#proper saga business

[metrocentric]

Whigfield con "Saturday night" - Arena Suzuki dai 60 ai 2000 - 27/09/2023

Italy has the third most swiftly ageing demographic in the world, and to hear people talk you’d think that was a bad thing.

[goldkirk]

what right did Tolkien have to make the saga with Gandalf slow-burn gaslighting Beorn about just how many people were actually about to show up on his doorstep. One. After. Another. SO FUNNY. 😂

———

Beorn: who are you two

Gandalf: absolutely nothing to worry about, first of all. and second of all, I’m Gandalf and I’m a wizard. Fyi. Also you might not know of me but you likely know my bro Radagast, he lives over by Mirkwood and he’s pretty chill

Beorn: he is pretty chill. not a bad dude for a wizard. Okay I know Who You Are, now what do you want?

Gandalf: to be honest my dude. we’re fucked up. no luggage. no food. no weed. hardly even our own coats. We had some issues with the goblins you see

Beorn: Why the fuck did you go to the goblins??? dummy??

Gandalf: we didn’t do it on PURPOSE, we were—it’s a long story my guy

Beorn: Well you’d better get in here and start telling it then, I guess.

Gandalf: ah thanks!! Cool. So, where was I? Oh right. Over the mountains we came, and the storm, and the rock giants, and we found this cave went to sleep, and then suddenly the goblins grabbed This Very Hobbit [pats Bilbo’s head like a used car salesman] and our troop of ponies—

Beorn: TROOP of PONIES?

Beorn: what do you mean TROOP of ponies. What are you, a traveling circus?

Gandalf, mentally: [do not say yes. do not say yes. do not say yes. do not say yes.]

Gandalf: oh no, there were more than two ponies bc there’s more than two of us!!! I didn’t want to bother you with more of us until I found out if you were busy. I can call ‘em if you want?

Beorn: go ahead, whatever

[Gandalf proceeds to lowkey gaslight the man for a while as multiple rounds of DWARVES and MORE DWARVES and EVEN MORE DWARVES show up]

Beorn: these are dwarves. not hobbits or wizards. you brought dwarves?

Beorn: wait eight of you? You just now said a dozen. Twelve is not eight. Is it twelve or eight. Bro.

Beorn: the goblins were singing at you? singing songs? “fifteen birds in five fir trees”? since when does a dozen equal fifteen? and it doesn’t even rhyme.

Beorn: don’t pretend that goblins can’t count. don’t lie. Now you’re just disrespecting ALL of us. You KNOW goblins can count perfectly well. Where the fuck are the other three

Beorn: I see. I see what you did here.

Beorn: well now that all FIFTEEN OF YOU are here, maybe NOW you can finally tell me the proper story without any more INTERRUPTIONS.

[bobalegsanji]

౨ৎ Zosan duck saga ౨ৎ

Little passion project with my sweet friend @fruityumbrella

After Zoro manages to get lost somewhere on an island (God knows when, where, or for how long) he finds a pond with 6 abandoned ducklings

He's definitely not the most knowledgeable about this, but recalls baby ducks aren't supposed to be on their own- shouldn't their mother feed them or something? To be sure, he scoops them up in his arms to get Chopper to check up on them before dropping them back in the pond (if he ever finds it again. Whatever)

The ducklings are surprisingly calm in his arms???

The moment he returns to the ship Nami first screams at him because ''where the actual fuck have you be- are those ducks???'' ''Yes.'' ''Where did you find them?!?'' ''A pond.'' ''BRING THEM BACK????''

Turns out, ducklings without a mother imprint on the first moving object they find

...

They refuse to leave him alone- putting them down on the ground on the deck for the first time resulted in very loud, unsatisfied chirping. They try to jump back into Zoro's arms (which is wayyy too high for them). The view of a now embarrassed Zoro surrounded by 6 angry ducklings who want nothing but to be back into his arms is so funny everyone (but Zoro) ends up with tears streaming down their face

It's no use trying to get them to leave. Both Chopper and Sanji refuse to leave the ducks on the island (since they've imprinted on Zoro, they'd never return to their mother and ''we'd be killing them,'' according to Chopper). They decide to keep the ducklings for the time being, soon enough they've learned independence and can leave, and it's not like 6 little ducklings are going to cause any trouble among the crew, right???

The ducklings follow Zoro everywhere. Napping on the deck? Ducklings are pushing each other to sleep on top of his chest. Eating dinner? There's now 6 baby ducks under the table, quietly snagging whatever food anyone secretly passes them (no one listens to Sanji's rant about which food is healthy for them and which not, or the dangers about overfeeding). Showering? Ducks sit in front of the door, patiently waiting for Zoro to get out again.

The biggest problem is sleeping. Zoro isn't able to sleep in his hammock anymore. The ducks can't get in and out of it themselves (they get cranky when they don't get their way), but they also refuse to sleep anywhere but on top of Zoro. Their unhappy quacks are so loud both Zoro and his 6 patrons are sent to sleep in the kitchen

Sanji is, at first, wildly unhappy with the new arrangement. He's up the earliest and stays up the latest, spending most of his time in the kitchen. His job description never included 'take care of a big, green swordsman and his 6 pets.'

As it turns out, he doesn't actually mind the ducks. They're definitely not quiet, but he enjoys the company. Zoro usually falls asleep without a care for whatever Sanji is doing, and slowly the ducks start to get more comfortable with Sanji's presence. The first time one of them waggles over to take a closer look at what Sanji's doing, he swears his heart melts.

Problem: with Zoro sleeping, and Sanji busy with cleaning and prepping food, no one has eyes for the 6 brats running loose in the kitchen

''Zoro?'' ''Hmmm, what? I'm trying to sleep and this one wants to climb on top of my fucking he-'' ''ZORO?'' ''WHAT?'' ''WHY IS THERE A DUCK IN MY COOKING POT???''

They'd quickly spend as much time with Sanji as with Zoro. A little ramp is build from floor to counter to make sure the ducklings can get up and have a proper view of whatever it is Sanji's doing (Franky made it for him after finding out about his back pain, most likely resulting from having to pick up or put down a duck every 3 minutes)

Sanji gives the ducks little baths in the kitchen sink, letting them float around for however long they want. He definitely does not sit down and stare at them for 2 hours, cooing at over how cute they are (Neither does Zoro come the kitchen inside 7 times during those 2 hours to check whether they're finally done. He absolutely doesn't miss having his 6 buddies follow him around. Nope.)

They basically end up coparenting. For nap time and outdoor time they're with Zoro, for entertainment and food they're with Sanji.

They still favour Zoro (he's still their mama in their eyes), but Sanji's at least as (if not more) present in their life. He makes sure Zoro takes good care of them when Sanji's busy, makes all of their meals, makes sure Luffy doesn't include them in some stupid game that could hurt them- it's become a fulltime job, but Sanji has started to fall in love with them so much he doesn't even mind

Zoro has no choice but to take them with him when going out in town. He's written their names on his arm in order not to forget (he's dumb and can't keep the ducks apart). Someone's like ''oh what's that?'' and he goes ''it's to not confuse my ducks?? Obviously.'' The person he's talking to is like ''... that doesn't make sense. You wrote their names down, not how to tell them apart?? Are you fucking dumb?''

Zoro gets grumpy and moody all day. Sanji's finally done with his sullen mood in the evening and demands to know what's wrong. Zoro explains, and Sanji can't believe that HE STILL CANNOT KEEP THEM APART??

''Marimo, that is NOT Neko. Neko has a WHITE spot above her left eye.'' ''This one has too!'' ' 'MARIMO, that is her RIGHT FUCKING EYE, you ABSOLUTE IMBECILE''

The ducks are SO clingy. There's constantly one in Sanji's apron pocket, one on his shoulder and at least one on the counter. Any time Zoro goes outside, there's a minimum of 4 ducks in his haramaki and one on top of his head.

Sanji's the biggest hypocrite about their rules. He's always telling Zoro to cuddle with them less, ''they're becoming adults and need to learn to grow independent!'' ''The galley is no place for a duck, take them outside while I'm cooking!'' ''NO ducks on table during dinner time.'' (He never listens to his own rules)

The crew ends up (silently) referring to Zoro as their 'mama' and Sanji as their 'papa'

Sanji has to find out the hard way. He's busy with making lunch- already annoyed at the heat and the chores and having had to make breakfast with Zoro in the fucking kitchen (who's STILL not allowed to return to the sleeping quarters), and then Usopp enters. He's holding 2 ducks, quietly talking to them to try and quiet them down: ''It's okay- shhhht, it's okay... Oh, seems like daddy's busy, lets go find mama hm?''

''Usopp, WHAT did you just say??''

Usopp can barely form a sentence with the way Sanji's glaring at him- ''well um... yknow... since ,.. well since zoros like the mom...and you take care of them too..youre kind of...well yknow...umm...luffy said it first!!''

Sanji's having an existential crisis while still elbow deep gutting fish. '''im not a dad! i wouldnt be. why would you say that? no usopp seriously why would you say that. im like the ducks cool older brother. or like. an uncle. im basically a good friend. yeah were good friends.''

''Sure...?''

Sanji and Zoro end up growing closer through their time in the kitchen (and already having 6 children). Arguments turn into conversations, turn into drinking together, turn into holding hands in the dark of night until they kiss

The kiss is better than they either could've expected, until one of the ducks gets jealous-

''This is YOUR fault, you stupid Marimo!''

''What do you mean my fault? He pecked you!!!''

''Are you fucking deranged, of course it is your fault!!! Look at him, he'd never do me any wrong if you weren't here!!''

''????!!!''

''You really have nothing to say???''

''Are we kissing or what?''

''SHUT THE FUCK UP MARIMO''

Their bickering ends up scaring the ducks. They're scattered around the ship, resulting in Sanji and Zoro quietly bickering & cooing over their lost children, searching for them together while trying not to wake anyone up

Franky sees how happy the ducks are in the kitchen sink and decides to build a pond on the deck for them

The pond ends up being a blessing and a curse. It becomes a hot spot to relax, sometimes the ducks stray over towards Zoro napping next to the pond, or one snuggles up near Robin while she's reading

Luffy also falls into it. More than once.

Zoro does too. Every time, sanji totally losing his shit because zoro emerges from the water with a flower and a duck on his head and he looks like a deranged lilypad

During cold winter nights, Sanji refuses to let the ducks sleep outside. He makes a blanket fort in the kitchen with all blankets and pillows he can find to make sure they're as comfortable as possible ( + he's in the kitchen most of the day and night, so it's always one of the warmest rooms on the Sunny)

Zoro doesn't care about it. He thinks it's useless and a waste of time, but when everyone's sleeping he still goes over to the kitchen to check up on his babies and make sure they're doing fine

He falls asleep next to the cushion fort and forget the walls aren't real. He falls right through it and ruins the fort but the ducks are fine they just climb onto him and go to sleep again

Val & me might be delusional but at least are we CUTE delusional ♡

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 HORROPEDIA - "night terrors"

Horropedia x Reader. 2.3 words. fluff, comfort Everyone knows better than to intrude on Horropedia's all-nighters and horror film marathons - even so, he doesn't mind interruptions, not if it's you. Maybe these movies can wait.

writing for Horropedia is the real nightmare bc all I wanna do is expand on little headcanons I have about him, so I end up losing the entire plot and reason I started the oneshot in the first place

EITHER WAY its done <3 another one for the sleepytime saga

The clock reads 3:00 AM - the witching hour begins now.

The weather outside seems to agree with him. Darkness falls over the wilderness that surrounds the house, with thick, grey clouds above and just the right amount of rain and wind. Enough to set a proper atmosphere for a horror movie marathon, but not as to distract him with the constant banging of windows and doors being closed shut.

Horropedia feels around the table for his snacks, eyes glued to the screen in front of him, the only source of light in his room. He's chosen one of his favorite films to begin with and ease himself into a long list of terrible B-movie slashers.

It's hard to eat popcorn when all he can focus on is reciting the dialogue from memory, in perfect harmony with the characters. Some kernels fall to the ground, entirely forgotten. The title drops with a bright, bloody font and the music swells up. He feels right at home.

But then, he hears it.

Faint steps. A gentle knock on his door.

Is this it? Is this the moment he waited for all these years? To live through some unusual and inexplicable event? Oh, but it's not even his birthday!

Horropedia pauses the movie and clears his throat. "Yes? Who is it?"

The door slowly creaks open. He swears it was locked.

There's no one outside in the empty hallway.

Silence settles in and his mind begins to race. It's too late for any of his usual guests - neither Tooth Fairy nor Blonney would go out of their way to find him at this hour. By now, everyone should be asleep. Even the more rebellious and nocturnal guests preferred to mind their business as soon as the night came.

The smile on Horropedia's face widens at this. He doesn't know who could be out there at this ungodly hour, trying to lure him outside, but he wanted to find out badly.

All he needs to do is follow the script. Oh, but what sort of protagonist could he play? There was a big difference between an innocent question like "Who's out there?" and a demand like "Show yourself!"

Full of giddy energy, Horropedia opens his mouth, ready to deliver his best performance, when a small voice interrupts him.

"Oh, thank fuck, you're actually awake."

A familiar head peeks out from the door frame - it's you, his partner in crime! The disappointment on his face must be visible even in this light, because he hears you huff in immediate protest. Horropedia sighs, long and hard, feeling his soul leave his body.

"Hey, come on. Can I come in or not?"

"You already know the answer to that," Horropedia crawls back onto the sofa, dropping face down onto the pillows and blankets with loud thud. First you make his heart leap in vain, and now you want to ask unnecessary questions?

Perhaps he wasn't clear enough in previous interactions with you - but as his partner in crime and closest confidant, you should know better. This is an exclusive privilege he bestowed upon you and only you: to come and go as you please and treat his room like your own.

When he speaks again, it comes out muffled and defeated. "Mwake fure to cwose the dwoor..."

"...What?"

Horropedia raises his head from the pillow, glasses crooked and hairpins all over his head, doing a poor job at keeping the hair out of his eyes.

"Door!" And then he plops back down.

He knows its silly and irrational to get so worked up over something like this, a small interruption, just a little setback in his carefully scheduled night. All he needs to do is count and breathe.

One, two, three. It's not that bad, he can simply rewind the movie and start from the beginning. Besides, now he has you here! The perfect companion for a marathon. Four, five, six. It's hard to breathe properly when all he's getting is a lungful of couch, but soon, that frustration in his chest dissipates. Seven, eight, nine...Ten.

Horropedia turns his head to look at you, standing in front of him after locking the door.

"So, to what do I owe this visi- OW?!" He yelps in surprise once you pinch his leg, and he recoils and sits up on instinct, rubbing that sore spot. "Hey! That was uncalled for! What happened to our peace treaty?"

"Yeah, but now I get to sit down, so it's a win."

There's something off in the way you speak - it's your tone, lower and raspier than usual. Horropedia leans closer to you, squinting. Something else catches his eye, other than the way you avoid looking at him.

"Why are your eyes red and puffy?"

Even though all he has is the faint light of the TV screen, he sees it. The red marks in your eyes, the dried tears across your cheeks - you should've known by now, it's impossible to hide anything from his watchful and attentive eyes.

Horropedia's initial thoughts are allergies, but it seems unlikely in a closed space like this house. He remains still as a statue as your expression turns into one of shock, the question catching you entirely off-guard. When you fully turn away from him to rub your eyes, he knows something is wrong.

"On second thought, that was a very dumb question. Allow me to rectify - why were you crying?" He receives no response, and so he settles for finding an answer himself.

There's the uneven rise and fall of your chest, as if you were trying very hard to hold in a second wave of tears. Your hands have turned into trembling fists on your lap, and your shoulders are tense. Did you argue with someone? No, there's no one awake at this hour. In the stillness of the night, everyone would've heard it, anyway. For you to be in such a state, seeking him out this late at night...

"Ah," Horropedia's eyes soften as it all clicks into place. "Another dumb question. But third time's the charm, my friend! May I try again?"

He doesn't wait for an answer. His hand slides into your own, gently forcing you to stop clenching your fists and interlocking your fingers and his together with ease. Like this, he can hold you steady and ground you back to reality.

"Was it a very scary nightmare?"

The way Horropedia speaks is often louder than what is commonly expected, rarely changing from that perpetual matter-of-factly, cheeky tone he's known for. But now? He's gentle, endeared by the way you stubbornly continue to hide from him.

There's a nod, and you finally turn to face him. It's a heartbreaking sight, with your face tilted down, looking up at him like you've done something wrong. You allow your hair to fall over your eyes in one last effort to conceal this vulnerable moment, but Horropedia won't allow it.

Now that he's older, Horropedia finds it difficult and, at times, stupid to cry over things he knows aren't real - those nonsensical dreams caused by watching too many horror movies, reading scary stories before bedtime or any lingering events from his daily routine. But when he was just a child waking up in the middle of the night, tears streaming down his eyes, his first instinct was the same: to run as fast as he could into his grandfather's arms, the one person who could chase away all those night terrors.

Tonight is the night he steps up to reverse those roles. Horropedia wants nothing more than to offer you that same feeling of safety.

"There's three things we can do right now. One, we can pretend nothing happened and you can join me to watch movies until the sun rises or until we pass out from exhaustion, whichever comes first. Two, we can go raid the kitchen right now for some comfort food - lucky for you, I know where everyone hides their favorite snacks."

He pauses just enough to pique your interest, giving you one of his mysterious, cheeky smiles. "Three, you lay down with me and tell me all about this nightmare you had, so I can judge and nitpick all the scary elements in it."

That earns a little chuckle from you, a massive improvement from your pitiful expression back then - that's enough to seal your fate.

Horropedia slowly takes off his glasses and sets them on the table, before pulling you into a hug and falling onto the plush cushions. He makes sure to lay by the edge of the couch with you nestled safely inside, his body fully shielding you from the light of the TV screen. There's just enough space to lay down together like this, as long as you remain pressed up against his chest.

This is a first for him, for someone who struggles with this type of contact and rarely initiates it, and yet it feels as natural as breathing when it comes to you. It feels right, and he guesses he must be doing something right when you nuzzle and curl up into him, content and comfortable.

There's no trace of that fear from before. That tense atmosphere is fully gone, replaced with something that feels just like home - it's like he's 13 again, staying up late at night, having fun and doing things that the Foundation would never approve of, those illicit sleepovers under the safety of his blanket. But this time, he has you by his side.

Horropedia is painfully aware of his lack of skill when it comes to romance - he still pets your head the same way one would pet a dog rather than a person - but he can't bring himself to care in the slightest about all these rules and guidelines when he hears you laugh and complain about his cold hands on the small of your back. Then, he feels you poke at his monster slippers with your foot.

"You're still wearing these?" Before he can reply, you kick them off and they fall unceremoniously onto the floor. "They're so lame."

Horropedia deadpans. "You literally have a matching pair."

"Yeah, some nerdy nerd gave them to me."

He realizes you're joking when you avoid his eyes in an attempt to hide that smug grin, choosing to trace the colorful patterns and slasher killers depicted on his shirt instead. Somehow, he feels his heart skip a beat at this.

"Hey! I don't recall giving you the fourth option of making fun of me all night! Now, will you share that nightmare you had, or should we wait until I die from the suspense?"

This time, you're the one who catches him off-guard by cupping his face and planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. Feeling the warmth rise from his neck to the tip of his ears, Horropedia is left momentarily speechless. Perhaps he still needs a little more time to ease into this whole physical touch thing. Nonetheless, he remains docile under your touch, especially when you begin to play with his hair.

"It's funny," you begin speaking, carefully untangling the hairclips out of that mess of brown hair, undoing his ponytail. "I can't even remember what it was about, at least not all of it. It just feels... Like it was something very dumb, even if it made me cry. I guess it's that whole thing you keep saying, about how psychological horror is scarier because there's no actual tangible monster or creature or whatever to blame for everything."

"Thank you! Finally, someone who thinks alike! The whole fear factor is greatly reduced when you can see the origin of all these supernatural or scary, inexplicable events. Humanity's biggest enemy is their own mind, and to us arcanists is our emotions. That's why, to some people, ghosts are scarier than robbers - which makes sense, despite being entirely illogical at the same time..."

It's hard to stop once he gets going, and so Horropedia continues talking, so immersed in his own thoughts and theories that he doesn't even register the way you've wrapped both arms around his torso, nuzzling into his chest and breathing him in.

Every so often, you give him a weak, drowsy reply and he only realizes you've fallen asleep when all he hears is your gentle snoring. The movie continues to play in the background, but all of his senses are focused on you.

Had it been anyone else, Horropedia would've been offended. But it's you we're talking about. One of the very few people who pay attention to what he says, who cares enough to sit through hours of ramblings and to debate him on things he might've missed or overlooked. Who would never think of changing the way he is.

There's stars in his eyes when he looks down at your sleeping form, absolutely mesmerized. Usually, you're the one helping him through the tedious social interactions, to understand when he might be overstepping or acting rudely. In a sea of blank, emotionless and confusing faces, yours is the one he looks for guidance and solace. When nothing makes sense and he's lost in an abundance of unspoken rules of conduct, discipline and etiquette, your voice is the one that rises above all.

He may not know how to show it, he may not even realize it himself, but his appreciation for you runs deeper than his love for horror. Horropedia is honored to know that, just this once, he was able to help you. That he's the first one you sought out at your most vulnerable.

Horropedia presses his lips to the top of your head - a gentle, feathery kiss as to not disturb your sleep. And he remains there, your anchor to reality, as his eyelids feel heavier and heavier. The last thing he remembers before sleep takes over is your voice, not quite awake and not quite asleep, thanking him.

What are you even thanking him for, silly? Have you forgotten already? It's fine, because Horropedia will always be there to remind you: you can always count on him, no matter what.

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Hello,have you had any of classic sans centric? I want to find others book like "Sans Tumbles Through the Multiverse Headfirst" but any classic centric is okay! Preferably no romance and no reader

Howdy, thanks for asking! Here are some fics that might fit what you're looking for!

Dorks in love by Emo_tastical (Not Rated, Incomplete)

9+1 Thing aka, 10 times Classic comforts someone and 1 time everyone comforts him (Nightmare, Dream, Ink, Error, Swap, Killer, Dust, Cross, Horror & Classic)

The Multiverse Solution Center by Scorpion_Factory (Not Rated, Incomplete)

When Classic Sans gets a call from Ink, the last thing he expects is to be teleported to a new multiverse. He sees people he knows well, and some he's never seen before. He wonders why no one seems to know about this place even though it helps everyone This is a completed and work from Wattpad and will be updated to Ao3 every other Wednesday

Papyrus Amazing Spaghetti by orphan_account (Not Rated, Complete)

Sans, who goes as Classic, has had to invite over some friends. His brother did after all find out about them.

it’s raining somewhere else. (hey, here’s an umbrella. i don’t need it right now.) by Cranes_at_Eventide (Mature, Incomplete)

Undertale was the first. Sans Serif may not be a saint with a heart of gold, but there’s an extra room in his shiny new house, and there’s nothing stopping him from lending a well-used umbrella to someone else in need. Especially since it wasn’t raining here anymore. The surface was good for him. Hopefully, it’ll be good for others too. OR Rule number one: Touch Undertale and everyone will be after your sorry, miserable, disgusting ass. Reinfored by a lot of people, and by that I mean everyone. Do your dirty politics wherever, no one will stop you. Involve Undertale, and your ass is done.

in the garden by rhyssands (General Audiences, Complete)

Dropped unceremoniously and without warning into Farmtale, Classic Sans is just trying to keep his mind busy so he doesn't panic. Sticks understands. -- OCT 12: Cornfields

Thanks for the recommendation! The fic being recommended is…

Sans Tumbles Through the Multiverse Headfirst by PapilioVolens (Teen And Up, Incomplete)

Sans has finally managed to fix the reset issue. It only required the deletion of a vital character. The barrier is broken, and time finally begins to move again. Recovery is slow, but Sans finds solace in his dreams. By the time he realizes his dreams of other universes are real, he has already grown attached to their residents. And then he's attacked at home and is thrust into the multiverse proper. He finds things very different from how he expected. His old friends don't recognize him, and some of them appear suspiciously older. It doesn't take long before Sans starts to suspect that he may have a larger role in the multiverse than he predicted. I wanted more Classic adventures through the multiverse, so here's my contribution. And cause I'm me, I can't help but try to make a saga out of it. Features Classic being Classic, strange multiversal mechanics, and a sleep-deprived author who 100% knows what they are doing

[tgmsunmontue]

WHAT TO WRITE WEEKEND

(27th - 29th September)

THIS IS AN OPEN CASTING CALL. All numbers and letters are free game. Have at it. 1, 2, A through to T - give me up to three (3) and I'll give you a minimum of 250 words on each. Tracking words here.

WRITING GOALS:

To post a minimum of three things. ANY three things. Some things might be short and sweet. Others longer.

Sagas of Solitude 13/21 - IceMav with side Hangster AU - angsty Nepo!Baby (Last updated 22nd September)

Season to Taste 21/? Celebrity Chef Bradley and Naval Aviator Jake Seresin (Last updated 26th September)

A) Upon which our souls touch - 6/? - Hangster Fantasy AU (Last updated 7th September)

B) Never knew I was missing you - 1/? - Hangster AU with Jake a naval aviator and Bradley and A-list Hollywood star. They meet on a dating app. Famous and cat fishing that isn't cat fishing because online relationships are rife but...? (Tumblr idea) (Last updated 21st September)

C) To wake, perchance to dream - 4/? - Jake wakes up in the future, gets a glimpse of what their life could be and then wakes up back right before being called back to Top Gun for the special detachment (e.g. TGM). (Tumblr post and the beginning of the fic) (Last updated 1st September)

D) IceMav with unknown about children because the US Navy is evil and produced offspring because of genetics being a THING. (Tumblr ramblings)

E) Cyclone/Maverick - Cyclone is struggling to deal with being attracted to the most annoying person he's ever met. Why does he like him so much?

F) Olympic AU - Jake and Javy are the Flyboys, a synchronised diving pair. Bradley is a gymnast.

G) Party of 5 AU - Jake raising his younger siblings and trying to run the family business and grieve the life he had started to build at College.

H) From the top 2/? - an Ice/Mav epistolary fic where Jake and Bradley matchmake them, not realising exactly who it is they've matched together. AU divergent ish. (Last updated 23rd July)

I) Bradley runs away and joins the circus. Tumblr ramblings.

J) Barista Jake? Fleshing this out into a proper length fic? (HERE)

K) Caring, Keeping and Collecting Transformers - A Guide - 8/?Transformers cross-over for help me @yeagrave is 110% to blame for me adding this... (related to this post) (Last updated 13th September)

L) Hangster Sports Team AU with Hangster being ex-es and the trade deadline coming in hot and Bradley being traded in and all hell is about to break loose... Ramblings

M) Practical Magic AU (Tumblr ramblings)

N) Two guys in the mines hooking up... (Madness)

O) Long-distance/Zoom D&D players. (Madness)

P) Rooster is a shapeshifter trapped in his animal form? Crackity crack crack. (Madness)

Q) EMPTY SLOT 😱 OR IS IT???

R) IceMav Bingo of the Florist and Undercover agent variety.

S) Jake leaves Bradley at the alter and everyone is heartbroken. Including me.

T) Bradley a mechanic and Jake still an aviator. Hopefully a short little ficlet which is actually short. (Tumblr prompt/idea)

[popculturebuffet]

Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Finale: The Richest Duck in the World "And As Usual, He Was!"

Hello all you happy people and welcome to the finale of my life and times of scrooge mcduck retrospective! It's been a duck blur, from starting this years ago, to a years long hiatus to Kev paying for me to finish it, btu we're finally here. The final chapter of Don Rosa's masterpiece. Coming out the other side of this LIfe and Times is still one of my faviorite comics of all time and I'm glad to finish it. Kinda. There are a ton of bonus chapters Rosa did throughout the rest of his career, as well as an upcoming new chapter from another author entirely, all of which i'm up for covering at some point. There's a few I definitely want to get to in paticuarl: The three goldie stories (one pre life and times two with the label) that help flesh out here and Scrooge's past, the wonderful "Letter From Home" that gives ups Matilda's return and ties up that loose end, and my personal faviorite "Dream of a Lifetime", a one shot tale that goes through just about every chapter of life and times via Scrooge's dreams for one hell of an epilouge. None of these are necssary but they all feel like good companion pieces to the story and i'm glad Rosa did these interquels among others. I also have an itch to cover more duck material in general as while it has the cynical boost of having more viewers than normal for my content, it's also something I forgot HOW much I loved in the content lull after Ducktales end. And as a wise man once said.. there's always another rainbow. What it'll be i'm not sure yet, but you can expect at least one duck adventure next month.

For now though we're finishing the main story and it's while a lot of plans changed or shifted over this 12 issue saga, one thing was always in the cards: he wanted to end the story where Scrooge's story began all those years ago, with the finale taking place the day after the bulk Night on Bear Mountain. For those less familiar, and I wasn't when I started this though i've since covered the story, Night on Bear Mountain is the very FIRST Scrooge story, with Scrooge inviting his nephews for Christmas to scare them but being impressed by the end and thus inviting them for CHristmas Diner. This story shows what happens in between while also explaning the discrepency between the Scrooge we see in that story and who he'd be in the rest of his meaty cagalogue. In night on bear mountain Scrooge is diffrent, wearing a long robe, living in an isolated mansion (Keep in mind comics scrooge just lived at the bin), with him being more myth than actual person Donald just.. visits every day.

This story bridges that gap, explaning how Scrooge got his groove back, shows his first proper adventure with his nephews, and how he went from only a poor old man to the greatest adventuerer who ever lived once again. If this sounds familiar Ducktales 2017 did something similar, having Scrooge having mostly retired after loosing Della and years of searching for her, with the boys and webby reignting that spirit in much the same way, with Donald busy with a job offer that turned out to be an elaborate scheme. I still love they did that and it's a testiment ot how much impact this story had on the reboot: while a lot of Scrooge's past was changed, including his parents still being alive, the comic was, as I belivie I mentioned in the first entry, required reading for staff and stands as an important inspiration for one of the greatest cartoons ever made and quite possibly my faviorite.

So let's dive into the bin one last time as Scrooge rediscovers himself, Huey , Dewey and Louie discover a legend and Donald won't shut the fuck up.

We open with a Citizen Kane Homage as Scrooge whispers goldie while holding a snowglobe. He isn't dead, won't be till the 60's in rosa's eyes. For now though he's become a recluse as a newsreeel overs over his life and how his last public apperance was 17 years ago, when he threw out his family seemingly for good. We get some neat cameos as we see Grandma Duck again, this time in her glory days, who hasn't seen Scrooge since she sold him most of her land bar the farm.. and Gus when he corrects her that the old coot also came by to forclose on the chicken coop. Gus is Donald's cousin. He eats a lot, sleeps more and is somehow lazier than our boy. Which is possible. We also see Gladstone, the bastard and donald who shoves a hand in the camera.

At this point the Bin is just a legend, with no one really knowing if it's actually full of cash, something four familiar fowl talk about as they watch the newscast: Donald and his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie. After 12 chapters we're to the present day of duckberg and where it all began as they prepare for that christmas dinner I mentioned. The boys wonder if it could be true while Donald dismisses it: no rich person could've EARNED IT and he assumes Scrooge inherited it.. somehow. Which baffles me a bit as while I'm sure Hortense, like 2017 Donald, tried not to bring Scrooge up, she wouldn't of.. not brought up her childhood in scotland or the rest of her family. They didn't throw her out. Granted Donald does have a talent for self delusion and we don't know how young the kids were when she died, so there's wiggle room it just annoys me a little

What Annoys mea lot is Donald who throughout this whole story constantly says everything about Scrooge is fake. That he probably bought it on crusies. It annoys be a bit less this readthrough as having become fed up with most present day billionares.. yeah most do. This just happens to be the one whose a bastard AND worked hard to earn it. But it's still a very one note gag: Donald is up his own ass and dosen't know what we know or has seen what we've seen and thinks his uncle's only a poor old man.

It's not story breaking, but it is repetitive.

Thankfully we move on to the mansion proper as Scrooge's butler Jeeves, and no that's not me goofing up Duckworth was created for the show, ushers them in.. and as Scrooge slowly stirs.. we see him, in a truly awesome panel

I love all the detail here: the bits of stubble, the tired eyes, how sunken he looks in genearl. This is a Scrooge who has given up: he's retired from work to rot in a mansion, having nothing left and is a shell of what he once was and will be again. I also give Rosa credit for using Scrooge's first apperance design still: he had the time for Scrooge to change.. but him not having done so is a symbol of just how deep in the depression hole he is: as someone whose been in them I relate to clearly not having taken care of yourself in some time, just sitting there letting time pass as you feel you have nothing left.

The boys being their usual charming hive minded selves are delighted to meet their great uncle. Though we get a really sad bit as he notes most family he has has.. disappeared. He dosen't know matilda is alive, and he certainly heard what happened to Hortense. The boys do genuinely welcome him in but he balks, figuring their all after inheretiance. Donald claps back that you spent it all on this place ya jackass.

Scrooge insscensed decides the time has come to do something he rarely does but is sacred to the rich: flashing his cash. Specicially he has his butler.. dress him. Okay Scrooge you need either boundries with your butler or a more equal relationship if you want to keep fucking him. Trust me i've hit on the help too. The help was a gorgon's head but I didn't make her dress me.. hades didn't give me that option because their sane.

He takes them to the Bin, which is decayed.. though Scrooge has been keeping the booby traps fresh and keeps the weeds simply because it's good security: if a place LOOKS abandoned and unloved, people will think that. And it mostly has been, Scrooge having retired isn't using it. Still he kept the most important part of it, the cash ocean itself, but our heroes pass the second most important part first

This little tirade, while very in character.. is also very Rosa speaking his piece, as he hated stories (even barks own) where the Dime was implied to be magic. Whlie his old man yells at cloud behavior often has me shaking my head.. I agree on this one. The dime is better as a symbol that motivated scrooge than as a plot device and it cheapens the man's skill to say the Dime is responsible. I don't mind Magica trying to use it for a power source as THAT makes sense: it has a lot of emotional energy from being around scrooge as he got his fortune, the weight of having traveled the world with him for most of his life and being what started a great man on his path. I like the idea that kind of object with that kind of emotoinal baggage has power, kinda like what adventure time did with Hambo and PB's Shirt she got from marcy. It's magical yes but it fits the world better and makes it clear the dime is impressive because of SCROOGE not the other way around. Somehow Lorcana didn't get the memo

The description and image are perfect, as is the fact it's SHOCKINGLY powerful I just don't get why Number One Dime wasn't considered.

One he unveils the bin though it DOES shock his nephew and even DONALD can't say anything for a change

I do like that explination.. it dosen't scan with every Scrooge story as there are countless that say his bin really is the McDuck version of one piece, from the aformentioned Christmas for Shacktown to the very first Scrooge lead story "Only a Poor Old Man". I'm not against this: Rosa had a tendency to pick and choose which parts of Bark's stories to make canon to his stories, wanting a more cohesive universe and while clearly respecting the man to a sometimes stifling degree, recognized not everything from stories not really built to have a continuity was going to stick together. As reverent as he is to barks, to an annoying degree at times like his feeling put out at having to include Fethry despite being an entirely valid character with loads of potetial simply because one man didn't create him (Not saying barks isn't fucking amazing, he is, but it's a petty reason not to use good characters).. I can respect Rosa for knowing what he wanted in his own canon and what to keep as well as having said multiple times his stories dont' stack up to his idols. I disagree on that statment as while Barks IS better in some ways, for all I gripe about the guy sometimes... Rosa is a truly talented writer, one of the best duck writers there ever was and while Time's made me see the cracks in the guy.. ti dosen't make him any less special or any less vital to duck canon. Ther'es a reason most writers either honor his stories or consider them canon alongside barkses. The man has a degree of talent, care and love that's hard to come by and while I may disagree with some of his choices at times... I can't help but love the guy still.

So anyway that suspcious santa might have set you off.. turns out the santas near the bin were beagle boys, scoping out a hesit and lead by Scrooge's old enemy blackheart, whose descendants indeed got to fucking as he hoped.

As is duck story standard they easily capture our heroes despite scrooge being way more badass than all of them combined... Donald too honestly... the boys also. Honestly a paper bag could probably beat the beagle boys and they somehow win when the plot says so, though this time at least theirs a valid excuse; Donald and the boys are new at adventuering, having gone on a few solo adventures pre scrooge while Scrooge has given up on the world and thus surrenders to being thrown.. though he is pissed they once again bring up the lucky dime thing. So before he can snap out of it let's talk about this dperession and self loathing: honestly while he'd never say it, even Ducktales 2017 scrooge both hides what happened with Della from the kids and refuses to apologize to Donald for a decade despite being almost entirely in the wrong, it's clear loosing his sisters did hurt him: he had his money but nothing else and with nothing to really fight for and his lifelong goal achieved he just.. gave up. It dosen't feel like scrooge ... but that's the point: just as his horrible actions in africa weren't really him, not striving, not searching not trying to build his empire simply because he's seemingly won.. isn't him. Without anyone to share it with... his bin is just a pile of coins, memetos of better days.

So the thing that busts him out of his stupor... are his nephews. The boys search furiously for some way out, unlike Donald and Scrooge not ready to give up and find his old mining gear... while Donald.. well Donald inspires him in his own way

I love this and it's something I really hadn't thought about before but think of now, especially since again Woo-Hoo! takes some steps from this, having Louie take Donald's place as the doubting asshole, and have the boys as a whole, like Donald question if Scrooge really was this big or is just some old man, leading him to ragefully prove them wrong.. granted Scrooge's attempts in Woo-Hoo are more laughable as he plans to go diving to prove children wrong, something Beakley lampshades, but he still gets the step of showing them what he cna do by dealing with everything they unleash in his garage, similar to how here the combined menaces of Donald's jerkassery and the Beagle Boys scheme finally awakens the beast. I also love the subtle note of Scrooge taking off his coat, revealing his usual coat underneath. It's something I again hadn' tnoticed before this re-read, but ti's a very ncie touch... Scrooge the doddering old man given up on everything is gone. Scrooge McDuck, Last of the Clan McDuck, Master of the Missippi, Buckaroo of the Badlands, Raider of the Copper Hill, Laird of Castle McDuck, Terror of the Transyval, Dreamtime Duck of Never Never, King of The Klondike, Billionare of Dismal Downs, Invader of Fort Duckburg, Empire Builder from Callisota... THE Richest Duck in the world is back.

And since he's back he decides to go after the beagles, having the boys haul his trunk. I also really like this joke.

Look donald is my boy, and even in a story where he's not on his a game.. he's still Donald. He's bound to have at least one good moment or two.

The two notice scrooge a coming and take off.. but they left an other Sleigh which Scrooge quickly takes, and begins using a cavlcade of his skills. We've seen his mining, now we see his ablility to tame any animal. It's not as impressive as a lion but he dosen't have time to get to the zoo so a horse'll do.

We also get ANOTHER choice gag. While not all of rosa's comedy lands for me.. the guy really nails it a lot of the time and it's a part of his writing talent that dosen't get praised enough.

Honestly this chapter is easily the funniest next to the invader of fort duckberg, likely because with the dramatic part of Scrooge's life mostly worn down, we have more room for some comedy.

Blackheart has them step on it as he realizes he's no longer dealing with a hollowed out shell of a man but the guy whose beat him twice and is ready to abide by rule of three. We get some fun callbacks as scrooge uses his gold pan as a discus to knock out the driver of the beagle boys then takes out the rest, minus blackheart who grabs the dime for leverage, with his boomerang from his time in australia. This also leads to another fucking phenominal gag

Scrooge then ties up the rest of the non blackheart beagles using his roping tricks, with the officers that poor woman called rounding the boys up. All that's left is blackheart who naturally, as our big bad for the chapter, final antagonist of the story and the foe Scrooge has fought the most on this journey, gets the best takedown of all

Such an awesome moment: The same thing that finally brought Scrooge's dream to reality... is what helps cement his return to his truest self: he may be a mean old man.. but he's tougher than the toughies, sharper than the sharpies, smarter than the smarties and he made his money square.

That said the adrenline does wear off slightly.. until...

I had to share the scene in full.. because it's so damn good. After a whole journey, after seeing Scrooge at his lowest.. we see his core. Something that speaks against ageism: your body may age, but your never too old to start over, to have a second chance.. to chase another rainbow. The quality of your lives are what you make of them also really gets me.

IT's also a nice return to form as the bin being public.. dosen't bother them. Let them come: he's fought off worse and he'll fight them again. I also love him kicking donald's butt. He's just enough of a jerk in this story to well deserve it.

So Scrooge is now fully back: he decides to reopen the office, sell the mansion and get back to work.. and take the boys with them. While he dosen't say it being the stubborn old bastard we know and love... he needs these boys. Adventure is nothing if you don't have anyone to share it with.. .and once again he has someone to share it with. Once again he has family.

So he celebrates with a swim, with the boys astounded at his ability btu Donald unable to understand his uncle: all he seems to have is cold metal... but he could be wrong...

This ending gets me... a reminder it's both never too late (Something I need at only 32, which in tumblr years is 90), and that a life well lived is one not lived alone, that the things that make us who we are good and bad.. are the greatest adventure of all.

The Richest Duck in the World is a well done capper, feeling like a lost modern scrooge adventure, that missing piece in the story that Rosa happily filled in for us. Donald again can be a bit much, even in the stories final page he still hasn't quite got the hint, it's not one of his better stories.. but it dosen't take away from this as an ending.. and a beginning. Of a man who lost everything that mattered finding it again. Of an epic story of one man's life, what made him who he was, and what he gained, lost and ultimately found again.

Life and Times.. is one of the best comics of all time,the best duck comics story ever, and only not currently the best duck story PERIOD because ducktales 2017 is so freaking good. And even then while that series beats it over all as an individual story this 12 part epic still trumps it's worthy successor. It's a labor of love that's massive in scope, character work and gorgeous art work. It's a true masterpice that needs to be read again and again and one i was very happy to cover. I found stuff I disliked sure, a chapter or two had pacing issues, some things didn't land.. but ti's hard to deny what a fucking triumph this book is. Only one other comic I can think of comes this close to distilling a characters essence down into 12 issues, and even then All Star Superman, while excellent didn't also have the task of trying to be in continuity. Life and Times is a masterpiece and it was a joy coverinmg it and the dream of a life time finishing this journey> Thank you all for reading.. and see you next rainbow.

[kiddandtheacademyau]

did I make an au based off of one line of dialogue that was mentioned in the Kindergarten 3 matpat demo? Yes. Yes I did <3333

WARNING WARNING SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR KG3 AHEAD!!!

Welcome to the academy that Ted was sent to instead of Felix! This is basically an au where instead of the other school Kidd gets sent here instead, where everyone thinks Ted is Felix, everything is WAY too proper and fancy for Kidd’s liking, and where a day spent here includes smoothies at lunch, a very strict principle with a list of rules longer than the Harry Potter saga, exploding sinks, the periodic table, and many new possible ways to mess up and die. What fun! <33

I just have Kidd’s design for now, but get ready, because there will be a WHOLE lot of new yippy skippy people he’ll get to meet during his time here! Yay! 🥰

RULES FOR THIS BLOG FOR NOW:

-This is mostly just your average ask blog with a silly little story attached to it! Ask the students, teachers, etc (well, once I finish them all lol)

-NO NSFW or inappropriate asks plz!

-Plz try your best not to change the storyline too much! I will let you guys make story altering decisions, but don’t try to change it directly, if that makes any sense

-No rude business, y’know like homophobia racism all that shit don’t do it plzzzz

-If it’s a question for me, please address me directly in the ask! I go by KetchupandPickles, KandP, or just KP if you’d like! :DD

-Possibly more rules in the future, but I’ll update this when they come!

Kidd and Ted will be the first ones open for asks when I post the official post! This is just a concept post for now heehee :3

Hope you enjoyyy! <33

[i-mybrunettelady]

commander week day 4 - elder dragon

like mother, like daughter. set during icebrood saga. commander: alysannyra ainsaph.

It’s cold in the Eye of the North. Cold, sad, lonely; there are people around, Pact and its allies doing their jobs, and Nyra desperately wishes she could join them, organize them. Yet she can’t. Trahearne’s suggestion - and plea, because she doesn’t take orders - at least until the dust after her murder attempt at Phlunt dies down. 

People are scared of her. Part of her is flattered, another terrified of this. She wants to be a figure of inspiration, not fear. There was a time where she wanted to be a role model for the younger people who would want to be heroes. She’s too old and too jaded for the brunt of such fantasies now. She’s seen the reality of this choice of hers too closely to look away. 

She’s also not really in the right headspace. There’s a handy little term for this - mental breakdown, as it were - and the general advice is to just sit back, be useless and a recovering cryptid for a little while before going back into the whole war business. She’s hard pressed to admit this, but as much as she doesn’t know what to do with herself, she does need this break. It lets her go and see her daughter again, perched on her crystalized rock. 

And maybe she’s been a bad mother for actually not being… a mother. Then again, there’s no blueprint for raising an Elder Dragon. 

Aurene’s lost in thought when Nyra comes out of her little, cavernous room carved in the wall. Her clawed paw gently glides over the Scrying Pool in a rhythmic motion. It’s been getting harder and harder to tell whether she’s asleep or not, but Nyra can hazard a guess. 

Aurene, she calls out mentally. Are you awake? 

Aurene’s eyes open wide. “I do not need sleep in the same way I did when I was a hatchling, Nyra.” 

“Yeah,” Nyra says aloud. Her throat feels tight. “You’re not a kid anymore. You are a proper Elder Dragon now.”

“I am,” Aurene echoes. Nyra’s hands drop to her sides. She watches the Pool and the reflection shows her new, pale eyes, devoid of emotion. Yet her heart feels heavy and pulled in so many directions. No wonder people are scared. She pulls the furs tighter around her shoulders. 

“Any news of Jormag?” Nyra asks. “Nobody’s telling me anything, and as the Commander, I should be in the know.” 

“There is none,” Aurene replies serenely. “May I be honest?” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“Nobody is telling you anything because you are in the know. You know everything they do. You are simply bored and have time to be introspective, which does not seem to suit you nor is something you particularly wish to do at the moment.” 

Nyra lifts her head and frowns. “Stop reading my mind, Aurene. Or I’m sending you to your room. No Elder Dragon friends for a week.” 

Aurene’s laugh echoes in the shrine. “Are you lonely, mother?” 

Mother. That is a rather strange term. And Aurene is using it snarkily. It makes Nyra feel old, somehow. She grumbles and deflates. “I suppose I am,” she says cautiously. “Trahearne is off replacing me and while I am proud to watch him be in charge again, I feel..” She kicks the ground beneath her boot. “I feel left behind.” She spits on the ground. 

“You are not. You are simply taking a breather. You are simply recovering.” 

“I know. Feelings do not make facts.” Nyra walks over to where Aurene is perched and climbs over her tail to reach that one place beneath Aurene’s belly. Her shoulder aches as she settles on a woolen blanket there and she groans. “I hate it here.” Her head hurts and her eyes prickle with tears all of a sudden. “I fucking hate it here, you know?” 

“I know,” Aurene says soothingly, and splashes some water with her giant foot in Nyra’s face. Nyra chokes out a laugh. “You are not crying anymore, Nyra. That is good.” 

“Last thing I need is a fucking cold, Aurene,” Nyra shakes her head. 

“There is something you can dry on. And remember, you are not left behind, you are simply recuperating.” 

Nyra lays down and digs her face in the blanket. It’s going to be a long, long night. 

[randomnameless]

Epilogue wise!

Or the credit roll, where only Alain gets an ending based on who got enough convos (+ a plot gizmo) with him, when the other characters do their thing!

Sure, as a FE player, the lack of paired endings based on the rapport convos was a bit annoying, but to be honest, given how the endings for each character have them at least share a screen with 1 or more other character, it's more... telling than shipping X and Y to see what comes out of it.

I mean, before getting Travis and the Tricorns' ending, we have a scene of them mock fighting/training together in the arena ft Amalia, and it's way more interesting and revealing about their character than some random "Bruno married Yunifi and opened a library in Bastoritza, with Travis visiting from times to times".

Sure Monica doesn't... rekindle in her ending her relationship with Clive (FE15xFE16 crossover?) in the ending, but in the playable epilogue aka where Alain can talk to the characters who are next to others and talk to each other... Clive is asking Monica, without any other thoughts, of course, if, y'know, they can meet her grandpa together but, uh, if she would accept to accompany him just because, uh, reasons.

Some ending background scenes, even if they're not in the textr proper, reference support/rapport convos (Mordon and Jerry drinking or Bertand and Govil chilling together) and I like the Cornian Ossan All Stars team practicing together, with Lex - the childhood friend - popping up in the background to watch them, even if we already got/saw his ending in city 1.1 earlier!

It helped depict this world and the characters as alive and interconnected, Lex is said to travel around the world after the war after all!

I regret not being able to use Sanatio more in the game - but that's the way it is lol - because he's kind of adorbs in his rapports, but maybe it's because he's turned in a butt-monkey who buttmonks in his Melisandre and Ochlys rapports lol (also his class is completely stupid) but yeah, called it, Sanatio being the only one who cared about the Orthodoxy, its people and Albion becomes the new Pope after Scarlett ditches her title to make flower crowns with her friends.

Hm.

IIRC the only pairing we have - regardless of the rapport convos - is Virginia and Gilbert, but tbh, if the "plot mandatory" convos tried to sell it, as I noted during the Drakengard saga post, the optional rapport convos (but not only between the two of them! see Aramis and Virginia's!) and the optional "yay we rebuilt Drakengard! Let's talk about the future of the country but wait Gilbert why are you talking with Virginia who's still basically at that point the Princess of another country and not talk to your retainers or even your totes-not big bro?" so their ending doesn't come off as a surprise, and to hammer it even more, the devs have them standing together in the playable epilogue talking about competing again.

I wouldn't say they're as hamfisted as Scarlett being the supposed canon love interest - because Alain marrying his cousin can throw a wrench in that marriage lol - but, uh, yeah. Random Drakengardian NPC foreshadowed it with his "wow Princess Virginia is so cool she rekt'd Giethe! We admire her a lot!" -> Gilbert's approval/opinion/wishes notwithstanding, Drakengardians NPCs like her even if she's from Cornia.

I also liked how Virginia and Gilbert's son will later be doted on and tutored by Leah, Gilbert's vassal who officialy became Virginia's and I found it was a nice callback to her support with Amalia - Leah wants to become stronger so she'll train everyday to defeat her, maybe she will use those polished skills to teach the future Drakengardian prince, since House Zelchesm is busy Tricorning around?

"And Minerva becomes a nun" -> I feel the execution is better here, because Hilda - who rides a flyin lizard and has a younger cleric sister - wants first and foremost to atone for her role in the "keeping the lockdown tight" during the plague, so if she can help by healing people this time I think it's plausible enough that she takes it, even if it means not being a wyvern knight anymore

(will she pioneer a new type of unit in Fevrith, the flying healer, but instead of being on a pegasi, flying healers would ride wyverns???)

As for the elves...

I liked how Eltrinde, to mirror maybe her rapport with people from each land (save for Drakengard?) is said to have travelled around the continent of Fevrith to finally break Elheim's policy of isolationism.

Rosalinde's last rapport convo with her vassal/knight Ithilion was cute, he was angsting about pursuing his romance with a human and being at her service and wanted to break up with his human, so she fires him for around 100 years, so he can live his romance, and then return to her if he wants - and in the ending BG, Ithilion is with his human :) (even in the cover art of the upcoming artbook!)

I'm not going to replay it so soon - but I'll definitely restart a run before the end of the year, on a higher difficulty to get the memetic fish stew ending or to get the utterly depressing Norbelle one.

(i want to try new shenanigans with units damn it like find a way to optimise Gloucester's damage input, do something so Berengaria doesn't die to a breeze and learns how to use her shield and/or make thematic teams like the "drunkards" with Mordon, Jeremy, Gilbert and Eltrinde)

[dennydraws]

Busy, busy...!!

All FanFyria books claimed!! Thank you so much!! And... 10 out of 20 comic books shipped! :D;; I'm so sorry I'm taking some time with the bonus watercolor pieces. I can only work on them on weekends when I get proper daylight... I will miss summer! T^T;; I think I got better with those.. and I can't wait for folks to start receiving the packages! It always sparks so much joy! But bear with me for they take some time! Shipping to the US tends to take around 3 weeks too ;u; so it may take a while!

Work has been...the usual landslide of events once October starts xD;; It always gets so busy I'm like a ghost once I get home who just wants to dissociate while staring at the ceiling. I've been been listening to spooky games while at work. Silent Hill 2 remake was SO good and I'm lowkey dying I can't find the energy and time to draw something. Is this new Denny Lore? :D;; I very much love the Silent Hill games (1 to 4, the rest don't exist to me) and I'm so happy Konami did so well with this remake! They really made James have such a conflicted confused sad puppy look... which is very, so very fitting! And Maria? -chef kiss- the VA of everyone is way too good! I've inhaled every scene!!

The Suikoden remasters are looking great too and I can't wait to get it next year!! Are we entering the Konami redemption arc timeline!? If they announce Suikoden 3-5 remasters and Suiko 6 I may just have to pinch myself cause what a time to be alive...!!

Romancing SaGa 2 Remake is almost here!! Aaaaa! It ought to heal my aching soul from RS announcing EoS earlier this month :") .... I wanted to try Metaphor too but it's too close to RS2R so it has to wait a bit. Which reminds me, when RS2R is in my hands I may vanish off earth for a bit! It's not that I expect to find spoilers on a remake of a game which I've played, watched The Stage play of and absorbed all lore available of it in RS...but still xD; (I do hope I'm done with the FanFyria book ships by then aaaa) I may not be able to update my comic "The Snake, The Firebrand and The King of All" this month, cause as much as I'd love to, I promised my friends not to strain myself with work (else they will manifest into my walls and scold me!) and the workload and FanFyria book ship has taken a tow on me so far and my hands had started to give in ;n; ... I wish I was stronger ! But comic work is a journey, not a race! At least next chapter is sketched so the actual hard part is done. The line art/shading just takes time and many podcasts! (and free weekends xD)

Okay enough with life update~ Thank you for stopping by!! I hope your day goes wonderfully, dear Web Traveller!

[angel-princess-anna]

DA Movie 3 Cast

(breaking this down so it's easier to figure out)

Confirmations as IN:

From the TV show: Robert, Cora, Mary, Edith, Bertie, Tom, Isobel, Dickie, Carson, Mrs Hughes, Anna, Bates, Thomas, Baxter, Molesley, Mrs Patmore, Andy, Daisy, Harold

From the films: Guy

New additions played by: Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale, Arty Froushan

(We know that Sybbie and George will appear thanks to the child actors' parents posting on Instagram.)

Who is NOT listed:

From the TV show who also appeared in at least one film: Matthew Goode (Henry Talbot), Paul Copley (Mr Mason), Samantha Bond (Rosamund) (and of course Maggie but I don't think Violet is appearing as a ghost)

From the films: Tuppence Middleton (Lucy), Imelda Staunton (Maud - but she already confirmed this)

Gonna be pedantic, but it's actually not quite proper grammatically to say "many other fan favorites" after the "exciting new additions", as it implies that somehow the fan favorites are new additions, but I assume does this mean someone will cameo. But also not like Paul didn't play Harold in the TV show lol.

Tuppence Middleton is filming The Forsyte Saga this summer, so I assume she's too busy to be in the film overall, but maybe Lucy will have a cameo? Don't know what this spells for Henry, but we'll see.

Also not listed is Shirley MacLaine is also not listed as Martha, Cora and Harold's mother in the TV show.

Let the speculations begin!

EDIT: I left off Dr Clarkson! He is not listed.

[spankingwishes2-longerstories]

Lunch with Chelsea

A continuation of the lengthy saga of Camille and Kendall, Chelsea and Jordan… (co-written with @agbbswts)

(Side chapter at The Birthday After-Party)

Our story so far: Camille, wanting to increase the effectiveness of Kendall’s spankings, enlists the help of her friend Chelsea - who takes to it like a duck to water!  After which, Chelsea decides to try it with Jordon, who’s been a bit out of control.  She chooses to fly solo the first time (despite Camille’s offer to help), but still manages to roast Jordan’s bottom as well as a tag-team could have done - and enjoys it immensely!

***

“How have you been?  We need to catch up!  You’ve been so busy lately,” Camille asked Chelsea over a shared taco salad.

“Oh, I know!  And you, too,” Chelsea responded, “your weekends are always booked in the summer.”

“If mine aren’t, Kendall’s are,” the first woman explained, “but things are calming down…”

The conversation fell into the cavalcade of activities they’d been through in recent weeks - seemingly eons between such close friends.

As they drew to a close, Chelsea dropped her voice and asked, “And how are you doing with Kendall’s, ah, behavior?”

“Ohhh - missing your help, I’m afraid!  The busier we are, the busier it keeps me!” Camille complained.  “And you said you’ve been spanking Jordan, as well?”

“Oh my God, yes - I haven’t had a chance to tell you, have I?”

“Spill, girl!”

“Pretty soon after our ‘little get-together’ over Kendall’s bright-red bottom, Jordan came home so late…” Chelsea began.

“No call, I suppose,” Camille commiserated.

“So long past that!  But… I took care of it, ‘good and proper’, as you say.  Positively blistered Jordan’s drunken butt - and demanded a ‘thank-you’ after!”  Dropping her voice again, the proud woman added, “Between my legs, I mean.”

Camille smiled broadly.  “I knew you could!  And how did Jordan take it?  Still on speaking terms?”

“You wouldn’t believe… it’s worked wonders!”

“Better than with Kendall, clearly…” Camille complained as she contemplated a second margarita.

“Not just better… a whole lot differently!  You’re going to laugh…”

“I’m ready… amuse me!” Camille invited.

“She’ll lie around in bed in the morning until I come in and spank her - or threaten to, at least.  Then she won’t come to bed at night… same thing!”

“She wants you to spank her,” Camille concluded.

“Just little ones, I mean… but, so fun!  And at bedtime, since there’s time…”

“Thank-you’s?”

“Well, I reciprocate, of course…”

“I would hope so!”

“And if she wants a bigger spanking, she’ll wait outside in her car - I’ve seen her from the window - until she’s five or ten minutes late…”

“And then she gets it?”

“Well, a little harder…” Chelsea explained.  “But most the time she’s an angel!  Or, would be.”

“Except?”

“I spend a lot of time saying, ‘Unless you want a spanking’ or ‘I’m about to spank you, so you’d better’… and then she skitters off to do what I’ve asked.  And she’s gotten rather clingy - like one of our cats - but I love it!” Chelsea crowed.

“I’m so glad for you!  I suspected it would work - though not as well as all that, honestly.  I guess Jordan just wanted a little firmer hand,” Camille supposed.

“That’s a really good way to put it - though ‘firmer’ is only one thing these hand have been pretty regularly lately,” Chelsea smirked.

“Sounds like you have the situation - and Jordon - well under control, then - and didn’t need my help after all.”

“Oh - well, no, not really.  Are you terribly disappointed?”

“Not at all,” Camille assure her friend.  “I just offered in case you needed it.  My arm’s already falling off, keeping up with Kendall.”

“Yes, I can imagine, from what you’ve said.  But behavior-wise…”

“Still perfect in public and a bit of a total terror when we’re alone!” Camille laughed.

“I know we’d sort of planned…” Chelsea began.

“For you to help out?  Yes, we did - but schedules…”

“And summer…”

“True… so - you might still be interested?  You did a bang-up job on your first try - and I fancied you enjoyed it?” Kendall’s girlfriend asked.

“Oh, I did,” Chelsea agreed, trying to keep her enthusiasm in check.  While smacking Jordan’s cute butt was fun, there was something to be said for royally roasting Kendall’s poor buns as well.  “Like you said, just timing…”

“We should have you over some night this week,” Camille told her.

“Anything on the horizon?”

“Nothing specific, not at the moment, but… Kendall can always use some ‘extra help’,” Camille explained.  “Are you up for providing your half of another ‘substantial’ spanking?”

“Been waiting all summer,” Chelsea said encouragingly.

“We could make it something pretty ‘spectacular’, if you’re willing.  It wouldn’t even have to take that long, if that’s an issue for you.”

“I’m sure it’s not - an ‘extended’ event suits me just fine,” Chelsea chucked.  “Let’s just make sure we provide everything bratty Kendall has coming.”

“Oh, the poor dear,” Camille said, matching Chelsea’s grin.  “Thursday?  Just to be sure we can have a little added, ‘unresolved’ justification?”

“I’ll be there!”

She picked up her phone and called.  Getting voicemail, she simply said, ‘Kendall, darling, I’ve made us plans for Thursday evening - do make sure you can accommodate me.  Love you!’

“And now… the dessert menu!”

[koskela-knights]

Bury me brother

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53939146

A beautiful mourning to write about Ilmo burying Jaakko in the forest :)

Preview:

-

It had almost been comedically easy to sneak out of the station. In fact, Ilmo wasn’t even sneaking. He just took his brother’s covered body and walked out of there. Nobody left alive seemed to be busy keeping an eye on the ex Cult leader because that’s what he was now. Most of the Cult of the Tree had been obliterated. Burnt alive in the worst way possible. Even that FBC lady who had arrested them seemed too busy with other chores no notice Ilmo Koskela leaving the building with a whole body in his arms. Ilmo had told the FBI agent, Saga Anderson who apparently had never lived here and had never been his friend, that he was going to gather the rest of the Cultists. He was going to try, but right now there were more personal matters to attend to. Like giving his brother a proper burial.

[nickmillermit]

What can home theaters teach us about CX?

Can I share a secret with you? Well, I'm a bit of an audiophile -- which is the snobby way of saying that I really like high-end (see: expensive) audio gear. Whether I'm strolling to class listening on my Sennheiser cans, at home A/B testing my Fender CS 1963 Strat through a pair of Amplified Nation and Dr. Z cabinets, or just sitting on my couch watching Netflix at my home theater...I like to listen, a lot, and I like to listen LOUDLY.

But you know what I don't like? Like, really, really don't like? The process of buying this very gear that I love so much. In fact, I get anxiety just thinking about trying to mix and match speaker impedance levels, amplifier power ratings, and frequency response curves. Even worse is when the damn package finally shows up at my door and I find myself in a labyrinth of instruction manuals, cable snakes, and an array of switches or vaguely named controls that look like the cockpit of 747.

As Adam Richardson says in his HBR article on customer journeys, this experience should be "plug and play" but in reality is more "plug and pray." But why does the experience for such amazing products often suck?

The concept of mapping out a customer's journey from "cradle to grave" is something that many businesses are either A) not doing, or B) not good at doing. As the global economy has turned decidedly digital, many e-commerce providers have seemingly focused on selling top-tier products at the expense of creating world-class experiences. Whether it be due to cost compression, commoditization, increased competition, more efficient buying processes, or none or all of these things, the customer is the one suffering from a worsening experience.

Richardson's take on the use of customer journey maps to improve the end-to-end experience therefore hits home for me. The essence of it all is simple: understanding the step-by-step saga customers endure, often represented visually, from the initial allure of product research through the maze of its acquisition and implementation/setup, to the eventual daily use and beyond. This journey, ideally, should be a seamless adventure with proper customer support at key junctures.

Retailers and manufacturers, let me be loud and clear: you need to embed the customer's voice and experience into every product and process. This isn't just about solving problems -- it's about anticipating them, and designing experiences that preempt confusion and frustration. Next time you start creating a new product, take the time to interview customers, understand their journeys, and learn what it's like to research, purchase, use, and maintain or repair your items. All that's at stake is your entire brand.

As someone who lives and breathes for the joys of experiencing high-fi sound, I dream of a day when the end-to-end process of setting up my sound systems is as smooth as Stevie Wonder. Let's just hope the industry is listening....

[bulletin-sejourne-attal]

20241105 Attal Ascendant

Bonsoir from the heart of the Palais-Bourbon, where the political drama never seems to cease! Tonight, we have updates on Gabriel Attal, the rising star of the “common ground” coalition and quite possibly the “guarantor of the unity of his political family.” Only time would tell if these compliments could survive...

Succession Saga

Tonight from Valeurs Actuelles magazine. Fresh from his stint at Matignon, Attal set his sights on becoming the secretary general of Renaissance. And like a well-rehearsed ballet, Élisabeth Borne gracefully pirouetted out of the race, leaving Attal as the undisputed leading man. Whispers of a backroom “arrangement between ‘friends’” add a certain intrigue to this political pas de deux, wouldn’t you say? Borne’s strategic retreat extended to the presidency of the Ensemble pour la République (EPR) group in the National Assembly. Attal swept into the role with a landslide 80% of the vote – a resounding testament to his unifying charisma, or perhaps the lack of any other willing dancers. The Renaissance party is infamous for its lack of democratic election at the highest level. While a concession must be made in the face of greater turbulence, the (partial) separation of legislative power could perhaps be the start of forming a proper party with checks and balances. More on the distributions of positions on Politico Playbook.

Is the “Common Ground” Cracking?

But wait, a plot twist emerges! A leftie bias perhaps, cuz only as per the leftie newspaper- L'independent and Midi Libre- A chorus of disgruntled EPR deputies has been noticeably absent from the budget debates, leaving the government singing off-key and out of tune on several key amendments. Some say it's a bold protest against a budget deemed "unworthy" and a betrayal of their core values. Others, however, see the hand of Prime Minister Michel Barnier orchestrating this disharmony, allowing the EPR deputies to play the “irresponsible” opposition role, paving the way for the Senate to step in and compose a more harmonious score. A few EPR deputies are rumoured to yearn for a decisive Article 49.3 intervention – a conductor’s baton to bring the unruly orchestra to heel.

While Attal embodies a centrist, liberal ethos, Wauquiez stands firm on authority, conservative values, and a top-down approach to power. This discordant duet has already resulted in the "common ground" coalition losing ground within the Palais-Bourbon, with key positions falling into the hands of the left.

Despite their differing views on security and immigration, both Attal and Wauquiez have joined forces to oppose a government proposal to reduce employer payroll tax relief. Their shared commitment to economic competitiveness, however, appears to be the only point of harmony in their otherwise dissonant duet, as we could see....

Seeking to restore unity, Attal has extended an olive branch – a grand meeting of all “common ground” coalition groups. But like a sour note in a sweet melody, word of this initiative leaked to the press, leaving the MoDem and Horizons groups feeling out of tune. And the DR, under the leadership of Laurent Wauquiez? They’ve flatly refused to join the ensemble, their disinterest as clear as a missed cue.

Meanwhile, within the EPR ranks, Attal has reportedly urged Barnier to offer a small concession, a "victory" to re-energize the disheartened players. Would a 5 million euro reduction in business charges do the trick?

The Ballad of the Bully and the Budget

In a surprising counterpoint to this political manoeuvring, Attal has taken up a noble cause: the fight against school bullying. He's been lauded for his efforts, but Nouvelle Énergie deputy Alexandra Martin has criticized his "great declarations, but nothing concrete." She even submitted a bipartisan bill on the issue, which Renaissance, for reasons unspecified, declined to support. Undeterred, Attal has formed his own association, Faire Face (Please follow its Twitter!) , with ambitions to tackle bullying head-on.

But what truly moves this melody forward is the tragic story of Nicolas, a 15-year-old boy who took his own life after enduring relentless bullying. Interviewed directly by Le Parisien, Attal expressed his deep condolence with Nicolas's mother, Béatrice Le Blay, and her unwavering commitment to fighting this scourge. Together, they’ve formed a poignant duet in their leadership of Faire Face. Since November 4, Gabriel Attal has officially been the only candidate for the presidency of Renaissance. Laurent Wauquiez will take over the leadership of the Republicans in the first quarter of 2025. Both are also leaders of their respective parliamentary groups in the National Assembly. Each aims for the highest office, like uninhibited hussars with steely nerves. The common points end there.

Le Blay, seeking justice for her son and perhaps a measure of solace in her grief, has filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming a failure to protect Nicolas. Attal stands firmly by her side, recognizing the profound importance of this legal battle for Le Blay's healing process.

Encore?

Could this be the beginning of a new chapter for Attal, one where political triumphs are interwoven with personal happiness and a renewed sense of purpose? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the encore promises to be captivating.