails him by threatening to show his online streaming account to the whole school). Despite this rocky beginning, Yoigoshi actually starts to enjoy playing Kabaddi, and more importantly, begins to bond with his new teammates. It’s pretty fun stuff that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The art is serviceable for a sports anime and the music is fine. The series isn’t going to blow your mind, but it’s a fun way to spend twenty minutes every week. Worth a watch if you have a weakness for hot blooded sports anime.

The World Ends With You finally got its anime adaptation and I was so excited. The game is one of my all-time favorites. So far the anime is pretty good. The art is a near perfect replication of the bold, thick-lined art of the game. The battles are exciting and cool. Best of all, the anime often uses music from the game. This is important because the game has one of the best soundtracks, ever. Every time I recognize a song from the game, I almost squeal. If I had a complaint, it’s that the pacing feels a little off at times. It feels like the anime is rushing through the story, but that’s understandable. In the game, it took longer for everything to happen because you were walking from place to place, fighting battles along the way, stopping to scan NPC’s, shopping at stores, spending time in menus, etc. The anime has to cut most of that out, so naturally things are going to move faster. The result is that you don’t get to spend as much time with these characters, and so you feel less attached to them. Anyone watching the anime who didn’t play the game might feel like the emotional beats are lacking. I feel like this anime is definitely meant to be enjoyed by fans of the game, rather than newcomers to the story. But if you are a fan of the game? You should be watching this every week. It’s an excellent refresher on the story, just in time for the second game to come out this summer. Super high on my watch list.

Boku no Hero Academia has a new season. To be honest I don’t remember what number we’re on. This season, so far, focuses on a tournament-style competition between the two main hero classes. I would much prefer the plot to move on to something more exciting involving the villains, but I suppose they have to throw arcs like this in every so often just to remind everyone of which characters have which quirks. The plus point is that instead of being an individual competition, it’s team-based. What this ultimately means is that characters that are viewed as weaker or having more obscure quirks actually get a chance to shine. These are characters who definitely aren’t going to win one-on-one battles. In an individual tournament, it’s pretty much a given that characters like Deku, Bakugou, and Todoroki are going to win most of the matches. But in a team, everyone has to work together. The end result is that the lady characters, all of whom have fairly weak or situational quirks, finally FINALLY get to actually do stuff! Even better, in several of the match-ups, the girls have taken the lead in planning and strategizing. It’s been pretty nice to watch. The girls from the other class have been very proactive as well. I really wish the girls could do more in “real” battles with villains, since it’s clear that they can step up when they need to. Who knows? Maybe this is a sign of good things to come.

86 is a new mecha/sci-fi anime based on a series of light novels. The setup is fairly cool: In a country where everyone has silver hair and eyes, the people live in what looks like a utopia. There is a war going on outside their protected land but all combat is performed by automated robots, so there are no human casualties... or so the government would have the people believe. In reality, there is a district that exists on the outskirts of the country called 86, where people who don’t have silver hair and eyes are sent to pilot the robots and fight to protect the country that shunned them. Most of the pilots are children or teenagers. The mortality rate is high. Only a few people in the government know of their existence, mostly military types that include “handlers”. These handlers each take on an 86 unit and communicate with them through a system called “para-raid”. Using this, they monitor the battlefield from their safe positions and issue commands. Naturally, most handlers view their units as nothing more than tools in the war, and most 86-ers view their handlers as privileged snobs who know nothing of actual battle. The real plot kicks in when Lena, a young Major, becomes the new handler for a particular 86 unit. Lena is sympathetic to the people of 86, but it’s going to be hard getting her notoriously rough unit to accept her. The plot is a bit complicated and the show deals with some weighty themes (racism, privilege, war, child soldiers, death). Lena is a likable enough heroine and the members of 86 are all interesting and fairly well written. The music is fine. The art... well, it’s pretty to look at, but it feels a bit generic to me. A bit too shiny. The mecha designs are great, but I’m not crazy about the character designs, which feel like they could be from any other modern anime. I also find it sad but hilarious at the same time that the women’s military uniforms are clearly designed for fanservice (they include mini skirts, thigh-highs with garters, and a short jacket that opens up just above the chest to show the tight shirt underneath) while the men’s uniforms are just totally normal military wear. To be honest it’s just too stupid to actually be offensive, so it comes across as comical. Thankfully, the interesting setup and plot carry the show, making it good enough to overlook the generic visuals.

Moriarty the Patriot has a new season... maybe? I think it’s technically still season one, but with a split cour. Regardless, it feels like a new season so I’m treating it as such. The series focuses on famous Sherlock antagonist Moriarty, here represented as a trio of handsome brothers (though one of them is clearly the protagonist and the leader of the group) who work as “crime consultants” and basically help the lower classes wage class warfare against the nobility. This season shifts the focus away from the individual crimes Moriarty concocts and instead focuses on larger-scale conflicts that involve government conspiracies, corrupt cops, etc. We’re also treated to a lady James Bond (finally!), fixing one of the very few complaints I had about the first cour (that it lacked strong lady characters). The show remains very compelling, with beautiful art and excellent new opening and ending themes.

Best of Season:

Best New Show: Godzilla Singular Point

Best Opening Theme: Godzilla Singular Point

Best Ending Theme: Mars Red

Best New Male Character: Maeda (Mars Red)

Best New Female Character: Sawa (Joran)

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Sleeping Beauty's Prince

Tagged by @ariel-seagull-wings.

These answers apply to the Prince from Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm's versions of the tale and all subsequent traditional retellings, as well as to Disney's animated Prince Phillip. They don't apply to any of the pre-Perrault versions of the character who impregnate the Princess in her sleep, nor do they apply to Prince Phillip from the live-action Maleficent duology.

Favorite thing about them: He's a charming fairy tale prince. Even though that archetype is easy to mock, it's still endearing. For Disney's Prince Phillip, let me add to that his warmth, courage, intelligence and sense of humor. He's definitely the best of the three Walt-era princes; Snow White and Cinderella's princes are stuffed shirts by comparison.

Least favorite thing about them: In the traditional tale, kissing a sleeping girl whom he doesn't know. The issue of consent is much more of a real issue here than it is in Disney's Snow White.

I don't think it's quite as much of an issue for Disney's Prince Phillip, though, because he and Aurora were already in love before she fell asleep, and because he knows the kiss will break the spell, as opposed to just kissing her because she's so pretty. About Phillip my least favorite thing is probably his bold pressing of his feelings onto the shy, withdrawing Aurora in "Once Upon a Dream." Of course it's just old-fashioned wooing, perfectly innocent by the standards of its time, but by modern standards, if a girl is reluctant to speak to you because you're a stranger, the appropriate response isn't "But we've met before... once upon a dream."

And for Perrault's Prince: For goodness' sake, how could you leave your ogress mother in charge of the kingdom and leave your wife and children in her care when you went off to war?! You knew she craved human flesh, you hid your marriage for two years to protect your wife and babies from her, but then...?! Perrault's bowdlerization of Sun, Moon and Talia (changing the wife who tries to kill her husband's mistress and illegitimate children into a flesh-craving ogress mother-in-law) is awkward and reduces the Prince to an idiot. The Grimms were wiser to cut that part of the story altogether and end with the awakening of Sleeping Beauty and her castle.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I like stories about princesses.

*Like Disney's Phillip, I love Aurora's singing voice.

*Also like Phillip, I like the color red.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not royalty.

*I'm too shy either to kiss a sleeping person I've never met (traditional tale) or to romantically pursue a retiring stranger at first sight (Disney's Phillip).

*Unlike Disney's Phillip, I don't know how to handle a sword, so a dragon would probably make short work of me. Though if I had the fairies to help me, who knows?

Favorite line: From Disney's Phillip:

"Now Father, you're living in the past. This is the 14th century!"

BrOTP: His horse, Samson, from the Disney version.

OTP: Sleeping Beauty.

nOTP: The Old Fairy/Maleficent.

Random headcanon: Perrault's prince has always struggled with the fact that he's half ogre. He has cravings for human flesh too – nowhere near as strong as his mother's, because he's half human, but other people do smell all too tasty to him. Yet he manages to control that side of himself, so he naïvely assumes his mother can control it too, not realizing that she has no desire to control it.

Unpopular opinion: Even though the issue of non-consensual kisses deserves to be discussed, I don't think it makes either the Prince or the story unredeemable. Disney resolved it fairly well by having Aurora and Phillip effectively be already in a relationship when the kiss takes place (yes, it was Love at First Sight, but that's just a storytelling convention), but to do that they eliminated the 100 years of sleep from the original tale. I might be tempted to write a retelling that keeps the 100-year sleep, but draws inspiration from the scene in the ballet where the Lilac Fairy shows the Prince a vision of Aurora, and had the Prince communicate telepathically with Sleeping Beauty thanks to some magical intervention. Every night he would dream of meeting her and talking with her, while in the castle she would simultaneously have the same dream about him, and in the last dream before he actually finds her, she would give him consent to kiss her.

Song I associate with them:

The obvious: "Once Upon a Dream" from the Disney version:

"Slumber" from the Cannon Movie Tales version.

Favorite pictures of them:

This illustration by Charles Folkard:

This illustration by Jessie Wilcox Smith:

This one by Trina Schart Hyman – both here and in her Snow White, her bearded princes are a nice change of pace for fairy tale lovers who prefer manly men to pretty boys, and this moment with his bride-to-be and her parents is so joyous and sweet:

This illustration by Mercer Mayer – I like the way his clothes are tattered from fighting through the briars:

This illustration by Christian Birmingham:

Disney's Prince Phillip with Aurora:

Christopher Reeve in the Faerie Tale Theatre version:

Nicholas Clay with Tanhee Welch in the Cannon Movie Tales version:

Matthew Ball with Yasmine Naghdi in Tchaikovsky's ballet:

[sk1fanfiction]

the many faces of tom riddle, part 5

 - more myth than man... or not? the mortality of tom riddle and the anatomy of a villain-

That leaves us with Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal of adult Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort in movies 4-8.

I generally find adult Tom Riddle disappointing, even in the books, in terms of character depth. Instead of delving into his motivations and the inner psychology of a villain, we get... slight body horror? And in the movies, it’s even more egregious. 

If a story is as good as its villain, adult Tom Riddle is a bit of a let-down, especially on-screen.

“I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost . . . but still, I was alive.”

Perhaps the very first time I watched it, I found this scary, but I must confess that nowadays, Voldemort’s resurrection is more funny to me than anything else. The forked tongue and the nose slits, yes, are supposed to allude to Tom Riddle’s loss of humanity, but I don’t think it...worked out that way in practice.

I know that’s how it is in the books, but ugly equals evil (and vice versa) is a tired trope. not only that, but under the CGI, Lord Voldemort is so difficult to relate to, so inhuman, that it’s hard to (1) see his true depravity (2) connect with him emotionally (3) at least for me, not laugh at him flapping around the graveyard in GOF like an oversized crow. 

Now, the reason I’m going on about this is not (just) me being petty. Lord Voldemort is the Boggart for most of the characters in the HP universe, meaning their greatest fear is Lord Voldemort. He represents Fear; as such, he should be utterly terrifying. Now, I don’t mean horrifying in that sense, but Voldemort’s grand entrance should at least feel somewhat unsettling, have some sort of a Gothic atmosphere...

"But then, through the mist in front of him, he saw, with an icy surge of terror, the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron."

Visually, this looks great. But it’s not scary. And I’m not a purist by any means, but the words are scarier than the book. Darkness induces fear. 

“The lack of any kind of visual stimuli increases anxiety, uncertainty, and tension.”

So, having Voldemort’s pale body materialize isn’t as scary as it could be.

Furthermore, I think Fiennes’ overexaggerated expressions would actually come across as properly horrifying/threatening rather than funny if they just left his face alone. Yes, Fiennes does manage to emote the fear and the anger through the CGI, but it’s like he’s too alien to be scary, at least to me. The amount of memes with Voldemort suggest I’m not the only one this way inclined.

I think there’s probably a problem going on with the uncanny valley. (Images from the Mori essay linked).

[When things are still]

[Creepy things are creepier when moving]

Now, I assume Voldemort is meant to be zombie-creepy, or at least that how Harry describes him in the books.

"The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry...and Harry stared back into the face that had haunted his nightmares for three years. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake's but with slits for nostrils...."

Now, we can’t get Harry’s experience of being haunted by Voldemort in his dreams, because what I think makes Voldemort’s countenance so truly frightening to the other characters isn’t his snake-like nose or his red eyes, but the potential. Voldemort is, in essence, the Grim Reaper. You are at his mercy, and you’re probably going to be dead. 

“This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour.“

And yes, Voldemort can be quite funny and witty, but..

“I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers will give their right hands to perform.” (To Peter Pettigrew)

...it’s still incredibly dark, sadistic humour. Whereas the teenage Tom Riddle we’ve been discussing has just barely dipped his toes into evil, Voldemort is, well... swimming in it. At this point, he think he undeniably enjoys causing pain.

And much of what makes Voldemort scary is subtle. 

For example, what I personally consider haunting is the fact that he’s got a cave full of Inferi. A cave full of reanimated dead bodies. 

Either he dug them up, which is unlikely... or perhaps, a twenty-seven-or-so-year-old Tom Riddle would lie in wait like a bird of prey, very quietly and patiently, perhaps reading a book, waiting for an unsuspecting Muggle to wander past. Maybe killing is a game to him at this point, when it’s not so personal as killing Harry Potter. Maybe it’s a whispered Avada Kedavra, and then he carries the dead body away to his cave. Maybe he Imperiuses them to walk off the cliff. Maybe he tortures them first.

Shudder.

And I don’t think you can show that kind of horror through any CGI or make-up, so...

You know what is terrifying? Revolting? True crime; real-life people who do unspeakably horrible things. And I think a lot was missed out on, in stripping Tom Riddle physically of his humanity. Yes, Riddle is a monster...

But, as we’ve seen, he’s a human monster, not some eldritch horror from the seventh level of hell or something.

I just think it would be interesting to have this perfectly normal-looking human do all the horrific things Voldemort does. I want to see that sick joy in a human face and feel disgusted. I want to see fear make his bottom lip tremble, and feel a misplaced sense of empathy. (Think President Snow from the Hunger Games -- now, that’s a sick, twisted villain who we can relate to as a human being, but still love to hate -- or what about The Joker?).

And out of everything they chose to CGI, why on earth did they not make his eyes scarlet? That might have made him look at least somewhat menacing, rather than a failed lab experiment.

(Don’t even get me started on his and Bellatrix’s death scenes in the movies-)

Here’s President Snow. He’s got a cute little granddaughter, he sends kiddies to kill each other Battle Royale-style every year, and he poisons all his political opponents. He’s also a master manipulator and has a penchant for white roses. They cover up the smell of the sores in his mouth from eating the poison too, to conceal his treachery.

Heath Ledger as the Joker in Dark Knight (2008), who is, according to NYT (which I totally agree with), the best Joker. Now this is a villain done right, with many Voldemort-like traits. On a scale of one-to-ten, he’s absolutely terrifying. Why? He’s (unlike Voldemort in the movies) incredibly intelligent, shows young-Tom-Riddle-like skills for charm and manipulation, plays with humans like they’re his own personal psychology experiment (and to hell with the Institutional Review Board), and has one, single, very clear goal -- chaos. Like Voldemort, he wears an inhuman mask that’s not horrifying in its own right; but unlike Voldemort, the human is all there -- terrifying, real, and with a bottomless, obsessive desire to destroy. His disordered thinking is all out there for the audience to see. The Joker’s motivation is to enjoy himself; whereas Voldemort seems to lack drive. Why does he want to take over the world -- who knows, with Voldemort? The Joker wants to see it burn.

Let’s try to do the same with Lord Voldemort:

[SLIGHT FLASH WARNING]

I had to go with this because Voldemort isn’t legitimately terrifying in many scenes. And yes, this unrefined anger somewhat speaks to Tom’s immaturity

By this point, seventy-one year old Tom Riddle is a hollowed-out shell of a human being. After decades of building his power, he was defeated by a one-year-old, and ended up slumming it as a spirit for a decade, got defeated again, was a shrivelled-up baby for a year, then finally got his body back.

He’s angry, okay! And Fiennes does a great job of portraying the sheer, destructive, unbridled rage of this character.

The body language. again, since his face is inhuman, this is super important. and Fiennes’ body language is great. Voldemort/Riddle commits to his actions. He is very emotionally-driven.

But yet, he doesn’t feel capable, in the way that the Joker or President Snow do. Yeah, we know anecdotally that he’s incredibly evil, sadistic, and second only to Dumbledore in terms of power, but he loses to a baby, and then that same baby as a teenager. So, we really could have done with seeing Voldemort’s power, cruelty, and evil firsthand a lot more often.

Voldemort is not well-characterized. I don’t understand his motives, and the ones that I do understand are not compelling.

Not to die? Well, he’s already made several Horcruxes. Why not sit back and relax? Why start a war and risk himself?

JKR said that Voldemort’s great desire was to become all-powerful and eternal. But that’s... boring! It does little to tell us about Voldemort, other than that he’s a villain and a wannabe dictator. 

Furthermore, the charm, manipulation, and cunning that are hallmarks of younger Tom Riddle’s personality are gone.

Is Voldemort (to return to Jungian terms) all shadow? An empty creature of simple creation and destruction, perhaps? We’ll discuss this further down...

And this isn’t a problem of having a fantastical world with magic and the like. Grindelwald’s quiet, self-possessed, almost coy “So you think you can hold me?” was infinitely scarier than anything that has ever come out of Voldemort’s mouth. It was chilling. 

OOTP is my favorite book, and the Ministry sequence is one of my favourite in the films. 

This scene where he psyches out Harry, talking so quietly that he could just be a little voice inside his head (and again, during the possession scene)? Absolute perfection. 

Why? Because this showcases what’s truly scary about him. Voldemort can get into your head. He can make you do things. And perhaps, if we had seen that more often, we’d understand how scary he is.

I wish this had been his grand entrance, and not whatever that scene in GOF was. Somehow, him screeching “I WANT TO SEE THE LIGHT LEAVE YOUR EYES!” is not menacing. At all. 

But, I can’t help but think how much greater the emotional affect would be if he had more human features (think the burned-and-blurred, waxy features from Dumbledore’s memory). 

Just imagine these scenes if Voldemort looked human, and spoke as quietly as he did in this one.

Because of the reason that I have little to go on in terms of characterization that I haven’t already covered, we’ll discuss the myth and legend of Lord Voldemort.

I can’t decide if the statue in the films is supposed to be the Angel of Death or the Grim Reaper. He has a skeleton and carries a scythe, but he also has wings. There are so many different interpretations, attitudes towards, and personifications of Death across the world that I don’t want to draw any one conclusion. But I must wonder if Lord Voldemort, with his yew-and-phoenix wand (which carries heavy symbolism of immortality and rebirth) and almost deified figure is meant to be a personification of Death himself? His name, Lord Voldemort, is a shade close to Lord Death.

For years, it has stumped me that wizards and witches are afraid to utter Voldemort’s name, especially since we only see the Taboo in the middle of the last book. It didn’t make sense just based on fear; in the real world, we don’t circumvent Hitler’s name, for example.

Perhaps this may have been obvious to others, but it wasn’t to me.

Here’s a counterargument to myself; why Voldemort shouldn’t look human.

Voldemort, in the Wizarding World, is seen as a literal deity.

I promised to attempt to answer this question in Part 3: 

And so, I can’t help but wonder if the opposite is true… if Tom Riddle creates Horcruxes, would that grant him additional magic powers?

In Part 3, I likened Tom Riddle to a sorcerer in Russian folklore, Koschei the Deathless, also famous for sequestering his soul in objects. This source suggests that Koschei was considered not an ordinary magician, but a representative of the ‘other’ world, the world of death.

So, what if... creating Horcruxes makes you... more than human? Now, I could definitely see god-like status being appealing to sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle. Perhaps, even appealing enough to kill for. Now, his proclivity for Avada Kedavra makes sense. We know it’s an incredibly sinister spell, but at the same time, it’s a very humane way to kill. Why might it be so horrifying?

Here’s a weird theory.

To the best of my knowledge, no one but Voldemort is seen using the Killing Curse more than once or twice. 

Perhaps, ordinary mortals can only cast Avada Kedavra a few times, but Tom, having split his soul and having become in some way a non-human instrument of Death, can cast it however many times as he likes, and that is part of what serves to make him so terrifying.

This makes the idea of Voldemort tossing around Avada Kedavras actually incredibly terrifying, if you take into account what that might mean.

The collective cultural fear of speaking Voldemort’s name supports this theory.

Take the chthonic (underworld) deities of Greek mythology; most notably, Hades and Persephone, the king and queen of the underworld.

Hades, the god of the dead, was feared. 

So feared that the word ‘Hades’ (”the unseen one”) was so frightening, that people came up with all sorts of euphemisms to circumvent actually saying it and he was rarely even depicted in art. For example, they would refer to him as Pluto (”the rich one”), Clymenus ("notorious"), Polydegmon ("who receives many"), and perhaps Eubuleus ("good counsel" or "well-intentioned"), amongst many other names. 

However, he was not seen as evil; just stern, cruel, and fair. Like most Greek gods, he had an associated cult (the Death Eaters, anyone?)

Another interesting connection between Hades and Voldemort is that Hades was associated with snakes.

Persephone (suggested to have a pre-Greek origin and probably pre-dates Hades), who was also a vegetation/fertility/spring goddess, similarly, was referred to as Despoina (”the mistress”), Kore (”the maiden”), etc, because as the terrible Queen of the Dead, it was considered unsafe to speak her name aloud. In mythology and literature, she is sometimes referred to as ‘dread Persephone.’

--Just like how Lord Voldemort is referred to as The Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, You-Know-Who... (and if you’re Dumbledore, ‘Tom’.)

Her central myth served as the context for the secret rites of regeneration at Eleusis (which was basically a mystery cult devoted to her and her mother, Demeter), which promised immortality to initiates.

We don’t know for certain what exactly went on, because, mystery cult -- the members were sworn to secrecy -- but it revolved around immortality and rebirth and possibly psychoactive drugs. 

Perhaps ironically, in comparison to the Death Eaters, anyone could join, as long as they could speak Greek and had never committed murder.

And that concludes my assessment!

[sweeethinny]

sirius/hestia: sirius being romantic and love's fool

hello anon thank you so much i love writing about them

I took a while, but then I thought a lot about this scene, and I loved how this fanfic turned out, so I hope you like it.

*It's 1995, just before Jily and Harry need to go to Grimmauld Place

They had fought over something stupid, honestly, Hestia knew it was something too silly for the two of them to take so seriously.

But of course it hadn't been stupid at the time, and the two of them took fights very seriously, so when they had to go to that stupid Aurors dinner, they weren't trying very hard to show that they didn't want to be there and that they had had a fight a few minutes ago.

Hestia couldn't even remember who started the fight, but she was irritated with work and Sirius kept being pessimistic about this stupid dinner, listing everything that could go wrong, and she freaked out because she didn't need to think about someone being rude with them, because she had already spent eight hours listening to people being rude to her, and being mean to her because they thought they knew better. She needed to have some faith that for at least two hours she was going to be able to smile and have fun, even the slightest bit.

She had gone into hiding in the bathroom when one of the Aurors came to talk to Sirius, she didn't have the patience to deal with Mr. Santiago, however well intentioned he was, Hestia didn't want anyone asking her if she was getting pregnant in the next few years, or she would wait to get older.

Sirius would handle it better than she did, she knew that. Santiago was his boss after all.

Sitting on the toilet, she sighed, glad to finally be silent.

She wanted to quit, wanted to tell Sirius that it had been a mistake that they had moved from their quiet, cozy house to a more central apartment, wanted to call her dad and yell at him for being a jerk last week when he saw her and Sirius at the market and ignored him, she wanted to tell Lily that it wasn't fair that she was so far away and she wasn't allowed to see her best friend because a lunatic nearly killed her son even though she knew it wasn't her or Potter's or Harry's fault.

Hestia buried her face in her hands, wanting to disappear.

When the bathroom door opened she was ready for her cabin door to open too, it was probably Sirius wanting to see if she was alright, and Hestia felt ready to be able to lie and say yes, even if he wouldn't believe it.

He knew her too well.

But instead, she heard female voices, cheerful and full of life, probably not expecting anyone else there; ''He's beautiful.''

''Yes, so, so beautiful.'' The other sighed passionately, which made Hestia chuckle softly, remembering when it was she, Lily and Marlene doing that, running to the bathroom of the muggle ice cream shop that was on the corner of her house, only to daydream about Elliot, the boy who works there. Older, charming, helpful, and very polite.

Hestia still remembered how they all screamed and jumped when Marlene kissed him.

"I'd give anything to kiss him," Girl A said, and the noise of things being placed on the marble sink made her believe they were both touching up their makeup or something. She had done so much with Lily and Marlene to forget what it felt like to just worry about looking pretty.

There was no war, people dying, hidden friends, nothing, it was just them putting on lipstick and making sure they were all perfect to try and get someone to kiss in some dark corner of Hogwarts by the end of the night.

Hestia remembered when Sirius saw her doing this. The two of them on James's seventeenth birthday, after making out warmly in his bedroom, Sirius showed her the bathroom and watched her touch up her makeup. It was so silly and natural when she thought about it, because he still does it, he still watches Hestia like it's for the first time.

''You know what I wanted? Kiss every tattoo of his.” Girl B said, and Hestia almost laughed when she heard her sigh loudly, imagining she was fanning herself. "So sexy."

‘’He's usually already a hottie, but when does he show off his tattoos? Urg, I feel like I'm going to die.” Girl A moaned irritably. "I hate that he's married."

Uh, married men, she had been through that with girls too, not that Hestia liked Johann, but she couldn't help saying he was hot. Lily was the one who thought he was most beautiful, she melted when he got close to her. It was funny, she should send her a letter talking about it.

''These days I saw him training, they were the best ten minutes of my life. '' Hestia chuckled softly, thinking of the times she had gone to the gym only to see Sirius sweating and exercising, every now and then he would lift his shirt to dry his face and make her feel on the clouds. It was her weakness.

"Lucky his wife who sees him naked every day."

"He bought her flowers yesterday, I think it was their birthday." Woman B said.

"He always buys it, or flowers, or something she likes to eat." They were silent, probably breaking up. "I heard one of the Aurors who works with him flirted with him."

‘’Yes, Felicity. She asked if he didn't want to go along with her to the convention in France… I mean, I understand, he's a hot guy, but he's married, hold your pants woman!’’

''Do you know what he said?'' Girl A looked curious, and Hestia was too, because Sirius was going to this convention in France and he didn't say anything to her about it, and he usually told her about Auror gossip.

‘’No, but she didn't look happy when she left his office. But Juan told me that Ester told him that he told her not to let her into his office anymore, and that he looked kind of furious. Not that Felicity was happy, of course, I think she expected him to agree to go out with her.”

“Ah, he would never do that, he's clearly in love with his wife.” Girl A laughed. ''Once, during one of our trainings, he told me that when they were at Hogwarts, he only started paying attention in Muggle Studies classes because of her, and that his favorite class was DADA because they sat near one of the another.'' Hestia frowned, thinking that this could only be a bizarre coincidence.

"Yes, I've seen them talking, and seriously, I hope that one day someone will look at me the way Mr. Black looks at her." They sighed, and Hestia became more attentive to their conversation. ''He has a picture of the two of them in his drawer, I once went there to get a paper for a meeting he asked for and I saw it, they are in a mountain of snow, and she is without her glove showing her ring.'' Sirius still kept this photo? It had been so long now, they were twenty-two and he had asked her to marry him.

“So cute.” The noise of makeup being put away resounded through the silent bathroom, and Hestia fingered the ring that had a lovely diamond set in it. Their names were still delicately engraved on the inside of the ring.

‘’Do you think that's why Felicity won't travel to the convention? Because did she flirt with him?” B asked.

''Probably. Not that I think he would cheat on her or anything, but he probably wants to avoid drama at all costs, you know how he hates it.” Sirius hates drama? Hestia didn't really agree with this, but probably because at work he was much more serious and reserved than at home, because she still remembered him saying that he would die after getting a fever and vomiting from eating bad food.

"Yes." The two continued talking, but now the voices faded as they exited the bathroom, soon leaving her alone in the bathroom again.

Hestia knew Sirius was a hot guy, she remembered how she had almost drooled every time she was admiring him in the common room, sitting sprawled on the couch as if he didn't realize that the more he tried not to draw attention, the more people looked at him, his chin resting on his hand as he watched Peter and Remus play chess.

He was handsome even when he didn't want to be.

Like the first time they slept together, and when she woke up she saw him sleeping. With his face scrunched up and his hair pinned up, so fluffy and helpless it was hard for her to decide to wake him up - but she was getting really hungry and she couldn't remember where her clothes were.

But she didn't know anyone was flirting with him. With her man.

And she didn't want to think like that, because she was an idiot, but it was the thing that was going through her head at that moment. Imagining some woman, much prettier than she, flirting with Sirius. Touching his hair, his face, his tattoos.

Hestia loved kissing his tattoos, all of them, and she liked to remember that he had made one just for her. But it disturbed her peace to think of someone else doing it.

And why hadn't he told her about Felicity? Hestia had met her once before, a nice and kind woman with short black hair and a body to envy.

"Hey, where were you, I was-" Hestia wouldn't let him finish, she'd come out of the bathroom on a mission and their stupid fight wasn't going to get in the way. Ignoring his coworkers and what Mr. Santiago was saying, she cupped Sirius' face as she had been doing since she was seventeen and ran away from home at night on winter break to meet him, and kissed him.

Hestia still felt those butterflies in her stomach when she did that, like she felt when he kissed her near the Potters' house in the rain, or when he took her for a walk in Muggle London, even though none of them knew where to go. She still remembered how she had jumped for joy in Lily's room, telling her and Marlene how he had made her jump over a gate so they could enter an old amusement park, the two of them going to sit on the old Ferris wheel, sharing an ice cream he had bought.

"Wow, okay." Sirius blinked as she pulled away, her hands still on his face. ''Hm, this is good... Where have you been?’’ He placed his hands on her hips, pulling her farther forward as she smiled. "Is this your way of calling for a truce in the fight?"

"Fuck the fight." She stared at him, feeling her chest burn. “Coming with me to get a drink?” She looked away quickly, just to check that the other guys had left them alone. It looked like Santiago had managed to drag everyone over to the cold cuts table, which was a good thing, because she didn't want his co-work to think Hestia was dragging her husband aside to have mad sex with him.

As much as they had already done it.

And as much as she was a little mad at this talk of someone flirting with him, Hestia wasn't making a big scene in public. Never.

"Of course." Sirius still looked a little stunned, but he followed her wherever she pulled. Hestia could see that there were indeed some people giving Sirius a second check, only to look at her afterwards as if wondering what he had seen in her.

She didn't take away their reason, she had already asked that same question to him a few times during her crises.

"You know you don't have to lie to me, don't you?" She asked as they reached the farthest part of the room, no one seemed to notice the two of them there.

"I know… Did something happen?" Sirius put his hands back on her hips, a smirk on his face. '’I thought getting a drink was code for getting laid, or for going home to get laid until we lost our wits, but I think I got it wrong?'’

“Don't be an idiot, I'm on my period.” She rolled her eyes when she heard him chuckle.

"And I don't care." He shrugged. "So what's this about me not lying?"

"Felicity flirted with you?" To his credit, Sirius looked confused for a few seconds before letting out a oh. ''Is that a yes?''

"Doll, don't mind that, it was the most shameful thing I've ever been through, and there's no need for you to worry." He grimaced at the memory. ‘’I didn't tell you before because it doesn't matter, I didn't even remember it. Who told you?''

"I heard it in the bathroom… It seems like there are a lot of people who think you're hot," Hestia said, trying not to be affected by the closeness Sirius was putting between them, his mischievous smile growing.

‘’Jealous babe? I thought we were past that stage.” His smug smile was the worst, his gray eyes gleaming as if he were a beast and Hestia his next prey. "I don't really care what other people think, you know that."

"I know," Sirius kissed her, gentle and calm as he did whenever he was teasing her. "And I'm not jealous, I was just curious why you kept it from me… Afraid I'd do something, Black?"

"Nah, I can handle you and calm your beast."

“Don't be cocky.” She lifted her chin to let him kiss her neck, smiling at the feel of his lips there.

"I didn't tell you because it was Valentine's Day and I wasn't going to spoil our dinner for something as dumb as that." He looked at her, hands firm on her hips. ‘’It's idiot, you know I only have eyes for you. But if you must know, I hated every second from the time she walked into my office, until she left."

"She's not that good then?" Hestia bit her lip as he kissed the sensitive flesh near her collarbone.

"She's not you, Hestia." Sirius raised his head, as if it were the most obvious thing.

“Urg, you're so cheesy.” It wasn't a real complaint, but she liked the way he smiled when she said it. "It gave me a toothache." They chuckled, Sirius returning his hands to her hips, creating a space between them. Hestia knew what he was going to ask even before he opened his mouth.

''What happened today? You don't just look like this.” Hestia grimaced, not wanting to talk about it now that they were all right again, but she knew if she didn't, he would make her talk sooner or later. It turned out that the two of them always needed a little push to talk about their feelings, and the other almost never liked the silence that came between them when that happened.

"It was a shitty day at work, and… I don't want to work there anymore." She accepted his embrace, laying her head on top of his heart, feeling Sirius kiss the top of her head. "I miss Lily, I don't like living in that apartment and…the drama with my dad last week?" She looked up at him, wanting not to cry but not able to keep the tears from stinging in her eyes. ‘’I thought it was over, it's been almost twenty years, why does he continue with it? I'm so tired… And today listening to those girls in the bathroom, I don't know, I know you won't cheat on me, that's not it, but… what are you still doing here?’’

''Like this? I'm here because I love you, where else would I go?’’

"To the arms of a prettier woman with a less troubled family?" She ventured, dropping her face back into his chest because she felt ashamed for saying that, and for feeling that. She didn't like to look him in the eye when one of her crises started, Hestia was always silly afraid that she would see in Sirius that disgusted and slightly annoyed expression she had seen in her father's eyes when that happened.

“I don't think there's a woman prettier than you, and about your family, it's not like mine is a bed of roses, is it?” He hugged her tighter, like he did when she was sad. Hestia knew Sirius would never look at her with that accusatory look that she was going crazy. "You know what I thought when Felicity walked into my office and started telling me about how Paris was a romantic city and all?"

''What?''

"That we never went there, which is ridiculous because it should have been the first place for us to go together." He chuckled softly. ‘’Paris is indeed a very romantic city.’’

"Yes, you're right." She sniffled, tears stinging in her eyes again.

‘’I don't care if someone is flirting with me, or I don't know if there are women talking about me in the bathroom. Sure, it's really good for my ego, you know,” Hestia chuckled, rolling her eyes. "But none of them are you, and I'm not saying this because I want to convince you to have shower sex later, because you know we're going to-"

''Disgusting.''

‘’-You love it. But it's because I love you Jones, and for you I can put up with your father pretending I don't exist for hours if it'll make you happy, and, I can find a way to get you inside Lily's house without Dumbledore knowing and staying talking to us about everything we already know. She needs you too, James told me she's feeling pretty lonely... And I don't like that apartment either, and Joe is looking to sell his house, so we can go visit if you want.'' Sirius was quiet, his chin resting on top of her head, his arms holding her securely in his embrace.

"I hate feeling like this," Hestia grumbled.

''If it's any comfort to you, last week I thought I'd cut my hair because you told me about that guy from your job.'' He admitted, and when Hestia lifted her face to look at him, Sirius' cheeks were flushed. "Don't look at me like that, it's been a tense week."

"Noooo, you're perfect like that." She brought her hands up to his hair, smiling at the familiar feel of his silky strands. "It's the only reason I married you, so if you don't want to deal with the divorce bureaucracy, don't cut it."

Sirius chuckled, looking pleased to have gotten her out of that cloud of self-deprecation. He was very good at it. ‘’Don't worry, I don't want to deal with these papers anytime soon.. Hope never actually...want to go home?’’

“Are you going to get that massage you promised me two weeks ago?�� His gray eyes sparkled, his cheeks still a little flushed and a beautiful smile on his lips. Hestia remembered the girls talking about how he looked at her, and she didn't blame them for wanting that either.

‘’Of course, and then we can enjoy the shower-’’

"No way." They laughed, Sirius sighing in defeat.

"I'll still convince you and you'll regret not listening to me sooner." They intertwined their fingers, Sirius pulling her towards the exit, nodding casually to his coworkers, a little hastily.

'I'll let you try, but I promise nothing…'

[jimins-ass-eater]

the goblin queen | pjm

➛authors: @illneverrecover​ & @jimins-ass-eater​ ; executive consultant @quinnkook

➛pairing: Park Jimin x reader

➛genre: Labyrinth!AU, Goblin Queen!Reader, action, fantasy, some fluff,  smut

➛word count: 11,298 (definitely didn’t think we’d write this much)

➛rating: M

➛warnings: action scenes, cursing, half naked tattooed & pierced Jungkook, mentions of alcohol, mentions of drugging/poisoning, heavy kissing, light bondage, power play (with both reader & Jimin), oral sex (male receiving), mentions of face sitting, unprotected vaginal sex, marking/biting, slight dirty talk

➛summary: When Jimin makes a desperate wish after giant mistake, he didn’t expect to find himself stuck in a Labyrinth, under the control of a mysterious Goblin Queen. Unable to escape, he has to defeat the trials of the maze - with the help of some new friends - in order to defeat her. However, she has a penchant for pretty things, and well, Jimin sure is pretty. 

➛notes: I can’t think of a better way to break back into writing again than with two of my favorite people by my side, @illneverrecover​ and @quinnkook​. Thank you both for being there to cheer me on, give feedback, and be the kindest support system ever. For this project, we decided to take the story/movie of Labyrinth, and turn it on its head for the network @ksmutclub​​ “Twisted Fairtytales: Members in Distress”, with Jimin as Sarah, and the reader as mysterious and sexy Goblin Queen. This was exciting to write and I really hope that this gives me more confidence to continue writing in the future! Thank you for reading!

Failure has never been a thing in Jimin’s world.

He knew what it was, of course. Has seen others fall to its clutches, danced with the devil a few times himself, but he always pulled out at the last moment. Toed the line before forging ahead. 

He was a perfectionist, and it showed. From his perfectly colored silver hair, his immaculate wardrobe, to his charming presence, his pristine work record. Jimin had worked hard his whole life to get where he was, and it wasn’t something he took lightly. 

Which is why he cannot believe he made such a stupid mistake.

A small miscalculation, an extra digit where one shouldn’t be. He should have triple checked it, should have quadruple checked it - hell, he should have sent it to that obnoxious, always smirking auditor Wooyoung, just to be sure - but he didn’t. Not this time. He was confident, he was in a hurry, and he never made mistakes.

Until now.

It wasn’t something he could sweep under the rug, either. It had cost his company, Han Industries, an absurd amount of money; an amount that while only a drop in the bucket for the multimillionaire of a CEO, was still a substantial loss. His boss didn’t even seem angry, which was one of the worst parts, honestly. Jimin could handle yelling, berating, a stapler flying past his head - but what he couldn’t handle was the low disappointment in his superior’s tone, the disapproval in his eyes as he sent him home for the rest of the day.

He doesn’t know what’s next. Despite a spotless record before now, he wouldn’t be surprised if they suspend him. Fire him. He deserves it anyway, making such an idiotic error. How could he be so stupid?

Drinking a glass of wine on the back deck doesn’t relax him like he had hoped, instead it makes him feel itchy in his button down, has panic clawing in his throat. With one miscalculation, the perfect life Jimin had built for himself has all but crumbled, and what does he have to show for it?

The moon is full, bright, illuminating his balcony and shedding light to his shame. He feels tears prick behind his eyes, his vision swimming. 

“I wish I could just disappear,”

The words hang heavy in the air alongside his anguish, and he blinks the wetness away, wiping at his cheeks. Sighing, he goes to take another sip of wine, when something appears in his periphery. 

It seemed to be a small animal, creeping across the expanse of his backyard, however what stood out to him was the way it seemed to be glowing. Straining his eyes, he makes out the shape of a fox; long, bushy tail perked up in the air, sharp eyes and ears trained towards him, staring. It’s fur was as white as fresh snow, but the cast of the moon made it look like it was made of starlight, silver and shining. 

Gasping, he freezes, watching as it slowly trots through the grass, edging closer to where he stands and the vast forest to the side of his home. It’s only when it gets closer that Jimin can see that it has something perched in it’s mouth, a rectangular shaped piece of leather, about the size of a-

Wait, is that his briefcase?

Without thinking, Jimin drops his wine glass and takes off towards the creature, shouting and waving his arms.

“HEY! Hey, drop that! That’s not YOURS!” 

Sprinting through the grass, he continues to chase the silver fox, startling a bit when it tears off in the direction of the woods. “No! No, don’t go in there, drop it! Give it back!”

His desperation has him following, any sense of danger pushed to the back of his mind as he pursues the animal deeper into the forest, shouting expletives as he weaves through the trees. He couldn’t afford to lose his briefcase, lose his last connection and only hope at getting his job back, and it fuels him to run farther, even when the woodland becomes so thick he can barely see the light of the moon. 

After what seems like ages, the fox sprints into a large open field, a clearing that is stopped abruptly by a large, intimating wall. Jimin stumbles to stop, his momentum making him fall forward, dropping his hands on his knees to catch his breath. 

“Where the hell did that come from?”

It had to be at least 12 feet high, made of dark brick covered in vines and foliage interwoven throughout. He has no idea what it would belong to - can’t recall any buildings this far out into the country - but before he can ponder for too long, the sly little beast gives him one last lingering stare before leaping through the wall, vanishing into thin air.

“What? No! HEY!” 

Exasperation, misery, and a bit of stupidity has him following suit, speeding towards the place in the wall where it had disappeared in foolish determination. 

“I’m going to catch you!” he yells before squeezing his eyes tight, and leaping towards the same spot in the wall - 

-before leaping through it, vanishing into thin air.

When he opens his eyes, Jimin finds himself surrounded by the giant walls, sandwiched into a vast alley, no end in sight. He groans, fingers immediately flying up to massage his throbbing temple. How he got here, he can’t quite remember. It was like how one falls into a dream, except the pain in his head reminds him that this is all very much real. He remembers the fox, and his briefcase, and not much else. His hands, well groomed and adorned in silver rings, reach out for the giant walls that surround him. They’re solid, cool to the touch and so smooth that there’s no way he could climb them. He huffs. Jimin has one of two options: stay put or explore. Not one to sit around and do nothing, he decides to walk, his fingers trailing along the wall on his left as he makes his way forward. 

He walks for an indeterminate length of time. The sun overhead barely moves, but it feels like very early morning. The landscape remains unchanged. Just two large walls on either side that cage him in, until he stumbles literally across an opening. Well, actually it was the legs of someone huddled up against the wall in front of an opening. The jostled stranger grunts as Jimin composes himself.

“Ouch. Why don’t you watch where you’re going,” the grumpy stranger snarls.

“I’m so sorry. I was walking, and I didn’t even see you! Where did you even come from?”

“Me? I’ve been here this whole time. It’s you that came out of nowhere.”

Jimin scoffs. “Well, sorry. Look. I’m trying to get out of this place. Do you know where I am?” 

“I don’t even know who you are, so how should I know where you are?”

“My name is Jimin,” he extends a hand out of habit.

The stranger grasps his hand. “Woah, would you look at that. You’ve got some very nice rings, there, Jimin.” 

Jimin pulls back his hand and wipes it inconspicuously on his pant leg, “Yes, well. Thank you. I’m sorry but I didn’t catch your name.” 

“That’s because I didn’t say it.” The stranger smirks. “My name is Yoongi. And I’m just a simple troll who guards the entrance to the labyrinth by order of the Goblin Queen herself.” 

Jimin blinks. “I’m sorry. Troll? Goblin Queen? I must be dreaming.”

“No, I’m afraid to tell you this is very much real. But you don’t have to take my word for it. You see that hourglass over there? You have 24 hours before the sand is up. If you can’t reach the Goblin Queen’s castle in that time, then you’ll be stuck here forever… and that briefcase of yours will be hers.”

Wait a minute, briefcase? “How do you know about the briefcase?” Jimin crosses his arms suspiciously.

“Because she told me about it! Obviously!” Yoongi huffs his dark hair out of his face and rolls his eyes in exasperation. “Look, are you going to flap your jaws here all day? Time’s a’ wastin’. I’d get a move on if I were you.”

Jimin looks past Yoongi’s shoulder. The labyrinth continued on, but there was no way for him to know how to get to the Goblin Queen’s castle. He met Yoongi’s gaze. “Take me to her castle.”

“What?” Yoongi starts to laugh. “Wow. That was a good one. I almost believed you for a second.” 

“I’m serious. Take me there. You know the Queen so surely you know the way.”

Yoongi narrows his dark eyes. “And why should I take you there? Out of the goodness of my heart? The Queen will have my head if she finds out I helped you!”

Jimin folds his arms across his chest. Yoongi’s eyes flit down to the rings on his finger for a brief moment. It gives him an idea. “No, of course not. I’ll offer you a trade. My rings for your guidance.”

Yoongi’s face falters. “Who says I want those things?”

“Oh! Well, I guess that wasn’t a good trade then. Seeing as I have nothing left to offer, I guess I’ll just be on my way. Nice to meet you, Yoongi.” He waves his fingers in front of Yoongi’s face on purpose and sets off into the labyrinth. A few moments later he hears it:

“Wait!” 

Jimin smiles, then turns around. “Yes?” 

“I’ll do it. The trade. I’ll take your rings.” 

“Wonderful,” Jimin beams as he begins to slide the rings loose.

Yoongi hobbles over to him, and Jimin thinks he must have been sleeping there a long time. He snatches the rings from Jimin’s outstretched palm and places them gleefully in his own fingers. He flexes his fingers in the sunlight as he admires them. Satisfied, he squares his shoulders and looks Jimin in the eye. “Before we go, I have one thing to say.”

Jimin nods for him to continue.

“Remember this. Things in the labyrinth aren’t always what they seem. Wherever you came from… this place is very different. I can assure you.”

“Oh… kay. Well, thanks for the terrifying reminder. I will be sure to take care. Plus, I have you now. Right?” He smiles widely and claps Yoongi on the shoulder. 

“Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure. Just try to keep up,” Yoongi grumbles as he starts down the packed earth path.

Jimin curses out loud as another low branch catches on his pant leg. As the path they walk on takes yet another winding curve, he can’t help but whine. “Is there no end in sight? God, I feel like I’ve been walking forever.” His feet land heavy on the packed dry earth.

“Well, this is a labyrinth. I’m not sure what to tell you,” Yoongi replies dryly.

“You could, I don’t know… lie to me? Tell me it’s over soon? Give me some hope of seeing the end?!”

Yoongi rolls his eyes. “And have to deal with the whining when you inevitably figure out the truth? No thanks. You’re lucky I’m even helping you, remember? The Queen will surely punish me when she finds out.” Yoongi’s lips quirk slightly as he imagines for a moment what sweet torment the Queen would plan for him.

Jimin opens his mouth to retort, but a primal yell stops them both in their tracks. It’s coming from up ahead, the same direction they’re supposed to be traveling. Jimin’s eyes find Yoongi’s, wide with an unspoken question. Before he can attempt to ask what the hell is going on, another yell can be heard, this time it sounds like one of pain. 

“Someone’s hurt!” Jimin yells before dashing off toward the sound. He hears Yoongi shout behind him but the message is scrambled and he’s too far gone to care. He jumps over gnarled roots, flies down the twisting, shaded labyrinthine path. Another wail, closer now, and he’s answering out, “Hold on! I’m coming!” He crashes into a clearing, eyes scanning the unexpected sight before him. Bodies, goblins of sorts, lie crumpled and groaning in a heap. They’re injured and broken, but that’s not what makes his eyes widen. The tall, chest heaving hunk of sweaty shirtless muscle is what takes his breath from him. “W-who are you?” Jimin’s voice sounds more afraid than he’d like it to. 

The beast turns toward him. Long black shaggy curls cover half of its face, but Jimin can feel its eyes on him. It straightens up to its full height and Jimin gulps as he scans it from head to toe. Two large, black gnarled horns sprout from its thick locks, a large rounded nose sits above pink sculpted lips. His jaw is set firm and determined. His shoulders, the widest part of him so far, are bare in the sunlight as is his torso. A silver ring decorates each nipple, and tattoos spiral down both arms and end at his fingers. His waist cinches in and is accentuated by his tight fitting black pants that strain under the hulk of his thighs. 

He’s breathtaking. 

The beast smirks and stalks towards Jimin. He starts from his staring with a shout and raises his fists. “Hey! Hey you! D-dont come closer! I’ll kick your ass!” 

The beast only chuckles and raises his fists in kind, but looks relaxed, as one does when they’re fighting a much weaker and pitiful opponent. 

“I’m warning you!” Jimin puffs out his chest to look more menacing. 

“Woah woah! Wait! Wait!” Yoongi’s voice cuts the tension and the fighters both relax their stance. Yoongi breaks up the scene but is so winded from running after Jimin that he needs a moment. He raises a finger into the air as he bends at the waist and holds onto a knee. “Phew. God. I hate. Hate. Running. Ugh.” He straightens up and wipes his brow. “Jimin, meet Jungkook. Jungkook, meet Jimin. Jimin is a friend. Okay?”

Jungkook’s shoulders sag, and all the fight leaves him. He flicks his hair out of his eyes and big, brown eyes twinkle in wonder as he opens his mouth to speak. “Friend?”

“Yes, Jungkook. He’s a friend,” Yoongi pants out, still trying to find his breath.

Jungkook turns towards Jimin and smiles brightly, his eyes crinkling adorably. “Friend!” he shouts and runs toward Jimin, gathering the smaller man up in his arms and hugging him tightly despite Jimin’s obvious struggling. 

“Nice… to meet… you too. Buddy.” Jimin croaks out, the breath nearly squashed from his lungs.

Jungkook beams and sets him back down. He’s all smiles as he looks back and forth between Jimin and Yoongi. He was so very glad to have another friend here. It was lonely in the labyrinth. And now he would have a new friend to beat up goblins with. It would be so much fun! 

Yoongi straightens up. “Well. I’m glad I was able to stop that from going down. Thank goodness. Jungkook is the nicest person in this forsaken place, can’t imagine what I would have done if I came onto the scene to see you laying a hand on him.” 

Jimin laughs. “What are you talking about? I wouldn’t have even landed a punch on him.” 

“Shame on you for even thinking of hitting our Jungkookie. He’s our soft baby. No one is allowed to hurt him.” 

Jimin smiles and shakes his head. “Aww, Yoongi. I’m starting to think the biggest soft baby in this place isn’t Jungkook, but you.” 

“What are you talking about? I’m vicious.”

“Yeah, sure. Says the guy who helps a stranger through a labyrinth even though he hates physical exercise and protects big muscle baby here from getting picked on.” Jimin’s eyes sparkle as Yoongi’s cheeks start to turn pink. Jimin can’t help but coo and try to pinch them. “Aww, are you blushing? You are! So cute! Oh I just want to hug you now!” He approaches Yoongi with open arms.

“No! Absolutely not! No hugging!”

“Too bad! I’m going to!”

“No! Don’t!!!” 

Poor Yoongi is too tired to evade Jimin for long, and winds up caged in the younger man’s arms. As soon as Jimin connects, the ground beneath the three of them begins to shake violently.

“What’s happening!” Jimin yells.

Jungkook looks around in panic.

“You idiot! I said no hugging!!!!” Yoongi bellows as the ground beneath them gives out and swallows the three of them up without a trace. 

A tiny worm inches across the ground that just moments ago had swallowed them whole. It shakes its little head and sighs in pity. “What a shame,” it squeaks. “Had they kept going along this path, they’d be at the Queen’s castle in no time.”

The fall is only a moment, but it’s disorienting all the same. Jimin lands on a grassy knoll then rolls several feet before coming to a stop flat on his ass. He sits up, slowly, while groaning and trying to figure out where the hell they are. Yoongi and Jungkook are equally slow to get up, but seem to be otherwise unharmed. Jimin blinks, the area around him is nothing like he’s ever seen in the labyrinth before. It looks like a muggy swampland. Thick, murky water burbles and bubbles, and moss covered trees curl towards the sky with gnarled branches. It takes a deep breath to calm himself, and nearly wretches. The stench of death and flatulence and all things rotten slides into his nostrils and decides to make a permanent home there. 

Jimin turns towards his companions. “What is that SMELL?” 

“That,” Yoongi sighs, pinching his nose, “is the bog of eternal stench.” 

“Smells bad!” Jungkook wails pathetically.

Yoongi extends a hand to poor Jungkook and helps him stand. Jimin stands as well, and wonders if he should breathe through his mouth and risk tasting the foul air, or if he should just give up and suffocate right there and then. 

“I’m never hugging you again,” Jimin pouts.

“Preferable, honestly.” 

Yoongi walks to the edge of the swamp and surveys the situation. He frowns as Jungkook and Jimin join him on either side. “Do you see that?” He points at the far end of the swampy bog. “There’s a bridge that leads out of here. The only problem is-”

“How do we get to it?” Jimin finishes Yoongi’s question.

“That… I don’t know,” Yoongi ponders deep in thought. 

“Why can’t we just swim across?” 

Yoongi looks at Jimin, “It’s not a bad idea except that, well, you’d drown. This muck is as thick as quicksand. Once you go in, you never get out.”

Jimin swallowed. He was willing to trust Yoongi on this one. “Well, could we make a boat?”

“Hmmm,” Yoongi answers noncommittally and continues to stew in his thoughts.

Jimin chews on his lip. “What do you think, Jungkook?” There’s no answer. Not even a grunt. Panic sets off in his gut. Oh no, did the poor guy wander off and get sucked into the bog? “Hey, Yoongi. Where’s Jungkook?”

“Hmm? Oh. He walked off over there, somewhere.” Yoongi’s hand waves off in the direction of Jungkook’s travel, and then he goes right back to sitting in his thoughts, muttering to himself. 

Jimin jogs off in search of the man of few words. It was crazy to think that just a bit ago, Jimin was about to fight him and now he’s worried for his safety. The labyrinth works in strange ways like that - you can meet someone and suddenly they become your lifelong best friend. Jimin continued along the waterline, carefully tip-toeing over tree roots and making sure not to step too close to the water’s edge. The bog still reeked of death, and there was no getting used to the smell. He pushed through low lying branches and bushes, hoping the big lug would show himself at any moment. “Jungkook? Where are you?” He waited for a response. Nothing. His shoulders slumped. If he went too far, would he be able to find his way back to Yoongi? He looked back nervously the way he came. Resolve took hold in his gut. No, it didn’t matter. He was going to find Jungkook, and then they could look for Yoongi together. He nodded and pushed onward. 

The sound of Jungkook’s laughter breaks through the symphony of the swamp. Jimin sighs in relief and starts off in its direction. “Jungkook! Hey! Where are you? Answer me!” The laughter gets louder and Jimin breaks into a run, and after pushing through some thick underbrush, he stumbles into a little beach of sorts on the bog. Jungkook turns and stares at him in surprise.

“Jimin?”

“Yeah! Why didn’t you answer me? I kept calling your name. We were looking for you. You can’t just run off like that.” Jimin huffs in annoyance, brushing sticks out of his silver hair. He stops and looks around. There’s not a soul to be seen. “Who were you laughing with, Jungkook?”

Jungkook points to the boulders on the shoreline. “Rocks!”

“You… were laughing at the… rocks?” 

Jungkook nods and smiles. “With the rocks,” he corrects.

“...Right. Okay. Well. Um, we should probably get back to Yoongi. We’re trying to figure out how to get across this place to the other side. Say goodbye to the rocks.”

Jungkook waves enthusiastically to the rocks, then follows Jimin back to Yoongi, who from the looks of things has decided to give up from the way he sits dejectedly on his rump with his nose pinched. “It’s hopeless,” he declares. “There’s no way to get across this place. Might as well just… wallow.”

“What? No! I refuse to wallow.” Jimin puts his hands on his hips and surveys the surroundings. “What if… What if we used something to cross, like… a tree branch or something.” 

“And how are you going to cut down some branches? Do you have an axe on you?” Yoongi sasses.

“Well, no. But… I’m sure there’s some fallen branches somewhere.”

“Already checked.”

“Ugh!” Jimin plops down next to Yoongi. “This is awful.”

“Yep.”

“If I hug you again, would we leave this place?” Jimin starts to wrap his arm around Yoongi’s shoulders.

“Please, don’t touch me,” he flinches but doesn’t push Jimin off him when he goes in for a one armed hug.

“Well, it was worth a try,” Jimin sighed, and looked back out to the bog. He narrowed his eyes. Something was different. He heard Jungkook giggling again with some large stones and rocks and then it hit him. Those rocks weren’t there before! “Hey, Jungkook!”

The shaggy haired man turned around.

“Where did those rocks come from?”

Jungkook pointed at the boggy water. “From the swamp!”

Jimin and Yoongi looked at each other. “Jungkook,” Jimin continued, “did you pull them out of the swamp?”

“No! Rocks come when I call for them.” 

Yoongi grabs Jimin’s shoulder. “We could use them as stepping stones across the swamp! Hey! Jungkookie, could you ask the rocks to make a path for us across the swamp? We want to get the bridge over there.”

Jungkook puts his hand over his brow and squints at the bridge, then turns around and flashes them a big smile. “Of course! The rocks are my friends!” He then whistles a short little tune and suddenly the rocks begin to rumble and roll towards the water. Jimin jumps to his feet in wonderment as rocks and boulders from all directions roll and tumble over the landscape and into the marsh. Some bubble up from the murky depths below. Soon enough there is a neat little path that leads from one side to the other. The trio quickly makes their way across the stones, and once on the other side they rush towards the bridge.

“Come on, it’s just over this bridge and then we’re out of here,” Yoongi shouts. 

The sound of a sword being unsheathed slices through the air. “Halt,” a deep voice bellows. 

They skid to a halt.

“Not so fast,” the stranger declares as he steps into view. 

“Who are you?” Jimin blurts out before he can think twice.

“Who am I? You don’t know of the great, the brave, the fashionable Sir Taehyung?” The stranger, Sir Taehyung is just as confused as they are. He sheathed his sword. “I can’t believe you’ve never heard of me.” He pouts adorably, looking less like a knight and more like a kid who’s just been told fairytales aren’t real. Jimin takes him in - Taehyung is dressed smartly in a tan, billowy shirt tucked into black slacks, which in turn are tucked into worn leather boots. Around his waist his scabbard hangs, bejeweled in scarlet rubies and navy sapphires. His thick dark hair is styled longer in the back than in the front, and is curled and waved in a way that looks dashing. Atop his head is a hat that is punctuated with a long, thin, ruby red tail of a bird. He looks every part of the knight in shining armor except… he doesn’t have the armor. 

“I’m very sorry, Sir Taehyung,” Jimin steps forward. “But I’m new here. My name is Jimin, and this is Yoong and Jungkook. I was led here by the Goblin Queen, and she sent us to this dreadful place. We just want to get out.”

Sir Taehyung nods. “Hmm, a very sad story. Still. I can’t let you cross. It’s my duty to protect this bridge. None shall cross without my permission.”

Jimin pauses for a moment, then decides to test his luck. “Well then. May we have your permission?”

Sir Taehyung opens his mouth. Then closes it. He furrows his brow deep in thought. “Well. I suppose. No one has ever asked before. But well, why not?” He smiles wide, a large box-like grin and gestures for the trio to pass. “You may cross the bridge!” 

“Thank you!” Jimin smiles. Jungkook and Yoongi head over first, but Jimin stops halfway across. It felt wrong to leave the knight there all alone. Something in his heart decided he should invite him along for the journey. “Hey, Sir Taehyung. Why don’t you come with us?”

Taehyung blinked in surprise. “Me? But… I… the bridge?”

“We’re going on a quest to defeat the labyrinth and Goblin Queen. We could surely use your skills along the way?” Yoongi and Jungkook crossed back and stood with Jimin now, nodding encouragingly at the knight.

He blushed a little, “Well, I suppose I could help. Knights should always help those in need, after all.” He looked around at the bog, the bridge, the place he had protected for as long as he could remember. No one had ever come by until today. Perhaps it would be years before someone would again. He nodded. “Right, well. I shall join your company, and help you defeat this evil Goblin Queen. Or I shall die trying.” He bowed respectfully, tipping his hat off in the process. He grabbed it off the ground and stood back up. “Ahem. Well. Lead the way, Jimin, Yoongi, and Jungkook.”

Jungkook smiled, “New friend!”

Sir Taehyung’s lip quirked into a shy smile. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

“Yoongi.”

Your sultry voice in his ear sends a shiver down his spine. He hates it. Hates how badly you affect him. Jimin, Jungkook, and Sir Taehyung are up ahead, taking a rest and chatting while Yoongi was supposed to be taking a bathroom break in the dense woods. Then you showed up. 

“What do you want?” He spits out, trying to sound gruff. It’s cute how tough he’s trying to be.

Choosing to ignore his attitude for the moment, you continue. “I want you to give our Jimin a little something from me.”

Yoongi crosses his arms and turns his head. He looks so much like a petulant child that you almost bark out a laugh. You manage a cough at the last moment. “Ahem. Come on, Yoongi baby, don’t be like this.”

His eyes glance over at you for a second, before he turns away again. “No. Why don’t you do it yourself.” 

You click your tongue. “Stop being a little brat. You know I can’t give him anything in person. That ruins the fun.” When he doesn’t budge you let out a sigh. “Are you jealous?”

Yoongi takes the bait. “...No.” 

You raise your eyebrow. 

Your silence makes him sweat. He breaks. “I just don’t understand why you need more.”

“There it is.”

“You’ve already got me. And…Seokjin. Namjoon. Why him? He’s just a dramatic brat.”

You crack a smile at that. “Oh? I would say it takes one to know one.” 

Yoongi whines. “Exactly! So why do you need another one?”

“Because,” you saunter forward and tap his nose, “I quite like the idea of punishing two little brats. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?” 

“...I guess. But why do I have to do it? Why can’t I just stay in the castle with you?”

“Awww, is someone jealous? Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you touched yourself without permission last week. I told you I’d have to punish you.” His expression sours at having been put in place. “Now, give him this.” You pull a soft, delectable peach from thin air. Yoongi snatches it and tucks it away in his vest.

“Is it poisoned?” He tries to ask without sounding too excited.

“Oh god, no. I just wanted to give him a little boost. I was quite impressed with his show of strength against Jungkook, and with how quickly he was able to get out of the bog.” You sigh wistfully as your eyes drool over Jungkook’s body. “I do wish the little sweet wasn’t so terrified of me.” 

“I don’t think he’d survive you,” Yoongi sniffs.

“I think it’s the other way around, darling.” Yoongi pulls a face. You turn to vanish back to the castle. “Don’t forget to give that to him, baby. If you do well, I’ll consider your punishment over.” The tinkle of your giggles rings in the air long after you’re gone, teasing Yoongi and making him huff.

“Fine. I guess I will.” He fights the curl of his lips that threaten to smile as he turns and joins up the rest of the party.

The hot sun beats overhead. How many hours has it been since entering? Does time even exist here? Jimin lets his body collapse, first onto his knees and then back on his rear. He kicks his feet out. 

“I’m just so tired!” He whines.

Yoongi rolls eyes and mutters something about a drama queen, but it goes undetected by Jimin. He takes a seat on a nearby rock and begins to fiddle with his rings, smiling softly at them. “You know,” he muses, fingering the delicate silverwork of his new favorite, “you could just, I don’t know. Stop whining so much. No one’s made it this far into the labyrinth before. Consider yourself lucky you’re not dead.” 

Jimin furrows his brow. “I’ve been walking for ages, and I’m so hungry that I’m sure I’ll die of starvation at this point. Not that you care.” He pauses, a thought runs across his face and he sits up, eyes now narrowed in suspicion. “Yoongi.”

The tone of his voice makes the troll pause and slowly turn his head towards Jimin. 

“Yes?”

“Why aren’t you hungry? Do trolls not eat?”

“Uh. Um. Well, we do, but-”

“So then, what. Have you been snacking without me? What the hell?”

“No! I haven’t-”

“What’s in all those pockets anyway? No one wears a stupid vest like that unless they’ve got snacks in their pockets. Share. Now.”

Yoongi crosses his arms protectively over his chest and vest as Jimin stalks toward him, a murderous hangry glint in his eyes. “Wait! No!” He protests but Jimin is already patting him down, feeling for anything - a cracker, a crumb, something. Soon enough, he finds it. The round globe of a peach that Yoongi had been hiding from him. 

“What is this?” Jimin fumes. 

“You don’t want to eat it.” Yoongi gulps. 

“Like hell I don’t! I’m starving.” His hand dives in for the peach but Yoongi grabs his wrist with surprising force. “What are you doing? At least you could share it!”

Yoongi chews on his lip, and then meets Jimin’s eyes. “Are you sure you want to eat this peach?”

Jimin screws up his face in disbelief. “Uhhh? What the hell? Yes! I’m hungry!”

Yoongi sighs, heavy and full of burden. It’s no ordinary peach, but of course he can’t say that. The Queen would have his head. He grimaces as he pulls the fruit from his vest pocket. It’s a beautiful specimen - perfectly ripe, a gorgeous hue of orange and coral, and the sweet smell of its juicy innards perfume the air. It’s mouthwatering and enticing - just as the Queen intended.

Jimin snatches it from Yoongi’s outstretched hand. “How could you hold out on me like this?!”

But Yoongi stays silent, watching him devour the fruit with a strange twinge of some unfamiliar emotion in his gut. For a brief moment he wonders what this means. Could he have started to care for this poor, wayward soul? A loud thud breaks him out of his thoughts. The remains of the peach rolls along the ground, stopping against his boot. Yoongi grunts down at it, then shrugs, and the feelings he wondered about disappeared as quickly as they came. 

“What happened to Jimin!” Sir Taehyung rushes over and begins to check the pulse against Jimin’s limp wrist. 

“He’s fine. Sleeping. Just ate a bewitched peach. It will wear off in a little while. For now I suggest we all just relax and wait for him to wake up.” Yoongi adjusts himself into a suitable position for a snooze. His fingers hypnotically stroke his rings until he’s snoring peacefully. Taehyung and Jungkook decide to follow suit, and soon, they begin to doze in the afternoon sun.

Jimin gasps, suddenly transplanted into an unfamiliar place. He blinks his eyes. The air around him is hazy, and his mind feels fuzzy. It feels like a dream, but he knows he isn’t dreaming. Right? The haze pulls back and his body is revealed in a full length mirror that wraps around him on all four sides. What he sees reflected back confuses him - it’s him, but not how he remembers himself. He steps closer to the mirror. The crisp sound of dress shoes clack across the hardwood floor. He stops and examines himself. His silver hair is swept effortlessly back off his face, his eyes are smoked out in soft hues of brown, and one rhinestone is placed delicately under each eye. His full lips are soft pink, a light sheen of tint on them. He lifts his hands and marvels at his clothing. All white. His shirt is almost sheer, the gauzy fabric is cool and soft over his skin, and is tucked neatly into white slacks that fit tightly to his legs.

A laugh breaks his concentration, and he whips his head around, the silver pendant earrings dangling from the quickness of his movement. The mirrored walls are now gone and he finds himself in the middle of a lively ballroom. Men and women and other creatures wear masks that hide their faces, but they don’t seem to be bothered by his sudden appearance. Some dance. Some drink champagne. Some hang on the bodies of others, their hands groping in obvious debauchery. The whole scene is dizzying and intoxicating. Chandeliers and jewels sparkle overhead. Tables laden with food and drink invite him to imbibe. Jimin steps forward into the ballroom and is folded into the mix of bodies and merriment. He goes to grasp a crystal champagne flute, but stops short. Warmth runs down his spine like liquid gold, as if painted on his skin with a lover’s caress. He shivers, eyes fluttering for the briefest of moments, and then he turns to see you, the Goblin Queen.

You’re surrounded by party-goers but all of your attention is on him. Jimin swallows under your intense gaze. Dressed in all black, your costume for the evening amplifies your power which radiates off of you in waves. You stand from your place of honor and Jimin swears the whole party seems to fade away. You smirk and tilt your head, and then lift a finger to beckon him closer. He takes one step, two, and then crashes into the shoulder of someone dancing, knocking him off course. When he regains his footing, he’s lost you in the crowd again. With annoyance he pushes on. Can’t these people see that you’ve called for him? He weaves between dancing bodies. His patience grows thin. Why? He doesn’t know. Jimin feels he must get to you anyway he can, but try as he might he just can’t find you. He slumps and exhales to blow off steam. Where are you?

“Caught you, pretty.” A melodious voice rings lowly in his ear. Yours. He tries to turn around but your fingers wrap around his hip. “Ah, ah. You’ll stay put. Let me admire you.” 

He chews on his plush bottom lip as your hand drops away from his body, and you pull back to gaze at the glorious view his back holds. A smile curls your lips up and you slink around to his front, taking slow steps to allow your eyes to drink him in. Jimin squirms. He’s not in control, but he’s quickly finding out he doesn’t hate this. By the time you round his front, he’s itching to hear your thoughts. Did you like what you saw? Was he good enough for you? He’d be anything you wanted him to be. He can’t help but let his eyes wander down your body, appreciating the way your dress hugs your body. The dips and valleys he wants to sink his fingers into. His fingers curl into fists at his side. 

You giggle, and it sounds like twinkling diamonds in his ears. Your index finger catches under his chin, and you lift his gaze up to meet yours. “I can tell you’re dying to touch me, Jimin.” He gulps. “Why don’t you dance with me, then?” He nods obediently and steps forward to pull your waist against him. His hand splays across your lower back and you feel his fingers press into the curve of your spine. Your chest pushes against his as he takes a step and leads you into a waltz. He’s beautiful up close. Perfection. You smile at your luck in luring him into your labyrinth. But he wasn’t yours yet. He still needed to find you in your castle. 

“Jimin.” His name sighs past your lips. “Do you know who I am?”

He nods. “I do.” He voices his thready reply.

“Say it.”

“You’re the Goblin Queen.”

You grin. “So smart.” He twirls you into his arms as he preens. “Now indulge me,” you resume as the steps pick back up, “do you wish to see me in private? Without all these eyes around?” Your smirk insinuates the pleasures you could show him.

Jimin feels entranced. “Yes,” he answers without thinking. 

The music stops but you don’t pull away. You cup his cheek and bring your face closer to his, and you can feel the warm puff of his breath as it escapes his lips with a shudder. “Then come find me,” you whisper against his lips. You pull back, and begin to walk backwards. “Wake up, and come to me, Jimin. I’m waiting.”

Jimin frowns. “Wake up?” 

The sound of glass cracking pierces the moment, and with a jump he looks around. The party around him begins to break apart like shards of mirror, distorting the once beautiful party into a horrific sight. “No!” He cries. “Wait! How will I find you?” But you are nowhere to be found. He tries to run, but can’t move forward. And then he feels himself slipping, slipping, until everything goes black.

“Do you think the poor lad will wake up,” Sir Taehyung muses, cleaning his monocle against his fine silk shirt. 

Yoongi grunts in his sleep, not bothering to open his eyes. “S’fine. She said it wouldn’t kill him, anyhow.” He readjusts and yawns. “Let’s just enjoy the peace and quiet while we-”

“Look!” Jungkook points towards Jimin, who now begins to twitch to life. 

“So much for a long nap,” Yoongi grumbles, as Jungkook and Sir Taehyung rush to Jimin’s side. They attempt to help him up, but Jimin shoots up with a gasp and exclaims, “I must get to the castle!”

Sir Taehyung and Jungkook blink at each other. “Are you,” Sir Taehyung starts, and then shakes his head, “you do realize the Goblin Queen just tried to poison you? Are you sure?”

Jungkook looks worried and shakes his head.

“I don’t care what you think, I have to get there. As fast as I can!” He scrambles to stand up but his legs aren’t working yet and he crashes into Jungkook, who easily steadies his body and holds him upright. Jimin struggles in his grip.

“Jimin, I really don’t think it’s a good idea-” Sir Taehyung starts.

“-Let him go.”

They all turn to look at Yoongi, who speaks with such resignation that it renders them silent. Jungkook blinks his wide eyes a few times as if to process what his friend just said, but soon his hands fall from Jimin’s shoulders. Jimin rubs at the skin tenderly, his eyebrows furrowing and lips pouting at the strength of Jungkook’s grip. Yoongi hops down from his perch on the rock, all eyes on him as he silently makes off down the path. He stops for a moment and calls out, not bothering to turn around, “Are you going to follow me, or what?” then continues down the path. Jungkook and Sir Taehyung exchange bewildered glances, but Jimin nearly trips over his own feet as he goes to follow Yoongi. He’s practically skipping circles around Yoongi as they walk off down the path. Jungkook sighs and shakes his head. 

“Yeah, I know. I’m worried about him, too,” Sir Taehyung admits. His hand grips Jungkook’s bare shoulder in comfort. “But, what can we do? He’s made up his mind. Let’s just see that he gets to the castle safely, alright?”

Jungkook nods solemnly. “Yeah,” his voice is quiet, but clear. “I’m just afraid we’ll be meeting the Queen, too, if we get too close.” He chews on his lip, a worried habit of his. “I’ve never met her before, Tae. What if she tries to...” his eyes dart around and then he lowers his voice, “...curse us?”

Sir Taehyung shrugs as his eyes focus on Yoongi’s retreating back. “I’ve never met her before, either. But Yoongi told me that the Queen is someone you’d wish you’d never meet, because after you do, your mind and body are never right again unless she makes it so.” He shivers. “I didn’t have the heart to ask him what he meant after that, he looked so tormented.” 

“Ah, that sounds so scary!”

Sir Taehyung stares at the path towards the castle. “Yes, it does. I think one of these days I will have to go to the castle and deal with the Queen myself. I am, afterall, a knight!” He squares his shoulders and valiantly marches off. Jungkook watches in awe as his friend in figurative shining armor walks bravely towards the castle. He nods resolutely and scrambles to catch up.

The walk to the castle isn’t as long as Jimin thought it would be. Once they cleared the thick maze of woods, the path opened up to a clearing that revealed the castle in all its splendor. The company all stopped and looked on in awe. Towers of crystal and white stone gleamed in the sun. The grounds that surrounded the castle were beautifully landscaped. There were flowers of every type and color imaginable, perfectly frozen in full bloom by what Jimin guessed had to be by the power of your magic. There were no guards. No gates that kept people out. Only an open invitation inside. The thought made his heart race. He wanted to run the rest of the way and into the castle, but Yoongi spoke before his legs could move.

“Well. This is where we say goodbye.” Yoongi turned toward Jimin and held his hand out, Jimin’s rings glittering on his fingers. 

Jimin smiled at his outstretched hand. “You speak as if we’ll never see each other again. But we know that’s not the case, right?” He takes Yoongi’s hand and shakes it.

“Hmph. You’ve grown to be pretty full of yourself in a short amount of time. What makes you think I want to see you again?” The smile on Yoongi’s face betrays his brusque words.

Jimin shakes his head and turns toward Sir Taehyung. “Thank you, for all your help Sir Taehyung. If not for your bravery and kindness, I would have probably killed Yoongi long ago-” 

“-Why you little-”

“-I hope we can see each other soon,” Jimin continues, despite Yoongi’s grumbles. 

Sir Taehyung balks. “But, shouldn’t we go inside with you?”

Jimin shakes his head. “No, I need to… Want to face her alone.”

“But why?”

Jimin smiles. “Because… that’s the way I like to do things.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes.

“Alright,” Sir Taehyung agrees, “if that’s the way you want to do it, then that’s the way it must be done. But should you need us…”

“Yes, should you need us...,” Jungkook steps forward.

“Don’t worry,” Jimin smirks. “I won’t need you. But should things get exhausting, I suppose I could call.”

Sir Taehyung and Jungkook exchange bewildered expressions. “Right,” Yoongi waves his hands and pushes Jimin at the back. “Get a move on lover boy. The Queen is waiting for you, and she doesn’t like it when her guests are late.”

The inside of the castle is dark, despite the sun shining only moments before he stepped through the cool walls. Jimin’s eyes strain to adjust to the dim light, scanning the room. He can’t say he’s ever been inside a castle before, but it’s just what he would have pictured. Giant, orante rooms filled with large furniture and decadent furnishings, everything gold and shining and ethereal. 

He isn’t sure where to go, but that doesn’t stop him. His feet lead him on the path that feels right, a pull of an invisible thread. As he climbs a set of stairs, he rounds a corner before he's in front of a heavyweight door, embellished with gold, red, and black swirling designs. His gut told him you would be waiting behind it, and his hand raises in anticipation of a knock.

Instead, it swings open, beckoning him inside. This room wasn’t any brighter than the others, however a copious amount of pillar candles have been lit, edging around the base of the room. 

And in the center is you.

Adorning your true self to greet your guest, you had spared no expense in preparing for Jimin’s arrival. Plush lips were painted blood red, eyes lined with dark kohl, your body draped in midnight silk. You were a vision, and you knew it. 

Blinking, he squints, heart racing. “Are… are you.. Her?”

Instead of a response, he feels the air change, an electricity licking up his spine. Every nerve from his head to the tips of his toes lights up as you saunter closer, his vision clearing just as you step before him.

He sucks air between his teeth. You’re beautiful.

Beautiful and powerful and terrifying, all at once, and Jimin feels like his heart will beat out of his chest.

“I am the Goblin Queen, yes,” you purr, stepping into his inseam. A single manicured finger reaches out to trace the bottom of his pout, the nail leaving a reddened path to his mouth. “You have seen me before, in many forms - but not my true one.”

The fox. He hadn’t thought about the shining silver creature in what seems like days, but at your words it all came rushing back, how he got here, what the little vixen had stolen from him…

His briefcase. 

As if his thought summoned it out of thin air, he notes it off to the side of the room, resting safely on top of an ornate desk to your right. It was in pristine condition, not a single scratch on the leather, but he couldn’t seem to focus on that. His attention kept being drawn back to you. 

Jimin forces his gaze away from your sparkling irises, instead roaming over your body in a full assessment. Stunning, he thinks, the way your black skin tight silk dress hugs every line of your form, the way you’re soft in all the right places, skin luminous. He feels like a moth drawn to flame, a helpless creature finally falling into your trap, right where you want him. 

A small voice in the back of his mind told him that he should be scared; should be nervous as to what it means that he was in your clutches, after surviving the trials you had forced him into. Yoongi and the others had told him just how dangerous you were, all the wicked things you had done. His guard should be up - he should be looking for a way to grab the briefcase, escape, be ready to battle - but instead he just felt the blood rushing to his groin at the way you were looking at him like he was your next meal.

“What do you think?” 

Blinking, it takes Jimin a moment to realize you’ve asked a question. “I think… I think you’re amazing,” he breathes, earning him a small smile. 

“I’m so glad you think so, sweet boy.” Your breath was warm on his cheek, and Jimin felt drunk on your voice alone. “I did this all for you, you know.”

When he didn’t answer, seemingly too awestruck, you continue. “Stealing your briefcase. Bringing you here, the trials, the friends you made along the way - coming to me now. It was all for you Jimin, all by design.” 

Draping your arms around his shoulders, you remain still for a moment before dragging your hands down his body until they were laced on top of his own. You place them around your waist, squeezing once to make sure he maintains the hold before going back to encircle his neck. 

Leaning closer, your lips ghost the shell of his ear. “So tell me again… do you like it?”

Jimin gulps, swallowing thickly around the lump in his throat. His lungs feel like they’re going to burst, his eyes rolling back before closing. He didn’t know what was happening, what you want from him, but he knew he didn’t want to stop.

“Y-yes, I like it....” He stumbles, trying to find the right word. “Your Majesty?”

Your answering giggle sounded like the tinkling of bells, and Jimin wonders if he’s ever heard a laugh sound that pretty before.

“You can call me that,” you murmur, returning to your feet to stare into his warm gaze. “Or, if you’re really good, you can call me Y/N.”

“Y/N,” he tries, the name feeling odd on his tongue yet making sense once said aloud. It fit you somehow, this otherworldly being, this goddess queen who had brought him here…

His brow furrows, and he pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. Why had you brought him here? He was no one, nothing special, just a stupid man who made an arrogant wish in a moment of weakness. He wasn’t worth all of this trouble. So why?

As if you can read his mind, you grasp his jaw gently in your palm, forcing his eyes back on your own. “What are you thinking in that pretty head of yours, hmm?”

“I just - I’m trying to make sense of it all,” His tongue darts out to wet his lips. “Why someone like you would bring me here? Would want me?” 

Cupping his face, you cluck your tongue, shaking your head. “Of course I would want you, don’t think such dreadful things about yourself. I won’t have it.”

Jimin nods and you give him a smile, thumb still tracing over the delicate bone in his cheek. “I wanted you for the same reason I want anything - because I’m a collector of pretty things,” you tap his nose playfully, before moving to caress his plush pout. 

“And you, my dear Jimin, are very pretty.”

Taking a step back, you let your hand fall to his chest, moving to walk around him in a slow circle, a predator assessing her prey. “You’re pretty, and brave, and strong. Kind. The others took to you so quickly. Yoongi was so protective, so jealous - after a mere day.  You’re a good man, with a good heart. Passed all the trials with ease.”

Arriving back in front of him, you follow the line of his collarbone to his shoulders, kneading the muscle there before pressing your chest against his own. “I want to spoil you, make you feel good. Don’t you think you deserve a reward for all your hard work?”

Jimin shivers, your statements sinking deep into his mind. It didn’t make sense; how he had come here to defeat you, to demand to go home, and now… now all he can think about is pleasing you. Intoxicating, that’s what you are - with words dripping with honey and hands that can’t seem to stop touching him - and the idea of you continuing to do so makes him ache with need. 

“Yes,” he croaks, voice thick. “I want that.”

An exquisite, almost sinister smirk tugs the edge of your lips. “Good boy.”

He’s being guided further into your chambers before he can speak another word, stumbling over his own feet until the backs of his legs hit something soft, yet firm. 

The edge of the bed. 

A gentle push has him plopping down, his body boneless as he watches you in wonderment, your every move captivating him completely. He stares hungrily as you let your hands explore his abdomen, one leg raising to hitch over his hip.

“Is it okay if I sit here?” 

“Y-yes. Yes please,” 

And then you’re in his lap, and his senses are in overload as he breathes you in, feels your warmth through the confines of his clothes. You haven’t even kissed him, yet Jimin feels arousal pooling low in his gut at how you feel on top of him. He wants to kiss you, wants to dig his fingers into the flesh on your hips, but instead he stays still, waiting for your next move.

“First things first, let’s get rid of this,” you breathe, yanking the cotton shirt over his head and tossing it behind you. 

Bare before you, you lick your lips at the sight of his golden chest, his toned stomach. Manicured nails rake through his silvered hair, lulling his eyes close as you lean forward, nose lightly grazing his own. In this moment, Jimin can’t think of anything else - what got him here, what he’s gone through - only you, only how much he wants to feel your lips on his own. 

And then the space between you is gone - your mouth eager, sliding his bottom lip between your teeth as your tongue seeks its mate. He reciprocates with a groan, frozen hands now free and grasping at your waist in his desire to taste you, to feel you deeper. You smile against his mouth at his boldness, drinking in the way the lust builds in the air between you, fueling your fervor. 

You allow him to continue the passionate kiss for several moments, enjoying the sweetness of his tongue in your mouth before pulling away, chest heaving. 

Jimin tries to chase your lips, making you giggle as you refrain from giving in. Instead you click your tongue, chastising him. “Ah ha, behave yourself,” you croon, watching as his gaze darkens. “I’m supposed to be giving you a treat, remember?”

“But kissing you is a treat, please-”

“Oh, listen to that. What good manners.” You twist back, reaching for something beside the bed that Jimin can’t see. “I’ll give you what you want, don’t worry.” 

Righting yourself, he sees what you’ve grabbed - a long, midnight black silk ribbon, the matching companion to your dress, about the width of his hand. You drag the material against his exposed skin, delighting in the shiver it sends down his spine. 

“But first, I’m going to tie your hands. You touch me when I say you can.” It’s a demand, not a request, but you pause, giving him a chance to speak up. When he nods, you reward him with a wide smile, arranging his arms around his back.

It’s torture, feeling you pressed up against him while you bind him, your hands working deftly despite not being able to have a good view around his body. He feels the tickle of the excess fabric as you finish it off into a bow, arms flexing to test the strength of the bind - which was more secure than he expected. 

“There,” you sigh, arranging yourself back on his lap. “You look like a pretty present, all tied up for me like this.” 

Jimin gulps visibly, his pants becoming impossibly tight against his growing length. He could feel the desperation to have you build, your tease slowly becoming torture. 

“Yes, all for you, Y/N… your majesty.” 

Wrapping your hands around his neck, you rock your hips forward, moaning when you feel his hardness beneath you. Jimin whines, pelvis raising in attempts to recreate the pressure. 

“Please, please touch me… I’m being so good…” he’s babbling, but he can’t make himself care, almost delirious in his need. “Right?”

“You are,” you murmur, writhing against his bulge once more. “So good, Jiminie.”

This time when you meet his lips, you take your time, pressing chaste closed mouth kisses over every inch of his mouth before taking it deeper, your tongue taking it’s time to savor his taste. The passion from before was still there, just more tempered, lips moving languidly as if you had all the time in the world to explore him. 

A gentle shove is all it takes to have Jimin falling onto his back, wincing at the weight on his trapped wrists. Nipping at his lip, you pull the flesh between your teeth before trailing down his form, pausing to nuzzle at his neck. 

He’s panting as you lick and suck blossoms on the base of his throat, hips rising to undulate against you. You allow it, enjoying his blatant wanton desire for you, the way it makes your panties cling to your center. Having the beautiful man pliant under your fingertips made you flush, dominance coursing through your veins, re-energizing your soul.

Sliding down, you continue your path, pausing to admire and lavish his abdomen with affection, arousal building at each noise he rewarded you with. Jimin certainly wasn’t afraid to be vocal, and it was something you didn’t know you were missing; something you certainly never got much of with Yoongi. It was delicious,to have him moan and whine your name, and you couldn’t wait to take him in your mouth to see what pretty music he’d make for you then.

Sharpened nails play with the elastic at his waist, a deft hand unbuttoning his slacks to begin to drag them down his legs. Hunger burned in your throat at the thought of seeing him naked, tied and splayed before you, at your mercy willingly. But it’s as you are slipping his briefs down his form that Jimin raises his head to look at you, eyebrows pinched.

“Is there something wrong, sweet boy?”

He gulps, as if he’s been drowning and has finally breached the surface for air. “No no, nothing’s wrong.. It’s just… I don’t,”

Hushing him, you rub soothing circles on his bare thighs. “It’s okay, love. We have all the time in the world, there’s no rush, no pressure. We can stop at any time-”

“No! I don’t want to stop!” his eyes are wide, earnest. “It’s just, I was thinking… and what happens after? After all this?” 

His voice is so genuine, sincerity in every word, and it takes you a moment to stop from giggling at how serious he looks while half naked and tied up on your bed. 

Instead you give a reassuring smile, rising up to meet his eyes. “Whatever you want, Jiminie. You aren’t a prisoner. You made it through the labyrinth, beat all the challenges laid before you. When we’re finished, I can return you home - right back into bed, if you so wish.” 

“And what if,” he pauses, breaking your gaze and looking down. “What if I don’t want to leave?”

The question surprises you, but in a thrilling way that has your heart racing. You had never thought he’d want to stay, amongst you and the others, become yours for eternity. But it was an appetizing thought.

“Then don’t.” 

Gliding back down over his lap, you rip the remaining fabric blocking him from your vision, his cock throbbing and glistening at it’s reddened tip. Tracing a finger up his length, you collect some of his arousal from his leaking tip, before bringing it up to your lips. 

Locking eyes, you send the silent command for him to not look away before popping the digit into your mouth, humming lowly at the taste. 

Jimin’s answering groan is almost feral, pupils lust blown and pleading. 

“Shall I continue?”

He nods frantically, babbles of “yes” and “please” still echoing around the room as you return to his length, stroking it softly, pressing your lips gently at the junction of his hip.

The slow pace gave you a chance to fully admire him like this; flushed, tied up, painfully hard under your touch. His cock was every bit as pretty as he was - not too long but wonderfully thick, with a slight curve up towards his belly. 

“You’re so beautiful, Jiminie,” you murmur between kisses, tongue flicking out to swirl at his tip. “Beautiful and delicious.”

It’s then that you sink him deeper on to the bed of your tongue, encircling your lips around him. Slowly you drag up and down, lowering a bit more on his length at each pass until you’ve swallowed him completely, moaning. 

“Oh god,” he whines, his pelvis rising to thrust against you. “You feel so good, Y/N.”

His words spur you on and you kick up the pace, bobbing on him until he’s squirming against the bed, lost to his pleasure. Seeing him in this state fuels your arousal, the wetness between your legs now accompanied with a throbbing need to be filled. You want nothing more than to straddle his waist and slip him inside of you, feel him fully - but not yet. You want to savor him for just a bit longer.

A free hand comes to cup his balls as you work him over with your mouth, squeezing them slightly, and he cries out your name. “If you keep doing that, I’m gonna cum.”

Smirking, you pull him out of your mouth with a lewd pop. “What if that’s what I want?” your hand comes to replace your lips, gliding up and down his salvia slickened length. “What if I want you to lose control?”

“Fuck,” he keens, tossing his head back on the bed. He wants so badly to reach out for you, to feel you, to make you moan out his name. He could return the favor, have you come undone on his tongue, his fingers. If he closes his eyes, he can almost taste you, imagine how tightly you’d squeeze him as he worked you open.

He wants it, desperately.

“Please, I want to touch you too, want to make you feel good,” he meets your eyes, unshed pleas in his gaze. “You can come sit on my face if you don’t want to untie me. Or let me finish inside you, whatever you want. Please, Your Majesty,”

“You beg so prettily too, Jiminie,” cooing, you languidly lick up his shaft, considering his words. 

You did like the idea of lowering yourself over his mouth, leaving him only with his tongue and lips to bring you to the brink, hands still trapped behind his back. Letting him get you off, but still having the control, having the power. But ultimately, you were too impatient for drawn out foreplay. You needed to have him inside of you, and you needed it now.

Instead of answering, you give his cock one last peck before maneuvering up on the bed, kneeling before him. You tease the straps of your negligee, letting them fall around your shoulders before pulling it down over your breasts, your hips. 

Jimin gasps in awe, wishing for the millionth time that his hands weren’t bound. “I can’t believe you're real,” he whispers, licking his lips. “You’re gorgeous.” 

For some reason, his candor has you blushing, his words striking something deep within your chest. You try to shrug it off, paint a salacious grin on your lips, but you feel your legs shaking as you swing to straddle his hips. 

Leaning down, you hover over his mouth for a moment. 

“Thank you.”

And then your lips are intertwined, pelvis rocking against his, soaked panties the only barrier stopping him from slipping inside of you. A flick of the wrist has them discarded, and the warmth of your center directly on his dick has Jimin groaning into your mouth.

Raising your hips, you line yourself up with his tip before plunging down, crying out at the sudden fullness of him deep inside you. For a moment, neither of you move, measuring your breaths to adjust to the pleasant burn. Looking down at him, a pang of fondness rings through your core, and you give him a small smile before you move again, this time with more speed.

Carnal hunger takes over as your hips gain momentum, sheathing him deep within your cunt over and over, head rolling back with a moan. Relentless, you place your hands on his chest for balance, clenching against him as you bounce on his lap, blistering heat building low in your belly. 

“You feel so good, Jiminie,” you sigh, eyes closing. “Gonna make me cum.”

“Y/N,” Jimin growls, voice low. “Untie my hands, please.”

His request goes through you, his words heard but not processed. Instead, you dig your nails into his chest, arch your back into him more.

Jimin sits up then, core strength lifting his torso off the bed and causing you to fall back against his thighs. His mouth is immediately on your breasts, sucking and toying with your hardened bud as you continue to ride him. 

“I said - untie me, please.”

Head dizzy with lust, your hands move automatically, reaching behind him to pull at the end of the black ribbon to release him. It’s only when his hands rise to grasp your waist, his pelvis thrusting up into yours at an alarming rate that you realize what you’ve done. 

“Jimin, oh god-”

Now that he’s free he cannot get enough of your flesh beneath his palms, hands roving and groping you all over - pulling at your thighs, your hips, your breasts. His pace never slows; burying himself within you so deep that he hits the spot inside that makes you see stars, hurtling you towards your end. It’s as if you’ve awoken a ravenous beast inside him, one that feeds on the pleasures of your body, and he won’t stop until he gets his fill and has you pulsing around him, cries of his name on your lips.

The band in your belly pulls taunt at his onslaught, orgasm teetering on the edge - and you sink your hands into his hair, yanking back at the base to expose his throat for you to descend your mouth onto. 

“So good, such a good boy - gonna make me cum,” 

Jimin growls, hands enclosing around your waist before pinning you down on your back, cock never leaving your cunt,  his sweat sheened form now towering above you.

“Yes, Y/N, give it to me. Let go for me,” he praises, lifting your legs to rest on his shoulders, bending you in half. He begins plunging into you, long digits toying with your clit, rolling it between his thumb and finger. “Wanna feel you come undone.” 

Once his mouth returns to your nipple, biting it softly, you feel a snap in your gut, throwing you over the edge and full force into your high. You close your eyes against the euphoria, riding out the shockwaves hammering through your body as he continues his ministrations. It takes centuries for you to come down, for your breath to return, and when you open your eyes you see Jimin’s gaze black and lust blown, full bottom lip trapped between his teeth.

“I c-can’t last,” he breathes, voice rushed. “Feels too good, you feel too-”

“Jiminie, cum for me. Fill your queen up,”

A pained cry tears free from his throat, staccato hips pressing into you once, twice before he’s releasing inside of you, fingers bruising on the meat of your thigh. Just like everything else about him, Jimin is pretty when he cums, face flushed and eyes squeezed tight, chest glistening and heaving.

He gives a final thrust, as if ensuring that his seed was deep in your core before collapsing on top of you with a heavy sigh, nuzzling into the crook of your neck.

A hand comes up to play with the hair at his nape as if it's the most natural thing in the world, soothing and melting him against you. You were always tender afterwards, always attentive to your pretty little play things, but there was something about Jimin that makes you feel a bit vulnerable as well.

Waiting until his breathing slows, you gently nudge him onto the bed, sliding out to head to the washroom and clean yourself up. When you return, you're dressed in a new flowing nightgown, this one a deep royal purple, a matching wash cloth in your hand.

Jimin barely even blinks while you clean him up and tuck him under the covers, only opening his eyes when you bring a glass to his lips.

"Will you stay with me?" his eyes are round, bright, and you begin to realize how much this beautiful brave man and his brazen sincerity has affected you.

"If you want me to." You shrug, swallowing a smile at his request. "Or you can just rest, and I can come back in the morning-"

"No!" his voice is loud, but there's no edge to it, only urgency. "Please - I want you to stay."

Climbing in beside him, you pull the man to your chest, petting him once more as he curls into you, his eyes returning closed. He's asleep in moments, and you spend most of the night watching him as he rests, tracing your hands over his broad shoulders, drinking in the way he looks in your bed. Memorizing his form so that when day breaks, you’ll have a way to remember him.

And as the sun starts to rise, the early light of dawn casting the room in a pink glow,  you can't help but to think how his last words were the one thing you wanted to request of him as well.

[blackjack-15]

Avenge My Twistery Depth — Thoughts on: Trail of the Twister (TOT)

Previous Metas: SCK/SCK2, STFD, MHM, TRT, FIN, SSH, DOG, CAR, DDI, SHA, CUR, CLK, TRN, DAN, CRE, ICE, CRY, VEN, HAU, RAN, WAC

Hello and welcome to a Nancy Drew meta series! 30 metas, 30 Nancy Drew Games that I’m comfortable with doing meta about. Hot takes, cold takes, and just Takes will abound, but one thing’s for sure: they’ll all be longer than I mean them to be.

Each meta will have different distinct sections: an Introduction, an exploration of the Title, an explanation of the Mystery, a run-through of the Suspects. Then, I’ll tackle some of my favorite and least favorite things about the game, and finish it off with ideas on how to improve it.

If any game requires an extra section or two, they’ll be listed in the paragraph above, along with links to previous metas.

These metas are not spoiler free, though I’ll list any games/media that they might spoil here: TOT, WAC, mentions of GTH.

The Intro:

Let’s talk about Trail of the Twister, shall we? No clever intro, no pun, no sassy statement on the quality (whether lacking or overflowing) of the game…let’s just Talk.

Like I said at the beginning of my WAC meta, TOT is one of two games that doesn’t really fit into a category besides it and WAC demonstrating HER’s growing pains. The world opens (kinda), the characters get a little deeper (kinda) and a few new things are tried with plots and character (to varying degrees of success). Both WAC and TOT — but especially TOT — represent a shift in the tone of the games and their approach. You can ascribe this to a lot of reasons — an aging fanbase, technology marching on, a new writer in the mix — but you really can’t ignore it, no matter if you’re a Classic Games Elitist or a Newer Games Snob (or neither one).

To paraphrase a fabulous song, there’s something there that wasn’t there before.

This is not me saying in any way that TOT is a fabulous — or even moderately successful — game. In fact, it whiffs a lot where WAC hit solidly, which makes playing them one after the other a sort of chore; WAC is weighed down by the knowledge of what comes next (after such a brief respite from games like ICE, HAU, and RAN), and TOT’s repetitive chore list seems even bleaker after the snack shop and secret societies of WAC.

Which is truly unfortunate, because hiding behind the rat traps and the car chases (or drives, if you drive like a normal person in this game) and the endless moon chunk offerings is one heck of a story. Unfinished and beleaguered and (to my suspicions) censored as it is, there is a definite, multilayered, morally ambiguous, honest-to-moon-chunk story in TOT.

Like I said, something there that wasn’t there before.

Playing through the games in order, it seems like the reason WAC is so solid is, in part, because the games before it have so little cohesive story as to be laughable. Playing them out of order will show you that though WAC does come off a little better than it actually is due to the games that came before it, it’s also actually a step-up from a lot of games in the complexity of its plot and characters. At this point in the series that’s about to happen a lot, but WAC is the first real instance where you get it. Like I said, these two games mark a tonal and approach-based shift in the games.

So let’s turn our attention to TOT.

There are a lot of things that bog down this game — it feels sometimes as if you’re simply going through Farmville-esque tasks to get from Point A to Point B — but its plot and characters (save in one large instance) aren’t actually the culprits. Surprisingly enough, we have a mystery here with enough twists, turns, small crimes, and red herrings to make for a perfectly serviceable plot with relatively well-developed (for the length of the game) characters (whom I’ll go into more below).

A huge difference from a lot of the games is that we have a prominent unseen character who isn’t the one who hired Nancy or who is part of the historical background. Brooke’s actions actively move the plot along no matter what Nancy does, and I do like that the world of TOT goes on spinning (as it were) without Nancy driving everything.

You get the sense that Nancy truly was just dropped into the middle of this without having any control over the situation, and that she spends the entire game (or most of it) playing catch-up, rather than being on the scene for the crime(s) or arriving shortly thereafter.

In TOT, this sabotage has been going on for a while — the competition is nearly over, in fact — and Nancy has to actually do some detective work to even get caught up, let alone to try to step a few feet in front of the guilty party.

One interesting thing is what TOT and WAC share: they both feature casts who are only a few years off of Nancy’s age; in WAC, they’re a tiny bit younger, while in TOT, they’re a tiny bit older. Nancy, being Nancy, is much more in her element with the ages of her suspects in TOT than she is with high schoolers — with how much time Nancy spends around people significantly older than her, I’d be shocked if she got along well with high schoolers when she was in high school herself.

As a side note, I know it’s sort of a fandom thing that Nancy gets along well with children, but honestly outside of Lucas, it’s not something we really see (no, I’m not counting pelting Freddie with snow 10 times sans mercy as getting along with children) — and honestly Lucas is just charming, so I see no reason why Nancy wouldn’t get along with him. Generally speaking, kids who grow up the way Nancy has [especially as an only child] are far more comfortable with ‘adults’ — well established, 35/40+ adults, who make up the majority of her suspect pools — than they are with peers or children.

There’s also a great deal of care taken with making all the suspects (mostly) equally likely for a large portion of the game; it’s not until past the halfway point that a suspect (Chase) is cleared due to his confession of a different crime, and even then, he doesn’t really become Nancy’s helper, as is the usual case with cleared suspects. This is actually one of the few games where Nancy doesn’t really have a helper; she relies on herself, the Hardy Boys, and (questionably) P. G. Krolmeister to get the job done.

And speaking of the Hardy Boys…you knew an intro wouldn’t be complete without my mentioning them, hush.

The Hardy Boys are arguably the set piece that benefit most from Nik’s writing (and yes, I’m going to ascribe it to him; he’s the most prominent variable). Don’t get me wrong, the Hardy Boys were great before, but the Nik games are where they start attaining a place of more prominence and solidify their distinct personalities other than “focused killjoy and playful scamp”. In this game, you get more of Frank’s protectiveness (directed towards Nancy) and Joe’s actual sleuthing abilities — not the least of which because this game coincides with that DS Masterpiece “Treasure on the Tracks”.

Oh yeah, we’re going there. It’s relevant.

Treasure on the Tracks, as mentioned, was a game for the Nintendo DS (and the only one, mind you) focusing on the Hardy Boys. In the game (as in TOT), they’re tracking down the Romanov treasure with the help of a surprising ally — Samantha Quick herself. Samantha is under orders (from who, she never says, but a future game makes it obvious) to help the boys find the treasure aboard the royal train that the Romanovs used to own.

And yes, I would have loved that to be a joint Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys PC game, but I’ll push the bitterness aside for the facts. Which are that this game has a rad premise and would have been a very cool addition to the ND series…but I digress. Regardless, that’s what the boys are doing during TOT, so we get little hints to their investigation as well as having them help Nancy out.

I love that the Hardy Boys have an actual mystery that they’re investigating, as beginning with this game we see a lot more of their ‘agent’ side being brought out. It’s nice to feel that Nancy isn’t alone out there fighting against the forces of evil, and gives excuses to have the Hardy Boys in the games more, so I’m a big fan in general. It also helps build them up as investigators; while they offer hints to Nancy a lot, we don’t get to see them doing a lot of spy/detective work, and it’s lovely to be able to see it here.

And I love their sibling banter. It’s obvious that JVS and Rob Jones have a lot of fun with their roles, and it really lightens and enhances any Nancy Drew game that they’re in.

The last interesting thing that I’ll point out before diving into the game itself is what TOT does for the world of Nancy Drew. Beginning with this game, we start the tradition of each game leading directly into the next one; for her help in TOT, Krolmeister sends her to his favorite ryokan in Japan, which leads to her being hired for CAP; her absence and fight with Ned in CAP lead her back home for the Clues Challenge in ASH, and so on and so forth.

It really makes the world feel solid and cohesive, and lets our characters grow and shift and change without making it feel episodic or sudden. The Nancy of SPY is quite different from the Nancy of TOT in how she behaves and tackles mysteries, but her character growth throughout the games in between make it feel right and natural — like actual character growth.

The Title:

As a title, “Trail of the Twister” isn’t bad — it’s got that alliteration that ND books tend to like doing, and makes it feel a little classic. It also gets a play with words in there — you’re tracing the actual trail of the actual twister, and you’re also walking through the evidence left behind (aka a trail) of a twisting plot. Solid, if not exceptional, with its only real detriment being the hilarious acronym (TOT).

The book it’s (loosely) based off of is called “The Mystery of Tornado Alley” which, obvious to anyone with eyes, is a much worse title while telling us the same thing. It also doesn’t apply to the game as much – you’re not figuring out a mystery as much as unwinding the tangled threads of character motivations — and is supremely clunky to boot.

The Mystery:

Called in by P.G. Krolmeister to go undercover, Nancy joins a team of storm-chasers bent on winning a grant for their research — and beating the opposing team that wants the same thing. Nancy begins the mystery by finding a tin box full of cash (payment for an as-of-yet unspecified action) and it spirals from there, putting the not-so-amateur teen sleuth through her paces learning about tornados and storms, taking pictures, and trying her best to keep everyone happy and working towards the money.

It’s not as easy as it sounds, however. There are competing forces at work outside (and sometimes within) the two teams, and the personalities of the storm-chasers that Nancy must investigate mean that no one trusts anyone else. Things continue to go wrong and Nancy chases down the clues until the mother of all tornados hits town, and our culprit takes advantage of the distraction…

I mentioned above some censorship that I suspect went on in this game, and I’ll talk about it here. Given the darker themes of this game and the mentions of death and serious injury (more than most other games in the series at this point), I would say part of the reason why our story is a little more…displeasing, especially by the end, is that HER was really intent on the 10 part of the 10+ rating.

There’s lots to explore — the Ma storyline that goes nowhere, the collateral damage of these tornadoes, the fact that our cast is filled with genuinely unpleasant criminals — and yet it gets glanced over while feeling like the game is building up to it. Like CRE and ICE where I postulated a lot of the attention went to the new engine, I’m going to postulate here that the reason why we have hanging plot threads and injustice at the end (which I’ll talk about later) is that the game was censored by the HER bigwigs to ensure it still fit in a 10+ rating.

As a mystery, like I said above, there’s absolutely nothing wrong here. We’ve got plenty of means/motive/opportunity spread out in our cast (and in the periphery cast, just to keep things interesting), the threads and smaller crimes/wrongdoings/etc. are realistic in scope and in motive to keep them hidden, and it’s the personalities of the suspects that give us our conflict and tension, rather than random “interferences” by the writers. And speaking of our suspects, let’s go to the other area that TOT does (almost) nothing wrong.

The Suspects:

First off is Chase Releford, a junior who took Scott’s class for a science credit who got super interested in the actual work. The team’s handyman, Chase has noticed (and fixed, and fixed again) the equipment acting up, and is being stretched pretty thin in order to keep it all shipshape and in working order.

He’s also one of Nancy’s sources of Pa Pennies, if you wanna spend hours doing circuit boards.

As a culprit, Chase is a great option (which is a sentiment you’ll hear repeated for all of our suspects, never fear). He’s secretly spending his time looking for oil with Pa’s divining rods, which puts two crimes on his conscience (stealing the rods and not working on company time) and helps the team fall even further behind. It’s important to note that for a large chunk of this game, the likelihood of the suspect also hinges on how much they want Scott to fail, and Chase is pretty much the only one without any real anger towards Scott.

The owner of the local general store, Pa Ochs might be a surprising option to put ahead of Chase in order of culprit likelihood/suitability, but I stand by it. Having lost his wife (Betsy “Ma” Ochs) to a tornado (the warning sirens, which were Scott’s responsibility, didn’t go off), Pa alone mans the counter, helping Nancy find everything she needs — for a price, of course.

The price being annoyingly hard to get Pa Pennies. Unless you exploit a glitch.

Here’s where we start with the culprit possibilities that have an actual grudge against Scott. Though not as angry as he could be, Pa is deeply hurt by the loss of his wife Betsy, and has grounds for an axe to grind with Scott. As much as I would have loved to have the ‘friendly general store owner’ be the culprit, it would have been like a mix of DOG’s Emily and FIN’s Joseph (minus the Crazy), and it’s (sadly) best to leave that ground alone without re-treading it.

Frosty Harlow is next up; a second-year grad student in digital media, Frosty got his nickname (his real name is Tobias) from his storm photography and is, well, trying to re-capture that lightning in a bottle.

He also screams like a little girl. So that’s fun.

Like Chase and Pa, Frosty is a wonderful option for a culprit. His crime is selling university property (the video of the storm he and Nancy shot) to an aspiring photographer (who happens to be on the rival team) to help them get a toehold into the business, along with working with Debbie to try to stress Scott into quitting.

What really makes Frosty stand out is that, unlike Chase, Frosty doesn’t feel bad about what he did at all. He also holds far more animosity towards Scott than Pa does, and has a little more…innate anger as a person.

If you haven’t noticed by now, we’re going in order of “worst” culprit option to “best” (and then the actual culprit), and it really says something about how fleshed out these characters already are that we start with people who are solid options to begin with.

Though only appearing vocally and for a few minutes total of the game’s runtime, I’m going to list Brooke Tavanah as our next most likely culprit — in part because, well, she kind of is our culprit. The leader of the rival storm-chasing team, Brooke offered Scott money to sabotage his own team to let her team win the grant — an offer that he takes her up on.

Of course, Brooke isn’t the only one sleeping with the enemy (so to speak) to ensure her team’s victory; her videographer, Erin, is apparently so talentless as to need to buy footage from Scott’s team as well.

Things don’t exactly look great for the Kingston University team — as they can’t really get ahead even through sabotage and skullduggery, and one does wonder if they’d even be able to put the grant to good use. That, of course, is not the point; Brooke wants her team to win, come hell or high…wind…and a little thing like scientific ability isn’t going to stop her.

(Interestingly enough, this is the first of three times we’ll see Kingston University pop up; we meet their alumni again in TMB and DED).

I love that Brooke is guilty, because so often in Nancy Drew games the tendency is to implicate an unseen character and then to have that implication be a poorly done red herring. Instead, Brooke isn’t a distraction, nor a smoke screen — she’s just another piece of the puzzle.

Our last non-Culprit (by the games’ common definition) suspect is Debbie Kircum, a recent PhD graduate who is on her fifth time working with Scott in chase season, and who has gotten a lucrative offer to teach at a university in New York.

Worrying that Scott would let his resentment towards the college hurt their chances in the competition, Debbie leads the conspiracy to stress him out so much that he just quits. I’ll talk more about this later, but it is both one of my favorite and least favorite things about this game. For now, I’ll say that her plan works…but not the way that she planned; for her and lots of other suspects in this and upcoming games, the quote “the price for getting what you want is getting what you once wanted” works perfectly to describe their arcs.

As a culprit, (as Debbie fully qualifies as a culprit), Debbie certainly has the shortsightedness and nastiness that Nancy Drew culprits tend to have. She’s extremely good at getting what she wants…but see the quote in the previous paragraph.

She also over-contours her cheeks so much that it looks like someone slapped her with an open compact of bronzer.

That takes us to our final culprit and character, Scott Varnell, genius professor of meteorology and the leader of the Canute team. Scott is my personal favorite character not just because he’s the most interesting, but because he’s a tragic figure who isn’t historical/dead, and those are a bit of a rarity in Nancy Drew games, especially at this point.

Being an expert on tornadoes yet denied tenure based on his personality, rather than his academic prowess (a gripe I share as it applies to jobs/academia), Scott holds a grudge against those who don’t recognize his contributions to meteorology and to the study of tornadoes specifically. Unbeknownst to him, two members of his four-man team have been conspiring to stress him out so badly that he’ll just quit, as they think he’ll be a hindrance (again, due to his personality) in winning the competition.

Scott is in some ways the obvious option, and yet the game never turns into a howdunnit. Throughout the mystery he tends to be the prime suspect, but is also the prime victim — a dichotomy we’ve never seen before in the Nancy Drew Games. I’ll talk more about Scott below (a sentence increasingly common in this meta), but I both love and hate him as the culprit, and that’s something new (and interesting) that TOT brings as well.

The Favorite:

Don’t worry, we’ll get into TOT’s myriad flaws soon enough, but for now I want to focus on what it does right.

The first thing the game nails is the Hardy Boys. Their inclusion, their plot, their characterization, the voice acting — all of it is nigh-flawless, and is by far the most enjoyable part of the game. Don’t get me wrong, the Hardy Boys are usually quite far up there on the list of things I love about a game with them in it, but they really start to shine more in TOT, gaining some character development, plot relevance, and just overall depth.

Oddly (or perhaps not oddly at all) I don’t have a favorite moment nor a favorite puzzle in this game; barring that, I’ll talk about some of the great threads to the game, rather than any particular moment/puzzle that stands out.

I love that we get new and interesting layers to our story and characters. As I mentioned briefly above, there’s a real sense of the world existing before Nancy’s arrival, which works wonders for the world of the games, and our characters here are more layered, more distinct, and more ‘realistic’ (for the value of ‘realism’ in stories) than they ever have been before.

This is a game unafraid to deal with the topics of death and mistakes, and that accounts for part of the depth to the game as well. No, not the whole “Where’s Ma” thing — which I fully believe to just be a script that didn’t fire/didn’t stop firing in the game’s code after finding the newspaper that says exactly what happened to Ma — I’m talking about Scott’s mistake in the tornado warning system, Debbie and Frosty’s mistakes in dealing with Scott (which I’ll talk more about), and even Brooke’s miscalculations that lead to the ending of the game. Everyone here deals with the fallout of their mistakes, and it’s how they handle it that forms the basis for our plot.

It’s a seemingly small thing, but I love the sheer level of detail in this game. You can click on everything, read everything, explore everywhere — there’s a lot of information crammed into the game that sometimes you won’t get until the second or third replay (that is, if you have the stomach to play through this game repeatedly).

The use of our tertiary NPCs (Brooke, Krolmeister, Erin) is also inspired; they help the world feel whole and varied rather than existing simply for the benefit of the game, and show that Nancy doesn’t have control over everything when she’s investigating — and that she can be wrong in her focus of investigating (whether because she pays too much or not enough attention to the ‘minor’ characters).

Speaking of characters, I also love that our characters in this game – our suspects — are able to be fully formed without (on purpose, I feel) being particularly likable. It’s always fun to get a cast of characters that are hostile to Nancy, but TOT’s characters are slightly different from that: they just don’t care about her. She’s another intern to them, nigh-invisible except when they need a chore done. Nancy also doesn’t really try to befriend anyone because of it, and I like that too. Sometimes, a game should just be 1 vs 4, with some backup in the wings courtesy of phone friends.

The last facet of the game that I love is Scott himself as a character. Sure he’s cantankerous, blunt, egotistical, and a thousand other things, but the game is very clear that these ‘faults’ don’t make him anything other than what he is — a brilliant meteorologist and the foremost mind when it comes to tornadoes and tornadogenesis. The university undervalues him, but the team really can’t function without him, sabotage or no sabotage.

His motive for the sabotage isn’t the money nor fame — it’s simple tit-for-tat. For such a complex game (note, I’m still not saying it’s a fun or good game), our ultimate motive is deceptively simple: do unto others what they have done unto you. Tired of being devalued and having his worth judged on his personality rather than his work, he decides that if the university doesn’t care enough to keep him around (and for his worth as a professor, look at how accomplished and passionate his team of former students is), then they don’t care to keep up their program either.

It’s hard not to sympathize with that, especially if you’re the kind of person who’s been valued based on any defects in your personality — rather than your ability to do a job and do it well — and been found wanting. Whether you’re too serious (or not serious enough), too flighty (or too inflexible), or any other stupid “personality defect” that the workforce loves to throw around, we’ve all heard it before. Scott’s thrown into an unfair situation and — wrongly or not — decides that his troubles are going to have trouble with him.

The last thing I’ll add on the topic of Scott for this section is that I do love that Debbie and Frosty create their own villain. In figuring that Scott’s personality is going to prevent them from getting the grant (never mind the 4 other years that Debbie’s been on this team with him where it hasn’t been a problem), they decide to screw him over presumptively — and thus create a Scott who actually does want to prevent them from getting the grant. It’s usually a mark of a solid story (and solid writing in general) where the villain is created not from some problem inherent in them, but because they’re perceived to be a problem in the future — and thus live down to the expectation.

The Un-Favorite:

The problem with everything TOT does right — and that’s nearly a thousand words about what it does right above — is that it never combines to make a game that’s enjoyable to play. Before I go into the specifics, I do want to make that clear; TOT is a fascinating game to think and write about, but it’s honestly nigh-unplayable. The puzzles and chores are laborious (and repeated ad nauseum), pieces of the plot don’t make sense, and the ending is the bleakest in the series until GTH’s multiple endings took the cake.

A game should be well-written, complex, and interesting, but it just has to be fun to play as well. It has to. And that seems to have been forgotten during the course of making TOT. My least favorite moment is the ending of the game (more on that below), but I don’t have a least favorite puzzle — on the basis that most of the puzzles are equally bad. There’s no real standout…but that’s not a good thing.

Now let’s get into some of the bits and parts of the game that I really despise.

The handling of Scott is one of my favorite parts of the game, but it’s also my least favorite part of the game as well. They’ve set up a character who firmly believes that everything ends poorly, that he’ll never profit no matter what, and that, ultimately, no matter how hard he tries, nothing will go the way it should. And then the game confirms that worldview to the end. There’s no other option; no matter what Scott does or doesn’t do, no matter if he tries his best or blows it off, the end result is the same, and that’s a tragedy. Sure, you can argue it’s his actions that led him to a bad ending, but he only took those actions because he was heading to a bad ending anyway.

The feeling you get at the end of the game isn’t a feeling of justice served, nor success — it’s pity in a way that’s never been cultivated for any criminal up to this point in the series. And it’s not cathartic — it’s just more misery.

The other huge thing that I hate about this game ties into it — there really is no justice. The supposed ‘happy ending’ is Debbie getting people from both teams to ‘win’ the grant (where does it ultimately go — Canute or Kingston? Can it count as winning if there’s only one team? HER certainly didn’t bother to think about these things)…but Debbie’s hands are just as filthy — and I think more so — than Scott’s are.

Debbie leads Frosty in conspiring to make Scott quit and actually created their own monster — does she even know Scott at all? He’s lead a team through at least the last 4 years, probably more, and not had a problem; why now? Power? Greed? Pride? Whichever way you spin it, she and Frosty are guilty.

Frosty and Erin (of the Kingston Team) are also guilty on a separate charge; Erin for buying the footage and Frosty for selling it. If Brooke and Scott are kicked off, Frosty and Erin (at least) should also go for the same conspiracy charge. Everyone on the team (excepting possibly Chase) knowingly sabotaged their team; why is Scott the only one punished? Why does Debbie (and Frosty, and Erin) get off scot-free (pun intended) to win the prize, despite everything?

When I say that there’s no justice nor success here, this is what I mean. The whole thing stinks from top to bottom, and any way you look at it, a culprit walks.

Honestly, the ending should have just been “Chase, guilty only of petty theft, led the team (of himself and Pa) and was given the grant, which they donated to a charity for tornado victims”. Kingston actively cheated and Canute doesn’t deserve it either. In a game where everyone deserves to lose, declaring a winner just leaves a bad taste in my mouth — and a black mark on the game.

The Fix:

So how would I fix Trail of the Twister?

My feeling is that if you’re going to go with a downer ending — which TOT is — then go for a full one. Have Nancy discover everyone’s crimes — and I do mean everyone’s — and report to Krolmeister, asking what he wants her to do. Don’t forget, Nancy’s got an actual client in this game, and can’t go off half-cocked like she tends to in her more informal mysteries.

In the end, as nearly everyone would be disqualified, the competition should go to a third party — a storm chasing team that’s not Kingston nor Canute — and create chances for less corrupt institutions to study tornadoes at a level they haven’t been able to before. Sure, our suspects would lose, but, honestly, outside Chase…does anyone deserve to win?

I’d also be a fan of Scott getting a second chance due to outside sabotage (directed solely at him) with a job opportunity to consult for storm chasers. It’d be an arena where he’d be seen as the expert he is, without having to deal with the namby-pamby bureaucracy that infects universities (and that he hates anyway). He’d get the name recognition and the ability to actually do work in his field that he needs without being put in situations where he can’t help but fail. Honestly, I’d prefer that P. G. Krolmeister offered it (while saying he’s going to be keeping an eye on him), but really anything would do.

Exposing the crimes of everyone – and focusing on more than just Scott’s — would be the quickest way to improve the story of the game. The puzzles, on the other hand, need to be completely redone; a mix of ostensibly tornado-related intern-type chores (like the circuit boards) and more detective-type puzzles (fingerprinting suspects for a match on the tin bribe box, tracking everyone’s movements, solving codes used for communication) would be a big help in making TOT not just feel like a list of chores with a bad ending.

Oh, and fix the broken code leading Nancy to ask about a man’s dead wife over and over again. She lacks tact as it is.