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thdorkmagnet · 5 years ago

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Light of the Sun and Stars Chapter 19: Blood Moon Ball

Time for the Season 2!

Summary: His whole life Marco Diaz has been raised by monsters, living under the cruel rule of their leader, Toffee. But one day Marco escapes into Mewni where he meets a magical princess and Mewman like himself, who begins teaching him all about her world. Together they will learn about life, love, and the lights within each of them, as they change their world forever.

Chapter Synopsis: It’s a very special night on Mewni as the long awaited Blood Moon has arrived and Butterfly Castle is quick to celebrate by throwing a grand and extravagant ball. And for Star and Marco this is an even more special occasion, as they chose this night to have their very first date, the young couple hoping to be chosen by the century old bonding ritual. Will they be selected or will a new threat to Mewni get in the way of their plans?

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Index

Disclaimer: Star vs and all its characters are owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

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The sky was tinted red as the night on Mewni began, the stars shining brighter than usual on that special night, while the moon in the sky had turned a blood red color, casting a red shadow upon the world below. All of Mewni had been eagerly awaiting this moment for quite some time, everyone excited to celebrate the rare, once-in-a-lifetime sight in their own way since the blood moon only came about once every six hundred and sixty-seven years. Most in the kingdoms simply threw small parties inviting friends and family to come and celebrate the glorious night, but for those blessed and rich enough, they could spend their night at the luxurious Blood Moon Ball deep within the Butterfly Castle. But whether rich or poor, one thing was for sure, all young couples and lovers would be staying close to one another that night and making sure to keep a weary eye on the sky in the hopes that the light of the blood moon might fall upon them, sealing their love and bond forever.

Within the ballroom of Butterfly Castle, the guests had already begun to arrive, royalty and nobility alike quickly filling up the large ballroom, lively chatter mixing in harmony to the peaceful symphony music that had been hired to perform that night. Everyone was excited for the event, though possibly no one more so than the young blond princess who was looking over the large crowd in hopes of spotting someone. She resisted the urge to stand on her tiptoes, trying to stand up as straight as possible, remembering to keep up appearances, but found herself struggling to remain still, as a nervous energy continued to build inside her.

Where is he? she wondered to herself, chewing on the inside of her cheek. He should be here by now, right? Star figured Jackie must have taken a little extra time to get him ready, but the anticipation was killing her. Star took a moment from her needless worrying to look herself over for probably the hundredth time that night, checking to make sure she still looked okay, fiddling with the pink single-sleeved dress she was wearing, the same one from the Orphan's Ball, making sure there was not a crease or hem out of place.

“Relax,” a voice said beside her, causing Star to jump slightly. She turned to see Janna sipping on punch, the royal so preoccupied with her thoughts that she had forgotten that her creepy friend was there. “You look great.”

Star released a shaky sigh, trying to relieve some of her built-up tension, putting a gloved hand to her racing heart. “Thanks. I just want everything to be perfect for tonight,” the blond admitted.

“Star, dear,” came her mother's voice from behind her, Star turning as gracefully as possible in her uncomfortable boots, making her once again question why she had chosen to wear them. Queen Moon, along with King River, were equally dressed up for the event, both giving their daughter concerned looks.

“Yes mom,” Star replied, trying to keep the squeak out of her voice.

“You're twitching,” her mother said, in a semi-scolding tone. Star instantly straightened out, putting her hands steadily at her side.

“R-Right, sorry,” Star apologized, trying to keep the anxious edge out of her tone.

“Is everything all right?” Moon asked in concern.

“Of course,” Star said with a far-too-wide smile, her parents instantly able to tell that their daughter was faking. The blond let the smile drop, knowing they had seen through her charade based on the skeptical looks they were giving her, as she sucked in a deep breath. “Okay maybe not.”

“Is this because we denied your request about Buff Frog?” Moon guessed.

“No, I get it,” Star said shaking her head. She knew it had been a long shot when she had asked that Buff Frog could be there for the Blood Moon Ball, hoping his position as new leader of the Monsters would earn him the right to be there, but she hadn't been surprised when the answer had been no. Even though they had come a long way in helping achieve Monster rights since Toffee's death, the Mewmans were still weary and skeptical of their long-time enemies, not enough people open-minded enough to see the creatures as anything more than evil.

“I'm just a little nervous about tonight is all. I'll be fine,” Star explained.

“Oh that's right, tonight's the big night?” River asked, with a knowing, almost teasing, hint to his tone.

Star nodded, the worry on her face clear.

Moon, seeing her daughter's distress, stepped forward, putting a hand just under her chin and giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead, before looking deep into her sky blue eyes. “Don't worry, sweetie. I'm sure everything will go great tonight.”

“Thanks mom,” Star said, giving her mother a grateful hug, already beginning to feel her body relax.

“You're welcome,” Moon replied, sweetly, patting her daughter on the back. As the two pulled apart Moon added, “Just try to relax and enjoy your evening, Star.”

Star nodded, holding back saying what she was thinking, Kinda hard to relax when all eyes are on you, before turning and starting to walk away, Janna following close behind. But her parents seemed to have noticed the slight shift in their daughter's eye, sharing a look as both guessed what was on her mind. And so River added, “Oh and Star one more thing.” Star turned back to her parents in surprise, waiting for them to speak. “Just for tonight we are officially relieving you of princess duty.”

“Really?” Star said, shocked.

Moon nodded, “Yes, for one night only you are an ordinary Mewman girl, no strings attached, no having to put on heirs. Just go and have fun, alright?”

Star shot them both grateful smiles. “I will,” she said, before turning to her beanie-wearing friend. “Come on Janna, let's go see if we can find Marco!”

The king and queen watched as their daughter raced away through the crowd, dragging her friend behind her, a wide, happy smile on her face, and the two felt smiles rise up on their own faces, glad to see their precious little girl, stress-free and just enjoying herself, even if it was just for a night.

…

Someone else at the party was excited for that night, the boy having already taken the time, a lot of time, to plan out what he was going to do on the magical evening, most of it specifically centered on the young destined monarch. He had been waiting, with much anticipation, for the moment when he would be face to face with Star Butterfly, his bestie again. And now here he was, at the Blood Moon Ball, standing amongst the crowd of finely dressed Mewmans, his moment at hand.

He just had to be careful not to blow it... again, his memory of his last encounter with Star still a little upsetting, still unable to believe she had yelled at him and Pony for doing literally nothing wrong.

Tom took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. No, no, Tom. Don't get angry, he mentally reminded himself. Don't lose your cool. That's what got you into trouble with her in the first place. All you gotta do is find Star and apologize. Maybe then she'll actually talk to you again.

Tom looked around for any sign of the girl, his eyes finally spotting her golden locks shimmering in the crowd, watching as she seemed to be making her way across the ballroom in a hurry, as if she were desperate to be somewhere. Concerned he would miss his chance, the boy immediately went over to head her off, sliding into place in front of her, forcing her to stop and stare at him in surprise. He gave her a wide smile, while trying to think of the best greeting possible for this situation.

“Hey there, Starship, didn't see you there,” he said, in the most cool, nonchalant tone he could. His eyes slowly drifted over to beside the young royal, feeling his heart pound at the sight of Janna, who was giving him that same smirky smile she always had on. Tom felt the familiar stirrings in his chest, his mouth going suddenly dry as her brown eyes dug into his skin, the purple boy resisting the urge to blush, his cheek flames for just a moment flickering like a heartbeat. Great, Tom sighed mentally, hating this strange feeling he always got from the creepy girl. As if this wasn't going to be hard enough. “Hey Janna,” he greeted dryly, trying to keep any emotion out of his voice, shooting her a glare.

But Janna didn't seem concerned by the cold-shoulder he was trying to give her, shooting him a flirty wink saying, “Hey there hot stuff, glad to see you remembered me.”

Tom tried to hold back the growl that was rising in his throat, while within, his heart skipped a beat. “Hard to forget,” he grumbled before directing his attention back to Star. But the blond didn't look happy to see him, her arms crossed as she shot him a very annoyed glare. Tom tried to ignore the look as he said, “So, Star, you look great tonight.” The boy gave her a wide smile, but the girl wouldn't even look him in the eye, her foot tapping impatiently, as if waiting for him to move out of the way. He felt the awkwardness continue to form between the two, but he tried to keep his cool, as he continued to try and make small talk with the girl.

“This is a pretty nice party,” he said, admiring the fancy ballroom, before looking back to the still-scowling girl. “Pony wanted to be here too, but she got held up by another one of her sisters' schemes to take her throne. So it's just me.”

“Greeeaaat,” Star said sarcastically under her breath, rolling her eyes.

“Um, so I heard about you and Marco, y'know, beating Toffee. That's pretty awesome.” He paused for a second before asking hesitantly, “Are you and he...”

“Yes,” she responded immediately.

“Oh.” Tom didn't know what else to say to that.

“What do you want Tom?” Star finally snapped, with much irritation, just wanting him to get to the point already, knowing he was just stalling.

The boy felt his gut twist at her angered tone, but tried to maintain his confident air, as he shrugged, saying simply, “I just wanted to come over and say hi to my bestie, is all.”

“Well, I'm still not talking to you,” Star said, irritated, looking away from the boy. “And we're not besties anymore.”

Tom tried to keep the hurt from showing on his face. “Oh come on, Star,” the boy pleaded, dropping the cocky act, deciding to go the sincere approach. “You've been ignoring us for weeks. How long is this going to go on? You can't stay mad at us forever.”

But this seemed to be the wrong thing to say, as she huffed in annoyance, saying angrily, “Oh yeah, watch me.” With that she pushed the boy out of the way and stormed off. Tom quickly realizing his plan was falling apart, reached a hand out uselessly towards her as called, “Wait, Star! I didn't mean it like that! Please, come back!”

But the girl had already disappeared into the crowd. The boy let out a frustrated growl, his cheek flames burning out of control for a second. While behind him, unbeknownst to the troubled teen, the punch bowl erupted into flames, even the ice within doing nothing to control its rising temperature as it melted into oblivion, several of the servants trying to put out the flames in panic.

“Ugh why did you say that?!” he scolded himself, pounding a fist into his forehead as a way to punish himself for the slip of the tongue. “All you had to say was sorry. Now she hates you even more. Stupid!”

Tom groaned, burying his face in his hands. It had been an accident, the boy sure he was being sincere, but it seemed his out-of-control attitude had gotten in the way once again. Tom had difficulty telling when he was being nice or not, his temper often getting in the way of simple small talk with others. He was trying his best to work on it, but it just never seemed like it was good enough. Why did he always have to say the worst possible thing and ruin everything for himself?

The boy was pulled out of his gloomy thoughts, as he felt something smack the back of his head. Tom cried out in pain and surprise, reaching a hand up to feel the sore spot for any damages, the hit far stronger than he was use to. He felt anger overtake him again, as growled loudly, turning to glare at whoever had dared to do such a thing to him, his eyes turning red, only to stare into the smirking face of Janna, who looked completely relaxed facing down Tom's flame-fueled death glare, the smirk on her face unmistakable.

The angry teen felt any negative emotion extinguish as his face grew hot once again, only this time not from any fire, all three eyes widening, Tom having forgotten the creepy girl was there. “Janna!” he shouted, his voice cracking against his will, as his heart thumped dangerously away in his chest. He cleared his throat before he snapped in the deepest voice he could, “What the heck did you do that for?!” He continued to rub furiously at the spot, avoiding her eye.

Janna leaned in closer to the boy, close enough that Tom was able to pick up her scent, the only thing he could come close to describing the smell of the half-monster girl was a mixture of flowers and decay, an oddly intoxicating scent to the boy. The girl shrugged, Tom finding the simple act downright adorable, though he would never, ever say it out loud. “Just snapping you out of your little pity-party before you burnt the whole castle down.” She gestured to the still flaming punch bowl and the servants who had pulled out fire extinguishers in the hopes of gaining control of the situation.

Tom was silent for a second, before he released a short sigh, making a show of crossing his arms. “And how is purposely making me angry protecting the castle in any way?”

Janna shrugged, raising her hands in surrender, “Okay you got me. Honestly, I don't really care what happens to this place. If anything I think a little chaos would help liven up all these stiffs.” She looked around at all the regal guests acting all snooty and pampered, the girl rolling her eyes. “But tonight is an important night for Star and Marco and I promised I would be on my best behavior and try to help everything go smoothly.”

Tom's eyebrows pinched together in confusion. “Why? What's happening tonight that's so special?” he asked.

“It's their first date,” Janna answered.

The boy looked sadly at the floor. “Oh,” he said, downtrodden. It seemed his worst suspicions had been correct. Ever since he saw the video of the Orphans' Ball, he had known deep down how Star felt about Marco, though he had tried not to make himself believe it. But now he couldn't deny it anymore, both Janna and Star herself confirming it, Star was in a relationship... with someone else. Tom felt awful, wondering if he really had lost Star for good, her words from before still stinging.

Janna, once again, snapped him out of his despairing thoughts as she punched him lightly in the shoulder, the boy rubbing at his arm, while looking at her quizzically. “Jeez calm down,” Janna said, shaking her head in disbelief at his behavior. “Don't be such a drama queen. Star still cares about you, okay? She's just a little sore at you right now is all, she'll come around.”

“Yeah well I'm getting a little tired of waiting,” Tom replied, honestly. The hot-headed teen let out a defeated sigh, saying exasperated, “So much for making up with her tonight.” He started to walk off, about to open a portal back to the Underworld. “I'm going home.” But he was stopped when Janna suddenly grabbed onto his arm, pulling him back toward her.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Tom asked the smirking girl, trying to ignore the fact that she still had yet to release her hold of his arm.

Janna shrugged. “Well, since you don't have anymore plans for tonight, would you like to dance?” Tom gulped, feeling suddenly nerve-racked, caught off guard by the question. He opened his dry mouth, preparing to turn her down, but he stopped, able to tell how badly she wanted him to say yes. Though she was trying to act nonchalant, Tom sensed a second of anxiety from the girl, as her brown pupils flashed her desperation to him, squeezing his arm tighter and tighter as she awaited his answer. It seemed Janna had exposed her true self to him just then, the boy unable to think of a time when she hadn't hidden behind her cocky, joking mask.

He wanted to see more of that Janna, for some reason the boy badly wishing to know more about the girl, wanting to know everything he could about the Impure, thoughts of her often plaguing his mind whenever he wasn't paying attention. So he swallowed down all his worries and nerves, trying to calm his racing heart and simmer his flaming cheeks, as he flashed her a cocky, flirty smile replying, “Sure, why not? What harm could one dance do?”

…

Jak and Dex, who had been assigned to watch the hallway just outside of the ballroom that night, were chatting happily with one another, when they heard footsteps approaching from down the hallway, both going silent. They turned and watched as two young fancily dressed teens approached, the red light of the blood moon shining into the hallway through the windows, casting a strange glow within. The guards instantly recognized both of them as Jackie and Marco, the two wearing the same outfits from the Orphan's Ball, Marco still wearing the mask from before.

“Hey Jackie!” Jak greeted, both guards smiling at the girl.

“Hey,” she replied, with a smooth smile. Then suddenly, she shifted her attention to the masked boy beside her who was keeping oddly quiet. Jak and Dex also turned to Marco, who was keeping his head down. They were confused by the boy's behavior, worried he was upset about something, until they looked back over to Jackie for a second, who shot them a wink, both suddenly understanding what was going on.

“And who's this strange masked boy you brought with you?” Jak asked, pretending to put on a suspicious face, Dex doing the same. “I don't think we've ever seen him before.”

Marco immediately pulled the mask up revealing his smiling face, his suns spinning endlessly due to his excitement. “No Jak, it's me! Marco!” he exclaimed giddily.

Both guards did fake gasps. “Marco?” Dex said in mock surprise.

“Yep,” Marco said, with a short nod. He leaned a little bit closer to the two, before asking, “Did I really trick you both?”

“You sure did,” Jak said. “We had no idea it was you.”

Marco immediately turned to Jackie, his body shaking with unparalleled excitement. “It worked, Jackie! They couldn't tell it was me!”

“Yep, good for you Marco,” Jackie praised, holding back her giggle. She then directed her attention back to the two guards, saying, “I'm surprised to see you two here. Don't you guys ever take a night off?”

“Yeah, but Skullnick wanted to make sure there was extra security during the ball, just in case,” Dex explained.

“Just in case, what?” Marco asked, curiously.

Dex shrugged. “No idea,” he admitted.

Jackie and Marco shared a look of concern. “Hey, don't worry. I'm sure it's probably nothing,” Jak comforted not wanting the two to worry over anything on the special night. “You know how paranoid old Skullsy can be.”

Jackie and Marco nodded, both looking relieved. “Well as long as you two are sure,” Jackie said.

“Positive,” Dex said, convincingly. “You two just enjoy your night, let us worry about the rest.”

“Oh we definitely will,” Marco said, with a curt nod, his voice regaining its full excitement. “It's my first date with Star!” he blurted, his eyes shimmering with love and joy in equal measures.

“Congrats!” Jak commended, shooting the boy a smile.

“Glad you two kids ended up together!” Dex added, equally thrilled.

“Thanks!” Marco said returning the smile. He then immediately grabbed Jackie's arm, his patience finally worn out, as he shouted, “Now come on, Jackie! Let's go find Star!”

��Alright,” she said with a giggle, allowing the eager boy to lead her into the ballroom, Jak and Dex opening the doors for the two of them. Marco stared in awe at the ballroom's transformation, taking off the mask so he could get a better look, the Orphan's Ball having nothing on the sight before them. The lights had been muted to a low glow, red spotlights shining down on random spots in the ballroom and the whole area had been decorated to perfection, red ribbons circling the pillars that surrounded the ballroom. And, in keeping in theme with the blood moon, small crescent moons hung on strings around the ballroom. It seemed whoever had been hired to make ready for the ball had outdone themselves.

“Wow it looks incredible in here!” Marco whispered.

“Thanks,” Jackie agreed simply, still soaking in the view, looking over her work with satisfaction.

Marco turned back to his friend with surprise. “You did this, Jacks!” he asked in disbelief.

“Yeah,” Jackie replied modestly. “Well, me and Janna both. Took us all day to get everything ready. But we wanted your night to be extra special.”

Marco gave his friend a heartfelt smile. “Thank you so much, Jackie! I-I don't know what to say!” Jackie noticed the tears beginning to well up in his eyes and gave him a friendly push.

“Aww, don't mention it, dude. No need to get teared up it isn't that big a deal.”

Marco wiped a hand over his eyes before saying, “Right, sorry. I just can't believe how much work you put into all this! I mean we hadn't even thought about this being our first date till you suggested it, but this... this is perfect!”

Jackie smiled at her friend. “I thought you might like it.”

But Marco's attention had wavered as he looked back across the crowded ballroom hoping to catch a flash of golden hair. “There sure are a lot of people I hope we find Star soon,” he commented, looking a little concerned.

“Don't worry I'm sure we will. We just gotta start looking,” Jackie comforted, as she put an arm around him, leading him into the crowd of Mewman nobility, Marco remembering to slip back on the mask at the last minute. Marco kept a vigilant eye open for Star as they made their way across the ballroom, his eyes constantly scanning for any sign of the beautiful blond or Janna. Though he was quite surprised by some of the guests he saw. While most were simply Mewmans or humans there were the few odd looking creatures. A girl with a giant red lump on the side of her head, some goat guy with bat wings, and... Marco blinked, was that a chicken with legs.

Suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, Jackie pushed him away from her, now holding him at shoulder length, breaking him away from the strange sight, as he now came face to face with a far more beautiful one. Star gave him a breathtaking smile, her face just inches away from his own, her whole face perfectly framed by the soft red glow from the spotlight above and Marco felt his heart leap out of his chest. “Hey,” she greeted shyly, her cheeks turning slightly pink, though it was hard to tell from the lighting.

“Hey,” he replied back in an awed murmur, his cheeks equally flushed, though his were hidden under the mask.

“Well he's all yours,” Jackie said, as she released her grip on his tensed up shoulders, the boy's whole body relaxing as he looked into the bright eyes of his girlfriend. “I did my part.”

“Thanks Jacks,” Star said, breaking away her gaze from Marco for just a second as she shot her friend a grateful smile.

“You look great,” Star complimented the boy, looking his fancy suit up and down for a second.

“Uhhh, so do you,” Marco said in embarrassment, having been too entranced in Star's unearthly beauty to have realized that now was the part where he was supposed to say nice things about her. That, plus, this was his first date and he was still unsure how this was supposed to go, even after Jackie and Janna's three hour lecture on the subject.

“Thanks,” Star said, looking at her feet for a second, her hand absentmindedly fiddling with one of the pink bows that made up the lace of the dress. She leaned forward so she could whisper into his ear. “For the record, I never told you this, but the mask is a nice touch,” she added and Marco felt a shudder run up his spine as she gently kissed him on the cheek as she pulled away.

“It was Jackie's idea,” Marco confessed, gesturing to the skater girl behind him, but never breaking off his gaze from Star. “Well Janna's the first time, but Jackie said I should wear it again for this.”

“And it looks like I was right,” Jackie spoke up. “She can't take her eyes off of you,” she added, with a teasing wink despite the fact that neither were looking in her direction.

“True,” Star said, with a loving sigh, just adoring the boy in front of her in every way.

Jackie looked around for a second realizing something was missing. “Uhhh, Star, where is Janna? I thought she was with you.”

“Huh?” Star blinked, snapping herself out of the daze she was in from staring into Marco's chocolate brown eyes. She looked around, expecting the creepy girl to be there beside her, but surprised to find she wasn't. “She was here a minute ago,” she said, frowning as she looked over the crowd in search of her.

Jackie released a frustrated sigh. “Where did she run off to this time?” Jackie murmured, concerned what kind of trouble her roommate could have gotten herself into on her own. She had to squint so she could see as the lights dimmed even more, a gentle melody beginning to fill the area, as the next dance of the evening began. “She swore she would behave herself.”

“Uhh, isn't that her over there?” Marco asked, pointing to the dance floor. The two girls followed his direction, both of their mouths dropping open in shock as they spotted Janna, her arms draped around Tom's neck, his hands holding onto her sides as he guided her in a elegant dance across the dance floor.

“That traitor,” Star huffed in annoyance. “I can't believe she is dancing with that jerk!” Star's cheeks puffed up in anger.

Jackie pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. “We're all doomed,” she said uncharacteristically serious, certain there was no way this would end well for anyone.

Meanwhile, Marco's eyes were twinkling as he watched the two, both looking quite happy and comfortable in each others arms, their eyes locked in a permanent flirty gesture. “Awww, they're so cute together!” Marco gushed, Star and Jackie turning to him in surprise.

“What?” they both said, confused.

“Well I mean, just look at how happy Janna is,” Marco explained. “I don't think I've ever seen her smile so much, ever.”

And as the two looked back at Janna and her long-time crush, they too noticed how happy their creepy friend seemed, as she allowed herself to be led across the dance floor by the hot-headed prince, a bright, almost infectious smile on her lips. They both had known she had feelings for Tom, but the two thought it was nothing more than a small crush, nothing serious. Sure she often openly flirted with him, but the two had mistaken that for mere teasing, just a way to get under his skin and annoy him, nothing more. Now though it seemed pretty apparent that she felt more for him than they had previously thought, a lot more. It seemed their little Janna had fallen for Tom, right under their noses, and both were a little ashamed they had never noticed, Janna doing a little too good a job hiding her emotions from people sometimes. Kinda the exact opposite of Tom, actually.

“Yeah, me neither,” Jackie finally agreed with Marco, feeling a swell of pride for her friend.

Star just sighed. “Well, at least she is enjoying herself,” she murmured, crossing her arms, trying to continue to act mad even though she thought they were pretty adorable together, too. And this way I don't have to worry about Tom trying to get in the way of me and Marco's date, she thought. With that thought her smile returned, as she was determined to let nothing get in the way of her big night. She had been through a lot to get to this moment, saving Marco from Toffee, helping create a new world for Monsters and Mewmans, forcing her feet to squeeze into the very uncomfortable boots she was currently wearing, and she planned on making the most of her night, going to enjoy her first date with Marco to the fullest. She turned back to her boyfriend, offering him a hand, not wanting to waste another second.

“Okay then, Marco, let's get going,” Star said, excitedly.

“Right,” Marco said with a nod. He took Star's outstretched hand ready to begin their date. “Oh wait,” Marco suddenly said, reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out the small black cellphone Star had recently bought for him, the particular one he had chosen had the design of a dinosaur wearing a birthday hat on the back of it, which the boy had mistaken for a dragon when he had first seen it. “I promised dad and the others I would take some pictures of the date to send to them,” he explained. “That way that wouldn't feel totally left out.”

“Awww, what a great idea, Marco!” Star praised.

“Thanks!” Marco replied with a smile, holding back his blush as he focused his concentration at the phone in his hands, the screen lit up and ready for use. But the boy's smiling face quickly switched to one of concentration and confusion as he tried to figure out how to use the device, his eyebrows pinching together as he squinted at the bright screen. “Umm, how do you...” he mumbled, turning the phone over in his hands looking for the button that made it work and Star and Jackie both had to bite their lips to keep from bursting out into laughter at his adorable naivety.

“Here,” Jackie finally said, taking the phone out of his hands. “Maybe let me take the pictures,” she offered.

Marco released a relieved sigh, still quite confused by all the technology and electricity stuff, before giving his friend a grateful smile. “Okay. Thanks, Jacks.”

“Ready?” she said, letting them in position, holding up the phone in preparation for the right moment, Marco and Star both smiling, Star clinging tightly to the boy's arm. “Smile,” she said. There was a click and a small flash from the phone as the picture was taken.

“Let me see! Let me see!” the boy immediately screamed, practically jumping up and down with enthusiasm.

Jackie laughed, before turning the phone around so he could see the picture. “Wowwww,” he breathed, Marco's eyes shimmering at the sight of him and Star together, nodding his head in approval. “We look amazing!” he cheered. Star just smiled at her boyfriend/bestie's excitement.

“Yeah, you're right,” Star agreed, resting her head on his shoulder for a second, as she stared at the phone screen. “We should probably get some more, though. Y'know, just to be safe.”

“Right,” Marco agreed.

He and Star posed for several more pictures, as Jackie spent the next couple of minutes taking photos of them, trying to get the perfect set to send to Buff Frog and the rest of the Monsters, sometimes directing them on where to stand or tell them to try a certain pose. The two fell into a giggle fit as Jackie finished taking a picture of them doing their 'stuck inside a creature's belly and were slowly drowning in its toxic stomach acid' pose (which had been Star's suggestion), the couple making fake dying noises as they leaned against one another dramatically.

Jackie laughed at their cute display, before saying, “Well I think that's probably enough, right?”

Star stood up straight again as she said, “Yeah, that's probably good.”

“So should I send hit send or...” Jackie asked, her finger already poised over the send button.

“Wait,” Marco said quickly, holding up a hand to stop her. “We still need one more...” He held up a single finger. “Just to be safe.”

Jackie and Star shared a look. “Of course,” Jackie said, nodding.

“Just to be safe,” Star added.

“What did you have in mind, Marco?” Jackie asked.

“Well, I kinda wanted one with you in it,” Marco explained. Jackie's cheeks blushed, surprised by the request.

“Me?” Jackie asked.

“Yeah of course, you're my friend after all,” the masked boy said, matter-of-factly. “And we wouldn't be here without you. I would ask Janna but...” he gestured back to the dance floor, where her and Tom continued to dance, along with several other couples. “Y'know.”

“Okay, then,” Jackie said, excitedly. “Let's do it.”

The three friends got into position, Marco wrapping his arms around their necks, as the two leaned in as close to him as they could, their cheeks close to touching, Jackie holding the phone out above them, her finger poised on the button. “Ready...”

Like all the other times there was a click and a snap as the picture was taken, the three pulling away and looking at the picture on the tiny screen. “That one turned out great,” Jackie said, proudly.

“Yep, it sure did, they all look great, good work Jacks,” Star agreed hastily, before grabbing onto Marco's arm already dragging him away. “Now come on, Marco, let's get going!”

“Bye Jacks! See you later! And be sure to send those to Buff Frog and the others for me, okay?” Marco called back to Jackie as he was dragged away, not that he minded.

“Will do!” Jackie called back, chuckling to herself as she watched the young couple eagerly begin their first date together, shaking her head. “Those two never change,” she murmured to herself. Her gaze slowly drifted back to the dance floor, watching Tom and Janna's graceful, if not flirtatious, dance for a second, before a thought came over her. “Kinda wish I had someone to dance with.”

“Fear not, gorgeous, cause your knight in shining armor has arrived,” a familiar, cocky voice called behind her, Jackie turning to glare at the same stuck-up jerk from the Orphan's Ball. The teen froze, as he recognized the girl in front of him, a look of fear crossing his face, as he hands instinctively shot up. “You again,” he squeaked, in a very unmanly voice.

“Just keep moving, hotshot,” Jackie hissed and the boy slowly backed away, keeping his hands raised the whole time, the skater girl just watching him go with an intense glare. Once he was out of sight, Jackie returned her attention to the dance floor. She was silent for a moment before saying to herself, “On second thought, I think I'm good.”

…

While most of Mewni had the pleasure of enjoying the magical night there were two knights who felt left out of all the celebrating, assigned to watch the most boring position in the castle, the lush garden area within the castle grounds, pointlessly watching the door that led to the ballroom. There really was no reason for them to be out there, unsure why Skullnick had specifically asked them to keep an eye on this particular position, since the anti-portal generator had been fixed, there was no chance of anyone appearing into the castle unsupervised. Which is why, as the muted sounds of orchestra music drifted through the doorframe behind them, the two knights were left wondering how they had been left with this measly position when it should have been passed down to a couple of simple guards.

One of them released a tired sigh, shifting uncomfortably on his feet, before asking between clenched teeth, “What are we doing out here?”

“I couldn't tell you,” the other replied, equally annoyed.

“It isn't fair,” the first one grumbled.

“No it certainly isn't. We should be home with our families, not doing the work of those lazy guards because General Skullsy is still paranoid about the Monsters attacking again.”

“Exactly! I promised the wife that we would watch the blood moon together, instead I'm stuck here with you, bored out of my mind.”

“Yeah, I'd much rather be fighting Monsters again, than this. Nothing ever happens here.”

As soon as those words had left the inconvenienced knight's mouth, the two suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching... very loud footprints, as it seemed the universe was intent on proving him wrong. The two immediately went on high alert, returning to their training, as they drew their swords, staring at the dark woods with intimidating stares. “Who's there?”

“Show yourself.”

Suddenly, a large something stepped out of the shadows. He towered over the two, at least a foot taller than either knights, but they showed no fear toward the stranger's looming presence. The two couldn't tell if the shadowed figure was a Mewman, Monster, or what... his whole body wrapped up tight in a thick black cloak, giving him a mysterious and suspicious air. This was increased greatly as the two were confused over how the stranger had entered into the lush garden in the heart of the Butterfly Castle. They held their swords out toward the black-clothed figure, one of them hissing, “This area is off-limits to civilians! Raise your hands and drop any weapons you may be concealing!”

But the creature didn't obey, instead taking a step toward the knights. The two tried not to show their sudden burst of fear as the unknown creature stalked closer, keeping their swords raised, their faces set in hard glares.

“Stop right there! Don't come any closer!” one of them warned with a threatening yell. But the stranger never stopped coming, continuing forward with confident strides, his footsteps echoing off the stone-castle walls, creating an unnerving tone to the increasingly anxious knights, the swords beginning to shake in their grip.

Finally, one of them screamed, lunging toward the figure, preparing to run him through. But in half a second the sword was knocked out of his hand, as the figures arm- or claw (the knight hadn't been able to tell he moved so fast) was knocked out of his hands, pain shooting up his arm, the knight half-afraid this creature had broken it with a mere bat of his hand. The knight clutched onto his aching arm, trying not to cry out in pain, as he took a step back, away from the hostile stranger.

He gritted his teeth at the figure, who had actually stopped walking for a second, just staring at them from the depths of his hood, the knight surprised as he saw a single yellow serpent-like eye flashing from the darkness within and he felt his blood run cold. He risked turning to the other knight as he shouted, “Alert the general! There's a Mon-”

But the knight wasn't given a chance to finish, as the figure suddenly lunged forward with ridiculous speed, the unsuspecting knight never even aware of the attack, as the creature struck him in the back of the head, the world disappearing in a swirl of nauseating colors. The unconscious knight fell against the stone steps with a resounding thud, his partner frozen in fear at how easily this stranger had taken out his highly-trained friend. The figure merely stepped over the knight and continued forward, now stalking closer to his remaining target.

The knight tried not to show his fear, as the black-clothed figure came ever closer, his heart pounding away in his chest. Finally, he recovered enough to move, turning as he was about to run back into the castle to fulfill his rushed order. But he never got the chance, as something grabbed onto his collar, slamming him hard into the wall, the Mewman falling unconscious at the figures feet a second later, his sword clattering against the stone floor. For a few tense seconds, the only sound that could be heard was the chilling ring of the blade as it echoed off the stone steps.

Until finally, the figure feeling the coast was clear and no one had heard the short struggle, opened the door and entered into Butterfly Castle.

…

Jackie leaned against the railing overlooking the ballroom, having decided to climb up to the balcony above, wanting to get a good look on what was going on at the party without being disturbed by all the stuck-up royals that waited below. Though Jackie did appreciate Star for inviting her to the event and knew that her and Marco would have a good time there, this just wasn't her scene, the skater chick much preferring to spend her time with people a bit more on her level, feeling a bit out of place amongst the fancy, important guests.

She did take a moment to admire how great the place looked, though, her hard work paying off well it seemed, the place looking both festive and elegant at the same time. Maybe I should think about being an interior decorator if the skating career doesn't work out, she thought jokingly to herself. But Jackie's attention was drawn back to the dance floor, as the music suddenly drifted off, the musicians having finished their current piece, the dance ending. But just as suddenly as it stopped, the next song began, as the musicians finished their seconds of rest, picking back up their instruments and beginning the next melody in their set, this one sounding not that different from the last, Jackie feeling all of the music sounded too similar, all of it elegant, orchestrated, and slow. Several couples pulled apart and bowed to each other, before walking off the dance floor, ready to call it quits for at least a while and let their aching feet rest, as more eager young dates took their place. But there were two young teens who seemed to be in no hurry to leave, as they just continued their dance, staring deep into each others eyes, Jackie not sure if they had even realized the music had changed.

The skater girl shook her head at her roommate and her crushing dance partner. “Well, they haven't managed to cause a panic...” she muttered to herself. “...yet,” she added, regretfully, knowing that couldn't last. So she just tried to enjoy the peace while she could.

Her eyes slowly drifted across the crowd looking now for Star and Marco, hoping to see the progress on their date. Finally, she spotted them, close to the dance floor, and she smiled. So far so good, she thought. She pulled out her phone, checking the time. The blood moon would be in position in just a few minute now and Jackie crossed her fingers, hoping Star and Marco would be the ones to be caught in its glow, the plan being to use that to strengthen their already inseparable bond. If all continued to go smoothly, then she would be not only twenty bucks richer but would have proven Janna wrong... and also of course her two best friends would be that much closer as a couple.

...

“So what are we gonna do first?” Marco asked Star as the two stopped to eat some snacks from the refreshments table, watching the dancing couples and talking like they always did, their hands intertwined. Now that the date was officially started he had no idea what they were supposed to do, hoping Star had some kind of idea. “Do you wanna dance or...”

“Actually, I wanted to show you something,” Star said, shooting him a smile, a hint of mischievousness hidden in her eyes.

“Like what?” Marco asked, his curiosity already peeked.

“It's a secret,” she said, putting a finger to her lips and winking at him.

“A secret,” he whispered, his voice shaking a little with excitement, as the anticipation started to build inside him.

“Yep,” she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before pulling him after her, heading for their unknown destination. “Follow me.”

Marco kept up pace with the girl as they raced across the large ballroom in a hurry, several guests having to move out of the way to let the young couple pass.

…

Jackie was surprised as the two moved away from the dance floor, the pair now racing across the ballroom, hand in hand, bright smiles on their faces, as they pushed their way through the crowd and she herself smiled at their eagerness. Wonder where they're headed? She thought, considering following them. The blood moon would in position soon and if they weren't on the dance floor when that happened then they might not be chosen, it could ruin her whole plan. Then again, this was their first date and she didn't want to disturb them on the special occasion, figuring Star had some kind of plan of her own up her sleeve, one that probably would still lead to them still inevitably dancing under the light of the blood red moon. So, Jackie decided to trust Star and give her and Marco their space.

She allowed her eyes to drift away from the two, looking for something else to occupy her mind until the main dance of the night began, when her eyes landed on a peculiar sight. It was a large figure, his whole body hidden in a thick, black cloak making him look suspicious and exposed amongst the bright and colorful suits and ballgowns the rest of the guests had on. He definitely stood out like a sore thumb, keeping close to the edges and least populated areas of the ballroom to probably try to attract as little attention as possibly. Jackie wondered how he had gone unseen by the rest of the guests and had yet to be interrogated by the knights considering how much on high alert they had seemed to be. Jackie had a bad feeling about the mysterious figure, something about him just feeling off, more so than just his bizarre appearance. So she concluded to keeping a close watch on him, see where he was going and what he was up to.

…

Once Star and Marco got close to Star's surprise, the princess had her masked bestie close his eyes, guiding him the rest of the way, his hand remaining trapped in hers. Finally they reached their destination, Star stopping and Marco accidentally bumping into her back, but made sure to keep his eyes closed until she said, not wanting to spoil the surprise.

“Okay Marco,” Star said, watching him intensely for his reaction. “You can open your eyes now.”

Marco immediately obeyed, excited to see what surprise Star had in store for him, but his joy switched to confusion as he looked at the large painting of a sailor. “Ohh, it's a... painting?” he said, trying not to sound ungrateful. He cocked his head to the side, before giving his girlfriend a quizzical look. “Is this what you wanted to show me?”

“Not exactly,” Star said, with hidden meaning in her voice. “The truth is there is a secret behind this painting. One you can't tell anyone, okay?” She gave him a very serious look, once again putting a finger to her lips.

Marco's face switched to one of determination, as he nodded, quickly looking back and forth to make sure no one was watching.

“Good,” Star said satisfied, before turning back to the painting. She reaching behind the large frame, lifting it up enough to reveal a hidden room behind the massive picture.

“Wow!” Marco exclaimed, before immediately covering his mouth, blushing at his mistake. He once again did a short scan at the party guests and was relieved that he hadn't attracted any attention. He stepped closer, peeking around the frame at the tunnel that lied within. “A hidden room. So cool,” he whispered in disbelief. Marco turned back to Star. “Where does it lead?” he asked, looking at her quizzically.

“Well that's the surprise,” she responded and Marco's eyes shined with intrigue. The boy didn't even hesitate as he entered into the passage, Star following right after, lowering the heavy object back into place once they were both through, masking their presence within.

…

After watching the cloaked stranger very slowly make his way across the ballroom, still trying to figure out what was so weird about him, Jackie started to notice something off about the way he walked. On first glance, he seemed like he was wandering aimlessly, but their were some tell-tale signs that he was moving with purpose, heading off in a very specific direction. It almost seemed like he was stalking someone. And the fact that he seemed to be watching something intensely only helped add to her theory. Jackie frowned, deciding to follow his gaze to see what had so eagerly captured his attention, but her heart stopped and her body went cold as she spotted Star and Marco, now standing by a large painting.

No, it couldn't be, Jackie thought, her eyes drifting back to the stranger. But now there was no mistaking it, he was following her friends, keeping at a safe distance so as not to be spotted, but his eyes must have never once left them, the two too distracted in each other to notice the sinister presence stalking near. She had to warn them, save them, do something. She couldn't let anything bad happen to the two. She quickly ran back downstairs, going to try and warn some guards or knights and, of course her two besties of the dark presence that everyone was oblivious was now present at the event.

But once she got downstairs, she realized she had somehow lost sight of both the figure and Star and Marco. She tried to remain calm, taking deep, slow breaths as she pulled out her cellphone, turning on the bright screen.

…

Tom had never felt happier, never known the emotion that now washed over him as he and Janna continued on with their dance, caught in their blissful oblivion, the girl's close presence almost more than he could take. His whole body was tingling, his mind numb as Janna clung to him. He could feel her fast pulse from against him and he felt the sensation strangely calming. She never once looked away from him, her brown orbs a strange mix of longing and curiosity and all at once he was tempted to lean down and kiss her, wondering what she tasted like. He felt his cheeks heat up at the thought, the area burning even more than normal as his cheeks were stuck in a constant state of simmer. Though what he didn't know was that they had taken the shape of a flaming heart, Janna just smiling mischievously at her little secret.

She pulled him in a little closer, resting his forehead against hers, her lips almost tauntingly close to his and he knew, by the look in her eyes, it had to be intentional, as she seemed to almost be daring him to do it. Tom gulped, unable to think of the last person who had dared to get this close to him, most too frightened of him to even try, but then, that was Janna, always taking risks and breaking down the barriers he had unintentionally set up without a second thought. How did she always manage to do this to him, what was it about her that turned him into such a blushing, flustered mess?

Without knowing it, he moved in closer to her, his lips reaching out for hers. She was infuriating, always so strange and unpredictable, teasing him when he least expected it and always with that smug smile on her face... that darling, adorable smile. She was different from the others, they all treated him like he was some freak, though they tried to hide it, but she never looked at him that way, she looked at him as if he were just another guy, like he was her friend.

He was getting closer, able to feel her breath against his skin. This was stupid, he didn't like her, did he? Did she like him, was this her attempt to get him or was this just another trick he was falling for? At any second now she was going to flick his face and then laugh at his naivety. Or maybe she did want him to kiss her and this would become his first kiss. But he wasn't sure if it mattered either way. That was just Janna, she was unpredictable, he could never tell what she was going to do or say and that just made him like her all the more.

But just as their lips were about to brush, Tom heard a ringing sound, the sound shattering the perfect moment, as he released an unmanly squeak.

Janna pulled away from Tom and the hot-headed boy felt a rush of regret and sadness, as his dance partner pulled out her phone, checking something, her face for just a second looking worried. She looked back at the boy, who was trying not to show his annoyance over the interruption. “Sorry, something just came up, gotta go,” she said, starting to pull away, but Tom grabbed her arm, holding her in place for a second. “Now wait just a minute!” he said, confused and angered. “What about our dance?!” Tom asked, his voice a startled squeak.

“Well we'll just have to do it again, sometime,” she said, giving him a flirty wink. Then out of nowhere, she leaned in, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, Tom releasing her arm as he put a hand to his blushing cheek. “I had a great time,” she said, before racing away, Tom just watching her wide-eyed, not sure what to think or feel, still unable to believe that that had really just happened to him. But he was thankful no one was watching as a small smile slowly graced his lips. That was before his annoyance resurfaced, realizing Janna had just ditched him, huffing, as he stomped after the girl.

…

“Got your message,” Janna said, coming up behind Jackie, the skater surveying the crowd, looking for something. “So what's the big emergency with our crushing lovebirds?”

“Well they... wait, I never told you it was about Star and Marco,” Jackie pointed out, her attention directed to the creepy girl for a moment, as she raised an eyebrow for being able to guess right so easily.

Janna shrugged. “It's always Star and Marco,” Janna said simply. “Anyways, it has to be something more important than just awkward date stuff if you interrupted my moment with Tom.” There was slight annoyance in her tone and Jackie gave her a sheepish frown, before she went back to looking around.

“Right sorry,” the skater girl said, still slightly distracted. “But yeah, it's a lot worse. I saw some guy in a black cloak following them around.”

Janna looked unsettled at that, unable to mask her concern, but she still asked, “Did he do anything?”

“No, but... I have this really bad feeling. I think Star and Marco are in danger.”

“Well then why didn't you go and warn them, first, then go get me?”

“I lost track of them! I can't find them anywhere!”

“Well, did you try calling them?”

Jackie shook her head. “No point. I have Marco's phone and Star left hers in her room.”

“Great,” Janna deadpanned. She thought for a second, before asking, “Well where did you see them last? Maybe we can track them from there.”

“Ummm,” Jackie hummed thoughtfully, before she pointed off in a direction. “Over by some old painting.”

“Wait.” Janna leaned in closer, giving her an intense glare, causing Jackie to turn back to her in surprise. “Did you say a painting?”

“Yeah.”

“Did it have an old sailor guy on it?”

“Think so.”

Janna nodded, a confident smile on her face. “I know where they are.”

…

Marco kept close to Star as the two traversed the large spiraling staircase, feeling a little uneasy in the dimly lit area. And the further up they went the worse Marco felt, as the familiar tings of dread clung to him, surfacing recent, unwanted memories. It wasn't the first time he had been plagued by the horrid thoughts since the incident, but this one felt far more real than before. Suddenly, he was back in Toffee's lair, being ruthlessly dragged through the dark underground, Marco helpless as he was taken further and further away from Star and the others. A ghost of an ache appeared in his hand and he rubbed at the spot, remembering feeling the backlash of Toffee's tail as it painfully lashed out at him.

He tried to keep his calm, reminding himself that was in the past. Master Toffee was dead, he couldn't hurt him anymore. He was safe now. He was with Star. But he began having trouble breathing, as if he was being chocked by his own dread. That or Toffee had come back from the grave to get his revenge.

“Marco?” The masked boy jumped at the voice, before he looked over at the blond beauty, who was giving him a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” Marco said unconvincingly, giving her a tight smile, unaware that he was still rubbing at his wrist. “What would make you ask that?”

“Well you're breathing pretty heavily, is something the matter?”

Marco paused for a second, before telling her the truth. “I-It's just that... this place kinda reminds me of, y'know, when Master To- I mean Toffee kidnapped me is all,” he admitted, trying to sound nonchalant but Star could hear the strain in his voice.

Star gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. “Oh, I'm so sorry, Marco,” Star apologized, guilt evident in her tone. “I didn't even think about that. Do you want to turn back or-”

“No, no,” Marco said, quickly, brushing the thought off. “I'll be fine. I want to see the surprise.”

Star was silent for a moment, watching the boy intensely. Though his expressions were hard to make out through the mask, Star could tell he was still anxious, his hands twitching at his side and his breathing still a little erratic. So, she gently took his hands in hers, giving them an affectionate squeeze. When his eyes locked with hers, she gave him a comforting smile, before saying softly, “Then just keep hold of my hand, okay? It shouldn't be too much farther, but if you feel scared, just remember that I'm here for you.”

Marco smiled, his eyes shimmering, and he nodded, Star's touch filling him with bravery. Once he seemed calm again, Star released one of his hands, leading him through the rest of the way as quickly as she could, Marco just following right after her, keeping his focus on Star's back and listening to the steady echo of their footsteps, refusing to think about the past, concentrating instead on right then and there. For a second, though, he thought he heard a third set of footprints echoing, but decided it was just paranoia and shrugged the thought aside.

Suddenly, Star came to a stop as they reached the top of the staircase, reaching an old, wooden trapdoor in the ceiling above them. Star smiled. “We're here,” she said, before opening the door hatch, helping the excited Marco climb up through the entrance, before following after him.

Marco gaped in awe at the sight before him, as he stood on one of the tallest towers in the castle. It seemed to be an old observation tower, showing the expanse of Mewni from its height and the sight of the sleepy kingdom below and the beautiful star-filled sky lit up red by the glow of the moon was truly a sight to behold. But while the sight was fantastic and unlike anything Marco had ever experienced before, this wasn't what caused Marco's eyes to well up with tears. That was the small little picnic blanket that had been set up for them, a romantic dinner laying out on it, complete with already lit candles which glowed pink, probably made special for that night. Marco turned to Star, the girl giving him a wide, loving smile. “Did you- Is this- This is-is,” Marco stuttered, at a loss for words, just so touched Star had gone through all that trouble for him, staring at the little dinner in silence.

Star put her arms around the boy neck, hugging him from behind, drawing him closer allowing their cheek to touch, both lighting up for a second. “Well we wanted our first date to be special,” Star explained, both of their eyes locked on the picnic. “And since we've already danced once before, I wanted this to be different. So I found out about this tower that had been blocked off years ago and I thought that would be absolutely perfect!” She paused for a moment, staring intently at the masked boy's covered face. “Do you like it?” she asked, biting her lip, slightly worried.

“Are you kidding? I love it!” he exclaimed, rubbing his cheek against hers. “Thank you, Star!”

Star breathed a sigh of relief, releasing her hold on the boy's neck. “Oh I'm so glad you love it, it took forever to bring everything up here,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Marco started to giggle and Star joined in. “It's perfect, Star,” he said, shooting her one of those cute signature smiles that just made Star melt.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice squeaking against her will. “Then let's eat, we have to be back before the blood moon waltz starts.”

The two sat, hand in hand, as they ate the delicious meal, Marco taking off his mask to make eating easier. Nachos, the perfect romantic dinner (in their opinion) as they shared the somehow still warm treat, talking and laughing and just enjoying each others company for what felt like hours. Time seemed to pass slowly as the two became engrossed in one another, sharing a kiss here and there.

Once the food was all gone and the two were properly stuffed, Star moved closer, resting her head on the boy's shoulder, and they both sighed, feeling happy and content, as they just watched the stars in silence, caught up in the beautiful, perfect moment.

But, like all good things, the moment came to an end, as Star noticed the moon was nearly at its peak, realizing that the big dance of the night would start any minute. “Oh no,” she said, sitting up, Marco giving her a confused look. “The dance is gonna start soon,” she explained and Marco gasped, immediately jumping to his feet.

“Then we better hurry!” Marco exclaimed, offering Star a hand up. She smiled and allowed the boy to pull her to her feet.

But as the two turned to leave, they both gasped in shock at the large figure standing on the tower with them, his features hidden under a thick, black cloak of some sort. He just watched them in silence, making the two feel instantly ill at ease. And if that wasn't bad enough, he was also blocking them off from the only exit, the trapdoor still opened wide, meaning he had been able to sneak up behind them, completely unheard. And it was either Mewmans' guess how long he had been watching them, making them both feel quite creeped out.

“Who are you?” Star asked, trying to keep the terror out of her voice, as she moved protectively in front of Marco, shielding him from the unknown stranger. The young royal was now really wishing she had brought her wand with her, knowing it was still in her room, laying on the nightstand next to her mirror phone.

The figure took a single step forward, causing both Star and Marco to take a very abrupt one back. The mysterious stranger threw his hood back, revealing himself to the two and both teen's mouths dropped open, as they stared into the icy, dead eye of a large lizard Monster, one of his eyes missing and replaced with a red ruby gem. He pulled back his cloak as well, all of it resting on one of his shoulders, the two now able to see that his left arm was made out of some kind of high-tech metal and that, even more terrifyingly, he was currently holding a large chainsaw in it.

The lizard smiled sinisterly at their frightened and confused faces, saying in a gruff voice, “My name is Rasticore Chaosus Disastervaine.”

“You're a... Monster,” Marco whispered in disbelief.

“Very observant,” Rasticore commented, sarcastically.

“What do you want from us?” Star asked, mentally scolding herself for allowing her voice to tremble a little.

“I am here because it is time for you to pay for your past misdeeds, Princess Star,” he explained, with a cold smirk. He raised the chainsaw up menacingly, revving it a couple of times to try and frighten them more.

“Please, wait!” Star tried to plead, while moving Marco and herself as far away from the Monster as they could in the limited space of the tower. “You don't have to do this!”

“Yeah, the Monsters don't have to fight with the Mewmans anymore,” Marco pitched in, hoping he could talk the Monster over to his side. “We're at peace now, thanks to Star. She's on your side.” But Rasticore didn't seem fazed by the small speech, as he continued to give them a hard, determined glare, so Marco switched to a different tactic. “Look, you can trust me on this, I'm the son of Buff Frog, the new leader of the Monsters.”

“I know who you are, Marco Diaz,” the lizard replied, as he spat the boy's name. Marco gasped, never having heard anyone call him that before. Diaz? Was that his last name? The word felt unfamiliar to him and yet... strangely right at the same time, as it echoed around his head for a moment. Marco Diaz? His full, real name.

“And it makes no difference to me who you are,” Rasticore continued, cutting into Marco's inner inquiries. “I was simply waiting for the moment when I could catch the princess alone, but since you seem eager to stay by her side, then you too, can share her fate.”

“Look I'm sure whatever it is that the Mewmans did to wrong you, we can help resolve it,” Star said, even knowing that there was little chance of a peaceful solution to this, hoping instead to stall him long enough to find a way out of this mess. She tried to discretely scan the area, but found nothing that could be of any use in escaping the vengeful Monster. The only options the two had was to jump or fight, neither option seeming like it would end particularly well. Still, if she could manage to hold him off long enough then maybe Marco could escape. But without her wand she didn't know if she could be any match for the lizard.

“I could care less about the affairs of Mewni,” Rasticore snapped. “I am only here, because I was hired to capture Princess Star Butterfly.”

Star and Marco were both taken aback by the revelation, Star asking in demand, “What?! Who hired you?! Another Monster?!”

But Rasticore didn't seem interested in answering, as he simply said, “That is none of your concern right now. Besides, you will both know what you are up against very soon.” He tensed himself, ready to quickly overpower the two fancily-dressed teens, now being the perfect moment, both still fazed by his words, leaving them vulnerable and open. He was told not to underestimate the princess, hearing she was far craftier than she let on, but it seemed like she was not the great threat she had been built up as being, not without her wand at least. Of course, the boy was an unexpected development, but Rasticore was sure that capturing him too would work out in their favor. If anything they could use him to get the princess to cooperate if need be.

The lizard let out a battle cry about to lunge toward the two, both Star and Marco screaming, ducking and clinging to each other in anticipation. But their assailant was stopped as something pressed down hard against his tail, pinning Rasticore in place, as he instead almost clumsily fell to the ground. The lizard, feeling momentary confusion, turned around to see what could be preventing him from his catch. Only to find, to his surprise, a smirking Mewman girl stepping on his precious limb. “Oh, sorry, did I come at a bad time?” she asked, with fake sheepishness.

Star and Marco were both relieved to see their half-Monster friend as they shouted, “Janna!”

“Hey get off, brat!” Rasticore growled, swinging a claw at her, which she easily ducked, grabbing his arm at the last second.

“Gladly!” she said, finally pulling her leg off, before easily throwing him over her shoulder and down the opened trapdoor, Janna slamming it shut immediately afterward and locking it tight. The three heard screams and clatters as the Monster began falling down the long staircase, all of them watching the area cautiously. “Janna, thank goodness!” Star cried, throwing her arms around her friend in gratitude, Marco doing the same.

“You saved us!” Marco yelled as well, giving the girl a tight squeeze.

But Janna didn't take the time to enjoy the praise, hearing now only silence below. She quickly peeled the two off of her and pushed them behind her, as her body shifted to it's Monster form. “Not over yet,” she said, seriously.

And it seemed Janna's instincts were correct, as a chainsaw began cutting through the trapdoor from beneath, slicing easily through the thin wood, before some kind of blast destroyed what was left of the door, the three covering their faces from the wood shavings and splinters that now rained down on them.

When the dust settled, they all watched as Rasticore easily hauled himself back up through the hole that was once the trapdoor, an angry gleam in his one eye. “You will pay for that!” he hissed as he did. But his anger switched to surprise as he spotted Janna's sudden change. “An Impure,” he muttered. That was before a sinister smile widened on his face and he chuckled to himself. “Even better.” He revved up the chainsaw menacingly. “Haven't killed one of those in a while.”

“Hah,” Janna laughed dryly, as Star and Marco backed away, giving her her space for the incoming fight. “Like you ever killed one of us with that tacky weapon,” she said, pointing at the chainsaw with a roll of her eyes. “Seriously, that thing is like the loudest, most obnoxious weapon possible, what kind of an assassin are you?”

“The kind that is about to kill you,” he shot back.

“Oh I bet you use that one on all the Impures,” Janna said in a mock flirty tone, shooting him a wink. Star and Marco shared a look with one another, as the two opponents continued to taunt each other, back and forth. Though they were both glad that Janna was there (being the most capable fighter at the moment) and they had silently elected to let her handle the assassin, it did concern them that their half-Monster friend didn't seem to be taking this very seriously. She was acting like this was just another outing with her friends and not a life or death crisis that continued to spiral out of control around them. Then again, they figured it had become a bit of a recurring theme lately for them to be threatened by some dark force with evil intentions in store for them. The two teens wondered if that would ever change or if this would just become the norm for them.

Meanwhile, it seemed Rasticore had finally grown tired of Janna's incessant teasing as he growled darkly, “Enough. Quite stalling, Impure. Come and face me if you dare.”

“Oh, all business, I see,” Janna sighed in annoyance, rolling her eyes. “Alright then, if that's how it's going to be,” she continued, getting down into a fighting stance with a smug, cocky grin on her face, Star and Marco doing the same from behind her. “But I feel I should warn you, you did just interrupt the greatest moment of my life, so don't expect me to go easy on you.” Her eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance.

Rasticore laughed harshly at that. “By all means, freak, don't hold back,” he chuckled. Suddenly, though his tone became dark as he added, “I don't plan to.”

“Okay then, big guy, let's dance,” Janna said, the confidence just radiating off of her.

“Wait, I thought we were going to fight?” Marco asked in confusion, turning to Star with a quizzical look.

…

Jackie quickly made her way through the crowd, searching for any signs of King and Queen Butterfly. After a quick explanation from Janna about where Star and Marco had gone, the creepy girl had taken off to go try and help them out, while Jackie went to warn the royal monarchs about the danger their daughter was in. But so far she had had no luck in finding them, the normally level-headed skater growing frustrated that now, of all times, Star's parents had suddenly disappeared. She just hoped that whoever it was that was stalking Star hadn't gotten to them first.

To say Jackie was panicking by this point was wrong, she was far beyond panicked, though she tried to keep a blank face, not wanting to scare the other guests just yet. If mass panic broke out, she might have even more difficulty finding Star's parents. Plus, she was afraid to reveal to the intruder that his cover had been blown, otherwise who knows what he might end up doing to her two friends. No, it was better to do this as indiscreetly as possible.

“Hey Jackie!” The girl jumped, as a hand landed on her shoulder and she swerved on her heels far too fast. There she stared into the confused face of Ferguson, who was giving her a skeptical look, his hand raised in the air, awkwardly.

“Ferg?” Jackie said, her voice a startled squeak.

“Hey, something wrong?” Ferguson asked, a look of concern crossing his face.

Jackie took a quick deep breath, to calm herself, before she gave him one of her smooth smiles. “Nah, all good. You just startled me a little,” she said, her voice regaining its signature coolness.

“Oh, okay,” Ferg said, looking relieved. “So where's Marco? I've been wanting to say hi to him all night, but I've been having trouble getting away from the wife. You know how protective she can be towards me sometimes.”

More like overbearing and jealous, Jackie thought, but of course didn't say it out loud. “Umm, he's with Star right now. They, uhh, wanted some time alone,” Jackie said, instead.

“Oh, ho, ho, really,” Ferg said, a knowing look on his face, looking quite proud of his friend. “So he did end up with Star. Good for Marco. I totally called that.”

“Think everybody did,” Jackie pointed out. But all she could think about was warning King and Queen Butterfly, her eyes still absentmindedly scanning the ballroom for them, feeling pressured to find them, knowing all three of her friends could be in great danger while she was making awkward small talk. So she tried to very politely and calmly back out of the conversation, saying, “Look, Ferguson, it's been nice talking and all, but I got somewhere to be. So I gotta go, sorry.”

With that, she turned and walked away without another word, leaving Ferguson alone. “Huh, well that was strange,” he muttered to himself.

“Ferguson!” a new voice yelled, a look of fear on the chubby king's face, as he instantly recognized the angry, high-pitched tone of his wife.

He turned to see the Pixie Empress glaring at him, her arms crossed as she seemed to be fuming with rage. “Oh hello, my love,” he started, with a half-flirty, half-frightened smile.

“Were you just talking to another girl?” his 'lovely' wife asked, accusingly.

“Well, yes,” Ferguson admitted sheepishly, before quickly adding, “But she's just a friend, I swear!”

The fairy queen huffed in irritation before grabbing her husband by the ear, dragging him away. “Ow, ow, ow, ow!” Ferguson repeated over and over again in pain, while his wife simply scolded him about his behavior.

“This is not acceptable. This night was supposed to be about us. Not you flirting with the first girl you come across. Honestly, first you sneaking out to go to some dirty peasant's ball and now this!”

“I'm sorry, my love! Ow! Whatever you say, my love!” Ferguson cried, hoping to calm his jealous wife.

Meanwhile, Jackie sighed, glad she had been able to duck out of that conversation quickly, now she could focus on finding-

“Jackie!” The skater girl groaned, as she recognized the boy yelling, turning to see Tom stomping over to her, looking as angry as ever. “Not now,” she muttered to herself, still feeling rushed to find the royal monarchs.

“Have you seen Janna?” Tom asked, once he caught up to her.

“Tom, I'm kinda busy right now so-” Jackie started.

“That girl is so frustrating!” the flaming boy shouted, his cheek flames growing some in size, as he pouted to the girl. “First, she asked me to dance and then she just takes off without even an explanation for why!”

“Tom, look I don't have time to-”

“Can you believe that?!” he continued his rant, ignoring the girl, his eyes starting to glow red and his voice beginning to deepen. “I mean, seriously, what is her deal?!”

“Tom!” Jackie shouted, finally getting his attention, as he turned to her in surprise, his eyes going back to normal. Now that the boy was silent, Jackie was able to take in a deep breath, saying in a much softer tone, “The reason Janna left is because she is helping me with something important.”

“And what's that?” Tom asked.

“I can't say,” Jackie replied.

“Wait, seriously?!”

“Yes, seriously,” she shot back. “And I'm kinda in a hurry, so-”

She started to take off, but Tom moved so he was blocking her path. “Oh no, I'm not getting ditched by two girls tonight, one is bad enough,” he said, firmly.

“Tom,” Jackie started in a scolding tone. But when he still didn't budge, she sighed, pinching the bridge of her noise in annoyance. “Look, I don't have time to explain everything, but I need to find the King and Queen as quickly as I can. It's an emergency.”

Tom hesitated for a moment, before his determination returned full force. “Well, I'm not moving until you tell me what's wrong,” he said, her pleading doing nothing to shake his resolve, crossing his arms and giving her a hard stare, much to the skater's annoyance.

Jackie could feel the seconds ticking by and knew she didn't have time to stand there and argue. She bit her lip, still not sure if she could trust the over-emotional teen, but she didn't feel she had any choice anymore. “Fine,” she said, with an exasperated sigh.

…

Rasticore rushed Star, Marco, and Janna with a yell, moving at a far faster speed than any of them were expecting, Janna ducking under the spinning chainsaw at the last second, feeling the air whoosh past her at breakneck speeds. But she was the lucky one, as Rasticore's tail whipped out, wrapping around Star's waist and throwing the princess into Marco, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Janna, seeing this, quickly sent a well-timed kick into the lizard's stomach, forcefully pushing him back, his boots sliding across the cold stone, but he managed to remain standing under the impact. In fact, it was far lighter than most of the other Impures he had faced before, still quite strong, no doubt, but manageable. Rasticore held back a smile, this would be easier than he thought.

He wasted no time at all as he charged again, clutching the spinning blade tightly in his claws, as he readied himself to strike the half-monster girl, but this time Janna was ready for it. She easily dodged his attack and the next one and the next, moving out of the way of the assassin's noisy weapon, weaving around the trained killer, as he slashed at her again and again.

But Rasticore was far from discouraged, as he simply waited patiently for an opening to present itself, knowing the girl's inexperience would eventually leave her vulnerable. And he didn't have to wait long, as she accidentally stepped into a bad position dodging out of the way from the sawblade that came dangerously close to her head, too focused on avoiding the noisy weapon to notice, as she almost tripped. And in that second of hesitation, Rasticore kicked her feet out from under her, causing the girl to fall backward.

Janna felt the air knocked out of her lungs as her back slammed into the rough, stone ground, leaving her coughing as she tried to regain her air flow. But she didn't have long to recover, as Rasticore, now standing over her, thrust his chainsaw down at her, Janna catching it between her hands at the last second. It then became a battle of strength, as Rasticore pushed down on the sawblade, trying to overpower the girl and hit her with the deadly weapon.

Meanwhile, it was taking every ounce of strength for Janna to keep the sawblade at bay, even her enhanced strength no match for the lizard's metal claw, as the deadly weapon hovered dangerously close to her head. She tried not to show it, but Rasticore could tell by the strained look in her eyes that she was struggling to hold him off.

“What's the matter, Impure?” he taunted, still only griping the blade at half-strength. “Not as strong as you think you are.”

Janna only gritted her fanged teeth in response, as the Monster began to slowly overpower his victim, pressing down even harder on his prized weapon. The sawblade began to hover closer and closer to the girl, moving slowly toward her, inch by precious inch, the roar of the chainsaw now deafening to the half-Monster girl.

Rasticore, knowing he had won, said in harsh voice, “Goodbye Impure!” the gears in his metal arm tightening as he prepared to force the chainsaw down with all his might. But just before he could give one final push, he heard a yell behind him. “Leave her alone!” The next thing he knew Star and Marco, now recovered from his first attack, jumped onto his back, kicking and punching at him, as they clung tightly to his cloak. Though, their brave display did nothing to harm him in the least, it did distract him from his task, focusing on prying the two annoying teens off of his back, his grip loosening some on his chainsaw, allowing Janna to finally push the spinning blade some away from herself and give her a bit of breathing room.

Meanwhile, Rasticore, annoyed and frustrated with the two, managed to knock the two off of him, as he swerved and hit them with the back of his claw, the two once again falling to the floor, releasing a pained grunt.

Janna seeing her friends hurt, felt a rush of anger course through her and she quickly shifted to her bat form, flying out of the way as the chainsaw suddenly fell to the floor with a loud clunk. The Monster assassin stumbled, still leaning heavily on the blade, thrown off by the sudden disappearance of his opponent. He swerved back around in confusion and that was when Janna turned back to her Monster form, punching him as hard as she could in the face, sending him flying back.

Rasticore slid across the rough stone ground, breaking it beneath him as he went, until he finally came to a painful stop, hitting his head against the brick wall.

He sat up, rubbing his aching head, looking for his weapon, which had slipped out of his grip when he fell. He spotted it laying close by and he reached out to grab it. But Princess Star picked it up at the last second, holding it awkwardly in her hands as she backed away from the Monster, keeping a close eye on him.

“Give that back, princess,” he growled as he rose to his feet, Star trying not to show her fear as he stalked closer, his serpent eye narrowing on her form. Janna tried to interfere, as she ran at the Monster with a raised fist, but the assassin easily backstepped the swing, before grabbing onto her arm and throwing her into the brick wall. Janna hit the wall with a thud, before collapsing to the ground and Star screamed in panic, “Janna!”

That was when Rasticore chose to pounce, quickly closing the distance between him and his prey. Star tried to move out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough with the uncomfortable boots on, her choice in fashion betraying her it seemed, as the assassin easily overpowered her and reclaimed his chainsaw. He now held the spinning blade in his good claw, while keeping the girl's arms pinned behind her back with his metallic claw. “Let me go!” Star screamed, struggling as she tried to somehow break free from the Monster's literal iron grasp.

Rasticore, on the other hand was just focusing on his mission, pleased that he had just accomplished his main objective, his target finally captured. Now all he had to do was bring the pretty princess back to-

“Hey!” a voice yelled, snapping Rasticore out of his inner thoughts, not even having time to react as something was thrown over him... something hot. The next thing the lizard knew, his skin felt like it was on fire, a burning sensation spreading across his face and shoulders.

Marco just watched as the lizard monster screamed in pain from beneath the flaming picnic blanket, still holding one of the lit candles from their dinner, the boy thankful he had been right about the lizard's crystal eye being a blind spot, making him capable of sneaking up on the assassin. Rasticore became more and more frantic as he tried to pry the burning thing off of him, dropping his hold on the chainsaw in his flame-filled panic and releasing his grip on Star.

The girl immediately pulled away and ran into the arms of her savior, wrapping her arms tightly around him. “Thanks for the save,” she said, giving him a grateful squeeze.

“Anytime,” Marco replied gladly, his cheeks turning bright pink. But remembering the dangerous situation they were still in, he pulled a little out of the hug, quickly adding, “Now let's hurry and get out of here.”

“You're not going anywhere!” Rasticore's angry yell cut through the moment, the two turning to see the lizard glaring at them, holding what was left of the burnt blanket in his hand, small patches of flames on his cloak, which he seemed to be ignoring. His serpent eyes narrowed on the two, clearly infuriated with the Mewman teens. “I have had just about enough of your little, childish tricks!” He held out his metal claw, a spark of energy beginning to gather around his iron palm. “This ends here!” he hissed, the energy growing and expanding, until it covered his entire claw, before it all was released in a hot blast of unstoppable energy.

…

Queen Moon and King River wandered around the party for awhile, greeting all of their guests and tending to any problems that arose, which so far were few and far between. Moon, however, was keeping an eye out for her daughter, having not seen Star for quite a while now. She figured she could just be off somewhere with Marco, since she had been excused from having to deal with any regal matters for the night, but still Star had seemed rather eager to partake in the festivities, so the queen found it rather strange that she had just vanished into thin air.

Where is that girl? she wondered to herself.

But Moon was pulled out of her thoughts, as River suddenly said, “It's almost time now, is it not, my love?” When Moon turned to her husband in confusion, he gestured upward and she quickly followed his gaze to the ceiling of the ballroom.

There she could see the large stone hand, which had a crescent moon shaped crystal embedded in it, which was slowly starting to glow red, signifying the blood moon was about to be in position. “Yes, it would seem so,” Moon agreed, making her way to the stage, River following closely after. She ascended the steps with a delicate grace that only a lifetime of training could allow, before moving to the front of the stage, where some servants had just finished setting up the microphone.

Moon whispered her thanks to the bowing staff, before she cleared her throat, respectfully. The lights and music dulled, the chattering crowd going silent as all eyes were directed on the Queen of Mewni. She waited until everyone had completely settled down, before saying in a regal, dignified voice, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to announce that it is now time for the main dance of the evening. In a moment, the light of the blood moon will shine down and selects its chosen couple, and through their dance it will bind their souls together for eternity. So it is now, that I ask that you turn your eyes skyward as we witness an unspeakable magic that can only be seen once every six centuries. ”

Everyone eagerly turned to stare up at the glowing crystal, waiting for the big moment, their fingers crossed in the hopes that they would be selected.

…

Star was just about to try and dodge the lizard's incoming beam, but Marco beat her to it, instinctively moving Star out of the way of the burst of energy, doing the only thing he could think of at the moment, resulting in him pulling her into a graceful dip. Star lost her breath, as she clung tightly onto Marco, not expecting the sudden dance move, the boy suspending her there in mid-air, as the laser blast sailed over their heads, harmlessly. But the two felt their cheeks grow hot as their eyes locked, both wide with surprise.

And at that exact moment, the moon reached its peak in the star-filled sky, casting its blood red beams down on the world below, lighting up its selected targets in its crimson glow. Star and Marco were rendered speechless, as the red light fell upon them, the world seeming to slow to a crawl, as the wondrous moment seemed to hold them there, trapped in time. Everything else vanished in an instant, the danger and the fear and the hurry, until all that was left was just the two of them, caught in the blood light's hypnotic glow, their cheek marks changing to red crescent moons without their knowledge.

The two were seized by an overwhelming emotion, feeling a strange sensation spread through them as, suddenly, the couple could feel the other's heartbeat beating in time to their own, pounding against their chest like a lifeline. And, for just a moment, their minds linked, hearing each others thoughts ringing through their head. Space and distance didn't seem to matter anymore, vanishing into nothingness, and suddenly they were no longer Star or Marco... they were now Star and Marco. Starco. One soul, bound together beneath a single crimson light.

Meanwhile, Rasticore just glared at the two with growing disgust and irritation. He had been caught off guard by the sudden bright beam shooting down from the heavens and landing on his prey, freezing up for a second. He had of course known about the blood moon, but he hadn't expected it to start its binding ceremony or whatever right in the middle of their fight. He looked up at the source of the bright light, as he growled at the crimson moon in annoyance, “Really?!”

He wished stuff would stop getting in the way of his job. And as he looked back at the two, he almost gagged at the love-struck look in their eyes, not even aware he was there anymore it seemed. But Rasticore recovered quickly, once he realized he could use this to his advantage, raising his metal claw again, aiming right at the two lovebirds, as it began charging with energy.

“That's right, princess, enjoy your moment with your little boyfriend,” he muttered to himself with an evil grin. “It'll be your last.”

But just before Rasticore fired the blast, Janna tackled him, knocking him to the ground and sending the beam sailing harmlessly over her two friend's heads. Though they were undamaged by the failed attack, it did manage to snap the two out of their moment, as Marco quickly lifted Star back up to her feet and the two pulled away from each other, though their eyes remained locked. Once they had separated, the red light ceased its shine, the moon's brightness fading back to its regular luminosity, and their cheek marks returned back to their signature form, though they were still glowing brighter than usual due to the teens' blushing.

The two just stood there, breathless, as they tried to make sense of the feelings and emotions they had just experienced, not sure what to make of the magical moment, both wondering the exact same thing, What was that?

…

Queen Moon frowned, watching in growing disappointment as the light from the crystal finally faded altogether, the blood moon passing over the ballroom it seemed, selecting its two lovers outside of their area. Poor Star, Moon couldn't help but think to herself as she heard several grumbles and dejected sighs from the guests.

She had been so excited at the thought that her and her boyfriend might have had their loved sealed together in the once-in-a-lifetime magical ceremony. Personally, Moon found that a bit forward, since they had only been dating for a few months but still, she hadn't wished her daughter to be disappointed. Besides, considering how close she was to the orphan boy and how much he had done to help her daughter grow and be joyful again, she had admittedly been a bit hopeful herself that the two would be chosen.

She scanned the crowd in search of finding her most-likely disheartened daughter, wanting to at least try and comfort her. But again, Star still seemed to be missing, which was extremely confusing and a little concerning to Moon. Why would Star not be present for the blood moon?

“Queen Moon! King River!” Moon turned in surprise to see one of Star's orphan friends, Jackie she believed her name was, running over to them, looking quite upset about something. But Moon's was even more surprised to see Prince Tom being willingly dragged behind the girl, his face set in a worried frown.

“Jackie? Thomas?” Moon said in shock, raising an eyebrow in confusion, as the two finally reached the Butterflies, not even bothering with the stairs as they climbed up onto the stage.

“Your Majesties, something's wrong!” Jackie quickly blurted out, but making sure to keep her voice down enough so it wouldn't be picked up on the microphone.

“What seems to be the trouble?” River asked, also looking baffled.

“There's an intruder in the castle and I think he's after Star!” Jackie immediately replied, her voice tight with worry, not even bothering to take any time to ease them into the bad news gently.

Moon and River's eyes widened, their blood going cold at the girl's words, fear consuming the two parents at the thought that their daughter could be in danger. “Star,” Moon repeated numbly.

…

Rasticore, infuriated with his half-breed opponent, shoved Janna off of him with his metal claw before rising back to his feet. He tried to once again fire a quick blast at Star and Marco, who were still staring at each other in a love-struck daze, but was stopped by a punch in the face from Janna. Once the lizard had been knocked back, Janna risked a look over at the couple, saying in slight annoyance, “Hey look I know this is a big moment for you two and I hate to ruin it and all, but could you please not just stand there like sitting ducks!”

Star and Marco finally looked over to her with wide-eyes, blinking, as they suddenly seemed to remember the danger they were still in. “Oh right, sorry,” they both said at the same time, sheepishly rubbing the back of their necks.

Janna was about to comment on the weirdly synchronized moment, but was distracted as Rasticore rushed toward her, swinging his chainsaw toward her side and she had to instead focus on not getting cut in half by the infuriated Monster. She jumped back, narrowly avoiding the spinning blade, before shifting to her bat form in an attempt to dodge his furious assault. He was becoming more and more venomous with his strikes, having clearly lost any and all patience as he held nothing back on the half-Monster girl, who was weaving her way around the chainsaw from mid-air.

Meanwhile, Star and Marco were about to try and lend their support, Star taking off her boots to make moving around easier. “Hang on, Jan! We're coming!” Star shouted, as she struggled to remove the uncomfortable shoes.

“No, you two stay back!” Janna shouted, shifting back to her Monster form a safe distance away from her opponent, keeping a weary eye on him for any sudden movements. “I can handle this guy!” She gave them a smug smirk to show her confidence, but Star and Marco looked far from convinced, surprised by the response, not sure how to feel about sitting out the rest of the fight. But at the same time, neither wanted to risk endangering their partner, so they stayed put.

Rasticore, however, merely smiled before saying in a gruff voice, “Still so confident, are we, Impure?”

He lunged forward with incredible precision, the girl side-stepping out of the way of his swinging blade with a bored look on her face, making a show of stifling a fake yawn. “I'm always confident,” she answered, provokingly. Janna then, kicked the lowered blade away, causing Rasticore to stumble slightly. He growled at the girl, before swinging the blade at her in retaliation. She dodged another precise swing from the lizard's chainsaw, before turning into a bat, flying even farther away from where Star and Marco were, trying to lure him as far away from them as she could. Once she felt she was in right spot, she shifting back, landing gracefully on her feet. “Especially when I'm about to win,” she added, her fangs flashing at him from beneath her smug, obnoxious grin.

Rasticore felt white-hot anger rushing through his blood, but he quickly subdued it, keeping a steady, focused mind. He chuckled, as he calmly walked closer to the girl, allowing his chainsaw to drag the ground behind him, sparking menacingly. “You must think you're so clever, Impure,” he spat at her harshly. “Think you can just taunt me into losing control so that you can beat me, oh so easily, and look like a hero in front of your friends.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Janna shot back.

“Than you are just like every other Impure I have ever faced. They all thought that that would work, too, thought that they could get me to slip up and make a mistake. You freaks are all the same. Thinking that silver tongue of yours can save you, but it can't.”

“Hate to break it to you, pal, but I'm not like the others you've faced before,” Janna said, still showing no signs of fear in her tone. “Seriously, I helped to kill Toffee. The leader of all Monsters. So what do you got that can take me on? You're just a half-baked assassin. This is nothing compared to him.”

Rasticore's eyes seemed to narrow even more. “So that's how the princess was able to kill the Invincible Monster, she had the help of an Impure,” he muttered to himself. “Regardless,” the lizard continued, much louder. “You cannot win this fight.”

“Really?” Janna chuckled, obnoxiously.

“Yes,” Rasticore growled in reply, before lunging at her, his chainsaw spinning away. Janna smiled at the predictable attack, waiting until the last second to jump, using the lizard's thrusting arm as support as she sailed over his head, leaving Rasticore unable to stop as his chainsaw rammed instead into one of the stone blocks that surrounded the tower. There was an ear-bleedingly loud screech, as metal collided with brick, his spinning sawblade forcefully cutting its way through the thick mortar, before becoming jammed within. The chainsaw turned itself off, as it lost its battle against the troublesome stone, Rasticore gaping in horror as his prized weapon was now trapped inside a block of stone.

He quickly began pulling on it with all his might, trying to free the blade, but it seemed it was stuck tight, not even budging against the lizard's powerful grip. “Come on, you stupid block! Ugh, just move already!” he hissed in frustration.

Meanwhile, Janna ran over to join Star and Marco, who could only stare open-mouthed at what had just occurred. “Janna, that was amazing!” Marco praised his creepy friend.

“Thanks,” she replied, looking quite proud of the praise. “I just bought us some time, but that probably won't hold him for long.”

“Then let's get out of here!” Star and Marco said as one, even their actions and tones mimicking one another perfectly. The two looked at each other in surprise, covering their mouths as their faces both blushed bright red.

“Okaaayy,” Janna said, raising an eyebrow at the two. “Well that was new.”

Before either Star or Marco could respond, they all heard a familiar blast, turning to see Rasticore lifting his chainsaw from the pile of crumbled stone he had just created with his laser.

“Ugh, seriously, does this guy ever give up?!” Janna shouted in frustration, rolling her eyes.

“Run!” Star shouted and the other two obeyed her, all of them heading for the trapdoor as fast as they could.

Rasticore saw his prey escaping and didn't even hesitate as he quickly shot off after them, running at them full speed, quickly gaining on the three teens. He raised his metal claw, firing off another beam of charged energy in their direction. But it missed the three, rocketing between Janna and Star, and instead hitting the ground in front of them, creating a small explosion that threw all of them back.

As Rasticore drew ever closer, he reached out a claw toward the fallen princess, who was trying to recover from the unexpected blast, looking quite disoriented as she clutched at her aching head. Just before he reached her, Janna jumped in the way, grabbing onto Rasticore's metal claw and digging her heels into the ground, managing to stop him in his tracks. She then quickly grabbed his other, regular arm, to keep him from hitting her with the deadly chainsaw. It once again became a power struggle as Janna tried to hold Rasticore off and the assassin tried to overpower the half-Monster girl.

“Janna!” Star shouted in worry, finally recovering enough to see the position her friend was in, Marco laying unconscious next to her.

Janna was struggling to hold the Monster off, giving everything she had into pushing him away, her arms shaking as they began to give out under his far stronger hold. Rasticore, with his metal arm, was clearly superior to Janna, it taking everything she had just to hold him at bay. “Still getting in my way, Impure,” Rasticore hissed, darkly. “That is a mistake you will soon regret!”

“The only one who made any mistakes here is you for thinking you could mess with Star,” Janna shot back, straining to hold him back.

Rasticore laughed cruelly at that. “Hardly. Once you're out of the way, taking the princess will be child's play.” He then, still holding a steady grip on the girl, allowed the energy to gather in his metal palm, all of it coursing through Janna, causing the girl to scream in pain as her body went numb, being electrocuted by the cruel assassin.

Star rose to her feet, screaming, “No! Stop it, let her go!”

Rasticore smiled evilly at this, obeying the princess as he released his grip on the half-Monster girl, Janna's body going limp as she collapsed to the ground in front of him. Rasticore then held the chainsaw up over the Impure's form, the chainsaw spinning ominously in his grip and Star's eyes widened in horror.

“Janna, no!” Star cried, tears filling her vision, as she raced over to her friend, intent on stopping the cruel Monster from carrying out his promise. But Rasticore knew the blond royal couldn't reach him in time and so he smiled victoriously at the hated Impure, who seemed for the moment to be unconscious.

“Goodbye, half-breed,” he hissed, raising his chainsaw to strike. But he stopped as something flaming and hot hit him directly in the face, causing him to stumble back, screaming in unexpected pain as he covered the now burning part of his body. He growled in anger, believing the attack to have come from Star's annoying little boyfriend, foolishly throwing candles at him or something and he swore to end him. But as he looked up, shooting the boy a death glare, he froze in surprise at who he saw instead. It was another teenage boy in a fancy white tux with purple skin and flaming red hair. His eyes glowed a sinister red and his cheeks were lit by a roaring and out of control flame, much like the one that covered his own body at the moment. He hovered in the air above the destroyed trapdoor, small flames below his feet allowing him to do so and Rasticore cringed as he recognized the boy as none other than the Prince of the Underworld himself: Tom Lucitor.

“Get away from her, now!!” the boy screamed in a deep and terrifying voice, even Princess Star having stopped to watch the young prince, though judging by the conflicted look she was giving him, she clearly didn't know how she felt about seeing him there. It was also at this moment, that Marco seemed to have awoken, sitting up and rubbing at his head, looking up at the flaming teen with surprise.

Before Rasticore could even react, Tom held out a hand and sent a fireball spiraling toward him, the lizard moving out of the way just in time to keep from getting burned. He began backing farther and farther away as Tom flew closer. “How dare you attack her, you jerk!!” he continued, his voice a deep rumble, the flames around him growing in size and strength, as his red-tinted eyes narrowed on the Monster's form. “I'm gonna burn you to a crisp!”

Before the hot-headed teen could follow through on his anger, though, they all heard a voice call from below the trapdoor, “They're up this way!”

Star and Marco gasped as they recognized the voice to be Jackie, followed by what sounded like a large group of people's footsteps racing up the staircase. Rasticore felt his blood run cold as he recognized the tell-tale sounds of trained soldier's approaching. He was a good enough assassin to know when it was time to give up and accept defeat, his cover was blown and his capture was now inevitable. Not to mention, if he stuck around there much longer he was also at risk of Prince Tom vengefully setting him on fire. His mission was now officially a failure.

He gave one last glare at the princess, saying in a definitive voice, “This is far from over, Princess Star. Someday soon we will make you pay for your crimes.”

“We?” Star repeated. “Who are you working for?!” But Rasticore didn't answer, as he then held up his chainsaw. Star, Marco, and Tom watching in disbelief as he used it to cut open a dimensional tear right in front of them. “Hey!” Tom screamed seeing his opponent about to escape, shooting another fireball his way. “Don't you run away from me!” But Rasticore was already gone, stepping through the make-shift portal, before it vanished altogether, the flames hitting the spot where the assassin had been just a second too late.

Tom surprisingly didn't dwell on this, however, as all at once, all the anger seemed to leave his body, replaced instead with fear, as he flew over to where Janna lay. Star and Marco did the same, the princess helping the boy to his feet, before joining Tom by the creepy girl's form. “Janna, are you okay?” Star asked, as the three knelt down to examine the dark-haired girl, though they all instantly sighed in relief as they noticed that she had thankfully woken up, rubbing at her sore head, even taking off the beanie to do so.

“Yeah, I'm good,” she responded in typical Janna fashion, though she sounded exhausted. “But just so you know this is by far the worst dance I have ever been to.”

Star shook her head at the girl's attempt to lighten the mood, responding tearfully, “Noted,” before she swept her up in a tight hug. “Thank you,” she muttered into the girl's ear and Janna smiled sweetly at her royal friend.

“Uh, do I get a thank you, too?” Tom asked pointing to himself, giving the girl a hopeful smile.

Star thought for a moment, giving the boy a hard look, before saying, “Yeah, I guess so. Thanks Tom.”

Tom's face seemed to brighten at the that, until Star added, “But I'm still really mad at you!”

Tom flinched, before silently nodding in understanding, not wanting to make things worse by speaking. At least it was still some small progress. He decided it was best to leave it at that.

Marco looked back to the trapdoor, as Jackie finally led the guards to the top, all of them quickly spreading out on the tower, Skullnick barking orders to all of them. A thought suddenly struck Marco as he nervously whispered over to the girl, “Janna, you still look like a Monster.”

Janna, realizing the boy was right, quickly shifted back to her Mewman form, as Tom and Star helped her to her feet. Jackie raced over to the group, quickly asking, “What happened? Are you guys alright?”

“Yeah, we're fine, Jacks,” Marco replied, giving her a comforting smile.

Jackie let out a relieved breath, as she pulled both Star and Marco into a tight hug. “Thank goodness, I was so worried about you two.”

“I'm fine too, by the way,” Janna said, sarcastically, still leaning against Tom as support.

“Where's the intruder?!” Skullnick's voice boomed directly behind them, making all of the teens jump. They hadn't even heard the troll general approaching.

“He got away,” Star explained, once she recovered from her shock. “He used his chainsaw to somehow open a dimensional portal, it must be how he got into the castle in the first place.”

“An unsanctioned dimensional transporter?” Skullnick roared, sounding beside herself at the idea. “Ohhh, Heckapoo is gonna get an earful for this!” But before, the ranting general could question her further, she was interrupted as Star heard two very familiar voices calling her name.

“Star!” The young blond felt her throat becoming chocked up as she saw her parents now standing on the old tower as well, accompanied by several knights, the look of worry on their faces melting into one of relief as they saw their daughter unharmed. “Mom! Dad!” Star cried, as she quickly ran over to them and threw her arms around them in a hug.

“Oh, my dear, we were so worried!” Moon said, squeezing her back, Star able to hear the fear still laced in her mother's voice, something they had no doubt been feeling for the last several minutes. General Skullnick just stood by at firm attention, awaiting for the right moment to speak, watching as the Butterfly Family reunited in silence, knowing better than to interrupt this important moment.

“Are you alright, darling?” River asked, seriously.

“Yes, I'm fine,” Star chocked out, tearfully, soaking in the feeling of her parent's warmth.

“Good,” River said. But as Star finally pulled away, her father's face shifted from one of relief to one of pure anger, as she rumbled loudly, “Now then, tell me where is that vile villain who dares to try and harm my daughter?!” River began looking feverishly around for his daughter's attacker, his barbarian roots returning as his parental instincts pushed out any regality he had gained over the years, sounding like he was ready to rip the guy in half with his bare hands. Which, in all likeliness, was probably true.

“He's gone, papa,” Star replied, reassuringly. “He escaped.”

“How on Mewni did you manage to avoid his capture?” Moon asked, ignoring her husband's outburst, as she brushed a stray hair out of her daughter's face. She surveyed the half-destroyed tower for a moment, taking in the destroyed brickwork that looked like it had been in some sort of explosion and the array of burnt wood fragments scattered around the tower. “It looks like a battlefield up here!”

“Umm, well, we just got lucky, I guess,” Star said, looking back at her friends, who were just quietly listening to the Butterfly family's discussion, though they all tried to hide their troubled look at this question, none of them not wanting the king and queen to know the truth about Janna.

River laughed at that. “Hah. Luck probably had nothing to do with it,” the king said, patting his daughter proudly on the shoulder. “My daughter is resourceful and skilled, just like her old man. You probably gave that assassin what for.”

“Well, however you did it, I'm just glad you're safe,” Moon said, though Star could hear admiration in her voice as well and Star felt her cheeks heating up against her will.

“Thanks,” Star said with a shy smile, still not used to her parents praising her like that.

“But who was it, Star?” Moon asked. “Do you know who did this?”

Skullnick leaned in a little to hear the answer better.

Star hesitated before answering. “H-He said his name was Rasticore,” she said, carefully.

“Rasticore,” Moon muttered, clearly trying to think if she had heard the name before.

“Yes, but...” Star looked back at the general for a moment, who was watching her intently with piercing eyes, her arms folded in waiting. The blond royal quickly pulled her parents away and out of earshot of the general, much to their confusion and slight worry. “But there's one more thing you should know,” she said, in a lowered voice, looking between both of her parents seriously. She took in a sharp breath, before admitting, “The assassin who attacked me was a Monster.”

“What?!” Moon said in disbelief.

“But I don't think he was with the other Monsters,” Star quickly added, before her mother could get any angrier. “I mean, he did say he was hired by someone else, but I just... don't think any of the Monsters had anything to do with it, he said he wasn't interested in Monster affairs.”

Her parents shared a look.

“And who do you think it was then?” River asked.

Star paused, before answering in a soft whisper, “I-I don't know.”

Moon put a hand on her daughter's shoulder, looking deep into her eyes as she said reassuringly, “We'll find him, Star. As well, as whoever it is he is working for. They won't get away with this again.”

Star said nothing else, just nodding numbly to her parents.

…

The ball was quickly concluded after that, the Butterflies giving a hasty and rushed ending speech, before shooing the regal guests away, thanking them all for coming before sending them on their way to their respective dimensions. The party goers, of course, obeyed the request of their gracious hosts, but couldn't help but feel there was more to the story than they were being told, the normally level-headed rulers seeming bizarrely on edge that evening. Still, most of them concluded that they were probably just stressed out over trying to establish a diplomatic relationship with their longtime enemies, the Monsters. None of them aware of the real reason for their lead rulers stress, Queen Moon and King River making sure to keep them in the dark about the almost disastrous incident, knowing it could prove to be problematic if word got out that a rogue Monster had attempted to take out the future ruler in what was supposed to be the safest and most secure place in Mewni. They just hoped they could get it to stay that way.

Once the castle was cleared of any prying, quizzical eyes, the knights and guards began searching every inch of the castle for any signs of any other intruders, just in case the assassin wasn't acting alone, and looking for any forms of clues that could help them capture the Monster, including interrogating the two knights who had been knocked out by Rasticore when he snuck inside, as well as Star and her friends.

After answering a long and exhausting amount of questions from General Skullnick herself, Star, Marco, Tom, Jackie, and Janna had finally been dismissed and allowed to go about their business as usual. Somehow Star ended up sitting on the front steps leading out to the castle gardens, lost deep in her own troubled thoughts, so deep she was unaware of the knights that constantly paraded around her... or the young fancily dressed Mewman slowly coming up behind her.

“Can I sit?” Marco asked the girl, Star not even turning to acknowledge him.

“Sure,” she replied, softly.

But Marco took the invitation, as he down next to Star, watching her intensely. “Wow, so... that was crazy,” he said, not sure what else to say.

“Yeah it was,” Star agreed sadly, refusing to meet his eyes, instead focusing on one of the ribbons of her dress, which had been ripped somehow during the ordeal.

The two went quiet after that, neither sure what else to say, Star just staring off into space, while Marco shifted uncomfortably next to her, silently pretending to look out at the lush gardenscape, while eying his troubled bestie out of the corner of his eye. The moment continued to stretch out for far too long, Marco beginning to feel an awkward tension starting to form between the two, coughing once to try and lighten the mood a bit, as well as clear his tight throat.

“Sooo, that Monster, what do you think he wanted?” Marco risked asking.

“I have no idea,” Star replied, rubbing a hand up and down her arm as if she were cold. “I just hope this doesn't ruin everything we worked for.” Marco knew exactly what Star meant, the same questions and worries now plaguing his own mind. Though they were at peace, it seemed it was a very fragile one, the years of hatred and oppression causing unrest between the two sides and any incident like this, regardless of why, could prove to be fuel to reignite the violent nature of the two races.

“I'm sure it'll work out,” Marco said, encouragingly, still refusing to give up hope. They had to keep the peace, he wouldn't allow anymore Mewmans or Monster to kill one another needlessly. “Right now nobody even knows about any of this yet.”

“But what happens if they do find out?” Star cried, her voice filled with desperation, as she nervously played with a strand of her hair. “The Mewmans might end up blaming the other Monsters for the attack! They'll be afraid of them all over again! They might even try and get revenge! What would we do then?!”

“Then we'd find a way to make it right,” Marco said confidently. He paused for a second before adding in a strong, sure tone, “But it's not gonna come to that, Star. You, me, your parents, Buff Frog, we won't let what Toffee did to happen ever again. Things are different now, we have each other.” Marco blushed on the last word, his mind drifting to earlier, remembering how it had felt when he and Star had been caught in the light of the blood moon, remembering the feeling of her heartbeat inside his chest and her loving words drifting through every corner of his mind, wondering how much of that had been real.

Star sniffed, wiping a frustrated tear out of her eye. “I guess you're right,” she said, sounding slightly reassured, a small smile gracing her lips for a moment. But it vanished in a flash, as she went back to playing with the ripped fabric on her dress, still not even looking in his direction, which caused Marco quite a bit of concern, the boy realizing there was something else causing her so much distress.

“Star, what's really wrong?” Marco asked, worriedly, placing a hand ontop of hers, preventing her hands from fiddling anymore, as she looked over into his eyes, Marco still left breathless by the beautiful sky blue irises focusing on him.

Star looked deep into the chocolate brown of Marco's eyes for a moment, still quite amazed how easily Marco had seen through her. She couldn't keep anything from him for long, he knew her too well. “It's just that,” Star said, before releasing a depressed sigh. “I just... I wanted our first date to be perfect... not nightmare inducing. And now the whole night was ruined.” She propped her head on her hand, as she looked out into the dark woods, the dejection in her actions, unmistakable.

Marco thought for a second, trying to come up with a way to cheer his bestie up. Honestly, he couldn't pretend being almost kidnapped by a Monster wasn't terrifying and hadn't left him feeling on edge, the boy now left with quite a few things to think about, outside of just the unrest between his two families. Most notably being the name Rasticore had called him. Diaz. He would have to talk to Buff Frog soon, ask him if the assassin was telling the truth about that being his last name, the name he shared with his parents, the last remnant he had of them.

But that would have to wait until a later date, right now his focus was on his girlfriend and making her happy. So he forced out all the questions and worries as he looked around for an idea. His eyes, eventually drifted up to the night sky, his eyes landing on the blood moon. Though it was no longer at its peak, lowering further and further toward the horizon, its crimson glow was still breathtaking. Marco smiled, an idea coming to him, as his red suns, for a moment, turned into blinking lightbulbs. The boy stood, causing Star to stare up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Well the nights not over yet,” Marco said, looking down at the girl with one of his signature smiles. He offered her a hand, before adding, with a soft blush on his cheeks, “So Star Butterfly, would you care to dance?”

Star eyed the hand for a few seconds, before nodding, shooting him a grateful smile as she took his hand in hers, allowing him to pull her to her feet. He led her out onto the soft grass, Star realizing she was still barefoot, but she kinda liked the way the grass felt on her toes. Once they were far enough out, Marco turned back to the girl, putting a hand on her side, just like he had before and Star placing her hand on his shoulder, waiting for him to begin the dance.

But the boy stood still for a moment, looking a little embarrassed about something. “What is it, Marco?” Star asked.

“I, uh, just realized I don't know how to dance without music,” Marco said, sheepishly.

Star chuckled slightly at his cuteness, before pulling closer to him, giving him the softest kiss on the lips. “I can fix that,” she said. She then began to hum a tune, Marco instantly recognizing it as the song they had danced to at the Orphan's Ball, and he sucked in a breath, surprised by how sweet and perfect Star's singing voice was, able to clearly and easily carry the melody without pause. He had never heard her sing before, but he hoped he got the chance to hear it a million times after, the sound frying braincells with every note.

Then without warning, she pulled him into a dance, leading him into a graceful twirl, her voice growing louder and more sure as she did. To his credit, Marco kept up with the girl, quickly getting into the steady rhythm of Star's dance, matching her movements perfectly, the two once again in sync with one another, almost as if they knew what the other was about to do, moving as one.

Then, even though he had only heard it once before, he began to hum the tune as well and Star faltered a bit in pitch, surprised by how lovely the boy's own voice sounded, her heart cheek marks beating once. But as she found her voice once more, she found that it matched up perfectly with Marco's, the two harmonizing with one another in every way. They continued on like that for a while, their dance becoming more and more fluid and confident and their voices growing louder with every shared note, finding courage in the knowledge that their partner was following along with them, feeling safe and comforted in each others arm's.

Meanwhile, a less pleasant scene was going on inside the ballroom, as Jackie, Janna, and Tom just silently watching the knight's frantic search. The three had yet to say anything since they had been released by Skullnick, Marco even quickly abandoning the teens to look for Star, though they did continue to share looks with one another, none sure what to say now, after everything.

Tom especially seemed jolted by the experience, standing between the two girls awkwardly, his calm facade fading in their presence, or more specifically Janna's. Every time he cast a glance toward her, his cheeks inadvertently heated up and he began to lose any and all functioning of his brain.

He wanted to try and talk to Janna about the... thing she had done earlier before she left, but something about the fake relaxed smile she was giving made him hesitant. He understood why she was acting so eerily calm, she had come close to being exposed as an Impure, Skullnick's pestering questions detailed and difficult to lie through. She was trying to protect herself and so, as much as he didn't want to, he decided it was best just to leave things where they were for now.

He cleared his throat, breaking the tense moment at last, the two girls turning to him and he made sure his voice was as smooth and lacking any form of an unmanly squeak as he could as he said, “Well, since the ball is officially over, I don't really have much reason to stick around, so I guess I'll see you two around.” He quickly turned away, about to open a portal back to the Underworld and save him from anymore embarrassment, until he strangely heard Jackie's voice call out to him, “Wait Tom!”

The boy turned back to face the skater girl and she gave him a wide, warm smile. “I just wanted to say... thank you so much for your help back there,” she said gratefully.

“No problem,” he replied, with his own smile.

Jackie's face became slightly sheepish and she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, adding reluctantly, “I guess I misjudged you all these years. You really are a great guy, Tom.”

Tom was taken aback by the white-haired girl's praise, but tried not to show his surprise as he said, “Th-Thank you.” He wasn't really sure what else to say.

Then Janna caught him even more off guard as she suddenly leaned in with that same smug, irresistible smile dancing on her lips. “I enjoyed our dance, we should do it again sometime,” she whispered playfully. The boy gulped hard, his throat becoming far too dry to respond. And as she continued to stare at him, Tom's felt his heart rate spike as he tried desperately to keep his skin from heating up anymore, for some reason the young pyro powerless to control his body temperature when Janna was involved.

“Y-Yeah, right,” he managed to gasp out.

He was about to turn away when Janna quickly grabbed onto his tie, holding him in place as she added in a sugary-sweet voice, “Oh, and thanks for the save, hot stuff.” She surprising him with another kiss on the cheek, the boy's whole body going stiff. “See you around,” she whispered seductively in his ear.

Tom laughed nervously, as he struggled to recover from the experience, moving out of the girl's grasp, backing nervously away from the girls. “C-Cool. Yes. S-So I'm just g-gonna go now,” he stuttered, averting his eyes from either of them, mortified by his awkward behavior, wondering if he could ever live this down. But Janna just enjoyed watching the boy fumble with his words, his cheek flames snuffing out altogether as soon as her lips had touched one of them. “S-so bye,” he said in barely a whisper, giving the tinest of waves, before his body disappeared into flames, never once looking up as he did.

The second the smoke had cleared, leaving no sign anyone had been standing there a moment ago, Jackie shot her roommate a glare. “That was really mean,” she scolded, feeling bad for the boy, knowing how much his reputation meant to him.

“What was mean about it?” Janna asked innocently, though the mischievous look in her eyes gave her away. “I was just thanking him for saving my life.”

“Uh, huh,” Jackie deadpanned. But she smiled again, as she leaned in a bit closer to her friend. “So, you and Tom, huh?” the white-haired girl asked, a slight tease in her own tone.

“Maybe, we'll see.” Janna tried to act nonchalant, shrugging carelessly, but the joy in her eyes was unmistakable. The two began walking across the now empty dance floor, side by side, and Janna decided to change the subject back to the other important matters of the evening, saying in a very businesslike tone, “Now then, about the bet...”

Jackie immediately sighed in defeat. “Well, I think it's pretty obvious who won,” Jackie said, gesturing to the hectic mess of the ballroom.

“You called it. It's Star and Marco so, of course, something crazy had to happen,” she added, sounding genuinely disappointed, crossing her arms in front of her and staring at her feet. “It was stupid of me to think I could plan the perfect first date.”

“Yeah it was,” Janna answered honestly and Jackie shot her a quick glare. But she stopped as the two reached the door to the garden, a small smile on her lips, as she added, “But you weren't totally wrong.”

Jackie gave her a questioning look and Janna gestured out to the palace garden, Jackie following her look. She froze, seeing Star and Marco happily dancing together in the picturesque type scene, giggling and humming to themselves, their love and joy obvious even from a distance, looking so content just to be with one another. Jackie didn't even blink, as Janna draped an arm across the girl's shoulders. “See the problem was,” she said, matter-of-factly. “You forgot the most important thing about Star and Marco. They thrive on chaos, it always brings them closer together. Guaranteed, every time.”

Jackie said nothing, but her face changed from one of shock to one of delight, as the young couple finally ceased their dance, stopping mid-step as Marco suddenly kissed Star on the lips, the urge apparently too strong, the two closing their eyes as they just enjoyed the moment of bliss. And as the kiss deepened Jackie said softly, “You're right, Jan. I really didn't have to try too hard. Looks they found a way to get closer even without my help.”

The two went silent for a moment, just watching as Star and Marco remained in their kiss, Star wrapping her arms around the boy's neck to draw him even closer to her. Until finally, Janna added quickly, “Plus, they were actually in the blood moon's binding ceremony during our fight with that Monster guy, so there's that.”

“Wait what?” Jackie asked in surprise, but Janna was already gone. “Janna!” Jackie yelled after her sneaky friend, who had turned into a bat, flying away into the star-filled sky to escape her angry roommate's reprimanding. “Come back!”

Star and Marco were too lost in their own moment to even notice the disturbance, the world consisting of just the two of them once again. They both sighed against each others lips, so thankful how the night had turned out, despite everything. While above them, unbeknownst to anyone, the blood moon's glow intensified, looking almost like a crimson red sun, as the stars around it began to sparkle with an incredible light, as if they two were dancing to the night's silent song.

…

Rasticore emerged from his self-made portal, singed and defeated, as he pulled off the burnt remains of his only cloak, holding back the annoyed growl that began building up in his throat, not sure who he was more infuriated with. Though he was fairly sure the Impure easily topped his list. He ignored the stale air of the abandoned temple, as he sat down on a crumbled pillar that had long since fallen, fiddling with his precious chainsaw, wanting to make sure it wasn't too damaged from the Impure's annoying trick.

“How did your mission go, Rasticore?” a voice called and the lizard looked up from his work to see his beneficiary coming closer, an older woman in a very fancy dress. “I see that the princess isn't here with you,” she replied, looking around the lizard with a slight glare.

He immediately rose to his feet out of respect to his client, clearing his throat before replying honestly, “I, unfortunately, was unsuccessful in capturing Princess Star. Her and her friends proved to be more... troublesome than I expected them to be.”

“Troublesome? I was under the impression that you were a professional.” Rasticore heard the judgment in her tone and felt a twinge of anger.

“My cover was blown,” he explained, trying to hold back the venom in his tone. “I had no choice but to leave.”

“Well, if you were just going to give up so easily, perhaps I hired the wrong Monster.” Rasticore tried not to grit his teeth as the Mewman began tapping her fingers against her arm, impatiently.

“I will not fail you again, I swear. Next time, Princess Star, will be yours.”

The woman looking pleased at the idea, a small, evil grin on her face. “Good,” she said, before quickly retaining her regal pose. “But for now we will simply move on to the next princess on the list. It's too risky to try another attack at this point. We will just have to come back to Princess Star when the time is right.”

“Yes , Miss Heinous,” Rasticore responded, bowing his head to her.

Heinous smiled bitterly, in response, before turning away from her lackey, already thinking on how to reacquire the next rebellious mind that had dared to defy her perfect vision.

#Star vs #Star vs AU #My Writing #Light of the Sun and Stars #Starco #Jantom #Blood Moon Ball

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holy-ghost-fire · 5 years ago

Note

All of theeee odd nunbrs

(I’m only doing this because you’re my favorite)

1. What is you middle name?

Mmmmm I’ll answer that one privately :)

3. When is your birthday?

December 21st, otherwise known as the shortest day of the year lol

5. What is your favorite color?

Black!

7. Do you have any pets?

No :(

9. How tall are you?

6′0!

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

I have four pairs, two sneakers and two formal shoes. That’s twice as many than I usually have lol

13. What talents do you have?

Uhhhh it’s not so much a talent but I’ve done a lot of work combing through old newspapers and yearbooks for projects of mine. Other than that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

15. Favorite song?

I have so many but I usually say “Let The Cards Fall” by Blitzen Trapper is it

17. Who would be your ideal partner?

Someone who loves Jesus and strives for the best in herself and in me. Also someone who likes sports and can humor me with all my weird interests lol

19. Do you want a church wedding?

It would be an option if we found a good little church to have it in but its not a must. I’d just be happy getting married haha

21. Have you ever been to the hospital?

I’ve been a couple times when I was younger but I’ve generally been alright enough to never need to go

23. Have you ever met any celebrities?

I wouldn’t say I’ve met any celebrities, but I’ve met some notable people here and there. I got to meet Rand Paul at a rally in Seattle and General Mattis at WSU when he spoke there. Other than that its just been athletes, indie artists, and other people who I think are interesting

25. What color socks are you wearing?

Black, thats the only color socks I wear

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?

Hell no, I’d rather just be rich and not known by anyone lol

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

Nope

31. What position do you usually sleep in?

I sleep on my back, sometimes I can fall asleep on my side but never on my front.

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

A nice egg sandwich or cereal, but if I’m in a rush it’ll be coffee and a granola bar.

35. Have you ever tried archery?

Not really, it’s not my thing. I prefer firearms much more

37. Favorite swear word?

Probably “fuck”, usually because I mostly swear when I’m frustrated so it works lol

39. Do you have any scars?

I have some small scars here and there but I have scars on my face from stitches I got when I was bit by a dog and when I played ultimate frisbee too hard. They’re not too noticeable unless you look

41. Are you a good liar?

My Mom doesn’t think so lol I think if you know me well enough, you’ll know when I’m lying and when I’m honest

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?

Man I wish, but nothing that’s convincing

45. What is your favorite accent?

Texan, its like a Southern accent but better

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?

Probably the slacks I bought for a wedding this last December, they were about $100 bucks.

49. Are you an innie or an outie?

Innie, outies are weird

51. Are you scared of spiders?

I hate spiders, they die on sight

53. Favorite foreign food?

Mexican, my family makes it perfectly and I love it.

55. Most used phrased?

“Better late than never!” since I run late sometimes

57. How long does it take for you to get ready?

I get up two hours before I have to leave for work or class because I like to take my time and eat breakfast.

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

Bite? I think I do both tbh

61. Do you sing to yourself?

Only when I’m in the car

63. Biggest Fear?

Dying before I accomplished anything notable

65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?

“Good Night and Good Luck” is one of my favorite dramas

67. Can you name all 50 states of America?

Yes I can, I ain’t no filthy foreigner

69. Extrovert or Introvert?

I used to be very extroverted but I think I’ve become more introverted or at least I’m more selective about when to be extroverted and talk to people. I enjoy my time alone but I like people

71. What makes you nervous?

Thinking about my future, and also going to places I’ve never been before still gets me nervous from time to time..

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?

Sometimes, but I’m much more tactful about that than I was before

75. Have you ever started a rumor?

I don’t think so? I enjoy the tea, I don’t make it

77. Have you ever drank underage?

I had sips of alcohol before I was 21 but nothing crazy.

79. Who was your first real crush?

In 9th grade, there was this Mormon girl named Brooke who I had a huge crush on for like a year.

81. Can you roll your R’s?

Not that well but a little bit

83. How fast can you run?

I hate running

85. What color is your eyes?

Brown! Its plain but I’ve been told I have nice eyes

87. Do you keep a journal?

I do, I usually write once a week about life and my thoughts.

89. Do you like your age?

I don’t dislike it, but I really don’t like getting older

91. Do you like your own name?

I never really liked my name. I like my last name but there’s a couple reasons why I go by a nickname nowadays.

93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?

Both! Ideally I’d want two boys and a girl for children but if I had to pick one, I’d have a son.

95. What are your weaknesses?

Hooo boy, there’s too many to list here.

97. Were your ancestors royalty?

Not to my knowledge, my grandfather being mayor in his town is the closest thing I can think of. My parents never really talked about our family history.

99. Color of your bedspread?

Black and gray

Thank you! :)

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1ove-jin · 6 years ago

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Disclaimer: I know not all Armys are like this! I know there are also a lot of ArmyCTzens like myself. I know that there are problematic NCTzens who DO blame Armys. Both sides have those fans that need to be called out. This is not hate directed at any one fandom and I’m not a police, but we should discuss this in a civil manner. Warning is that this is a long ass rant:

So here’s the thing - the western market is opening up, right? We should all thank BTS as a major contributor for this, that’s the actual truth. I’m super proud of all of BTS’ accomplishments, but if we, as a fandom really are proud of this accomplishment then can we all please act like it and stop being self-proclaimed ‘security guards’ slamming opportunities for other artists in the face?

BTS are the biggest act right now, but that doesn’t mean they own the rights to a whole music market. We would be hurt if someone would have told BTS “you can’t go to Japan and promote because Tohoshinki were there first, they opened the way, they’re the top artist in Japan!” - we’d call that unfair. Please don’t be hypocrites and tell other artists they can’t expand into the western market

It’s not a pity party. It’s not a ‘who struggled more’ party. EVERYBODY struggled to get what they have now. Just because NCT is from a big company, doesn’t mean the members didn’t struggle and comparing someone’s struggles to another person’s is the shittiest thing to do honestly. For example

“I just failed a test I studied so hard for, what will my parents do?”

“aww that sucks, but at least you’re rich! I just failed a test, and I’m poor. I have it way worse you shouldn’t be complaining.”

Sounds absolutely terrible doesn’t it? I know BTS came from a small company, and they struggled so much. I was posting about BTS when they were happy they even got 100 people to show up at their fan-meets. When Jungkook was trying to promote a free concert. I’m not denying it, they struggled to get the the top and deserve everything they have.

But why doesn’t NCT deserve it? Why does anybody assume they got everything handed to them on a golden plate? Do some people think they jet skied to debut? Can anyone speak from experience and say that debuting under SM is easy?

Jisung of NCT joined to be an SM trainee when he was just about 10 years old. He promoted through the school year and literally said “I have no friends (because nobody relates to me). I have nobody.”

Ten left Thailand to make something of himself and he cried in front of his teachers who acknowledged his passion for dance. Because he hoped to repay the people who were responsible for his education in his homeland.

Huang Renjun, born in 2000, laughed and put on the “pure boy” image SM shoved down his throat, but deep down he was concerned about worrying his parents.

Wong Yukhei, born in 1999 (also not even 20), left his home country and when he smelled Thai food - immediately said he thinks of his mother. Can you imagine how much he misses his family?

Johnny Seo, Nakamoto Yuta, Qian Kun, Ten, Dong Sicheng, Wong Yukhei, Mark Lee, Huang Renjun, Zhong Chenle - all 9 foreign members who left behind either their families, friends, home countries, favorite foods, and languages so they could go to a basement to train without knowing if they’d debut or not.

Taeyong was accused of being a criminal - a scammer. Turned out to be not true. Suffered a lot of emotional hardships because of that pressure and to this day people still call him fake or hate him saying he trusts his face to employ him. He was told, directly, “you won’t do” when he first tried to dance in SM. He MADE HIMSELF one of the noticeable dancers in NCT by practice - there’s no way to cheat around that.

Moon Taeil passed a really cut-throat audition and had to choose between attending university or pursuing his dream as a singer. He made that hard choice. He gave himself that opportunity.

Na Jaemin suffered a back injury and halted promotions with Dream.

Mark Lee. Left his family when he was 12. Non-stop for two years has never not been busy. NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, High school rapper, snowball project, SM station, SM Town, KCON - how many dances has he memorized? How many nights did he spend recording? He memorized lyrics in 4 different languages (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese), how many hours of sleep did he give up because SM kept rolling him like a machine? And he never complains. He’s just turned 19.

If you want to talk about mental, physical, emotional suffering pre-debut, post-debut, till now, than NCT have suffered enough and don’t need no bullshit attitude like “but SM hands them everything!!!”

I don’t believe SM paid to have NCT planted / somehow ‘infiltrate’ the US market. From the beginning they were planned as a global group starting with 127 in Seoul. Literally half of their members are foreign members, and 2 are natural born citizens of a predominantly English speaking country. Johnny is from America, Mark is from Canada. What likely happened was that western media became aware of kpop thanks to BTS and wanted to explore / hype this thing as a whole ‘kpop wave’ - and they naturally found one of the biggest companies; SME, who gave them NCT because of the vision, plan, and potential; america bought it up and invited them over.

Yes, SM being a big company helped them stand out to the west, and NCT being in SM helps, but for each member to get into NCT and for NCT’s sound to be as good as it is- that’s their efforts. That’s there sleepless nights, their notebooks filled with lyrics, their 12 hour dance practices, their choreography, that’s their work.

All members of BTS and NCT struggled in their own ways. You can’t say one struggled more than another. All the emotions that ran through them, the worries, the stress, that’s all valid and important and everyone handles it differently.Therefore, NCT deserve everything they get. SM didn’t coddle them because they were foreigners or good looking or only 10 years old - they said ‘work your ass off’ and ‘wait’ or ‘get out’ - so once all that grueling trainee shit was done they said ‘okay we’ll support you with money’ - they earned that support.

ANYBODY wanting them to flop is immature as hell. Like are people really out there saying they hope NCT won’t be successful? So you want a 16 year old who has no friends, nobody to rely on but his hyungs to fail? You’d be happy to see his family flop, really?

You want a guy who was acknowledged for his traditional Chinese dance skills and left behind his rightful place in a highly selective university to flop? The guy who’s coped with the frustration of a ‘cute dumb’ image despite being an intellect trying to master another language, just trying to get his thoughts across to flop?

What about the guy who has ‘debuted’ but doesn’t even have a song yet, but still patiently smiles and genuinely supports others as if it were his own stage while waiting? Or the guy who cries if he even thinks about his parents because all he wants to be is a good and successful son? you want him to end his dreams?

The guy trying to love his dark skin in South Korea, who’s never nearly acknowledged enough about his great vocals and dance skills, only told he’s noisy, but still- STILL smiles at his fans and puts on that bubbly personality every.single.day. The one who debuted at 16, was sexualized by gross fans, and still got up to get behind the camera despite the mental trauma stuff like that could cause.

What kind of person are you to want them to fail? That’s the question. Because I recommend you start being the person to listen to some kings of wisdom- BTS: they’ve been telling us to cultivate love in our hearts. To end verbal, physical, emotional violence.

Don’t be that person. Be better than that. And if you’re that kind of Army, honestly? Shame on you. We HAVE to be better than that if we want to take pride in opening a market, we have to let people in. Nobody will dethrone BTS. But the stage at the top is big enough for everybody. Everybody who managed to climb there deserves a spot.

#bts #bangtan #nct #nct 127 #nct dream #nct u #nct 2018 #long post #yeah both fandoms are going to hate me but I had to #don't read this if you're easily offended

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back-and-totheleft · 3 years ago

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"Vietnam as it really was"

Oliver Stone sprang up in bed and found fear staining his sheets. A dream had startled him awake. He was 16 years out of Viet Nam, but in the dream, "they had shipped me back. Somehow they found me at the age of 38 and sent me back. I woke up in a sweat, in total terror." That was two years ago. Now Stone, who earned a Bronze Star and a MASH unit's worth of physical and emotional wounds in the jungles of Viet Nam, has transformed his war experience -- the bad dream he lived through for 15 months in 1967-68 -- into a film called Platoon. With craft, crackle, a little bombast and plenty of residual rage, he has created a time-capsule movie that explodes like a frag bomb in the consciousness of America, showing how it was back then, over there.

Begin with a birth: a baby-faced soldier, Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), is delivered from the womb of a transport plane into the harsh light of Viet Nam. He will find death soon enough: four patrols in the film, four wrenching revelations. On Chris' first night patrol he watches, paralyzed with fear, as the enemy approaches and another new boy dies. On a second patrol the platoon enters a village that might be My Lai; anger goads Chris to spit bullets at the feet of a petrified Vietnamese, and before the day is over the group's leader, Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), has seen to the slaughtering of villagers before the entire place is torched. During a third battle, Barnes tracks down a woods-wise sergeant, Elias (Willem Dafoe), who had interrupted Barnes' massacre, shoots him and leaves him for dead. On the final patrol Chris flips into heroism or psychosis, wipes out a nest of North Vietnamese and confronts the demon he has almost become. End with a murder -- the last of too bloody many.

Welcome to the old nightmare -- the one neither Stone nor the 2.7 million American soldiers who went to Viet Nam can shake. Welcome back to the war that, just 20 years ago, turned America schizophrenic. Suddenly we were a nation split between left and right, black and white, hip and square, mothers and fathers, parents and children. For a nation whose war history had read like a John Wayne war movie -- where good guys finish first by being tough and playing fair -- the polarization was soul-souring. Americans were fighting themselves, and both sides lost.

Platoon pushes the metaphor further, thousands of miles away from the "world," into the combat zones of Nam. Platoon says that American soldiers -- the young men we sent there to do our righteous dirty work -- turned their frustrations toward fratricide. In Viet Nam, Stone suggests, G.I.s re-created the world back home, with its antagonisms of race, region and class. Finding no clear and honorable path to victory in the booby-trapped underbrush, some grunts focused their gunsights on their comrades. The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese army (NVA) were shadowy figures in this family tragedy; stage center, it was sibling riflery. Stone's achievement is to pound and hack this theme into a ripping yarn about a good man, an evil man and an Everyman -- a young, romanticized Oliver Stone -- suspended between them with his life and ideals in the balance. In vivid imagery and incendiary action, Stone's film asks of our soldiers, "Am I my brother's killer?" The answer is an anguished yes.

And a resounding "you bet" to the question, Can a ferocious movie about an unpopular war, filmed on the cheap with no stars and turned down by every major studio, find success, controversy and the promise of an Oscar statuette at the end of the tunnel? In its early limited opening, Platoon is already a prestige hit, and the film shows signs of becoming a blockbuster as it opens across the country over the next three weeks. It has captivated intellectuals, movie buffs and urban grunts -- astonishing, across-the-board appeal for a hellacious sermon. It has ignited a fire storm of debate, from political swamis and Viet vets, on its merits as art and history. It is the fountainhead for a freshet of Viet Nam exploration: We Can Keep You Forever, a BBC documentary about the mystery surrounding MIAs, will be aired Wednesday in 21 U.S. cities, and this spring will see two new movies set in Viet Nam, The Hanoi Hilton and Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. In a movie season of Trekkies, Dundees and dentist-devouring houseplants, Oliver Stone has proved that a film can still roil the blood of the American body politic. Platoon the picture is now Platoon the phenomenon.

It is a picture first and foremost, a series of pictures that lodge in the mind with other indelible images of war. The prop wash from a landing helicopter blows the tarpaulins off three bodies, their shrouds torn off, their makeshift graves defiled. In the village, after the slaughter, the soldiers carry Vietnamese children on their shoulders -- G.I. Joes, big brothers to the kids whose village they have just destroyed -- and the soldier who bashed a man's head takes a tourist snapshot of the holocaust. More than any other film, Platoon gives the sense -- all five senses -- of fighting in Viet Nam. You can wilt from the claustrophobic heat of this Rousseauvian jungle; feel the sting of the leeches as they snack on Chris' flesh; hear all at once the chorus of insects, an enemy's approaching footsteps on the green carpet and Chris' heartbeat on night patrol. The film does not glamourize or trivialize death with grotesque special effects. But it jolts the viewer alive to the sensuousness of danger, fear and war lust. All senses must be alert when your life is at stake, and Oliver Stone is an artist-showman who can make movies seem a matter of life and death.

Until Dec. 19, though, when Platoon opened, Hollywood had thought the picture a matter of indifference. It had taken Stone ten hungry years to get the project going. "For two years in the late '70s," says Producer Martin Bregman, "I banged on every door in California to get it done, but at that time Viet Nam was still a no-no." Tom Berenger, the film's showcase psychopath, imagines that "it must have made Stone feel like an old man, carrying the project around for so long. He said it broke his heart." Then something interesting happened: people went for Platoon. Most critics were impressed, many were impassioned, and even those who trashed the picture helped make it the season's top conversation piece. Soon long lines were forming outside the movie's Times Square flagship -- at lunchtime, on weekdays, in the hawk bite of a January wind -- and after midnight in early- to-bed Hollywood. In 74 theaters on the Jan. 9-11 weekend, Platoon averaged more than $22,000, the highest per-screen take of any new film.

In the industry, Stone's old colleagues and fellow directors have laid on their benedictions. Woody Allen calls it a "fine movie, an excellent movie." Says Steven Spielberg: "It is more than a movie; it's like being in Viet Nam. Platoon makes you feel you've been there and never want to go back." James Woods, who starred in Stone's previous film, Salvador, calls him an "artist whose vision transcends politics. Everyone from the ex-hippie to the ex-grunt can be moved by Platoon. And his passion isn't bogus -- he doesn't play Imagine at the end of the film to break people's hearts." Brian De Palma, who filmed Scarface from a Stone script, sees him achieving a volcanic maturity in Platoon: "He has now channeled his feeling and energy into a cohesive dramatic work. He's an auteur making a movie about what he experienced and understands. Seeing Platoon get through the system makes the soul feel good."

With its critical, popular and insider acclaim swelling, Platoon began to shoulder its way toward the front rank of Oscar favorites. By now it would have to be counted as the front runner, and Hollywood is furrowing its back with self-congratulatory pats for making this big bold message movie. To Stone, Hollywood's claim of paternity for Platoon must seem a rich joke. He and Hollywood both know that Platoon -- like The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, The Boys in Company C, The Killing Fields and nearly all the serious movies about the war in Southeast Asia -- secured its major financing from foreign producers. "It was a picture we wanted to support," says John Daly, chairman of Britain's Hemdale Pictures, which also produced Salvador. "We respect Oliver's passions. Besides, he spent only $6 million on Platoon" -- about half the budget of a typical Hollywood film.

The typical film, though, does not provoke a political free-for-all. Many conservatives have taken up arms against Platoon. In the far-right Washington Times' Insight magazine, John Podhoretz castigates it as "one of the most repellent movies ever made in this country." The film, he says, "blackens the name and belittles the sacrifice of every man and woman who served the United States in the Viet Nam War (including Stone)." Politicians are eager to return the salvos. Former Senator Gary Hart, aware of the electorate's fondness for presidential candidates with movie credentials, campaigns for the film by urging that "every teenager in America should see Platoon."

Now ask a man who's been there: David Halberstam, who covered the war for the New York Times and, in The Best and the Brightest, documented two Administrations' slides into the Big Muddy. "Platoon is the first real Viet Nam film," Halberstam proclaims, "and one of the great war movies of all time. The other Hollywood Viet Nam films have been a rape of history. But Platoon is historically and politically accurate. It understands something that the architects of the war never did: how the foliage, the thickness of the jungle, negated U.S. technological superiority. You can see how the forest sucks in American soldiers; they just disappear. I think the film will become an American classic. Thirty years from now, people will think of the Viet Nam War as Platoon."

Neither Sly Stallone nor Oliver Stone can put the whole picture of Viet Nam on a movie screen. There were 2.7 million stories in the naked jungle. Each veteran has his own view of the war, and each will have his own vision of Platoon. More than a few are disturbed by its presentation of a military unit at war with itself. Says Bob Duncan, 39, who served in the 1st Infantry at the same time Stone was in the 25th: "He managed to take every cliche -- the 'baby killer' and 'dope addict' -- that we've lived with for the past 20 years and stick them in the movie about Viet Nam." Says another veteran, Nick Nickelson, 43: "I hope this doesn't bring back those old depictions. God help us, I don't want to go back into a closet again."

Other vets deny the prevalence of dope smoking and the depiction of military officers as either psychos or cowards. But John Wheeler, 42, a veteran who is president of the Center for the Study of the Viet Nam Generation in Washington and chairman of the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Fund, argues that "there were drug cultures; there were green lieutenants. Stone wanted to clean out the festering part of the wound. The next Viet Nam movie may be the one that tells the whole truth: that we were the best-equipped, best-trained army ever fielded, but against a dedicated foe in an impossible terrain. It was a state-of-the-art war on both sides. But Platoon is a new statement about Viet Nam veterans. Before, we were either objects of pity or objects that had to be defused to keep us at a distance. Platoon makes us real. The Viet Nam Memorial was one gate our country had to pass through; Platoon is another. It is part of the healing process. It speaks to our generation. Those guys are us."

Listen to these guys, and you may suspect that Platoon is not so much a movie as a Rorschach blot. But that is part of the caginess of Stone's approach. The French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard once wrote that when a good film is also a popular film, it is because of a misunderstanding. Platoon could very well be misunderstood into superhit status. The army of Rambomaniacs will love the picture because it delivers more bang for the buck; all those yellow folks blow up real good. Aging lefties can see the film as a demonstration of war's inhuman futility. Graybeards on the right may call it a tribute to our fighting men, in whatever foreign adventure. The intelligentsia can credit Platoon with expressing, in bold cinematic strokes, Stone's grand themes of comradeship and betrayal. And the average youthful moviegoer -- too young to remember Viet Nam even as the living-room war -- may discover where Dad went in the 1960s and why he came home changed or came home in a body bag.

"In any other war, they would have made movies about us too. Dateline: Hell!, Dispatch from Dong Ha, maybe even A Scrambler to the Front . . . But Viet Nam is awkward, everybody knows how awkward, and if people don't even want to hear about it, you know they're not going to pay money to sit there in the dark and have it brought up." So wrote Michael Herr in Dispatches, published in 1977, a year before the first spate of Viet Nam dramas. (The mid-'60s had offered a couple of World War II wheezes disguised as topical films: A Yank in Viet-Nam, so poorly received that it changed its name to Year of the Tiger, and John Wayne's hilariously wrongheaded The Green Berets, with its famous climax of the sun setting in the east.) 1978 brought three pictures -- Coming Home, The Boys in Company C and The Deer Hunter -- that touched on Viet Nam, and the following year Francis Coppola released Apocalypse Now.

Trouble was, most of these films were not about Viet Nam. Coming Home was a disabled-vet love story -- The Best Years of Our Lives with Jon Voight in the Harold Russell role. The Deer Hunter was . . . well, what was it? An incoherent parable about male bonding through Russian roulette. Bats and beautiful, it stood like Ishmael on the prow of its pretensions and declared, "Call me masterpiece." Apocalypse Now was fine as long as it accompanied its doomed, questing hero (played by Martin Sheen, Charlie's father) upstream on the River Styx; then it fogged off into fantasyland with Marlon Buddha. Only Company C, a standard-issue war film about recruits betrayed by their incompetent officers, spent much time in a Nam combat zone. But it really resided, with The Green Berets, in the twilight zone of World War II gestures and bromides.

Hollywood (and not just Hollywood) refused to see that Viet Nam was different. All the old givens -- beau geste, military master plans, unswerving belief in the officer class -- were fatally irrelevant to a guerrilla war. Forget the World War II narrative line of tanks and tactics, which moved with the ponderous sweep of a Golden Age Hollywood plot. Viet Nam, set in jungles without beginning or end, was a flash of episodic, aleatory explosions; it was modernism brought to war. And a new kind of war demanded a new look at the war-movie genre. Platoon fills the bill. It is a huge black slab of remembrance, chiseled in sorrow and anger -- the first Viet Nam Memorial movie.

Though Platoon is a breakthrough, it is not a breakaway. The film is traditional enough to connect with a mass audience. In its story line it holds echoes of Attack!, Robert Aldrich's 1956 psychodrama, in which a World War II infantry company is torn by a mortal struggle between two officers -- one messianic, the other deranged -- while a young man's loyalty hangs in the balance. Platoon's narration, in the form of Chris' letters to his grandmother, is often as stilted and redundant as silent-movie title cards. When a naive new boy shows Chris a photo of his sweetheart, you just know that, in the best '40s-movie fashion, the guy's a goner.

There are darker currents, too, of a passive racism. The black soldiers are occasionally patronized and sentimentalized; they stand to the side while the white soldiers grab all the big emotions. And the Vietnamese are either pathetic victims or the invisible, inhuman enemy. In the scheme of Platoon (and not just Platoon) they do not matter. The nearly 1 million Vietnamese casualties are deemed trivial compared with America's loss of innocence, of allies, of geopolitical face. And the tragedy of Viet Nam is seen as this: not that they died, but that we debased ourselves by killing them.

Of course, Platoon need not be every possible Viet Nam film to be the best one so far. It is enough that Stone has devised a drama of palpable realism that is also a metaphor for the uncivil war that raged in the U.S. and can flare up anytime in any family. Indeed, at the film's molten core is the tug of wills between two strong men, outsize figures of shameless strutting charisma, for parentage of their platoon and for their new recruit, Chris. Barnes, the staff sergeant, could be Chris' legal father; Elias, the romantic renegade, could be a spiritual father, even after his death. They are like Claudius and the Ghost wrestling for Hamlet's allegiance.

Both men are legendary soldiers who have survived long years in Viet Nam -- Elias by a kind of supernal sylvan grace, Barnes by simply refusing to die. Elias is Jesus crossed with Jim Morrison. He will literally take a load off Chris' shoulders, or share a fraternal toke with Chris through the barrel of a rifle, or moon over the night stars, or smile ingenuously at his killer. He is hard to know and harder to destroy, a creature of Stone's wild literary sentiment. Barnes, who says of some fresh corpses, "Tag 'em and bag 'em," has no sentiment at all. When he pulls a steaming metal shard out of a wounded G.I.'s side, it seems as much to display his expertise as to relieve the man's pain. He will do anything to achieve his objective: lead a suicide mission or send his rival on one; murder a village woman in cold blood or taunt his men toward murdering him. Chris, who feels an irresistible kinship to both men, says they were "fighting for possession of my soul." The film's most controversial question is, Who won?

At this point, readers who have not seen Platoon are excused for the next two paragraphs. The others, the grizzled vets, can ponder Chris' motives and actions at the film's climax. He believes (and we know) that Barnes has killed Elias in the jungle. He has already considered taking murderous revenge and been told, "The only thing that can kill Barnes is Barnes." On his last patrol, Chris' suicidal resolve turns him into a mean, obscene fighting machine -- a rifle with a body attached, as reckless as Barnes, as resourceful as Elias -- and he leaves half a dozen NVA in his wake. Now Barnes finds Chris and is ready to kill him when a blast knocks them unconscious. Later Chris revives and finds the injured Barnes ordering him to get a medic. The young man lifts his weapon and, when Barnes says, "Do it," does the bastard in.

In the movie theaters, this illegal shooting usually gets a big hand. Righteous vengeance. Good guy kills bad guy. It is the kind of movie catharsis that may make Platoon a megahit. But can Chris or the audience take moral satisfaction in this deed? Which "father" has he followed? Has Chris become like Elias, back from the grave to avenge his own murder? "You have to fight evil if you are going to be a good man," Stone says. "That's why Chris killed Barnes. Because Barnes deserved killing." Or has he emulated his enemy? Has he become Barnes in order to kill him? Stone has another answer: "I also wanted to show that Chris came out of the war stained and soiled -- all of us, every vet. I want vets to face up to it and be proud they came back. So what if there was some bad in us? That's the price you pay. Chris pays a big price. He becomes a murderer." A good man, and a murderer? It is a tribute to Platoon's cunning that it can sell this dilemma both ways, and a mark of Stone's complexity that he can argue either side and believe both.

The dichotomy was bred in him. Stone was born in 1946, the only child of a Jewish stockbroker and the French Catholic girl he met just after V-E day while serving as a colonel on Eisenhower's staff. Lou Stone wrote a monthly newsletter about economics and politics; his son describes the style as "right-wing Walter Lippmann, a view of the world every month. My father believed that life was hard. The important thing was to make a living." Jacqueline Stone was just the opposite: inexhaustibly sociable, the original bete de fete. "My mother loved movies," Stone says, "and every Monday I'd play hooky, and we'd go see two or three movies. From the start, I had the contradiction in me: my mother's outgoing, optimistic, French side and the dark, pessimistic, Jewish side of my father."

The Stones lived in Manhattan town houses and Stamford, Conn., homes; Oliver went to Manhattan's tony Trinity School and the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa.; he summered with his maternal grandparents and spoke French before he learned English. (From Viet Nam, Oliver would write his grandmother versions of the letters that Chris reads in Platoon.) At five he composed skits for a marionette show, casting his French cousins in the parts. At seven he wrote stories. To earn a quarter for a Classic comic book, he would write a theme each week for his father. And at nine he started work on a book, 900 pages about his family and his life.

Oliver stopped writing the book when he was twelve; the family stopped when Oliver was 16. "The news of their divorce came as a total shock," Stone recalls. "The Hill School headmaster was the one who told me. And when they were divorced, my father gave me the facts of life. He told me that he was heavily in debt. He said, 'I'll give you a college education, and then you're on your own. There's literally no money.' "

Lou Stone never recovered financially. "And yet," his son says, "I think his reversal helped push me to leave my privileged childhood behind. I finished Hill and spent a year at Yale, but I saw myself as a product -- an East Coast socioeconomic product -- and I wanted to break out of the mold. Then I read Lord Jim. Conrad's world was exotic and lush; it exercised a tremendous allure for me." It also propelled Oliver into a teaching job at a Chinese Catholic school in a Saigon suburb. It was 1965, the year a half million Yank soldiers landed in Viet Nam, and Stone was 18 years old. "I woke up in Asia," he says, "and it became an orphan home for me. It was everything I thought it would be: the heat, the green seas, the bloodred sunsets. In Saigon, the G.I.s from the 1st Infantry Division were just arriving. There were guys walking around with pistols, no curfews, shoot-outs in the streets. The place was like Dodge City."

Itinerary for a young wanderluster: on a merchant marine ship from Saigon to Oregon; in Guadalajara, Mexico, writing 400 pages of a novel; back to Yale, then dropping out a second and last time to concentrate on his writing. The book was now 1,400 pages. "It started out as a boy's suicide note -- not that I was going to commit suicide, but I was very depressed. It was Jack London- type experiences in a Joycean style. Totally insane, with great passages of lyricism here and there. I thought it was the best thing since Rimbaud. And when Simon & Schuster rejected it, I gave up. I threw half the manuscript in the East River and said, 'My father is right. I'm a bum.' I felt the solution was total anonymity. I had to atone. So I joined the Army. They'd cut my hair, and I'd be a number. To me the American involvement was correct. My dad was a cold warrior, and I was a cold-war baby. I knew that Viet Nam was going to be the war of my generation, and I didn't want to miss it. I must say, my timing was impeccable." If the young man had failed as Rimbaud, he might make it as Rambo.

Nope. "My first day in Viet Nam," Stone says, "I realized, like Chris in Platoon, that I'd made a terrible mistake. It was on-the-job training: Here's your machete, kid; you cut point. You learn if you can, and if not you're dead. Nobody was motivated, except to get out. Survival was the key. It wasn't very romantic." Each of the three combat units he served in was divided into antagonistic groups, as in the film: "On one side were the lifers, the juicers ((heavy drinkers)) and the moron white element. Guys like Sergeant Barnes -- and there really was a sergeant as scarred and obsessed as Barnes -- were in this group. On the other side was a progressive, hippie, dope- smoking group: some blacks, some urban whites, Indians, random characters from odd places. Guys like Elias -- and there really was an Elias, handsome, electric, the Cary Grant of the trenches. They were out to survive this bummer with some integrity and a sense of humor. I fell in with the progressives -- a Yale boy who heard soul music and smoked dope for the first time in his life."

Most of Platoon's starkest events come from Stone's backpack of Viet Nam memories. "I saw the enemy for the first time on my first night ambush," he recalls, "and I froze completely. Thank God the guy in the next position saw them and opened up. The ensuing fire fight was very messy. I was wounded in the back of the neck -- an inch to the right and I'd have been dead -- and the guy next to me had his arm blown off." He emptied his rifle clip at a man's feet, as Charlie does in the movie. "He wouldn't stop smiling," says Stone, "and I just got pissed off and lost it. But I did save a girl who was being raped by two of the guys; I think they would've killed her. I went over and broke it up. Another kid -- he's like Bunny ((Kevin Dillon)) in the movie -- clubbed this old lady to death and then kind of boasted about it. We killed a lot of innocents."

The battle at the end of the film was based on a New Year's Day skirmish less than a mile from the Cambodian border. "They hit us with about 5,000 troops that night. They laid bombs right on top of us; we dropped bombs right on them. It's possible that our high command was using us as bait to draw the Viet Cong out so we could inflict heavy casualties. We lost about 25 dead and 175 wounded; we killed about 500 of them. Their bodies were scraped up by bulldozers, just like in the movie. For that battle our platoon was on the inner perimeter, but two weeks later we went back into the same area and got hit by an ambush, like the one that gets Elias. We took about 30 casualties, and I don't think we got one of them."

For all the horrors of his season in hell, Stone admits he got what he went for, as a budding artist ravenous for material in the raw: "I saw combat at the ground level. I saw people die. I killed. I almost was killed. Almost immediately I realized that combat is totally random. It has nothing to do with heroism. Cowardice and heroism are the same emotion -- fear -- expressed differently. And life is a matter of luck. Two soldiers are standing two feet apart. One gets killed, the other lives. I was never a religious person -- I was raised Protestant, the great compromise -- but I became religious in Viet Nam. Possibly I was saved for a reason. To do some work. Write about it. Make a movie about it."

It would take Stone almost a decade, until 1976, before he could write the script of Platoon, and another decade to put it on the screen. But first he had to take his high, wired act on the road. The same month he arrived back from Viet Nam, he was busted for carrying an ounce of marijuana across the Mexico-U.S. border, and called his father, saying, "The good news is that I'm out of Viet Nam. The bad news is that I'm in a California jail, facing five to 20." Stone says his father helped get the charges dropped. "That was my homecoming," he says. "I got a true picture of the States. I hated America. I would have joined the Black Panthers if they'd asked me. I was a radical, ready to kill." Back home his mother noticed the change: "As a little boy he was impeccable. He had his valet; his closet was immaculate. But when he returned he was a mess, always leaving things on the floor. He was a different boy."

And now an unsolicited testimonial: "I know it sounds corny, but I was saved by film school." He enrolled at New York University on the G.I. Bill. "To be able to study movies in college, it was any movie buff's dream. It was cool too, like studying to be an astronaut. Martin Scorsese was my first teacher. He was like a mad scientist, with hair down to here. He was someone on an equal wave of nuttiness. And he helped channel the rage in me." Stone made a short film for Scorsese's class called Last Year in Viet Nam, about a vet wandering the New York streets; in another, Michael and Marie, Oliver's father played the victim. "Oliver was alienated, sarcastic and brooding," says his film-school friend Stanley Weiser, who is collaborating with Stone on a script about Wall Street crime. "A real macho man who carried the torture of Viet Nam with him but never talked about it."

In 1971 Stone graduated and married a Lebanese woman working at the Moroccan delegation to the United Nations; they divorced five years later. He wrote eleven scripts in his spare time, directed a low-budget Canadian thriller called Seizure, and in 1975 got an agent through the graces of Screenwriter Robert Bolt. A year later, as the tall ships clogged New York harbor, Stone sat down and wrote Platoon. "Essentially what I wanted to say was, Remember. Just remember what that war was. Remember what war is. This is it. I wanted to make a document of this forgotten pocket of time. I felt Viet Nam was omitted from history books. Like a battle I fought in during the war: a lot of people got hurt that day, and it wasn't even listed as a battle by the Army, as if they didn't want to admit the casualties we suffered. The script I wrote is pretty much the one I shot ten years later. But no studio wanted to make it; it was too 'depressing' and 'grim.' So I buried it again, figuring that the truth of that war would never come out because America was blind, a trasher of history."

A wild man who becomes a witness: that was Oliver Stone reborn. As he scythed his way through the Hollywood jungle, Stone earned the rep of a specialist with a social agenda. Four of the scripts that bear his name -- Midnight Express, Scarface, Year of the Dragon and 8 Million Ways to Die -- cataloged the seductive evils of the drug trade. Stone's third feature as writer-director (after Seizure and, in 1981, The Hand) laced his usual hip rants on pharmacology with a smart, anguished newsphoto montage of one more Third World nation torn by civil war and shadowed by the looming hulk of American weaponry. This was the gallivanting political melodrama Salvador. Stone dedicated the film to his recently deceased father. "I remember one conversation we had right before he died. He said, 'You'll do all right. There'll always be a demand for great stories and great storytellers.' So finally he forgave me for going into the film business."

In Salvador, Stone was learning to wind the cinematic mechanism until it coiled with productive tension, both on the screen and on the set. "Working with Stone was like being caught in a Cuisinart with a madman," James Woods opines. "And he felt the same about me. It was two Tasmanian devils wrestling under a blanket. But he's a sharp director. He starts with a great idea, delegates authority well, scraps like a street fighter, then takes the best of what comes out of the fracas." Says Dale Dye, the Marine captain who hazed Platoon's actors to firm them up for filming: "Oliver thrives on chaos, throwing together a crew of such diverse backgrounds and ideologies that there's constant friction. It's the kind of energy he thrives on." Platoon's star, Charlie Sheen, 21, found the director "brutally honest. Which is why we clicked. After a scene he'd say, 'You sucked' or 'You nailed it.' That's just my style."

Right now Stone is Hollywood's hot new guy. He is even entertaining the improbable idea of a Platoon TV series. But don't expect Stone to direct Indiana Jones III. Says Stanley Weiser: "Oliver's been around the block ten times and won't be seduced by money. He's not an easy lay." Stone and his second wife, Elizabeth, 37, look the family-album picture of swank domesticity in their Santa Monica home. They swore off drugs a few years ago, and now seem addicted only to each other and their little son Sean. "Success and Sean have made Oliver much mellower," Elizabeth notes. "But he's still a compulsive worker. Always reading or writing, he simply loves ideas. He's filled with them, and he's thrilled with them."

One suspects that the old troublemaker will find new trouble spots in the political landscape; the soapbox spieler will continue his spellbinding harangues. His mind and moral sense are too restless to relax in the glow of celebrity and the promise of statuettes. But for the moment, Oliver Stone has found for himself the one plot twist he would never have put in Platoon: a happy ending to his Viet Nam nightmare.

-Richard Corliss, Time magazine cover story, Jan 26 1987 [x]

#oliver stone #platoon #the vietnam war #time magazine #cover story #ptsd #richard corliss

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leightaylorwrites · 7 years ago

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Leigh Dissects YA fiction: Fallen Kingdoms (Chapter Nineteen- Chapter Twenty-two)

Chapter 19 - Limeros

“I think you have the potential for greatness, even if you don’t believe it yourself.”

The fact that Magnus literally means “great” in Latin makes this mini-splooge even more annoying.

“Are you sure? [...] I think you’re lying.”

“I’m not. What I am sure about is that I’d like you to leave my chambers.”

The way this is worded makes it seem like Magnus could be answering her question of “are you sure” when he’s actually saying he’s not lying. I feel like the editor should’ve caught this.

“I grow lonely.” Again she walked slowly around him. Her gaze felt weighted and uncomfortable. “And I know that you’re also lonely.”

What the fuck is up with this family?

“The same thing that I suggested to your father when he was not much older than you. I’m offering myself to you as a lover.”

White people.

“You’re old enough to be my mother.” “Age can be an asset, Magnus. With age comes experience. You are young and, apart from that maid and perhaps a handful of other meaningless girls, you have no experience.”

“You have no idea how much experience I have.”

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

“Sharing a mistress with my father doesn’t sound like a very good way to help strengthen our father-son bond.

I’m……

She kissed him until she realized that he wasn’t kissing her in return. She stepped back and looked up at him with confusion. “Is there a problem?”

Uh, you’re boning his dad????????

“I suppose for someone already lusting after his own sister, I’m not all that surprised.”

Drag him.

Here comes a rather long quote.

“My younger sister Jana was gifted with sight - a rare thing for a common witch. Within herself, she held the ability to read the tales the stars can tell. She believed in the prophecy, passed down from generation to generation, that one day a child would be born who would hold elementia within her greater than anyone since the original sorceress, Eva - she whom my kind worship as you worship your goddess [...] Sixteen years ago, Jana saw the birth heralded in the stars. Lucia’s birth. Together, my sister and I combined our magic to increase its power tenfold in order to locate her, knowing she would need our guidance one day when her magic finally awakened within her. My sister perished in the quest, but I brought Lucia here to Limeros to be raised as a princess… and as your sister.”

In ONE paragraph, we erased the need for the prologue so WHY is the prologue in this book still? The only difference between the prologue and this paragraph is that the prologue shows us Sabina killing Jana, whereas here, Sabina just saying Jana died. Given that Jana’s death only raises more questions that I know won’t be answered (why would Sabina kill the person who could teach Lucia the other two elements?), this whole thing is a jumbled mess of choosing tropes, cliches, and aesthetics over good writing.

“She’s not your sister.”

Cool motive, still incest.

[Sabina] lashed out and hit Magnus again. He snarled at her; his fist was so tight that Lucia was certain he would strike back. If Sabina was not a woman, she was certain he wouldn’t have hesitated.

Fellas, if a woman has hit you TWICE, you have the right to knock her ass out.

[Sabina’s] skull shattered against the hard surface [...] “Your… air magic… it’s even stronger than I thought.”

HOW IS SHE STILL ALIVE WITH A SHATTERED SKULL??

Her brother’s attention was on the door - now fully open. Standing there was her father.

With all this commotion and fighting, NOBODY heard anything until their father showed up? You were SLAMMING people around??

Chapter 20 - the sanctuary

In recent months, he’d despaired that he was wrong and had been following a girl who held no magic within her.

But before today, wouldn’t he know she was at least a witch, even if he didn’t know she’s a sorceress? He’s known she has magic for a while now.

It was another elder, Danaus. While all Watchers held the same eternal youth, the same level of beauty, Ioannes had always felt that there was something dark and sinister about Danaus lurking just beneath the surface. Danaus had never done anything that went beyond the unspoken rules of the Sancturary. But there was still… something. Something that Ioannes didn’t trust.

Perhaps it’s the fact that he’s named for a figure in Egyptian mythology and we can’t have the one explicitly black character be anything but sinister, dark, and shady.

What he’d discovered had to be protected. At any cost.

So he’s not going to tell his bosses that Lucia is an awakened sorceress because of SUBCONFLICT!

Chapter 21 - Paelsia

[...] to prove to himself that it couldn’t be Princess Cleiona.

How does Jonas know her full name? I get Magnus knowing it because they’re both heirs but Jonas is a peasant so what reason could he have for knowing the proper name for a foreign princess.

“A sixteen-year-old spy? Who is also a princess? Please.”

ToG is scared.

How bold and disrespectful she was - this princess who saw no harm in coming to the same place where she’d caused such pain and suffering.

Again, Jonas proves he’s the only relevant character in this story.

“What better than to have the king’s own daughter if the negotiations go awry?” Jonas said.

DEADASS THE ONLY SMART CHARACTER HERE. I know the author won’t put CEO in actual danger that she lowkey deserves to be in but if someone a bit more daring wrote this book, CEO being a hostage is exactly how this book would play out.

Chapter 22 - Paelsia

Time for hands down the WORST chapter in the book, where CEO finally is confronted by my angel son Jonas.

She would make sure that the old woman would be sent money and gifts for coming to their aid last night.

So a random old white lady gives you dinner and tells you some boring exposition and you’re going to shower her with riches but you’ll do nothing about the countless impoverished PoC you’ve seen? Cool.

“I’ll stay for a while. And I’ll do whatever I can to find information on this Watcher you’re convinced is hiding out somewhere in this land.”

LITERALLY, Nic just said what I suggested chapters ago, which SHOULD HAVE been the first plan. The only reason he didn’t figure this out earlier is because the author needed CEO to be there for the exposplooge ugh

“Very well. Have it your way. You can be the hero.”

Because we’ve got to let the man be the hero and think of this obvious solution. We couldn’t have CEO decide to send him to Paelsia when they were still in Auranos because then we’d have to acknowledge that men and women can be heroes in different ways and well, this book can’t have such nice things.

“Are you saying that you care for him? That his death might cause you pain?”

“Let him go right now!”

“Why should I?”

YES JONAS DRAG THAT BITCH

She had to remain calm so she could negotiate with this heathen.

You let his brother be murdered so you could keep your clean reputation.

“I can give you plenty of money if you spare his life.”

His expression turned to ice. “Money? How about fourteen Auranian centimos for each case of wine? Sounds fair, doesn’t it?”

BODIED

“You won’t get far, but you can try. It would be a moment of bravery for such a cowardly girl.”

She glared at him. “If you think I’m cowardly, you know nothing about me.”

YOU LET HIS BROTHER DIE BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO MUCH OF A PUNK ASS BITCH TO STOP YOUR DUDEBRO

“And I was wrong not to stop [the murder] when I had the chance.”

Yes, hello, that’s called being a coward.

“Shocking,” he said. “Maybe there’s more to you than beauty and a shallow personality.”

There’s really… not.

“I’ve heard what happens to girls who are kidnapped by savages.”

This book is literally so racist.

“Is that really what you think of me? A savage? How Auranian of you. I could just kill him, you know. I’m bargaining with you because I’m no savage. Unlike you and your friend who killed my brother.”

Mortal Kombat voice: finish her!!!

“Now take that blade away from his throat or you’ll be very, very sorry, you scum-sucking son of a pig.”

Again with the racism.

Also, very, VERY.

What she despaired about wasn’t that she’d fallen into the clutches of a savage boy who was willing to kill without a second thought.

BUT HE JUST HESITATED TO KILL YOU

“I’m surprised you’d even bother to use my royal title. It’s obvious you don’t respect it.”

You’re not his queen, he has no reason to respect you, you helped KILL his brother.

“That term [savage] seemed to bother you. Why? Are you afraid it’s true? Or do you consider yourself more refined than that?”

He literally just told you that he’s above being a savage, you racist clump of white garbage.

“I’d think someone like you would relish any chance to spill blood.”

This entire chapter is one racist line after another.

Here’s another long passage.

A brown rabbit darted in front of them and into a meadow with tall grass - surprisingly green for this otherwise faded, dreary landscape. She didn’t ask any more questions. She knew he wouldn’t answer them. And she didn’t want to risk losing her tongue.

Finally, fooled by her suddenly calm demeanor, Jonas let go of her arm long enough to wipe the back of his hand across his forehead.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she bolted away from him, feet quick as the rabbit’s as she left the path and burst into wide, grassy meadows.

Yes that entire section just metaphor-splooged all over this book, comparing CEO to a rabbit in a ~faded, dreary landscape~ running off to a grassy, green place. It wouldn’t be so bad if the author hadn’t LITERALLY compared her to the rabbit. We get it. You read a sparksnotes on metaphors and decided to put one in your book, even if it doesn’t serve any purpose.

[...] she stumbled, fell, and slammed her head against a chunk of stone protruding from the earth.

Yeah, no she’s dead. What’s up with these characters and surviving blunt force trauma so easily?

This girl was a snake.

Every time Jonas drags CEO, I just wanna smile.

He couldn’t deny that she was lovely… maybe even the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

Jonas honey I’m so sorry this author wants you to be a splooge victim too.

Long passage alert

Then he felt her throat for a pulse. There was one.

“Too bad,” he breathed, although part of him was deeply relieved. He studied her face, pushing the silky hair back from it. She was tiny, a foot shorter than him and at least seventy pounds lighter. Her pale lavender dress was made from the finest silk - he’d never seen anything like it before. She wore tiny blue sapphires in her pierced ears and a green stone ring on her finger, but that was the sum total of her jewelry. Smart, since any flashier jewelry to go along with her fine clothes would have undoubtedly made her more of a target for thieves. Her face was free of the paint Laelia wore, but her cheeks were still bright and sun-kissed and her lips the color of roses. Unconscious, she didn’t seem nearly the cold, manipulative, rich bitch he’d fully decided she was.

My poor baby, my innocent sunflower angel, my sweet Jonas just spent a long ass paragraph having to splooge over CEO because we can’t have one man in this story not splooge over her. Someone save Jonas from this white hetero trash fire.

Just as he’d begun to think she was harmless and vulnerable, the beautiful snake had managed to sharpen her fangs.

Stop this.

She got up awkwardly, keeping the dagger trained on him, and retreated to the other side of the stone wheel that she’d fallen over.

HOW is she only walking awkwardly after hitting her head on a STONE????? She should be DEAD.

“But I’m planning to cut you if you come any closer.”

The girl’s tongue was a thousand times more dangerous than any weapon in her possession.

Because she said she’d cut him? EDGY!!!!!

He increased the pressure on her throat and stared down into the face of the girl who’d stood by her fiance’s side as his brother bled to death.

So he’s choking her to death, which she deserves, but we know she’s not going to die. However, if this turns into a romance later on, I’m giving up on YA books.

“All you look at me is something evil. But I’m not evil.”

Wow CEO it’s almost like you call him a savage every chance you get. So that’s cool but him LOOKING at you wrong is a problem? Cool.

At first glance, she appeared so small and fragile - but the princess possessed a fierce and fiery core that could burn anyone who got too close.

All she’s done since Jonas met her is whine, be a racist, hit her head, and threaten to cut him.

She was lucky she was only dealing with a bit of dizziness after knocking herself out. It could have been much worse.

She was unconscious after hitting her head on a stone and the author thinks the only problem she’ll have is being dizzy. If this comes back later on as a problem for CEO, I’ll give it a pass but it currently feels like bad writing.

“You are a horrible savage for keeping me here. My father will have your head for this.”

WHAT the FUCK

Jonas took hold of her throat again and pressed her up against the wall.

Stop teasing me and just KILL her already.

“And I’m not an evil bitch who rejoices in the deaths of others.”

You let an innocent man die so people wouldn’t know you’re not a virgin.

#leigh reads it #leigh dissects ya #falling kingdoms review

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konigsberggg · 7 years ago

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★ FILL IN THE QUESTIONS AS IF YOU ARE BEING INTERVIEWED FOR AN ARTICLE AND YOU WERE YOUR MUSE.

TAGGED BY: i stole this because i am a thief TAGGING: @zhunihaoyun @thingreyfog @fremdschamenn @sansarika

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

“Gilbert Wilhelm Beilschmidt.”

2. WHAT IS YOUR REAL NAME? “I just told you my real fucking name- do you mean the Kingdom of Prussia? I was that. I was also the German Democratic Republic, that was my last nation name.”

3. DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU’RE CALLED THAT? “Well, I had an old name back when I was Catholic, but then I became protestant and my king didn’t like how Catholic my name was or some shit, so he changed it to just Gilbert, and then Wilhelm Beilschmidt was something added a few years later. The Wilhelm Beilschmidt part is just ‘cause I need something for my passport and legal documents besides Prussia. But Preußen comes from Prusi, which was my old name like, a million years ago..”

4. ARE YOU SINGLE OR TAKEN? “Single, baby.”

5. WHAT ARE YOUR POWERS AND ABILITIES? “Well I am super sexy, if we can call that a power. I’m super strong and fast. I can’t die? So far at least. I can’t die like humans die. I’m like Wolverine, I heal super fast. Night hearing. Oh, I can talk to dogs. All animals really.”

6. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES? “Like, blue. I’m albino so my eyes are weird, but they’re kinda a purpley-blue. Red if you shine a light at my eyes..”

7. HAVE YOU EVER DYED YOUR HAIR? “Once. I was drunk, I looked terrible. I never wanna dye my pubes again.”

8. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY MEMBERS? “Yeah I got my brother, Ludwig, the fucker. Few others I guess, Brandenburg? That motherfucker too. Lithuania once, also a million years ago. Family shit is weird with nations.”

9. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? “Yeah! Three dogs. I used to have many horses.”

10. TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON’T LIKE. “I fucking hate traffic! Speeding laws suck too. I also hate everyone except my brother.”

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES OR ACTIVITIES YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? “I like working on and fixing cars a lot. I sometimes do rally racing. I play with my guns. Used to do a lot of swordfighting.”

12. HAVE YOU EVER HURT ANYONE BEFORE? “Yeah. Who the fuck hasn’t?”

13. HAVE YOU EVER… KILLED ANYONE? “Obviously. My kill count is probably in the thousands, just from what I did with my bare hands but what I did with the armies I had at my command, ooh boy, there’s no way in telling. A lot of people, just from over the centuries. I used to brag about it, but I can’t say I’m as proud of it as I was once in my youth. I fucked up a lot of Nazis on the down-low though, that’s been the most recent.”

14. WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL ARE YOU? “I wanna be a fuckin’ dog.”

15. NAME YOUR WORST HABITS. “Well, I think I’m great and everything about me is great, but my brother says I drink too much, smoke too much and I’ve gotten many complaints that I drive too fast.”

16. DO YOU LOOK UP TO ANYONE? “Man, as a boy I did. Herkus Monte, that guy has always been a personal hero. Frederick William, he was an asshole but I respect him. Frederick the Great of course! Oh, Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, that guy was very cool and helped me kicked Napoleon’s ass! And Bismarck, can’t forget Bismarck. These are all men I admire greatly.”

17. GAY, STRAIGHT, OR BISEXUAL? “Eh, fuck it, I’m gay.”

18. DO YOU GO TO SCHOOL? “Nah, I’ve never gone. I was taught educational stuff by monks and nuns and the like, learnt to read and write and all that, but everything else really has been self study or what I learnt in the military.”

19. DO YOU EVER WANT TO MARRY AND HAVE KIDS SOMEDAY? “No. That’s human shit, I don’t care about that..”

20. DO YOU HAVE ANY FANS? “Yes. The whole of Germany, excluding Bavaria.”

21. WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF? “Uh... Nothing. I have no fears.”

22. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY WEAR? “I’ve been wearing the same shit since the wall came down. I like jeans and polo shirts.”

23. DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE? “Myself! Haha, nah, uh, I love Fritz.”

24. WHAT CLASS ARE YOU? “Shit, well, that’s complicated. I was once apart of the aristocracy I suppose, as forced upon me by working closely with my king and government, but I don’t think I was ever as rich as some of those aristocrats became and everything I had really was awarded to me from my king. Regarding financial status, well, I never owned any means of production myself so I couldn’t count myself as bourgeoisie even if I did live quite comfortably. Since the last world war however, I pretty much lost all of my estate and I was of the ruling class within the GDR, but lived like the working class people. Now? Technically I’m below the poverty line and living off the little money the Government gives me because they really only pay Ludwig, the cheap bastards. So I guess I’m of working class, or lower middle class, ‘cause I at this point in time have to get money on my own if I want more than like the three hundred fucking euros I get a month. Thank God for Ludwig I guess though, haha. I’m fucking broke. I’m no aristocrat.”

25. HOW MANY FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE? “My dogs, Ludwig, uh, in total like, four.”

26. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PIE? “Good shit.”

27. FAVORITE DRINK? “Beer.”

29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE? “Sanssouci!”

30. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SOMEONE? “Eh, nah. Won’t turn down some john though.”

31. WHAT’S YOUR DICK SIZE? "Fucking massive. I’m hung like a horse. I have the biggest dick in all of Europe and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You ever touched your knee with your penis? Well buddy, I fucking have. That should answer your question.”

32. WOULD YOU RATHER SWIM IN A LAKE OR THE OCEAN? “Ocean for sure!”

33. WHAT’S YOUR ‘TYPE’? “I love me a beefcake, hairy daddy, that’s for sure. I’ve been told I like aristocratic snobs, which I don’t think is true but I suppose- well- fuck. Uh, I like soldiers... yes, soldiers... Dark hair, pretty lips... My type is varied, really.”

34. ANY FETISHES? “We’ll be here all day if I list all of them off. What can I say? Germany is home to the most fucked up porn, after all.”

35. TOP OR BOTTOM? DOMINANT OR SUBMISSIVE? “I’m vers, disregard whatever anyone else tells you, I’m vers goddamnit! Usually dominant though.”

36. CAMPING, OR INDOORS? “Camping!”

37. ARE YOU WAITING FOR THIS INTERVIEW TO BE OVER? “Keep the questions coming, baby, I love to talk about myself.”

#ooc #about #this is so fun to do lmao #gilbert is so full of shit

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daniel--berry · 7 years ago

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Worst to Best Superhero Movies I’ve Seen

31) The Amazing Spider-Man

I hate this movie. I laughed throughout the entire film. “The lizard” could not have been a worse super-villain. I sort of liked the yellow Spidey-eyes, I guess. Emma Stone gave a nice performance. Can’t write anything else about it.

30) Doctor Strange

This is one of the only movies on the list I fell asleep during. Some of the visuals were pretty original, but the storyline was like a terrible version of Kung Fu Panda. Maybe if they casted Jack Black instead of super-boring Benedict Cumberbatch (I loved you in Sherlock baby, don’t be offended), Doctor Strange could have had a little charisma. I think this is the only movie on this list that made me upset after watching it.

29) Suicide Squad

What is this movie, some kind of Suicide Squad? Maaaan, what a great cast in such a forgettable movie. Here’s the thing though, I liked it more than most people did. I think whatever-her-name-is was a charismatic (though definitely not funny) Harley Quinn. Jared Leto wasn’t super offensive as the Joker, I looked forward to his scenes, but he looked like an idiot, like a twenty year old with temporary tattoos. What is this guy, some kind of Joker?

28) Thor

I can’t remember this movie. It was probably better than Suicide Squad though. Oh yeah, there’s that part where he throws his coffee on the ground and yells “Another!”. Haha, that was pretty funny.

27) Deadpool

Haha, he uses bad words! But it’s a superhero movie! This movie will serve best as the first R-rated movie a 12 year old sees behind his parent’s back. This is the other one I fell asleep during.

26) Thor: The Dark World

This one’s interesting. I actually like this movie a lot, in theory. Visually, it’s one of my favorite Marvel movies. You could even say that if I made a MCU movie, it would look a lot like this one. Again, in theory, this is cool. It made Loki an anti-hero after the Avengers, which I think is a great choice. Unfortunately, this is a big piece of shit. And it will make you (unjustly) dislike Natalie Portman.

25) Wonder Woman

Wow, I thought I’d love this movie. I’ve always thought Wonder Woman was a great character. Gal Gadot is almost perfect for the role. But man, what a boring story. Way too much time is spent on an ugly island, and the rest of the movie is a fish-out-of-water Crocodile Dundee rip-off, with Tumblr-friendly British humor. Haha, that English woman’s accent is sooo British! No thank you. A DAMN boring movie!

24) The Amazing Spider-Man 2

We’re starting to get to superhero movies that I actually sort-of enjoy. This is my second favorite Spider-Man movie, but that’s out of the three ones on this list. I think this movie ruined Jamie Foxx’s career. Spider-Man has never looked better, though. Definitely the best Spidey-suit. I’m a sucker for those huge eyes. I walked out of the movie wanting to see a sequel, to be honest.

23) Ant-Man

I don’t remember this one, but I remember laughing a lot. Doesn’t Ant-Man work at Baskin Robbins or something in this? Oh yeah, and Michael Douglas is in this. I love that guy!

22) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

What a STUPID title for a movie. Nothing felt natural here. Did I mention that I hate the title? Here’s the thing, some of the elements of this movie work great. People made fun of the “Martha” twist, but I liked it, as well as Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Batman. But again, nothing was natural about this story. The tone shift is so dramatic from Man of Steel, and yet it’s supposed to be a direct sequel. Henry Cavill’s Superman isn’t memorable. Jesse Eisenberg’s lines were badly written and he never seemed like a real human being. Still, I didn’t hate it.

21) Thor: Ragnarok

Such great ideas here. Pairing Hulk and Thor for a comedy? Wonderful. Jeff Goldblum as a charismatic (gay) planet emperor is my favorite new MCU character. More of him, please! Why so low on this list? Hela sucked, as all Thor villains do. But man, she sucked the worst. The goddess of death? She just looks kind of goth, and never does anything too death-y. I like how the fire monster destroys the Thor world (what’s it called again?), and to the movie’s credit, it doesn’t treat this like an earth-shattering moment. Because let’s be honest, we never gave a fuck about that place.

20) Avengers: Age of Ultron

Ok, yes. This movie has aged pretty badly. But there’s a lot to like! Vision is a graceful, hot, AI legend right out of the gate. Lots of nice seeds are sown here, but it’s too bad that Ultron was a big dumbass who didn’t know how to execute any of his angsty plans. His “age” lasted about a day? Day of Ultron. Still, Tony Stark deserves to be put in prison by now.

19) Guardians of the Galaxy

As far as nailing a tone down, this movie did it best. You can call this movie airtight in its execution. The only negative is that every following Marvel movie felt like it had to be just as funny as this one.

18) Man of Steel

I love me a serious superhero film. I think this movie is best described in pros and cons. Pros: Henry Cavill is the best onscreen Superman yet, Michael Shannon made an otherwise goofy role kind of believable, the special effects are the best I’ve ever seen in a superhero film. Cons: None of this matters, because you’ve just never seen a more boring plot to a film in your life.

17) Batman

There will be no disrespect for the classics here. Every good superhero movie owes it all to Batman. This movie nailed it in every category. Jack Nicholson’s weirdo Joker was all-too-perfect, and the goth-horror scenery was inspired. Best of all, Michael Keaton made the idea of a gay orphan dressing up as a bat pretty relatable.

16) Superman

They haven’t quite gotten it right until 2006, but more on that up the list. This is the best Superman will ever be, because the character really just doesn’t work in the modern day. Christopher Reeve gives a romantic, gosh-golly version of the comic character, and it’s pretty damn good. Also, Marlon Brando’s Jor-El is haunting and gorgeous when he speaks. Another classic.

15) Batman Begins

Blah blah blah, gritty, dark, blah blah blah. Reinvented superhero movies, blah blah blah realistic.

14) Captain America: The First Avenger

This is the heart and soul of the MCU, and one of the most unique out of the series. Still feels important even in the third phase, and has a lot of great messages that I am too lazy to write. Great movie, and Chris Evans as Captain America was the best casting choice since Robert Downey Jr. Nothing but greatness here.

13) Iron Man 2

Do people really think this is the worst of the MCU? Not by a long-shot. But oh my god, Tony Stark is just such a war criminal. And Mickey Rourke is delightful! I love that part where Iron Man empties his bladder into his own Iron Man suit. Did Superman ever do that shit? Fuck Superman!

12) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

My ass has seen a lot of superhero movies, but I don’t think my ass has smiled more watching one of them. Ummmm, what a fucking great movie? With a fucking great plot? And, like, a great villain for fucking once? A truly lovely film.

11) The Dark Knight Rises

A marxist superhero film? No wonder it’s not the fan favorite. But I love it just the same. The funeral scene at the end is beautifully acted by all involved. Yes, Bruce Wayne died, but it didn’t feel cheap. Catwoman driving the batpod? An icon of cinema. A great ending to a great blah blah blah, not as good as The Dark Blah blah blah.

10) Marvel’s The Avengers

What a moment for a little thirteen year old nerdfuck like me. It leans on the immature side of the MCU, yes. But it’s damn near perfect filmmaking, and by far the most accessible superhero movie to date. Hulk Smash!

9) Iron Man 3

We’re getting into real personal-favorite territory here. Shane Black’s Christmas superhero film is hated by a lot of people, but don’t worry, they’re all just sweaty ugly nerds with untouched genitals who don’t realize that Fu-Manchu proto-Asian wizard stereotypes aren’t exactly the best material for a 2013 film. Man, I adore this movie. It’s a perfect blend of comedy (not too much) and drama (not too much), with an infusion of self awareness that appeals to a cynical guy like me.

8) Superman Returns

This movie really understands Superman. It’s too bad it was overshadowed by Batman Begins, because this movie has a lot to offer. No, it isn’t action-packed, and yes it does star Kevin Spacey (gross) as Lex Luther, but the romanticism and themes of a post-superhero world are rich with wonderful dialogue and the best onscreen Lois Lane yet. Forget the Kryptonite iceberg at the end, Superman’s journey of finding himself is surprisingly great material for a film, delicately directed by Bryan Singer. Wait, is that TWO pedophile boy rapists in one film? Yikes, you know what.......never mind.

7) Captain America: Civil War

The re-watchability here is astonishing. It’s not even an Avengers film, and it’s still easily the best Avengers film. And yet, it stays its course as a personal story of loyalty and sacrifice for the titular character. It’s totally a Captain America movie. Also, can Tony Stark just get fucking imprisoned already?

6) Iron Man

Easily the “coolest” superhero movie ever made. I can watch terrorists get blown up by lasers all day! A true classic, and still feels just a little more legitimate than all the other MCU films.

5) Spider-Man: Homecoming

A relatable protagonist? A relatable villain? An evil psycopath? (Tony Stark). What’s not to love? It might not have “amazing” in the title like those other fuck-your-mom Spidey movies, but it most certainly is. (Amazing, I mean).

4) The Dark Knight

Blah blah blah joker, blah blah blah Heath Ledger, Christopher Nolan. Blahblahblahblah dark, reinvented the genre, blah blah blah.

3) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Yes I’ll say it. Here we have the best story in a superhero film to date. And to disguise all the intellectual themes of post-terrorist society, individuality, corruption, the pointlessness of patriotism, and homoeroticism, we have just enough kick-ass action scenes for your average brain-dead male to get a kick out of it too.

2) X-Men: Days of Future Past

I’m a sucker for time travel, and fuck me if this didn’t deliver 100%. This was my first X-Men movie experience, and I still think about it about once every couple of weeks. I don’t even want to write about it because I get embarrassed by my love for this movie.

1) Logan

The world’s changed. All the mutants are dead. Patrick Stewart is a senile fuck. Wolverine’s claws hurt when he tries to bring them out. Jesus Christ, there’s so much here that I can’t believe it’s a real movie. There’s just something about seeing a grizzly Hugh Jackman in a bloody t-shirt that really grinds my gears. It’s tragic, it’s beautiful, it’s expansive, and it feels like the last superhero movie that ever needs to be made.

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asksansweredpdf · 6 years ago

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These are actually solid questions

1. First thing you wash in the shower? my hair

2. Are you more of a coffee or alcohol drinker? i can’t stand coffee. and alcohol might as well be my blood at this point

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? haha noooo. he was nice but i felt literally nothing. was like kissing a brick wall or something. tbh i never feel much when i kiss boys

4. Do you plan outfits? YES. i’m a drama queen and a diva and flamboyant and i need to look good always. i have my graduation in 2 days and i still haven’t planned what to wear and it’s bothering me

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? tbh pretty numb. like not happy and not sad. just. .... chillin

6. Whats the closest thing to you thats red? my track pants

7. What would you do if you opened your door and saw a dead body? well with the mood im in now, i probably wouldn’t react. but the logical side of my brain would kick in and i’d phone it in to the police.

8. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? it’s still that one about the creepy old dude touching me in the car.

9. Three of your current feelings? -introspective -apathetic

-wistful

10. What are you craving right now? tbh i would very much love to hug my stuffed pink harold. but he’s downstairs and i just don’t have the energy to walk haha

11. Turn ons? not rly in the mood to answer these

12. Turn offs?

13. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? this vine

14. When was the last time you cried? Why? idk like over a month ago. i had to work a thursday night shift which is always super stressful. and that day my sister just started beating the shit out of me so the anxiety was like double

15. If you could be a superhero, who would you want to be? ironman. any day. or spiderman because it’d be fun to just swing around the city listening to music peacefully

16. Did the one person who hurt you most in your life apologize? nope. she doesn’t even know that i know about half the shit she did. never ever apologised about the stuff she knows i know about. no acknowledgement. no apology. just pretends it never happened

17. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? lick it

18. Favorite movie ever? idk i like frozen and pride and prejudice and the hunger games

19. Do you like yourself? i like myself, but i can’t seem to justify why. i don’t really have an identity. i don’t know what i’m like. and so it’s hard to like myself when i don’t know what i like about my self, or why i do. but i enjoy being myself.

20. Have you ever met a celebrity? i met stan walker once? he’s a minor celebrity in australlia

21. Could you handle being in the military? part of me would thrive in the structure and forced exercise and socialisation. another part of me would completely crumble because like i have anxiety

22. What are you listening to right now? i don’t give a ... - missio

23. How many countries have you visited? india, america, canada, australia. so 4 i guess

24. Are your parents strict? you betcha

25. Would you go sky diving? sure yeah. i’m afraid of heights so the adrenaline would be wild

26. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? nah. i dont give a shit about him. maybe i’d go if he paid for the food.

27. Whats on your mind right now? literally nothing. mostly thinking about endgame. i’m also thinking about taking my mum’s anti anxiety meds since she doesn’t use them and i have anxiety. but i don’t want to take them without professional advice. but also, i am a professional advice. and like what could happen? i’d get mentally ill?

28. Is there anything you want to say to someone? nah i dont really feel like talking atm. i guess i’d ask if they wanted to go for a smoke. i would love a cig rn

29. Have you ever been in a castle? no but i would love to!!

30. Do you rent movies often? not really, i just watch stan/netflix

31. Whats your zodiac sign? cancer sun, leo moon, libra rising

32. When was the last time you had sex? i haven’t had sex

33. Name five facts about yourself. i honestly don’t think i know enough about myself to do this but let’s give it a go -i have short hair -i love music more than literally anything -i turn 21 this year and i have no idea what to do for it -i’m thinking of getting a motorbike soon -i’ve never broken a bone

34. Ever had a near death experience? If so, what happened? nope

35. Do you believe in karma or predestiny? i used to. and i absolutely would love to believe in all that stuff. but not to sound angsty or whatever, i’ve had so many shitty things happen to me that it’s hard for me to believe that it’s all part of some big plan or that there is any justice in the world. i think people just do shit and that’s it

36. Brown or white eggs? ive never had white eggs so..... brown?

37. Do you own something from Hot Topic? nah we dont have it in australia

38. Ever been on a train? yeah man i love trains

39. Ever been in love? not mutually, no

40. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you do it? it’s a million bucks. absolutely. one night of terror to never have to worry about anything ever again. i’m a witch too so as much as i’d be scared, it’d be fine.

41. If you could trade places with any person living or dead, who would you trade places with? someone rich and famous. maybe harry styles or freddie mercury. i’m sure they didn’t have it easy, but it’s certainly easier than things have/ever will be for me you know?

42. If you could shorten your life expectancy by 10 years to become more attractive, would you do it? absolutely

43. Whom do you admire and why? i tend not to admire irl people. but i do admire tony stark a lot (GOD this is so lame ksajrsjkfs). i admire his charisma, his confidence, his humour, his good looks, his intelligence, his eyes. he embodies everything i feel like i can never be. but everything i’ll always want to be. i admire freddie mercury. for his work drive and ethic. for his confidence and stage presence, his ability and talent in singing, songwriting, musical instruments. his flamboyancy, his sense of humour. again, these are all qualities i would love to have.

44. What was your favorite bedtime story as a child? oh i never really got read bedtime stories

45. You’re walking down the street, you come across a burning building. A woman says her baby is trapped inside, what would you do? internally, i’d be like “that sucks for you” and walk away. but i can’t be a dick, so i’d assess the extent of the fire and see if there was a way to save the baby. i’d try if so, if not idk what i’d do. panic and call 000?

46. If you could choose the future profession of your son or daughter, would you? nah man. gotta let kids live their lives

47. What was your best experience on drugs or alcohol? alcohol: the night i just moved out of home 2 weeks ago. my roommate invited a friend over, and we all had fun and played never have i ever and i flirted with this really cute guy and had so much fun. i hadn’t really had any experiences like that before because i was - anyway. it was nice to feel like a normal 19 year old just for a second weed: either the time i was drunk and high at our housewarming party and went to the park and felt like i was on a fucking rollercoaster, or the time i got super cooked after work and had a shower which felt amazing and then went back to my room and listened to beautiful people beautiful problems. i didn’t hallucinate per se, but i closed my eyes and could like see the lyrics “blue is the colour of the planet from the view above”. it was like i was in outer space and could see the earth and i was so relaxed and it was so magical mdma: my halloween party! there were so many people and no one knew i was high and we had a mad dance party and i met some of our neighbours and i just had so much fun talking to everyone and Living.

48. What was your worst experience on drugs or alcohol? alcohol: being around boring people when drunk is boring. especially because when i’m drinking i really want to have a good and fun time. weed: ahh i have anxiety so i used to get a few panic attacks when i was smoking mdma: eugh it was my friends 21st at the time and we took mdma and i thought it wasnt kicking in because all we did was sit in bed and talk. literally so boring. im so mad that i wasted my first time like that

50. As your walking down the street you find a suitcase full of money sitting next to a parked car, would you take it? nah, i’d probably hand it in to the police. actually, i dont trust the police so i’d probably google what to do with it. but probably police because i cant have stolen money or give it to someone else.

51. If you found that a close friend has AIDS, would you still hang out with them? not hanging out with someone because of that has literally never even crossed my mind

52. In front of you are 10 pistols, 5 of which are loaded. If you survive you’d receive 100 million dollars. Would you be willing to place 1 to your head and pull the trigger? nah. i’m actually going places now days

53. How old were you when you lost your virginity? tba

54. Do you believe in ghosts, werewolves or vampires? nope

55. If you could live forever, would you want to? yeah probably. i’d like to give it a trial run though. i’m very anxious, so being lonely and immortal might make it worse. but at the same time, being immortal might make it easier to not give a shit and to be less anxious

56. Which fictional movie character most resembles who you are? honestly i feel like jane villanueva or peter parker

57. If you could go back in time, which time period would you visit? i would love to be a victorian bitch with a bomb ass dress and waist

58. If they were to televise a live execution, would you watch it? probably not. unless it was someone i really hated, i wouldnt give a shit

59. If you could be the president of the USA, would you be willing to do it? i mean i wouldn’t be the best person for the job, but i also wouldn’t be the worst. if i could have time to properly study politics then yeah i’d consider.

60. If you could choose the sex of your unborn child, would you want to? i’d probably want a girl but i dont really see any reason to not have a boy

61. Would you rather live longer or be wealthy? be wealthyyyyyy

#mine

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weannoyingbouquetgalaxy-blog1 · 6 years ago

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