#risa is an author now

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

Me: -excited to join the mentorship discord-

Me: -everyone in the YA tag IMMEDIATELY devolves into YA shouldn't be having so much sex in it-

Them: The last book I read had an 18YR OLD protag and their hobby was READING smutty books (I want to emphasize that the issue wasn't that they were watching porn, or even having sex, it was them READING porn. at 18) NOBODY does that at that age! I mean I read fanfiction but not amazon kindle stuff that doesn't count

Me: ....-closes discord-

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

The Dangers of Hope Ch. 10

Series Summary: When Y/N shows up at Camp Chitaqua with her little girl in tow, her bloodshot eyes leave no doubt that she's infected. Or is she? Everything Dean has come to know for certain over the last five hellish years, is about to be challenged.

Pairings/Characters in the series: Endverse!Dean x Reader, Emma (OFC), Castiel, Sam Winchester, Lucifer, Michael, Zachariah, Risa, Johnston (OMC), Patrick (OMC), Theresa (OFC), other survivors and soldiers.

Series Explicit 18 +/Warnings: Show level violence, some gore, angst, smut, fluff all the usual for a series of mine. ❤️ Endverse!Dean (that's a warning for his anger and callousness as well as his extreme hotness. 😁) Each chapter will have their own specific warnings.

Chapter Warnings: Angst, show level violence

Word Count: 7,447

A/N: So, I've had this idea for quite a while. Basically since I watched The Last of Us. I loved Pedro in the role of Joel, but I kept thinking how incredible Jensen would have been. Which then made me think of how amazing he was as Endverse!Dean which then led me to this idea. Lol! I've stolen the premise of Ellie's storyline from TLOU, but made her a grown up, a reader insert, and a love interest for Dean.

If you've never seen TLOU, don't worry - you don't need to have seen it to understand this story. 😊

I've taken some liberties with the Endverse in my story, changed a few things from canon, but kept lots of things too.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the story. It will be ten chapters and I will do my very best to post one chapter every weekend. ❤️

A/N 2: Sorry again that this chapter got postponed a day. But here is the conclusion of the series. (Except for the epilogue coming next Saturday - or maybe a little earlier. 😉) I've absolutely loved writing this series. Loved living in the Endverse for a while, so thank you so much to everyone who came along with me. And an extra, super-duper thank you to everyone who commented and reblogged their thoughts about the story as we went along. Kind words fuel authors. ❤️ And oh yeah, this chapter's a bit long. Sorry! 😊

Main Master List || Series Master List || Tag Lists

The dividers below were created by @saradika

Y/N didn’t want to look away, she wanted to keep her eyes on Dean. But the white light was absolutely blinding and she eventually had no choice but to turn away from it. The rush of white noise was almost deafening before becoming suddenly silent. 

There was only darkness behind her eyelids now so Y/N opened her eyes and stood up straight, looking at Dean where he still stood, halfway between her and Zachariah. His back was to her and she took a step towards him.

“Dean?” She questioned quietly.

He turned slightly so he could see her over his shoulder. He peered at her for a moment, almost scientifically, before he gave his head a brief shake.

“No.”

Y/N would never be able to explain it, but somehow it was Dean’s face, Dean's voice, and yet it wasn’t him. Something was missing from his sparkling, jewel green eyes.

This was Michael. Dean was gone.

Without a moment’s pause, the archangel strode towards the other angels and in the span of a breath they were all gone, leaving behind only the sound of fluttering wings. 

Y/N stood stock still, staring at the empty, open field where Dean had stood less than a minute before. Around her chaos began to spread. The people who’d been putting out the fire were rushing towards them now, trying to find out what was going on. Screams echoed as people saw Johnston lying dead on the ground.

Everyone was asking her questions, but she had no answers, she had no words. She just stood, as people rushed around her, feeling as though she’d wake up at any moment. She’d wake up and Dean’s arms would be around her and when he woke she’d tell him about the horrible dream and how scary it had been and he’d hold her gently and tell her it was all just a nightmare.

“...I have my arms wrapped tightly around you and we’re both safe…Close your eyes and stay there, in that moment.”

Dean’s soft words whispered their way into her mind and she shivered. This couldn’t be happening.

Without warning her knees buckled and she fell to the muddy, wet ground, her muscles simply going limp. She covered her face as more tears began to fall. She felt the weight of all her tears gathering in her chest, threatening to crush her, when suddenly she heard Risa calling her name.

When she looked up the soldier was standing over her, still holding Emma in her arms. 

“Y/N, you can’t. You just can’t right now. Emma needs you, and I’ve got to… “ She waved an arm towards the people who were panicking all around them.

Y/N felt her mind rebelling, all she wanted was to sit there in the mud and let the cool night air numb her to the all-consuming ache spreading throughout her body. 

But she looked up into Emma’s little, terrified face, and forced herself to really hear the horror and confusion all around her; she knew she couldn’t just fall apart. 

She nodded at Risa and pushed herself to her feet. She took Emma from her and the other woman gave her a nod and moved into action, working with Cas and her fellow soldiers to start organizing the chaos, trying to get campers back to their tents. They also started debating how best to deal with the burnt out cabin and Johnston’s lifeless body

For her part, Y/N simply turned away from the cacophony and walked slowly back to the red tent. Emma was sobbing on her shoulder and Y/N gathered every ounce of her exhausted strength to try and console her little girl.

When they reached the tent Y/N set Emma down on her cot and wrapped a warm blanket around her while she went to light the stove and warm up the tent. After standing out in the cool night air for so long with no jackets, getting them warm was the first order of business.

Before long the little stove was chugging out ample heat, and she went back over to Emma and snuggled her daughter into her lap. After a while the little girl’s tears subsided into deep, shuddering breaths. Her voice was tiny and quiet when she spoke.

“Dean is gone.”

Y/N felt the whispered words pierce her heart. “Yeah, baby.”

“Will he come back?”

“Yes.” Y/N said it without thinking, her soul making the decision. But she didn’t want to lie to her child either, so she amended her comment. “I’m sure he’s going to try really hard to come back.”

Emma seemed to accept that and was quiet for a little while. Then she spoke again, her soft words tinged with fear. 

“Did the bad man kill Eric?”

Y/N squeezed her tighter and nodded against the top of her head. “Yes, baby, because he’s a very bad man.”

“Will he come back to kill us?”

Y/N felt her stomach plummet with fear and heartbreak that her daughter’s mind was so clouded with terror.

Y/N shook her head. “No, baby. He won’t come back now.” She hoped she wasn’t lying.

“Because Dean saved us?”

Y/N felt as though her heart was being crushed. “Yeah, sweet pea, because Dean saved us.”

***

The next few days passed in a haze for Y/N. She was trying desperately to keep it together for Emma’s sake. Her daughter was having nightmares every night and the last thing she needed was her mother crumbling on her. But Y/N was barely sleeping, no more than a couple of hours a night. Every ounce of her being felt exhausted - worn out beyond measure. 

There were no classes to teach, thank goodness; the camp was still disorganized and a bit scattered. A dozen or so campers had left, afraid of more angel retaliation. The campers left behind were trying to salvage what they could from the big cabin, and deal with the rest of the burnt out building. 

Three days after Dean had gone, Cas came to their tent in the evening, carrying extra wood and asking Y/N if she needed anything.

“No, Cas, we’re good. You don’t have to worry about us.” She said with a forced smile.

“I told Dean I would take care of you.” He said with conviction. “It’s still cold at night, hence the wood. What else do you need?”

Y/N shook her head. “Nothing, Cas. Really.”

He lifted his chin towards Emma who was sleeping on her cot. “How is she?”

Y/N gave a small shrug. “She's trying to cope, like all of us.” 

He nodded and then headed out. As he lifted the tent flap, Y/N called him back. When he turned his bright blue gaze on her she hesitated before asking the question that wouldn't leave her mind.

“Can we get him back? Somehow?”

Cas stared at her intensely for a moment before his eyes softened slightly; his deep voice was gentle as he spoke. 

“We can hope.”

Y/N closed her eyes. “Yes. Hope.”

When she opened her eyes again, the angel was gone.

***

A week after Dean left they still hadn't figured out any way to get him back, or even how to find him. Cas had begun to hear angel radio again, but the angels were being very quiet. Just the odd remark here and there that made Cas believe that they were still in Kansas, but he couldn't be sure.

The camp had gone back to functioning - mostly. But people kept saying things like, “We’ll run it by the Boss and see what he says.” before realizing that was impossible. The soldiers were trying to run things smoothly between them, and Brandy was helping to keep things as organized as possible. 

But Dean was very missed.

A full eight days after losing him, Y/N sat up at the table one night, desperately trying to think up a way to get Dean back to her. Her eyes were scratchy and red-rimmed as she let her head fall into her hands.

She may have fallen asleep right there if there hadn't been a sudden burst of white light. It lit up the tent, blinding her. As it faded slightly, she could just make out a man's shape. Her heart leapt for a moment before realizing this man was much too small to be Dean. 

A deep booming voice spoke and shook the ground around them. 

“Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Fear not, Y/N: for thou hast - Ow! Son of a bitch!” 

The angel cut off his proclamation and held up his hands as Y/N smacked him repeatedly with a broom. The last of his angelic light went out like a candle and he grabbed the broom away from Y/N and snapped it with incredible ease. 

“What the hell, lady?” He rubbed the side of his head where she'd walloped him. “You know that worked great with Mary. SHE knew how to be ‘sore afraid’.”

Y/N went to Emma's cot where her daughter was crying silently, obviously horrified to see another angel, inside their tent this time. 

“Get out!” Y/N said with as much strength as she could muster.

“You really don't want that, trust me.” The angel said, his hazel eyes twinkling, a smirk on his thin lips.

“Who are you; what do you want?”

He gave a little bow. “Name’s Gabriel, but I prefer Loki.”

The tent flap opened and suddenly Cas was there with Risa and Patrick flanking him. But Cas pulled up short when he saw the other angel.

“Gabriel?”

“Hey, bro!” Gabriel said cheerfully.

Cas looked to the two soldiers on either side of him. “I'm fine here. You should patrol the area. Look for anything amiss or out of place. But don't approach it without me.”

Both soldiers gave a curt nod and left.

Cas came fully into the tent and his face was very wary. “Gabriel, what are you doing here? Where have you been for the last thousand Millenia or so? Most of us thought you were dead.”

“Nope.” Gabriel's voice was still nonchalant and cheery. “Just in a sort of witness relocation. Got sick to death of Daddy's beefs and Lucifer and Michael's petty squabbling. So, I took a little time off. Sailed around, saw the world, got myself a brand new face.” 

He framed his face with his two hands. “Cute, right?”

Cas just frowned at him and Gabriel rolled his eyes. “You have never known how to have fun Castiel.”

Cas raised an eyebrow. “Well, these humans are under my protection, so I'll save the fun until after you tell me what you're doing here.”

Gabriel lost his smirk and he crossed his arms. “Isn't it obvious? I'm here to save the day, as always.”

Cas scoffed. “Not likely. You tend to sew chaos.”

Gabriel shrugged. “What can I say, it's a talent.” He moved back to lean against the table. 

“But seriously, I'm so over this apocalypse. As soon as Lucy dumped his little virus on this world, I was outta here. No fun to be had with a bunch of humans barely clinging to life. So, I traveled near and far, all over the galaxy and a little bit further. It's been sort of fun. But let me tell you, there are only so many green-skinned, six-legged chicks you can bang before you start pining for home, you know?”

He gave his head a shake. “Don't know how Captain Kirk did it.”

“Get to the point, brother.” Cas said, annoyance lacing his tone.

“I'm here to help.”

“So you said. How?” Cas asked harshly.

Gabriel shrugged again. “I have a way to shove Lucifer and Michael into the cage.”

From his pocket he pulled out an oddly shaped object. It was an X made up of four circles, four rings, by the looks of it.

He held it up. “Borrowed these from the horsemen. Well,” he shrugged, “to be fair, only Death was willing to part with his, the others didn't wanna give ‘em up easily. But, you know, archangel trumps most. I was glad Death was so cooperative though, he woulda been a tough one to beat.”

Cas stepped up to him and held out his hand. Gabriel dropped the cross into it and Cas peered at it closely.

“The horsemen’s rings. What will this do?”

Gabriel's voice was quiet. “Keys to the cage, brother.”

Cas’ eyes widened. “Lucifer’s cage?”

Gabriel nodded. “And Michael’s too.” He paused for a beat. “And mine.”

Cas frowned. “Yours? Why would you throw yourself into the cage?”

Gabriel shrugged, but Y/N could see a flicker of some deep emotion pass over his mobile features. 

“Someone’s gotta pull those two down there. And I’d say after millions of years, and untold damage to the world, me and my brothers could use some time alone and family therapy.”

He allowed a smile to turn up the corner of his mouth.”From what I understand old Raffy’s taken up as a god on some distant planet. He always did like to be worshiped.” He shrugged again, his smirk firmly back in place. “So, it’s just the three of us.”

Cas shook his head. “Why are you doing all of this, Gabriel?”

The archangel took back the key to the cage and slipped it into his pocket. “Told ya, got sick of banging green chicks on Mars.”

“No. That's…there are no green women on Mars.” Cas said, looking at Y/N as though to reassure her. 

Y/N stood up and walked the few steps to where Gabriel stood, looking him straight in the eye. “Can you bring Dean back?”

Gabriel contemplated her for a moment and then shook his head. “No.” 

Y/N felt her stomach lurch, and she opened her mouth to shout at him, but Gabriel held up a hand, patting his pocket with the other. “With this I can open the cage, and I can pull my brothers down with me to be locked away. But if you want Dean back, you’ve gotta get him to toss Michael first. Otherwise, his body and soul come down too.”

Y/N began to panic. “What are you talking about? You are not dragging Dean down to hell, no matter what!” She shouted, her fists balled. “I will not let you.”

Gabriel’s smile looked genuine for the first time as he looked at Y/N fuming in front of him before turning to Cas. “She’s feisty! Dean knows how to pick ‘em!”

He looked back at Y/N and held both his hands up in surrender. “Look, I can’t extract Michael from Dean’s body, it doesn’t work that way; Dean has to be the one to throw him out. And there’s nothing I could say to give him that kind of strength.” He tilted his head slightly. “But you might be able to. You’re our best shot.”

He looked to Cas. “If she can get Dean to toss Michael, I’ll grab on to him. I’ll be able to hold him for a little while. Hopefully long enough to get to Lucifer and try to get Sam Winchester to eject him.” 

He shook his head. “That one’s gonna be a lot harder, and I’m not gonna lie, I don’t hold out very much hope. I also don’t know what kind of shape Sam’s gonna be in even if he can get him out. He’s held Lucifer for five years now, he might be too far gone.”

Cas nodded. “If we can get Dean, he can get Sam. Or, he’ll be the best chance anyway. And if Sam manages to eject Lucifer, Dean won’t care what condition he’s in, he’ll fix him.”

Gabriel gave a nod. “We’ll see, I suppose. But we gotta start with Dean so…” He looked at Y/N. “What do you say, beautiful?”

Y/N contemplated him for a moment before looking at Cas. “Do you trust him?”

Cas was quiet for a long time, looking Gabriel over, the debate clear in his expression. 

The archangel rolled his eyes. “Thanks, bro.”

Finally Cas nodded. “Yes, I believe we can trust him.”

Y/N took a deep breath, hope and fear spreading throughout her body in equal measure. “Okay, then let’s go save the Winchesters.”

***

Their traveling party was prepared and ready to go in very little time, most of which was spent explaining to Emma why she couldn’t come. 

Y/N knew how terrified her little girl must be, thinking she was losing her mother now too. Eventually though, her tears subsided and her little face became resolved to what was happening. It broke Y/N’s heart to see that resolve, to know that her daughter’s soft heart was getting tougher. 

Y/N swore to herself that she was going to bring Dean home, and they would live happily ever after, spoiling Emma and letting her go soft once again.

Before they left, Y/N gave Monique a hug and thanked her again. She’d pulled her friend aside earlier and spoken quietly with her, asking her to take care of Emma if anything should happen to her. Tears had welled up in Monique’s beautiful amber eyes but she’d clasped Y/N’s hands tightly. 

“I will always look after Emma as my very own.” She shook her head and dashed away her tears. “But you’ll be back in no time, I’m sure. So, I’ll see you soon.”

The soldiers, Brandy and Monique had all checked privately with Y/N about whether or not she was really okay to set off with two angels. Y/N reassured them that she trusted Cas completely and he trusted Gabriel. So she did too. Besides, she’d reasoned, if this was their only possibility to save Dean, she had to take it. 

Gabriel said he knew just where Michael was staying, so she held Cas’ hand as the archangel tapped his brother’s shoulder and in a blink they were suddenly standing just outside a rundown Victorian house. 

The springtime sun was just beginning to lighten the sky in the East as they popped into existence on the sidewalk outside the house.

She hadn’t even had time to wave goodbye.

The three of them walked slowly up the front stairs and through the door. As they entered the house they heard a voice call from the back. 

“The polite thing to do would have been to call first, you know.”

Y/N felt her heart leap. She recognized Dean’s voice, but it sounded different. The consonants were more clipped, the words more even in tone, almost bland, bored. His voice had none of Dean’s rough, expressive way of speaking.

The dissonance continued as they walked into the sitting room and found Dean. He held himself ramrod straight, and when he turned towards them, his face held none of Dean’s stony anger, or joyful exuberance. It too was bland, cold, his normally shining, emerald eyes looked almost empty.

Looking at this version of Dean was very difficult. Somehow being in front of this non-Dean made Y/N miss him even more. 

But he never spared her a glance. All his attention was on his brothers. “Castiel, it’s been a long time. And Gabriel,” he looked him up and down, “it’s been even longer. Millions of years, in fact. I almost didn’t recognize you in this vessel.”

“Yeah, got this one custom made by a good friend of mine.” He ran a hand across his chest. “I’ve grown quite fond of my earthly form, so I’m happy I don’t have to share it with a human, and I don’t ever have to turn into a bright white mist, cause there's no human inside to reject me. This beautiful face is mine all mine.”

He smiled wide, but Michael just frowned. “That’s sacrilege, brother. Our angelic form is greater than any human disguise.”

Gabriel shrugged. “But they sure come in handy don’t they. If you wanna get anything done on earth, they really are a necessity.” He raised a hand towards him. “Hence all your trouble to get this one.” 

Gabriel's tone became grandiose and overwrought. “For here is your sword, your one true vessel. Destined for eons to be the one human whose bones you were the most eager to jump.”

Michael stared at him soundlessly for a moment and then spoke in the same even, emotionless tone. “Why are you here, Gabriel? And why have you brought this human?” He pointed at Y/N, but still didn’t look at her.

Gabriel paused a beat before answering. “Well, we have a bone to pick with you.” 

That was the signal to spur Cas into action. A white light shot out from Gabriel’s hands, connecting him to Michael. As the two archangels fought, Michael trying desperately to break the hold Gabriel had on him, Cas ran in front of him, drawing a straight line from wall to wall in holy oil and then dropping a lit match, trapping Michael behind the line of flame. 

Gabriel let his brother go, grunting with effort as the connection broke. Michael’s borrowed face was no longer emotionless, it was furious and bubbling with hate. 

“How dare you!” He shouted at Gabriel. “How dare you try to interfere with my destiny. This fight has been postponed for five long years while Lucifer ran amok. It is my duty to fight him and end him!”

Gabriel was scowling at his big brother a moment before a wide grin spread across his face. “You said doody.”

Everyone paused to look at him askance, and he shrugged. “What? That’s funny! Nobody has a sense of humor these days.” 

He shook his finger at Michael. “You know who would have laughed at that, the man you’re possessing. He would have thought it was hilarious. Or at least, he would have before the apocalypse struck. Been a bit down in the mouth since Lucifer possessed his brother and ended the world.”

Michael was still livid and he spoke through gritted teeth. “We tried to tell Dean that I needed my sword, that I needed my vessel to fight Lucifer, but he wouldn’t listen. He brought this on humanity.”

“Bullshit!” Gabriel called out and all traces of his humor were gone. “You could have used another vessel, you could have made due as Lucifer did before Sam. But no, you wanted THIS vessel.” He pointed at Dean. “And you were pissed you couldn’t have him, so you threw a hissy fit and left the world to burn.”

Silence reigned for a moment before Gabriel spoke again, quiet now. “And I left with you. I cashed in my chips and walked away from the table. But I kept an eye on humanity while I was galivanting around the universe. Kind of an old habit, and what I saw shocked me. The world was over, civilization destroyed, and yet - on they all trudged. These people. These humans. They kept on fighting. These flawed broken toys we all mocked and looked down on, they fought, they loved, they helped each other, they won and lost, but no matter what, they just kept going.”

Michael was motionless as Gabriel continued, pointing towards Y/N. “And just as there was a possibility of hope, just as they found a way they might be able to win, might be able to restart the world, here you come again, army in tow, ready to level the planet all over. And for what? So you can fight some ancient grudge match with our brother?” He shook his head. “What is the bloody point?”

Dean’s jaw ticked with Michael’s annoyance. “It’s my destiny. It’s what I was created to do.”

Gabriel looked sad as he glanced over at Y/N. “Well, not if she can help it.”

Y/N knew this was her time, it was on her now to help Dean find strength enough to eject the possessing angel. Michael’s cold eyes looked at her through Dean’s sparkling jade and she closed her own for a moment, imagining the warmth in Dean’s expression before she opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“Dean, can you hear me? I need you to listen, I need you to trust me. Throw him out. I’ll be safe, Emma and I will both be safe now. But I need you to come back home.”

“Dean isn’t available at the moment.” Michael said darkly. But she could see him squinting, almost as though he was in pain and Y/N chose to believe that Dean was fighting him from the inside. 

She kept talking as though Michael hadn't spoken.

“I have so many plans for us. Once we’ve made the cure possible, and the world is able to begin again, I really want us to go back home, back to Chitaqua. I wanna build a cabin there. Nothing fancy, you know, just something a bit bigger than the tent, but still cozy - with a bedroom door that locks.” She finished with a wide grin.

She stepped a little closer to him, careful to avoid the flame. “And, of course, I think we’re gonna have to get Emma that dog she asked for. And we can celebrate birthdays and holidays with all of our friends and family. We’ll keep them all close, and safe.”

Michael was stepping back from her, looking away and shaking his head as though he was dizzy. 

“Dean, I love you so much. All I want is to spend my life with you. Please kick him out. I know how strong you are, I know you can do it.”

“I’ll kill her!” Michael screamed out suddenly, as though his inner thoughts weren’t loud enough for Dean to hear. “You understand me? If you want her to live, want to keep her safe, stop fighting me. Now!”

Michael was breathing hard, but a joyless smile was spreading across Dean's beautiful face; the archangel was obviously pleased. 

“That's better.” He whispered, still slightly out of breath.

They were losing Dean, she could see it. Michael was terrorizing him again with threats against her. So, acting purely on instinct, Y/N made one last attempt, one huge Hail Mary. 

She took a deep breath and leapt over the fire, throwing her arms around Dean’s neck. She pulled his mouth down to hers and kissed him with every ounce of love and passion she could muster. 

She put everything into the kiss, every moment she’d loved him, and every promise she was making him were all there, tied up with all the hope in her heart. 

She felt a tingling against her lips that started to burn as she pulled away. She jumped back and fell to the ground as Dean let out a roar, and his mouth opened wide. The blinding white light that had consumed him was being forced back out of him, in an incredible light show that ended abruptly as Gabriel reached out and pulled the light into himself.

The darkness was complete for a moment before Y/N’s eyes could adjust. As the world came into focus, she could see Gabriel on the other side of the flame, breathing hard and fast. Cas walked to his side and poured some of his own white light into Gabriel, which seemed to stabilize him slightly. 

But his voice was still wobbly when he spoke. “We gotta go. I don’t know how long I can hold him in here with me.”

Y/N nodded and crawled over to where Dean had fallen to the floor. She turned his face towards her just as his eyes fluttered open. 

“Y/N?” He whispered and she nodded at him with tears flowing.

“Yeah, I’m here, I’m safe. We’re all safe.”

Dean shook his head. “But how…” He sat up slowly and looked towards where Cas and Gabriel stood. He squinted and shook his head in confusion. “The Trickster’s an angel?”

Cas’ eyes widened as he looked at Gabriel. “You were the Trickster the boys went up against? Twice?” 

Dean’s voice was slightly annoyed. “Yeah, he killed me like a million times.”

Y/N felt her stomach lurch, but Gabriel just waved it away as nothing. “I was trying to teach you boys something; wasn’t my finest moment maybe, but you gotta admit, the tacos were funny.”

“Not to me, asshole.” Dean grumbled. Y/N was very confused and about to ask for clarification when Gabriel bent double.

“Ugh!” He groaned. “Okay, could you postpone my spanking for that very hilarious prank until after I’ve saved you all?”

Y/N nodded and helped Dean to his feet. Gabriel looked at him. “Okay, pal, this one’s on you. We’re gonna go get Lucifer so I can toss all of us into the cage. We can try to get Sam to chuck him first. We’ll need you for that. But if you can’t get him, and it seems like Lucifer might get away, I’ll grab Sam as is and jump into the cage.”

Dean stormed up to him. “You are not taking my brother to hell, you understand me?” 

Gabriel just shrugged. “Then I guess you better reach him before it’s too late.”

He groaned again as he fought his brother internally, closing his eyes and putting a hand to his head. Without saying any more, they all got into position so Gabriel could zap them to Lucifer’s location. 

Just before he could manage it however, there was a bellow of rage from behind them, making them all turn. From the doorway, Zachariah charged forward, angel blade bared and aimed for Dean’s jugular. 

Dean shoved Y/N out of the way as the angel charged them like a bull. But when he was just a couple feet from Dean, Cas stuck his foot out, sending the furious angel spilling to the ground in a comical looking pratfall. 

He fell onto the still burning holy fire and screamed in pain, rolling around, trying to escape the flames. Before he could pull himself free, however, Dean grabbed onto the silver blade the angel had dropped. He raised it high, and then plunged it deep into his throat, forever freezing the angel's sadistic face in agony. 

More blinding white lights burst out of the dying angel, forcing Y/N to once again cover her head and shield her eyes. When she reopened them, she could see the angel’s blackened wings, as his empty vessel was slowly consumed in the flame. 

Dean stood up and then helped Y/N to her feet. After giving her a once over to determine she was alright, he turned to Cas. 

“Nice job, buddy. Very Keystone Cops.”

Cas frowned. “I don’t know an officer by that name.”

Dean just smiled and then slipped the blade into his pocket as he looked down at the dead angel. 

“Good riddance.” He said under his breath before a panting Gabriel yanked him back into position and zapped them all away.

Suddenly, in another heartbeat, they were all standing in a bombed out street; the buildings around them were crumbling and burnt. It was all that was left after some of the original fighting between the army and the Croats five years before. The bombings hadn’t worked. 

As they stood looking around, a man caught their eye. He was strolling out of one of the buildings less than twenty feet away; he was very tall and had long brown hair and an easy stride. 

Y/N could hear Dean gasp slightly beside her and she took his hand. The man, who could only be Lucifer, slowed down as he approached them. His smile was soft and patronizing.

“Well, well. This is a surprise. What a merry little band of rebels you’ve all turned into.” 

He nodded at Gabriel. “Our brothers and sisters all thought you must have been killed somewhere, but I knew better.” He studied him for a minute before smirking. “And I see he got hold of you, Mikey!” He said loudly. He chuckled. “He always was a cuck.”

He frowned slightly as he spared barely a glance for the rest of them. “But Gabe, buddy if you’re here to try and put me back in that cage?” He raised his hand and closed it into a fist and Gabriel began coughing as though he was choking. “Well, that simply isn’t going to happen.” 

Cas ran forward to help, but Lucifer tossed him aside with a sweep of his hand. Dean pushed Y/N to crouch behind an upside down car. “Stay here.” He warned, before turning back towards his brother.

“Sammy?” He called tentatively. Lucifer looked over at him and dropped Gabriel to the ground as he let him go. He faced Dean and shook his head. 

“You.” The devil said, his voice menacing. “You have no idea how sick I am of you. Do you know how many times I’ve had to listen to Sammy bellyaching about how he was letting you down? Do you know how ANNOYING it is to execute a perfect reign of terror just to have this boy,” he banged his chest, “weeping in my head instead of truly reveling in it with me?”

He shook his head. “It’s only been quiet in here since I threatened to find you and end you. See that’s how I got Sammy’s cooperation in the first place. I promised that if he said yes I wouldn’t snap your neck like kindling.” 

He waved towards Dean dismissively. “You were sound asleep at the time, you wouldn’t remember this. But Sam finally said yes, as I always knew he would, and in return I promised that you could keep on living. So when Sam wouldn’t shut up and stop whining, a simple threat to revoke our original deal was enough to silence him.”

He smiled, and Y/N thought it was pure sin for such a sweet, dimpled smile to sit on the face of evil. Lucifer tilted his head slightly as though he was listening to something. 

“But now…hey Sammy.” He said in a silky tone. “Been quiet so long, I'd actually started to miss you.”

Dean took a step closer. “Sammy, can you hear me? I’m here. I’m here and I’m so sorry, more than I can ever say. I never should’ve walked away from you. We should have fought these assholes together. I should have known that we’re stronger together than apart.”

He swallowed. “But you’ve gotta chuck him. We’ve got a plan, little brother, we can win. Believe me.”

Lucifer rolled Sam’s bright, hazel eyes just before he slammed his fist into Dean’s face, almost knocking him to the ground. 

Gabriel shot light at his brother, but it was much weaker than what he’d thrown at Michael; so much of his strength was being used to keep Michael locked inside himself. Cas added his strength, but Lucifer quickly pushed them both away, severing their hold on him. 

Blood gushed from Dean’s lip, his jaw already swollen and purple, as he started forward again. 

“Sammy, I need you to force him out. I know how strong you are. I know you can do it. I never should have doubted it, never should have believed they could defeat us. We are Winchesters and we never-” 

He broke off as Lucifer landed two more swift blows to his face, causing a sickening crack as Dean’s nose shattered and he crashed to the ground.

Y/N gasped and jumped up, running forward even though there was nothing she could possibly do. Gabriel and Cas fought him again, forcing Lucifer to stumble back slightly. But he found his footing quickly and severed the hold as he had before, this time sending both angels sailing through the air. 

Lucifer stared at Dean, hatred spreading across Sam's handsome features. "I am done with you." He shouted. "You are not worth my time."

Looking as though it was a struggle, as though the body he was possessing was fighting back, Lucifer raised his arm, his fingers poised to snap. Y/N screamed, memories bursting in her mind of the swiftness with which Zachariah had ended Johnston’s life with a mere snap.

But before he could manage it, Lucifer once again stumbled backwards. This time, however, Cas and Gabriel had barely risen from the ground and were just walking back towards them. 

Lucifer dropped his arm and fell suddenly to his knees. “No.” He whispered, shock suffusing the word, and then he screamed. “No!” The ground shook and rumbled, knocking all of them down.

Suddenly a burst of white light erupted from Sam’s mouth, and as he had before, Gabriel reached forward with his own light to trap his brother. 

The light suffused the archangel-turned-Trickster; it was no longer being wholly contained within himself, but spilling out of him as he tried to hold on to all of their angelic forms within his one custom-made vessel. 

Jerkily he reached into his pocket and threw the key at Cas. “Now, brother!” 

Cas tossed it to the ground and began chanting. As the chant ended, a wide hole began to crack open in the street.

Gabriel pitched forward towards the hole, but his body seemed to be disobeying his commands - his brothers were fighting against him with all their strength. The light emanating from Gabriel seemed to be splitting, as though the other two archangels were separating from him.

With one last surge of strength, Gabriel leapt forward and dove headfirst into the hole in front of him. There were deafening sounds of furious screaming that were quickly swallowed up as the ground closed around them.

There was only silence for a long time, as they all struggled to get their bearings, to reconcile what had just happened. 

Y/N was the first to move, running to Dean just as he stood up, and then collapsing in his arms. Dean held her tightly, kissing the top of her head and then cupping her cheeks to kiss her mouth, hard and fast. He pulled away and smiled.

Cas stepped forward to tap his fingers to Dean's forehead, instantly clearing the blood and bruises. 

Dean nodded and smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks, Cas.”

He looked back at Y/N and his beautiful eyes and mobile, expressive face were once again his own and Y/N rejoiced.

Dean turned them both to face Sam where he still knelt on the ground. With a quick squeeze, Dean stepped away from her to reach out a hand to his little brother.

Sam hesitated only a moment before he took it and let Dean pull him to his feet. The two men stared at each other for a minute before Dean yanked Sam towards him to wrap the taller man up in a bear hug, his arms wrapping over Sam’s shoulders and clinging tightly. 

Sam’s face crumpled slightly and he crushed his brother’s ribs as he hugged him back. “I’m so sorry, Dean. I didn’t know what else to do, I didn’t…” He trailed off, but Dean was shaking his head. 

“No, Sam, no.” He pulled back to clap his hand against the side of Sam’s neck. “This isn’t on you.” Sam gave him a look and Dean shook his head. “Well, it’s certainly not all on you. We both fucked up, but we have a chance to fix things now.”

He turned back to Y/N and held his arm out towards her. She stepped forward to take his hand. Dean was beaming as he made the introductions.

“Sam, Y/N, Y/N, Sam.” Sam raised an eyebrow and Dean grinned. “Meet my wife.”

Sam’s eyes widened and Y/N gasped. “What?” She squeaked. 

Dean shrugged. “Well okay, maybe there’s still the formalities to go through, like the wedding ceremony.”

“And a proposal!” Y/N said, laughing from sheer joy, utter exhaustion and the madness of their new reality.

Dean grinned at her. “You saying you don’t wanna?”

Y/N beamed up at him. “Definitely not saying that.”

Cas interrupted. “Before you start planning the wedding, can we go home?”

Sam looked dazed and spoke softly as though trying to decide if it was all just a dream. “Where is home?”

Dean clapped him on the back. “Camp Chitaqua. You’re gonna love it, Sammy! Trust me. It’s paradise.”

“With outhouses.” Y/N said with a snort.

Sam’s smile was soft, and it suited his kind, handsome face much more than it had ever fit the devil.

“Sounds perfect. Let’s go home.”

Cas stepped forward and in a blink they were back in the field where the spring vegetables were just sprouting - where they could hear the voices of their friends and neighbors, and smell the thick scent of pine and new earth.

There was a cry of shock as the campers saw them all suddenly standing there. Shouts conveyed the message quickly throughout the camp and everyone came running to see their return. 

Y/N let out a cry of happiness as she saw Emma racing towards her, her little legs eating up the distance surprisingly fast. As she reached them, Dean scooped her up and pulled Y/N into the circle of his embrace so that the three of them hugged each other tightly. 

The rest of the day was spent celebrating and rejoicing, hours of storytelling, and off-key singing around campfires, food shared and enjoyed by everyone. 

Eventually, Dean, Y/N and Emma broke away to bring Sam to Dean’s old tent. They lit a lamp and Dean gave Sam the grand tour, pointing the way to the outhouses from there, and assuring him the cot was more comfortable than it looked. 

Sam nodded, still looking as though he couldn’t take it all in. Seeing his confusion, Y/N kissed Dean on the cheek and picked up Emma’s hand. 

“You boys have so much to catch up on. You should take some time together.”

Sam shook his head. “No, you’ve been away from each other long enough. This reunion should be yours.” He said, nodding at Y/N and Dean. Throughout the day he’d been caught up on how everything went down with Michael and Zachariah. 

But Y/N shook her head. “We’ve been apart a week, you’ve been apart for years. You need this time.”

Dean looked down at her, love shining in his gaze, before tossing his brother a smile. “Don’t bother arguing, Sammy, she always wins.”

He bent down and kissed Y/N deeply, making Emma curl her lip.

“Ew.” She said succinctly, and Y/N laughed as she pulled out of the kiss. 

She looked at Sam and then moved in for a hug. Sam hugged her back and she beamed up at him. 

“I'm so glad to know you, Sam Winchester. Welcome home.”

With that she pulled Emma out of the tent to let the brothers get to know each other again.

Hours and hours later, the camp was finally quiet. A lamp glowed here and there as people slowly settled into their tents for the night. A happy peace settled over the camp, blanketing it in coziness and calm.

Y/N had sung Emma to sleep an hour before and was now stretched out on her own cot. She was planning on waiting for Dean to come back from visiting with his brother. But almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, her absolute exhaustion hit her and she was out immediately.

She woke with a start some time later, and then sighed deeply as she felt Dean’s arms tighten around her. Across the room she could hear Emma’s soft snores and her eyes filled with tears as the reality hit her anew that they were all truly together again, safe and sound. She turned in Dean’s arms so she could face him.

“Dean.” She whispered. 

He smiled a sleepy smile and kissed her softly. “You were sleeping so soundly when I got home, I didn’t want to disturb you.” He whispered back, voice craggy with sleep.

“How is Sam?” She asked.

Dean sighed. “He’s okay. Gonna take time for him to be a hundred percent, you know. But he’s here, and he’s smiling, and he’s...Sammy.” He shrugged slightly. “So, that’s enough for now.”

Y/N nodded and wiped away a tear, finally making Dean notice them in the dark. His voice sounded slightly worried as he cupped her cheek and thumbed away the wetness. “Sweetheart, you're crying. Why?”

Y/N shook her head. “Because all my hopes and dreams have come true. We’re together, we’re safe, the camp is safe, the devil’s gone, and we actually have a real chance of remaking the world.”

Dean’s voice voice was a bit choked up too as he responded, grinning. “Yeah, but I don't plan on forgetting that promise you made me. When the world is fixed, we’re coming back here to live out our days in a big log cabin with locking doors and indoor plumbing, right?”

Y/N giggled. “I’m not sure about the indoor plumbing, but everything else is definitely in the cards, I hope.”

Dean pulled her close and tucked her head beneath his chin. “Well, we’re in the business of hope, so I think our chances are good.”

Jensen RPF and Any/All Characters: @lyarr24 @lacilou @deans-spinster-witch @globetrotter28 @suckitands33 @alwaystiredandconfused @evznackles @jackles010378 @impala67rollingthroughtown @krazykelly @candy-coated-misery0731 @envyaurora95 @spnwoman @deans-baby-momma

Dean Fics Only: @roonthelittlespoon920 @slamminmine @zepskies @safiyas-world

Any/All Fics Regardless of Character or Fandom: @kazsrm67 @slut-for-evans-stan @sexyvixen7 @nancymcl @hobby27 @waywardcheshire

Everything Incl. Fan Edits: @k-slla @leigh70 @eevvvaa @kickingitwithkirk @foxyjwls007 @notinthislife50 @roseblue373 @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @avanatural @mrsjenniferwinchester @all-alone-he-turns-to-stone @deangirl96

[klissblog]

Is Teruhashi based off of the author's wife? Part 1

Saiki K published in 2010 in one short chapter, and was serialized from May 2012 to February 2018 (chapter 1-279).

Kokomi appeared in 2012. Her attitude at the beginning of chapter 5 was narcissistic. She flirted with the new transferred boys in chapters 18 and 66

And now I want to focus on the year 2014 since the author started to be a big fan of dempagumi.INC. He tweeted that he went to the first idol concert in November 2014.

His coworker/assistant who helped drawing Saiki k. manga (三原すばる/Mihara Subaru) drew this manga panel, and he was the one who made the author a big fan of Dempagumi (his wife is an idol in this group) in 2014.

I 2014, his wife's hairstyle appeared in chapter 87. Kokomi could sing in chapter 90. Kusuo admited that he was a tsundere in chapter 92.

Chapter 101. Kokominzu. Um... Being Otaku can affect to manga. His wife also has a fan club.

Chapter 114 Saiko appeared. He was the man of Kokomi's dream, but the author made Kokomi more loyal to Kusuo and stopped flirting with a new boy.

In 2016, there was a turning point. Kusuo was more open to Kokomi and respects her feelings. He got rid of the guys in the mixer (Chapter 182). He bought her a present (Chapter 204). Kusuo said offu with his own mouth to Kokomi (Chapter 214). He praised Kokomi we are invisible (Chapter 218)

In the same year, the author did draw his wife as Aiura Mikoto, and Aizawa Risa as Kokomi (chapter 219) and he tweeted it on 7 nov 2016. Does this prove that Risa is kokomi to the author?

Yumemi posted this picture and got the comment that she was Nendou (because of her height). If it is because of the height, I can arrange their heights in order.

Boy cosplay: Yumemi is 170cm (Nendou 191cm) > Mogami 162cm (Saiki 167cm) > Fujisaki 157cm (Kaidou 159cm)

Girl Cosplay: Furukawa 165cm (Mikoto 166cm) > Aizawa 159 (Kokomi 164cm) > Naruse 160cm (Chiyo 156cm)

There was a comment that said "As I thought, Aso sensei is a big fan of Risa-chan, aren't you? " (because he drew her as Kokomi and we all know that Kokomi is his favorite female character). The author didn't reply/answer the comment.

However, the queen came and claimed her crown! The author's wife (Furukawa-san) wrote on her twitter that "it is ok to offu" the same day the author tweeted that drawing. We all know there is one character who wants to hear offu. So who is the real kokomi?

I guess 2016 was the year they were bf/gf. That's why it's a turning point for Kusuo. I mean I wouldn't care if a big fan of mine likes or married another woman, but I do care if someone thinks my boyfriend likes another woman. Both of them couldn't say it out loud because his wife is an idol (must be secret).

In December 2018, the author proposed to his wife on Saiki animation S3 ep 1

Chapter 265 and S3ep1

In manga

1st choice「はしもと かんな と けっこん」→ married to Hashimoto Kanna (she starred as Kokomi in live action).

2nd choice 「よしおかりほ と けっこん」→ married to Yoshioka Riho (the actress).

3rd choice 「ガッキーとけっこん」 → married to Gakki (Aragaki Yui: not relate to Saiki k).

But in anime s.3 ep.1 (Netflix doesn’t translate the texts in anime.), Asō sensei changed 

no. 2 to「かやの あい と けっこん」married to Kayano Ai (Kokomi’s voice in anime)

no.3 to でんぱぐみのだれか(とけっこん) → Married someone in Dempagumi(.inc). 

He grouped his wife with Kokomi in animation. I guess his wife likes Kokomi or he sees his wife beautiful as kokomi. Anyways, he is so sweet to do a marriage proposal on anime and this'll alway be on Saiki k anime forever .

18 september 2019 The author announed that he and Furukawan-san would get married (one day before his wife birthday, 19 sep), and they had got married in november 2019 (the same month they met each other.

His coworker (三原すばる/Mihara Subaru) wrote on the manga panel, the result of being an otaku for 5 years (from 2014 to 2019). Congratulations on marriage!

So, it is Furukawa-san that the author likes from the beginning, and Furukawa-san was Mikoto in that drawing because of the height. One thing we should know about the author that he likes to trick the readers. The same as he tricked us about Aiura´s soulmate which is Toritsuka.

In my opinion, Kokomi wasn't based off the author's wife in the beginning (because they didn’t met each other from start of Saiki k. (2012), but they met each other before half of saiki k. manga 2014). Kokomi is his type and she looks similar to his wife. So, he likes his wife from the first day. The author changed Kokomi to be more nicer: not narcissistic and loyal: stop fooling around. She is beautiful, has fanclub and talented like his wife (a little based off his wife), but not a 100% like his wife because some personalities of his wife are taken to the other characters. His wife had a lack of communication at school and dislikes insects (that's kusuo character from 2012). She is a gamer. She likes ramen (Umm, it's nendou character from 2012).

The question: Doesn´t Kusuo end up with Kokomi if the author and his wife haven't met? 

Answer: I would think that Kokomi’s still narcissistic and would chase after him until the end without Kusuo showing that he liked her or not. Being aroace, I guess. 

But the author planned from the beginning that they have same birthday month and he sent them together (Kokomi asked for a decent boy and saw kusuo on her birthday, his father asked God for a nice girlfriend for his son and Kokomi appeared). The ending would be the same that kusuo chooses kokomi in chapter 279 (He doesn´t make a 100% clear and the readers have to interpret the ending). 

The picture from animation released in 2019, the year that they had got married or manga chapter 281 released in 2018, the year that the author proposed his wife. He made kusuo and Kokomi canon (Saiki likes Teruhashi in the last scene). The picture shows Kusuo startled when he heard someone called Kokomi. He didn't react anything to other friends, only reacted to Kokomi. He smiles after her words and quickly grabs glasses (save the world and grant Kokomi´s wish). Kusuo said he liked trouble which refered to Kokomi (chapter 181). Both of them like each other. The end ଘ(੭◌ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡❤️🎉‧₊˚

Chapter 181 and Reawakened ep. 6

Chapter 181 kokomi admited she liked kusuo and Reawakened ep. 6 (Chapter 281) kusuo said he liked trouble, kokomi. Ironically, he referenced/linked this romantic couple (SaiTeru) 100 chapters apart. The same as 100 chapters apart for this couple: Mikoto met Reita for the first time in chapter 173 and Reita has pink hair in chapter 73. With the pun of the characters’ names and this reference, this author is literally brilliant!

I'm not sure if the author changed Kokomi’s personality to be nicer after knowing his wife and made Kusuo´s heart swayed for kokomi the same timeline of their relationship on purpose or he did plan about this, even he didn´t meet his wife. Edit The author made terusai happened the same timeline of theirs relationship after I saw he referred himself as saiki and Kokomi as his wife in chapter 115. See extra: is Teruhashi is based off of the author’s wife? I am so sure that the author is so sweet. He even changed the storyline that Kokomi is (a little) based off his wife and saiki is a tsundere. The author saw his wife beautiful like kokomi (miss perfect in his eyes) and that’s why he grouped Kokomi and his wife in a marriage proposal. Kokomi and his wife has effort (this is definitely his type). The most important is his wife wanted to be Kokomi. “It’s ok to offu”. The author will do everything for his wife and it seems to me that his wife likes kokomi and is SaiTeru. Kokomi is favoured by the author God. Both of them are SaiTeru.

I like to think that the author say this to his wife 

«I couldn´t have done it without her. With your powers and mine, we can´t fail. We´re invicible.»

[asksythe]

MXTX Interview with Risa Wataya for Subaru Magazine P.6

Creative Process: 

Risa: "Mo Dao Zu Shi" has not only sweet scenes but also painful scenes. After scenes of brutality, violence, and death, the characters might carefreely chat about nothing and everything, or there might be some lovey-dovey scenes. This is like treating readers with alternating pleasure and torture. Did you do this intentionally during your creative process? 

Moxiang: If I only write about sad, painful story elements, my readers will inevitably leg it. From the other perspective, joy and happiness are comparatively fleeting emotions. If I only write joyful, happy stuff, I would not be able to touch and move my readers to any significant depth. Therefore, I paid special attention to balancing both sides during my creative process. 

Kuohao: If you keep the same kind of tone throughout the story, the evocative effect will inevitably decrease. Readers will eventually become bored of it. But if you time it right, readers (listeners in the case of audio drama)'s emotions will go up and down along with the flow of the story. The pacing and structure of "Mo Dao Zu Shi" are incredibly well-timed. As a result, the audio drama script was not changed in any significant way and stayed loyal to the source materials' strength. 

Risa: Do you feel pain when you write sad parts, and joy when you write happy parts? 

Moxiang: In the case of "Mo Dao Zu Shi", I put myself in the position of an observer when writing sad parts, and focus on the development of the narrative. In the happy parts, I put myself among the characters and indulge in their shared joy. 

Risa: That's so clever of you. There are so many 'torturous' (*) parts in the novel, so I thought perhaps it was very difficult. When reading "Mo Dao Zu Shi," I feel that there's a vast world populated by many people in Ms. Moxiang's mind. Where does Ms. Moxiang's immense imagination come from? 

(*: literally 'reverse/mistreat/torture.' It's a modern Chinese slang denoting sad story elements designed to 'emotionally damage' the readers. Please check the note for the same word in part 3 of this translation)

Moxiang: If we are speaking of imagination, I feel that it's important to visit many places and meet vastly different people. In other words, step out of the house a bit more. But in terms of building characters, observing people is of great importance, even more important is... to dig deep into your own heart. 

Before, when I was a young child, I read stories by Alexandre Dumas, Hugo, Balzac, and other world-famous authors. A writer staying in his room alone, talking to himself, laughing, and crying. A friend visiting him saw him in this state and became worried: "Is your mind alright?" But when the friend was about to leave, the author said: "Don't worry about me. I'm just writing a story." 

Risa: The excitement of unraveling mysteries starting from the introduction of the story is a pleasure when reading Ms. Moxiang's novel. The introduction carries details that, sometimes later on, become a key point in the second half of the story in unimaginable ways. There's also a feeling of picking up hints and information purposefully left behind by the author. Is this a careful deliberation on your part during the writing process? 

Moxiang: As I said, I only start to truly write once I have completed the outline of the story. About 80% of the story is planned. 20% is inspiration that came up during the writing. I think that the story structure is immensely important.

..

Translator’s Note: In this part is a section concerning the audio drama by Mimi. Risa talked mostly to Kuohao. Moxiang only chimed in at the last bit to say the production quality was very high and she was very happy with it. So, for now, I’m not including that part here. Once I have completed the translation, I will reorganize everything into a single file, proofread, edit, and host it on google drive so that it can be shared with the community. 

..

Before writing "Mo Dao Zu Shi" 

Risa: Ms. Moxiang, please tell us how you started writing stories. What kind of stories did you write when you first started? 

Moxiang: The first time I started writing stories was probably while I was in elementary school. Along the way to my school was a bookstore selling books as big as a hand. I love buying the ghost story magazines there. Because of this influence, I remember writing lots of horror stories while in elementary school. Although most of them were just short parts and scenes and weren't complete stories. The first story I completed was 'Tian Shi' (lit. Celestial Master), a schoolyard romance story, during my secondary school. Even though it was just a WIP draft, it still got some of my classmates really riled up. "I also want to be a character in this story." "I want to be in the same team as this heroine." I got a lot of requests like this. 

Risa: Woa, I so want to read that story! 

Moxiang: the heroine, the heroine's childhood male friend (let's call him A), and a male classmate that suddenly appears (let's call him B). This story is about these three. The thing I remember most about this story is: when I asked my classmates, who were my first readers, for their opinions (I still keep the draft now. Even though now it's old and yellow); around that time, I wrote a romance between the heroine and B, but the result from all of my readers was: everyone liked A instead! I was so shocked! Everyone commented: "B's love is so whatever! (*) We want to see A and heroine together!" (laugh). I could not understand it at the time, but now that I think about it, A certainly does have a charm of his own. Even though I wrote without any kind of plans or forethought at the time, after that, I started to realize: "The main character must be a person I love the most and has the most charm." At the time, I looked at my classmates' excitement and admiration for my story and felt so happy. As a result, my old notes are filled with old, incomplete stories. If I have a chance in the future, I would like to complete them. 

(*: Northeastern Mandarin slang 爱咋样咋样. A combination of Heibei-Shandong and Jiao-Liao Mandarin. It means 'whatever' / 'don't care'/ 'indifferent')

Risa: To be honest, I have the same experience as Ms. Moxiang. I drew manga while in secondary school. My classmate said after reading: "I hope you can continue to draw." I was overjoyed. Perhaps it is because of this kind of experience that I became a novelist. 

Moxiang: Me too. From the start, I also wanted to become a Manhua artist! Perhaps this is normal for people who want to become novelists. Because I never had the chance to learn how to draw, the result is that I chose to become a novelist. 

Risa: A, I feel the same! Ms. Moxiang, where do you get your ideas?

Moxiang: To put it simply, it starts from 'fulfilling a personal desire.' For example, if it's a detective or mystery story, then I want to fulfill my curiosity and solve puzzles. If it's a romance story, then I want to love and be loved. If it's a survival story, then I want to see survival in extreme conditions. To fulfill these desires, I think of how to best tell stories. To write a great story, one must have a foundation of intense desire. Of course, the amalgamation of multiple desires also works. In fact, 'desire' is a 'thread.' The story is the pursuit of this 'thread' to the very end. Once you have found a strong desire, disregard everything else, the story starts there.   

Risa: So that's how it is. 

Moxiang: I think that each author has different ideas. I personally build the characters first. Their personality, their destiny, and their emotions. Once a character with irresistible charisma appears and makes people fall in love with him (her), then they will surely love his (her) story too. Therefore, build the characters first, then weave the story. That is my process. Until now, I've only produced three novels. So I still find the process of structuring a story to be complicated. In terms of the structure and pacing of stories, I strongly recommend Robert McKee's "Story"! You can learn the theory of writing craft.  

To Be Continued

Translator: Sythe / NPD Khanh

[agusart2blue]

En Español

Pobres Mickeys ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

Hola chicos! si ...pasó lo que tuvo que pasar, el diseño de Mickey mouse en steamboat Willie está en Dominio público.

Ahora se vienen 2 películas y un videojuego de terror, pero son todos chotos XD

Creí que harían algo más creativos haciendo una adaptación de sus creppypastas, como Suicide mouse

Pero no! Solo decidieron por cosas de sexo y gore con el personaje con un cuchillo haciendolos cagar a todos jajaja XD

El autor del creppypasta de Abandonado por Disney con su saga tiene más creatividad mientras que los profesionales en cine hacen puras cagadas

Pasará igual que Winnie Pooh, se cargarán de risa que de miedo XD

In English

Poor Mickeys ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ If...what had to happen happened, Mickey Mouse's design in Steamboat Willie is in the Public Domain.

Now there are 2 movies and a horror video game coming, but they are all shit XD

I thought they would do something more creative by adapting their creppypastas, like Suicide mouse But not!

They only decided on sex and gore things with the character with a knife making them all shit hahaha XD

The author of the creppypasta of Abandoned by Disney with his saga has more creativity while film professionals make pure shit

It will happen just like Winnie the Pooh, they will laugh out loud or be scared XD

[eeriecode-fgo]

FGO FanServant - Kairi, the Princess of Light

(artwork by TamTam88, originally found here)

Will contain spoilers up to Kingdom Hearts III after the break

Ascension Stages

First Stage: Kairi's outfit from Kingdom Hearts II, wielding Destiny's Embrace.

Second Stage: Kairi's outfit from Kingdom Hearts III, still wielding Destiny's Embrace.

Third Stage: Kairi is now dressed in a black leather dress, with a dark pink skirt underneath, a light pink jacket on top of it, and black leather boots. Her hair are also longer, close to their length during the events of KH2.

Parameters

Class: Caster

Alternate Classes: Foreigner (Traveler)

Source: Kingdom Hearts

Region: Destiny Islands

Voice Actress: Risa Uchida

Rarity: SR

Alignment: Lawful Good

Attribute: Earth

Deck: Arts (Buster: 2 hits; Quick: 4 hits; Arts: 3 hits; Extra: 3 hits)

Traits: Humanoid, Seven Class Servant, Female, Weak to Enuma Elish, Keyblade Wielder, Light User, Unrevivable

Passive Skills

Magic Resistance - Rank C

FGO Effect

Increase own Debuff resistance by 15%.

Guardian of the In-Between - Rank C

A standard skill among Keybearers who travel in the Lanes Between. Mere possession of a Keyblade grants its wielder a constant supply of magical energy, while the act of travelling across worlds marks them as alien to Proper Human History.

FGO Effect

Charge own NP gauge by 3% each turn.

Gain 1 C.Star each turn.

Pure Light - Rank EX

A unique skill representing Kairi's status as a Princess of Heart, her heart of pure light offers a near unbreakable protection from darkness.

FGO Effect

Increases own Debuff resistance by 30%.

Increases own damage by 300.

Increases own damage against [Darkness User] enemies by 700.

Reduces own damage taken from [Darkness User] enemies by 1300.

Custom Append Skills

Healing Boost

Replaces Append Skill 3

Increases healing given (50%~100%)

Bond Skill

Apply Delayed On-Death buff (1 time)

-- On Death: Gain 30 C.Stars.

Active Skills

Life Magic - Rank C+

A common ability among Keyblade users, this skill allows the user to treat wounds and status effects. This ability is strenghtened by Kairi's affinity for light, allowing her to perform feats that would normally require multiple different incantations with a single spell.

FGO Effect

Cooldown: 9~7 turns

Recovers HP for all allies (2000~3000)

Removes debuffs from all allies.

Increases all allies' DEF for 3 turns (20~30%)

Heart of a Princess - Rank B

An offensive manifestation of Kairi's affinity for light. While normally she would use this power to enhance her Shotlocks, as a Servant Kairi can manifest this as a set of buffs focused on banishing darkness.

FGO Effect

Cooldown: 8~6 turns

Increases all allies' ATK for 3 turns (10~20%)

Further increases all [Light User] allies' ATK by 20% for 3 turns

Decreases all enemies' DEF by 10% for 3 turns

Further decreases all [Darkness User] enemies' DEF for 3 turns (10~20%)

Seven Crowns of Light - Rank A

A crystallization of Kairi's status as a Princess of Heart. As one of the seven people in the Realm of Light who hold the key to Kingdom Hearts, the light in her heart gives her an authority and potential beyond comparison: however, since Kairi hasn't truly used that power to its fullest in life, the rank and power of this skill are lowered.

FGO Effect

Cooldown: 10~8 turns

Increases all allies' NP Gauge (20~30%)

Increases all allies' Critical damage for 3 turns (10~20%)

Increases all allies' C.Star Drop Rate for 3 turns (50~100%)

Increases all allies' NP Gain for 3 turns (10~20%)

Gain C.Stars (10~20)

Noble Phantasm

Door to Light - Rank EX

[Thinking of You, Wherever You Are] Rank: EX Type: Anti-Event Range: 1000 Max Targets: 1

A full manifestation of Kairi's power as a Princess of Heart. Unleashing this Noble Phantasm lets Kairi tap for just one moment into her full potential, allowing her to willingly perform feats she's only done subconsciously in life. The potential of this ability is massive, as expected from one of the cornerstones of the Realm of Light, allowing Kairi to perform miracles that come very close to True Magic: but even for a Princess of Heart, breaking the laws of the world like that will incur a heavy price...

FGO Effect

Arts Noble Phantasm, 0 hits

Revive 1 K.O. ally (30~50% HP. Priority is given to the leftmost ally at the beginning of battle. Allies with the [Unrevivable] trait cannot be revived)

Increases the revived ally's ATK by 30% for 5 turns

Increases the revived ally's NP Gauge (30~50%, scales with Overcharge)

Apply Invincibility to the revived ally for 3 hits, 3 turns

Apply Death to self (all Guts effects are disabled. If the user is affected by unremovable Guts effects, the Noble Phantasm cannot be activated)

Writer Notes

Ah, the dilemma of writing a fan-Servant version of a character who barely gets any time to shine in her series. I may have had a clear idea of what I wanted her Noble Phantasm to be like from the beginning, but everything else still feels so slap-dashed together...

The outfit for Kairi's 3rd Ascension is inspired by this concept art for a possible KH4 version of Kairi. All credits for the design goes to hollypolllyy.

As a general design note, after FGO's... interesting approach to game design shown during the 9th Anniversary, I've decided to only write down the Append Skills different from the standard (so, as of this writing, just the 3rd skill). This will remain true for any future fan-Servant.

So, why that effect for her Noble Phantasm? Think back to the three numbered entries in the series, to the thing Kairi has consistently done in all those games (apart from getting captured): - KH1: when Sora got turned into a Heartless in Hollow Bastion, she managed to turn him back into a human - KH2: when Sora and Riku were trapped in the Realm of Darkness at the end of the game, her letter to Sora managed to reach them and open a path to bring them back to the Destiny Island - KH3: when everyone got TPK'd in the Keyblade Graveyard, she managed to tether Sora to the Final World, which in turn allowed him to bring everyone back. If there's one thing that has been true throughout the whole series, it's this: whenever things are at their bleakest, Kairi is always there, a light in the darkness to allow her friends to keep fighting. As such, I think it's only fitting to focus Kairi's skillset around that: she's not a conventional DPS or support, but a joker who can bring your other fighters back during your darkest hour.

For balancing reasons, her Noble Phantasm cannot revive Kairi herself, mostly to prevent a Double Kairi System where they keep rezzing each other forever. Sorry, Kairi, I may have made you a Caster, but you're no Doctor Strange, you did in fact come to die! I'm on the fence on whether that trait would also prevent her from being revived via Command Seals, though I think it would be a fair drawback, given how strong her NP can potentially be. And yes, that note about unremovable Guts means that, if an hypothetical battle sticks you in a situation where you cannot die unless it's in a very specific way, she cannot escape that fate.

As for the rest of her skillset, I mostly focused it around supporting the team, to give her a role in battle outside of just "come in, cast Revive, leave". The numbers are a little low due to her being an SR: I know her kit would easily make her SSR-level, but she's had a role too small in her series to justify putting her in the same rarity as Sora and Riku (and yes, this does mean I plan to write Riku too eventually. As soon as I figure out his gimmick...). Plus, you know, can't have all of them be SSR!

And finally, sorry, I couldn't resist that joke on her 3rd skill's name. It's just an in-joke because of the coincidentally equal number, I'm not planning to actually make her a Beast: contrary to apparently Lasengle, I do have some standards!

[assigned-boyking-at-birth]

Endverse Supernatural Fanfics (Pt.2)

To the Devil His Due by monicawoe: Sam's injured, but determined to get the survivors at Camp Chitaqua what they need to celebrate the Holidays properly. Dean's worried there's something Sam's not telling him. And the Devil, of course, has plans of his own.

Second Verse, Same as the First by Amberdreams: Sam said yes, Dean said no, and though Dean found the Colt, his attempt to kill Lucifer with it failed. So now Dean is going to try Plan B, and lead a small team to face Lucifer again. The story is told from Risa’s point of view.

I Wait Now for Only the Wind by vail_kagami: Sam never said Yes to Lucifer. Adam, however, did. And Sam's humanity is lost anyway. As is everyone else's.

(The Weather) Outside is Frightful by monicawoe: They all had to do a shift at the lookout tower once a month — that’s just how it worked. But Risa's shift had definitely come up sooner in rotation than usual.

The Author's Notes Verse by foolscrapper: There is a tall man in the camp today. (An angsty and comfort-y Endverse AU)

Every Poem an Epitaph by mimblexwimble: It figures that now, even at the end of everything, he’d be taking care of Sam. It makes a sort of existential sense.

(Part one)

[mint-in-the-moonlight]

rituals in everyday life

so i was reading New Moon Magic: 13 Anti-Capitalist Tools for Resistance and Re-Enchantment by Risa Dickens and Amy Torok for some inspiration on the Virgo new moon and that chapter of the book contained something that got me thinking.

the authors discuss how a ritual is a repetitive action that accumulates results over time, not only in a magical practice. so for example, a skincare routine is a ritual with the accumulating goal of improving the condition of your skin as well as maintaining its health.

so i wanted to shortly reflect of some aspects of my daily life that could be seen as rituals and this may inspire you to look at the mundane a bit more magically too! if you're pagan like me, you could also see these rituals as actions you do for the gods, as offerings or devotional activities.

showering

this one is the obvious one. showering is the ritual to keep yourself generally clean. i never really thought of it as a ritual because i don't enjoy showering too much but i always feel clean and rejuvenated afterwards. having a shower or a bath could then be seen as a small cleansing ritual, getting you ready for the day ahead or purifying you from the day's troubles.

similar to this could be routines such as skincare, brushing your teeth, cutting your nails and other body cleanliness or maintenance tasks.

taking meds

for me this is specifically taking my testosterone which i do every day. it has become a routine so i don't really think about it much anymore but i should! it is a commitment i am making to my body and my happiness and similarly to the shower one, it is something that makes me feel happier and more in touch with myself.

if you also take meds, you can also think about the action as a ritual that prepares you for the day ahead (if you take them in the morning) or as the maintenance of your body and/or mind. if you don't take meds you could instead apply this to other morning routines such as eating breakfast, cooking food, taking vitamins or having a cup of coffee.

evening routine/ritual

in the evening i do multiple things that calm me down and set my mind into "getting ready for sleep" mode. i used to struggle with sleep a lot due to my adhd but i have since incorporated things that help me fall asleep more easily. now that i'm assessing this routine through a different lens, it seems more like a ritual, a series of motions that help me set my mind onto something and achieve my goal.

during my evening routine/ritual, i first take my melatonin which helps me to fall asleep in a timely manner. then i go floss and brush my teeth. after this i usually turn my laptop off, directing myself away from my desk and towards the bed. finally, i do my evening skincare routine and go lay in bed and while i sometimes still go on my phone or read, i am usually able to fall asleep soon enough. in a sense, this is a ritual that helps me fall asleep and have a good rest.

studying/going to school

while i have recently finished my degree, now in retrospect i see studying and going to school as a ritual which helps me build my future. thanks to education i have been able to not only learn many important and interesting things, i have also learned about myself and figured out what I want in life. while school and studying isn't always fun (let's be real, it's mostly not fun) it can be really beneficial to you, your sense of self and your future. so, you can think about it as a long-term ritual.

if you don't study (anymore) you can still apply this to other aspects of your life. for example, if you're looking for work like me, you can think of applying for jobs as a prosperity ritual, same thing with going to work. you could also see reading a book or doing research the same way.

other things that you could see as rituals

hanging out with friends - a ritual that maintains friendship, brings happiness and support etc.

cleaning your room/house, doing laundry, taking out the trash etc. - a ritual to keep your life and home organised and clan

charging and cleaning your electronic devices - a ritual to keep them working and in good shape

doing groceries - a ritual to keep you going and/or help you stay healthy

binding - a ritual to make you feel more comfortable in your body and/or to help you pass

+ add your own!

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

The Milky Way represents an outlier among similar galaxies, universe survey data shows

For decades, scientists have used the Milky Way as a model for understanding how galaxies form. But three new studies raise questions about whether the Milky Way is truly representative of other galaxies in the universe.

"The Milky Way has been an incredible physics laboratory, including for the physics of galaxy formation and the physics of dark matter," said Risa Wechsler, the Humanities and Sciences Professor and professor of physics in the School of Humanities and Sciences. "But the Milky Way is only one system and may not be typical of how other galaxies formed. That's why it's critical to find similar galaxies and compare them."

To achieve that goal, Wechsler cofounded the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs (SAGA) Survey dedicated to comparing galaxies similar in mass to the Milky Way.

After more than a decade of scanning the universe, the SAGA team identified and studied 101 Milky Way-like analogs as a first step in its ongoing research. The results, published in three studies in the Nov. 18 issue of The Astrophysical Journal, reveal that, in many ways, the evolutionary history of the Milky Way is different from other comparable-sized galaxies.

"Our results show that we cannot constrain models of galaxy formation just to the Milky Way," said Wechsler, who is also professor of particle physics and astrophysics at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. "We have to look at that full distribution of similar galaxies across the universe."

In addition to Wechsler, the SAGA project is led by Professor Marla Geha at Yale University and Yao-Yuan Mao, Wechsler's former doctoral student at Stanford, now an assistant professor at the University of Utah. All three co-authored the newly published studies.

Dark matter mystery

The Milky Way is made of ordinary atomic matter, like hydrogen and iron. But ordinary matter only accounts for about 15% of matter in the universe. The remaining 85% is mysterious, invisible dark matter.

"No one knows what dark matter is made of," Wechsler said. "It doesn't interact with ordinary matter or light. There's probably dark matter running through you right now and you don't even know it."

Studies show that galaxies form inside massive regions of dark matter called halos. A dark matter halo may be invisible, but its enormous size creates a gravitational force strong enough to pull in ordinary matter from space and transform it into stars and galaxies.

A key objective of the SAGA Survey is to determine how dark matter halos impact galactic evolution. To begin, the SAGA team focused on galactic satellites—small galaxies that orbit much larger host galaxies like the Milky Way.

The researchers identified four of the Milky Way's brightest satellite galaxies, including the two biggest, known as the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC). The scientists then conducted a painstaking search for satellites around other host galaxies similar in mass. Using telescopic imaging, they eventually identified 378 satellite galaxies surrounding 101 Milky Way-like hosts.

"There's a reason no one ever tried this before," Wechsler said. "It's a really ambitious project. We had to use clever techniques to sort those 378 orbiting galaxies from thousands of objects in the background. It's a real needle-in-the-haystack problem."

New findings

In one of the three new SAGA studies, researchers found that the number of satellites per host galaxy ranges from 0 to 13. The Milky Way's four observable satellites fit within that range.

The study also revealed that host galaxies with large satellites, similar in size to the Milky Way's massive LMC and SMC galaxies, tend to have more satellites overall. But the Milky Way actually hosts fewer satellites than similar galaxies, making it an outlier among its peers.

A second study focused on star formation in satellite galaxies—an important metric for understanding how galaxies evolve. The study found that in a typical host galaxy, smaller satellites are still forming stars. But in the Milky Way, star formation only occurs in the massive LMC and SMC satellites. All the smaller satellites have stopped forming stars.

"Now we have a puzzle," Wechsler said. "What in the Milky Way caused these small, lower-mass satellites to have their star formation quenched? Perhaps, unlike a typical host galaxy, the Milky Way has a unique combination of older satellites that have ceased star formation and newer, active ones—the LMC and SMC—that only recently fell into the Milky Way's dark matter halo."

The study also found that star formation typically stops in satellite galaxies located closer to the host, perhaps because of the gravitational pull of dark matter halos in and around the host galaxy.

"To me, the frontier is figuring out what dark matter is doing on scales smaller than the Milky Way, like with the smaller dark matter halos that surround these little satellites," Wechsler said.

The third study, led by Stanford doctoral scholar Yunchong "Richie" Wang, compares the new data to computer simulations and calls for the development of a new model of galaxy formation based in part on the SAGA Survey.

"SAGA provides a benchmark to advance our understanding of the universe through the detailed study of satellite galaxies in systems beyond the Milky Way," Wechsler said. "Although we finished our initial goal of mapping bright satellites in 101 host galaxies, there's a lot more work to do."

TOP IMAGE: Credit: Yao-Yuan Mao, with images from the DESI Legacy Surveys Sky Viewer

LOWER IMAGE: The SAGA Survey identified 101 Milky Way-like galaxies that have small satellite galaxies. These three examples contain two, six, and nine satellite galaxies, respectively. Credit: Yasmeen Asali (Yale), with images from the DESI Legacy Surveys Sky Viewer

[g0ldgauntlet]

Why I Dropped Winter Moon.

Disclaimer: This is not a callout post on Merryweather (aka the author), nor am I insinuating that the Webtoon's fans are bad people for reading the comic. I was just personally unhappy with it. Also, quick warning for mentions of queer stereotyping, torture, and abuse. (Image description is in alt text)

Florence is My Least Favorite Member of the Main Team

Yes, we're starting this off with him. Florence is the first character of the main trio who the readers are introduced to in the story, and he's an irritating, hot mess. The man is unlikeable to the highest degree. He doesn't need to be a completely good person with a lighthearted personality to be appealing, but the problem I had was that there wasn't anything actually compelling about him. For a while, Florence's character just consisted of being the flamboyant gay guy of the trio with a horrible and selfish attitude, who also had broken fire magic and could win literally every fight that he was in, even when it really feels like he shouldn't be.

His gay identity was constantly made into a running gag that the author could use for jokes, such as when Risa would insult him based on his orientation, but those jokes never really landed for me. They felt awkward and forced (especially the Pride Month episodes, which were really hard to read). Him mistreating the people around him constantly made me wonder why exactly Gideon was even friends with him to begin with, and Florence's broken magic made every fight encounter that could have been compelling to follow...turn out very boring instead, as the predictable outcome would always be that the three main characters would win by a landslide in the end.

It is not until about 123 episodes in that we finally get to see some crucial depth to Florence's backstory, and later on, he faces consequences for how awful he's been to other people, putting him on track to trying to become a better person. By this point in time, however, it was too late for me to care about him. In comparison, we were given Risa (and her brother)'s backstory much earlier, and she receives character development in relation to it, all the way up to when we first find out about Florence's life outside of playing Magnolia Online. Speaking of episodes, however...

I Dislike The Comic's Pacing

I am not one to pressure creators to make content faster if they need breaks, but in the case of this Webtoon, it wasn't about how long it took for the episodes to be released. Each episode that's released is really short, and because of that, a lot of plot points in the story feel like they go on for far longer than necessary. For example, a segment of the story that goes on for, perhaps, 4-6 episodes could have actually been resolved in just 2-3 if more panels were included in a singular episode. A cheap gag that also takes up about 3 episodes for each one could have all been packed into 1 episode instead.

Again, to compare, this was a strength that I think Lookism had over this Webtoon, as I constantly remember Johan's backstory over the 7 episodes where it was tackled, but there was so much content timed in a way that made the reader want to learn more about him (with Zack and Mira even being involved as well). Everything was worth the wait, and I now wanted to know more about what the author would do with this character in the future.

Since Winter Moon had originally marketed itself as a comedy Webtoon, the short pacing makes sense for a story that relied a lot on quick gags for each episode. For me, however, this got old very fast.

Risa's Treatment and Arc

What the author did with Risa, admittedly, was my last straw, as it was the reason why I ended up dropping the comic. To start, I was never the biggest fan of her design. I figured that it followed a specific set of anime tropes, so I tried to brush past it as the comic continued. However, later on, it is then revealed that while Florence and Gideon are adults, Risa is only 17 years old.

Yes, I know that a lot of her outfits are fantasy costumes from a video game, but I still found the design choices to be questionable for a teenage girl whose avatar is directly supposed to represent her. It's especially weirder when I recall that Risa's comedic gag is supposed to be that she's a seductive, gold-digging priestess. This 17-year-old girl goes around online flirting and calling grown men "daddy" in hopes that she can get them to do her bidding. She tries doing the same thing to Florence to get out of a bad situation, but the gag is basically, "Haha, her feminine wiles don't work on him because he's gay!" Yep. Not because Risa is underage or anything, but because Florence is just not attracted to women...implying that there's a chance it would work if he was straight or bi.

I know that, realistically, neither Florence nor any of the men online would have any way of knowing Risa's age unless she told them, but the author does know her age, and he is the one who consciously wrote that into the story....Not to mention that he also wrote Florence making Risa his slave.

As uncomfortable as I was with this so far, I was pleasantly surprised when the author began to dive further into Risa's backstory and character development. Of the trio, she's probably the most compelling character, and the way she acts, whether she grows for the better or goes into a downward spiral, makes sense for a teenager.

My positive reactions to Risa end here, unfortunately, due to what happens next.

Part of the story subjects Risa to a plotline that involves a stranger of her past named Lance. Risa had been mean to Lance during their time together in Magnolia Online, and because Lance is chronically online, he took it so personally that he made it his mission to track down Risa, and abuse and torture her. This plotline was around for more than 28 episodes, with Lance being hinted at a few times but never actually doing much in the story until the Season 3 finale onward. This plotline's biggest problem was its pacing, which I had already mentioned was an issue for me with the Webtoon. Lance spends several episodes setting up scenarios for Risa to be bullied and abused by her classmates so that he can swoop in and act kind to her, attempting to lure her into a false sense of trust. This made sense for the arc so far, so I wasn't complaining. Then, we finally get to episode 42 of Season 4.

This was the start of when Risa was trapped with Lance, as well as a man that he hired to torture the girl. This torture session (as well as Risa's attempts to escape her aggressors) lasts for 10 consecutive episodes before Risa is finally saved by Deiderich, her brother.

That sequence absolutely did not have to be 10 episodes long. I think reception to it would have gone over better if a lot of the panels that were drawn out over so many episodes were compacted into a few. If I were to be generous, it could have been 5, but if I'm being honest, I think it only needed 3 episodes to get the point across to readers.

The sequence, as is, was extremely uncomfortable to read through, and also really unnecessary. Unsurprisingly, Merry received a ton of backlash over this decision - probably the most backlash he's ever gotten over the Webtoon at that point in the story.

As a former reader of the comic, I can confirm that Merry never warned any of us that the story was going to take this dark of a turn. It began with a bunch of awkward gags, but then it tried to take itself too seriously and the pacing issues became much more obvious over time. I think his fanbase had a right to complain about the whiplash that they got, especially with how long this took to execute. Merry seemed to get the message to at least some extent, as when I checked back to view the comic, Winter Moon's genre changed from "Comedy" to "Fantasy," and now the series is rated as Mature.

Mayui, the illustrator for the comic, was also tasked with portraying Lance's "ugliness," since this was relevant during the arc as well.

The problem with this, which was even pointed out in the comments, is that Lance doesn't look ugly at all. His "ugliness" is only portrayed through the usage of physical features that are very commonly seen on people of color. My first thought when seeing these panels for the first time was that Lance had identical features to Asian guys that I knew back in highschool.

When Lance gets plastic surgery to become "beautiful," his face is designed to fit the standard artstyle of the comic, which features thin-to-non-existent-lips and a thin nose. I just found it strange that Mayui made this decision to emphasize ugliness for the character, since from what I can recall, there are little to no black and brown characters in the Webtoon.

After this plotline was completed, I tried reading some more episodes. However, what Risa had been subjected to kept weighing me down, and eventually I just gave up and abandoned the Webtoon in its entirety. I did not appreciate seeing the only female character of the main team being subjected to so much for the sake of what was starting to seem like shock value based on the pacing of the episodes.

The Takeaway

I realized that the reason why I read Merry's comics was not because of his writing, but the artwork itself, and Winter Moon was no different in this regard. The artists that Merry would hire for each of his comics are all very talented at what they do, creating beautiful backgrounds, atmospheres, and facial expressions for the characters that are accurate to the moment that Merry was writing about. This is exactly what happened to me when I tried reading the original version of My Succubus Girlfriend - I thought the dialogue was awkward and not very funny, but the facial expressions and art for the characters made up for it by actually getting a laugh out of me.

As for Merry himself, however, I picked up on how his sense of humor seems to be more along the lines of what cishet white male anime enthusiasts would find entertaining (such as Lost Pause, who has gone on record to say that he and Merry are friends). This is simply something that has just never really appealed to me, and it wasn't hard to figure out that I'm likely not the target audience for Winter Moon.

If you like this Webtoon, then don't let me rain on your parade. I'm not shaming you for liking it - It's just not for me.

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

hey y'all I think...

I might be writing....

[studyinspectrum]

Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, directed by Risa Brainin, performed at the Minneapolis Guthrie Theater

Ah, the theatre. I'm the type of person that spells it "Theatre" too, which is still technically correct in US English, because it got stuck in my brain in high school and never left. It's just in my muscle memory now and I'm not going to excise it anytime soon.

Anyway, I love the theatre. I had a fit last summer when I listened to 29/37 of Shakespeare's plays, not really feeling the vibe to listen to this historical plays because I don't exactly have that preexisting historical knowledge to enjoy them (they're very dry too, but that's beyond the point right now). I think live performances of all kinds are a lot of fun and can showcase how powerful the stories we tell can be.

I saw Hamlet at the same theatre the week before I came to see Murder on the Orient Express, so my Shakespeare tangent is appropriate. The Guthrie Theater is one of the greats of Minneapolis/Minnesota institutions, it's hard to ignore the building, half due to it's shape, but also because it's right on the river among a bunch of historic buildings, including the Mill City Museum (one of my favorites). I feel like every major US city has "The Theater" capital T and T, where you go to see some big productions, and that's the Guthrie for Minneapolis. There's plenty of smaller theatres in the city that I still patronize, but my housemate got our household tickets for Christmas for some shows, and as we're all big fans of stage productions in this house, we were all excited to go.

We all know this story, we know the author, we know it's a train. But not everyone knows it's ending. If you've never consumed the original book or adaptation of this story before, go do that first. For one, this play adaptation differs greatly enough that I think some original context will be missed in the content provided, but also, there's a reason this is a beloved story we adapt and retell hell over. It's just that good. Agatha Christie was just that Fucking good. the content warnings for Murder on the Orient Express are as follows: child death, child murder, miscarriage/death of the mother resulting in loss of the unborn child, kidnapping, racism, references to suicide, references to eugenics, murder, blackmail, drug abuse

you know this story

If you're someone under the age of 100 years old and has spent any time in the western world, you probably know that Murder on the Orient Express exists and who Agatha Christie is.

For documentation's sake, Murder on the Orient Express is a detective fiction novel written by Agatha Christie that was first published on January 1st, 1934 in the UK. It was published about 2 months later in the US under the name "Murder in the Calais Coach". This was due to the novel Stamboul Train by Graham Greene originally published in 1932 in the UK had it's title changed to "Orient Express" when published in the US.

Searching "Murder in the Calais Coach" is I think different enough of a title and this is an obscure enough fact that you'll more often than not get results about "Agatha Christie's premiere Poirot novel" and vintage copies of the book, like the one below I found on ebay.

I'm sure that everyone is familiar with the changing of titles across country lines, a trend that I believe has died out, save for titles with direct translations for example. There is probably a more well known title change with a Christie novel, that has gone under several revised titles over time. (Which is incidentally my favorite Christie novel. for better or for worse.)

But the premise of this story is well understood, Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective, boards the titular Orient Express, where therein a murder takes place. The case that is presented to Poirot is the most challenging that he admits to ever undertaking, not just intellectually taxing, but taxing on his very soul.

This story has been adapted a million times since the book's original publication. This particular play adaptation by Ken Ludwig was originally performed in 2017 at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey. (Here's a really fun video interview with the costume designer for that original show, William Ivey Long, about his work on it)

Ken Ludwig has adapted several other plays, and especially notable to me, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, which is billed as comedy. I think that in that context, it makes sense for how his adaptation of the play shook out. We'll talk about that later. it's not a christie novel without a colorful cast

The original story's cast includes 17 unique characters and 12 of which are suspects in the murder of the victim. In a book format, this works for the story being told I think. 12 suspects is a lot of people to have to keep track of. If you expect to keep track of all the suspects of a mystery story, a sweet spot number is around 5-6. You can push it as high as 10, but just so long as you can cut that down pretty quickly. It's hard to have an audience keep up with all possibilities and what makes it less fun of a game/whodunnit that we love about these kinds of stories.

Christie's work does trend on having a higher amount of suspects, to heighten the drama of the story. The way that Christie deals with these high suspect counts is to make every character incredibly unique. She excels at doing this quite honestly, especially in Murder on the Orient Express. There is an even split of men and women, every character's occupation is different, their nationalities are all different, etc. You are never going to confuse a character for another because their characterization is always incredibly strong.

The play adaptation cuts the amount of characters in the story from 17 to 12, and the suspect list from 12 to 8. Like I said earlier, the less amount of suspects to keep track of during a mystery, the better. But there's a more logical reason for this too, stages are smaller than you think. If in the final scene of the show all 12 of the original characters in their original ways were present, there would be 15 people on stage at the same time. While there's no high octane action to choreograph about, 15 people is much harder to manage as opposed to the 10 that were on stage in the final scene.

So in this adaptation, certain characters have been cut or condensed into others. They do reference the additional characters that where present in the original, however it felt like a way to satisfy those who are familiar with the original story, rather than straight up omitting their existence.

The characters of the play are as follows:

Princess Dragomiroff, played by Michelle Barber

Countess Adrenyi, played by Katie Bradley

Mary Debenham, normally played by China Brickey, in my performance the role was played by Adelin Phelps

Greta Ohlsson, played by Jane Foriland

Colonel Arbuthnot, played by Peter Christian Hansen

Samuel Rachett, played by Peter Christian Hansen

Michel, played by Robert Johansen

Monsieur Bouc, played by Gavin Lawrence

Hercule Poirot, played by Andrew May

Hector MacQueen, played by Tyler Michaels King

Helen Hubbard, played by Sally Wingert

The characters that would be notably missing from this list are as follows:

Dr. Stavros Constantine, his role as the doctor onboard the train has been added to Countess Adrenyi. She is a successful Hungarian doctor who married into royalty.

Count Rudolph Andreny, he is mentioned as still being married to Countess Adrenyi, but played as a mere legal attachment rather than a devoted couple.

Antonio Foscarelli, he was the Armstrong family driver, completely omitted.

Cyrus Hardman, lover of the nurse to the Armstrong family, omitted, however the nurse's existence and suicide is still referenced.

Hildegarde Schmidt, was the cook of the Armstrong family, talked about by Princess Dragomiroff, however only to disparage her for not being able to help her on the train. Greta Ohlsson takes over her role within the story as temporarily being the assistant/maid to the princess.

Edward Henry Masterman, Col. Armstrong's batman during the war. His character has been omitted, with the role as Rachett's valet rolled into Hector MacQueen's role.

cutting some characters and combing them is not a bad move in my opinion. The distinctions the characters carry in the story just become more distinct with their additional aspects pulled from other characters. Countess Adrenyi as the train's doctor becomes very compelling and how her role becomes much more important to the plot than it was before, where she is portrayed as a waif and her husband acts in her stead. The nastiness of Princess Dragomiroff is toned down as she now has an irregular person as her maid/assistant, she often becomes a voice of reason and keeps a lot of the other characters grounded.

Colonel Arbuthnot in the play was changed from an Englishman to a Scotsman, for some reason, however if you look at the cast list above, you can see that Rachett and Arbuthnot were played by the same person in this production. Rachett and Arbuthnot having very distinct accents and mannerisms help give the impression that they are two different people. Rachett, the murder victim, is instead presented as a dummy in the bed when he is examined so that the actor playing Arbuthnot can be present in all further scenes.

so what about the play itself?

It's funny.

I really wasn't expecting that to be so, but there was so much comedy baked into all the character interactions it was almost slapstick in how they played out. Poirot's neuroticism that you would expect of him are toned down but the ones that are there are played for laughs. All the characters are funny too, save for Rachett for obvious reasons. But in the middle of the murder investigation, while Poirot, The Countess, and Bouc are in the same room as Rachett's dead body, me and the audience were all genuinely laughing at the lines.

This was totally unexpected. I've read the original book twice, I've watched the 2017 movie with Kenneth Branagh, I've watched the TV movie from 2010 with David Suchett, I've also watched the 1974 movie with Albert Finney except I was really drunk when I watched the version so I don't really remember it all that much and probably turned it off halfway through,

The point is, I've consumed this story A Lot. All of them are incredibly dramatic and tense, the atmosphere oppressive and suspicious. This play… wasn't that. But it wasn't a bad take on the story I think. The jokes weren't distasteful or out of line, they were always contextual to the story and helped break the tension of the situation.

The original story is incredibly dark and emotional. That aspect stays in, all the plot elements stay in as intended and are represented accurately. But the ways that the characters act, interact with each other, quip with each other, are so unique and silly sometimes you can't help but crack a smile if not laugh. It's never hysterical laughter, but the humor keeps the story bright and approachable while the past events and darker plot elements creep up around the main cast.

The humor perhaps helps make the darkness feel that much darker, the swings from high emotions of laughing at how Poirot fake laughs to disarm the people he's interviewing, to three minutes later in a dark low where the interviewee talks about how the Armstrong case caused them and the people close to them irreparable harm. You have fun, but then feel that tension in your chest as you remind yourself why they're all here.

There are moments where Poirot breaks the 4th wall and addresses the audience, with his deeper thoughts about what's going on, the inferences and connections he's making. The characters replay out the events that they witnessed, stating their lines again for the sake of the audience to illustrate the though processes and clues that Poirot is reviewing.

There is also a romantic subplot with Poirot and Countess Adreyni. Probably my favorite part of the script is in this part:

POIROT. If I asked you to leave your husband and come away with me to Monte Carlo, what would you say? COUNTESS. I would say give me five minutes, I need to pack.

Poirot never marries, though has a long homoerotic tension with Captain Hastings, his best friend from Scotland Yard, if you are consuming the stories through a queer lens. This subplot is more played for a joke than something real, but it leads to some really neat character interactions between Poirot and the Countess that I don't think have ever been explored in this way before.

It seems to be Ken Ludwig's style to add humor to tense situations, from his interview on Baskerville: a Sherlock Holmes Mystery with the Washington Post, he had this to say:

“You’re not making fun of the genre, [but] at the same time, there’s a lot of laughs, because they come out of the tension,” the playwright says.

And I feel that to be the same about Murder on the Orient Express. You're tense because there's a danger facing down all of the characters in the situations they've found themselves in, trapped on a train with a murderer, if the tension breaks because of some funny character acting, then you laugh! The man knows what he's doing.

what about the set? the sounds? the sights?

Oh budddyyyy the set!!

There is a "in front of the curtain" set that a lot of plays do, but use these beautiful painted wood panels that have images projected on them to give the impression of the scene. The behind the curtain set is very impressive. It makes up the dining car in one part, and three of the sleeping cabins. Like a train, the cars slide and move, like a train car would, moving along the train as if viewing it through a cross section. Obviously it'd mean more to see the set in person, but you can see part of in these photos:

The show made use of projections and screens to help convey the extra elements of the set, such as projecting snowfall beyond the windows. The show makes good use of ambient music, sound effects of the train moving, recordings, for an experience that really does suspend the disbelief. It was minimal, but still enough to transform the story for the stage. review?

I liked it. There's a reason this story is so beloved and adapted 90 years later. While I enjoyed the humor, I think the punches felt less punchy, but when you already know the twists to the story, I think it was still very appropriate. My housemates forgot the twist at the end or had fallen asleep before the end of the movie and enjoyed the plot twist.

It's a really cool show, technically impressive, acted incredibly well, and unexpectedly funny. Ken Ludwig made some really different kinds of choices in his particular adaptation of the story and they all panned out successfully. But that's just my opinion, what do other people think?

From Broadway World (St.Paul/Minneapolis):

May utilizes every moment he has on stage (and he has a lot of it) as he truly embodies the detective that has become so etched in people's minds. Injecting moments of hilarity, only endears the audience to him more fully. As he seems to come closer and closer to revealing his suspect, May goes full out with giddiness and comedy. A far cry from the dramatic portrayal that most viewers in the audience will be familiar with by Kenneth Branagh. Rounding out the production's "leads" is the show's director, Risa Brainin who had crafted a marvelous night at the theater. It is not an easy feat, to direct a show that has hundreds of moving pieces and she has done a sublime job.

From Star Tribune:

The cast clearly is having fun and standouts include Bradley as the curt and professionally courteous countess, Froiland as the overdone Greta and Wingert as the loud, bawdy and unabashedly Minnesotan Helen Hubbard. Kudos also to Hansen, for showing range in his dual roles as the Scottish colonel and the deserving murderee, to Lawrence as the benevolent caretaker and to Barber as the grand princess. "Murder" answers a question that gets asked from time to time: How can you make entertainment about murder when, in the real world, events around such crimes bring such heartbreak? That's because the world in this "Murder" is ridiculously self-contained and the characters are over-the-top. And as all the clues of this whodunit become a puzzle, your mind gets locked into solving it, thereby offering an escape on a throwback train journey.

so what now?

Well, the show is still ongoing and if you're in the Minneapolis area and will be here at the Guthrie from May 13 - July 2, 2023. This play is likely being performed in other places too and if it's in your area, I recommend seeing it if you can!

Also, if you'd like to put on the show yourself, you can also order the script or request a license to put on the show yourself if you like via Ken Ludwig's website.

There's something I never really intentionally considered trying to do with mystery my own mystery stories is try to make them funny. I enjoy writing comedy into all of my stories, but I never thought about them in depth as a tool to control how the audience feels and lead them along the journey of the story. Being able to witness this play performed was a really good experience for things to think about in my own work going forward.

I probably won't want to write plays, I think I'm not that good at visualizing how people move around a stage, but I might pick up a copy of the play to just do a fun table read with my friends in the future.

[warningsine]

MANILA, Philippines – Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo has been arrested in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area of Indonesia, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday, September 4.

NBI Director Jimmy Santiago confirmed to Rappler that Guo is now under the custody of Indonesian authorities.

Guo was apprehended at 11:58 pm in Tangerang City, part of the Greater Jakarta area, also known as Jabodetabek, on September 3, Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said. 

“This development has been verified by our counterparts in Immigration, who confirmed that Guo is currently under the custody of the Indonesian Police at Jatanras Mabes Polri,” said DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano.

“Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco is currently coordinating with the Indonesian immigration authorities for her possible return to the Philippines at the soonest possible time,” said Gilbert Cruz, chief of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

“Kung makuha namin sila, matapos ang BI, matapos sa amin, we will immediately turn her over to the Senate,” said Santiago who added the implementation of the plans would still have to depend on the weather.

(If we get her, after the Bureau of Immigration, after us, we will immediately turn her over to the Senate)

There are currently no court-issued warrants of arrest out for Guo, just a warrant from the Senate based on contempt. It is likely that Indonesian immigration authorities apprehended Guo for immigration violations, or offenses related to disobedience or obstruction of justice, like what happened to her sister Shiela Guo, and the family’s alleged close confidante Cassandra Ong.

There are no exact details as of writing when Guo can be brought to the Philippines. Senator Risa Hontiveros said the Senate wants Guo present in their hearing on Thursday afternoon, September 5.

“I’m really hoping makaharap na siya bukas. So, tinatarget namin (I’m really hoping she can appear tomorrow. So that’s what we’re targeting). But we can only target so much,” she said.

Hontiveros said the Senate inquiry may be able to wrap up in four more hearings, but they’re aiming to establish a “bigger fish.”

“Maaaring hindi siya yung pinakamataas pa. Maaaring hindi pa siya yung pinakamalaking isda dito. At yun yung gustong tumbukin ng Committee on Women bilang bahagi ng pag-wrap-up ng kabuuang apat na taon nang imbestigasyon laban sa POGOs,” said Hontiveros.

(It’s possible she’s not the biggest fish here. And that’s what we want to find out in the Committee on Women as part of our wrapping up four years of POGO investigation.)

Guo deported today, says Marcos

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Indonesian government has been on top of the Guo situation ever since Shiela Guo and Ong were arrested on August 22.

“We’re thinking of sending our prosecutors there [Indonesia],” said Remulla, adding that Guo is undergoing tactical interrogation in Indonesia.

Senior NBI operatives will definitely be sent there too, Remulla said.

Guo can be returned to the Philippines within the day, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told reporters. “(The timing) depends on the police investigation results,” Jakarta’s law minister, Supratman Andi Agtas, told Reuters.

Because she was arrested without a warrant, Guo will be subjected to an inquest proceeding to give the Philippine government basis to hold her in custody. Her lawyers will likely invoke her rights against custodial investigation, which requires that she be charged within 36 hours, otherwise the continued detention can be invalidated.

Remulla shrugged these off, saying that Guo’s legal situation is “very complicated” as she faces multiple investigations in the legislative, executive, judiciary, “even in constitutional commissions,” referring to the Commission on Elections.

“Kaya kung merong abugadong magmamarunong diyan, marami silang sasabihin. Pero sasabihin nating hindi tama ang naging diskarte ni Alice Guo sa buhay niya, unang una, yung passport niya may problema tayo diyan, hindi lang natin kina-cancel kasi hindi kailangan pa,” said Remulla.

(So any lawyer who would act smart, and say many things, I will say that Alice Guo miscalculated her moves. First of all, her passport has problems, although we are not canceling it.) 

Alice Guo faces two complaints at the Department of Justice (DOJ), one for qualified human trafficking, and another for money laundering, both related to her incorporation of a leasing company called Baofu. Evidence submitted by several agencies to the DOJ claim Guo never divested from Baofu, and that the company was a front for the illegal activities of Hong Sheng/Zun Yuan, the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) that leased it.

Guo, at least according to her sister Shiela, fled the Philippines by boat around July 14, and reached Sabah, Malaysia on July 18. Several authorities have expressed doubt about the veracity of Shiela Guo’s testimony.

[jafanadis]

Full Name: Russell Aaron Firkins

Nickname: Russ, Rusty, Spots, Freckles, Jade-Eyes

Age: 19

Gender: Male (He/Him, They/Them)

Orientation: Pan

Height: 5’6

Species: Human

Nationality: Canadian (English, Quebecois, Greek)

Occupation: Student, Librarian, Bookkeeper

Alliance: The Jade Owls

Alignment: Protagonist

Theme Song: Wild Roses by Of Monsters And Men

Character Song: Wareta Ringo by Risa Teneda Instrumental

Voice Claim: Serge from Another Eden/Chrono Cross (Ashton Frank)

About

Russell is the Bookkeeper for The Jade Owls and the Librarian of the Falaina’s Library. Thrown into things beyond his control, he is captured by The Jithran Guards and put into a prison ship alongside his honorary sister, Zia, and his teacher, Derrick. When it is discovered that he has the power of Ergokinesis, he becomes a subject of interest of The Jithran Senate and Enalla Congress who intend to study him, in a lethal way. Another Ergokinetic user, Ash, an Opar-Han con-artist who he had literally bumped into, decides to rescue him. In the confusion, Russell, Zia, and Derrick are whisked away back onto the prison ship along with several criminals who orchestrated a jail break and stole the ship for their own. Now wanted for Barratry and for being an Ergokinetic User, Russell is now a member of The Jade Owls, a rag-tag gang of wanted criminal mercenaries who travel Otacaia by ocean and air, looking for missions and actively avoiding the authorities. He is currently in a relationship with Ash.

Personality

Russell is an intelligent and disciplined man with a strong-willed, blunt, and fiery side to him. He is very passionate about topics people wouldn’t normally find interesting and is keen on talking about these things to anyone who’d listen. He is a very creative, caring, moral, and kind soul who really dislikes it when people try to enforce their views on him and he can become confrontational when he feels he is pushed to his limits. He doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone; he doesn’t have time for that.

Miscellaneous

He speaks with a strong Saskatchewan Accent.

He is Autistic and proud of it. He rarely has meltdowns and shutdowns but when they do, they can go into full blown panic attacks, and he can’t control his Ergokinesis when this happens. When this happens, he recites poetry to calm down.

He wrote his first poem at age 5.

Whenever he has strong emotions or reactions to something, his Ergokinesis can show.

He enjoys jogging and is fast on his feet. He has won a few races.

He enjoys writing poetry, which is one of his Special Interests. He knows a lot of poems and poets from memory.

Besides poetry, his other interests include astrology, astronomy, mythologies, and legends.

He is intensely proud of his Greek heritage, and he enjoys talking about Greek history, culture, and Ancient Greek mythologies and stories. He believes he is a male reincarnation of Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon.

He can speak Greek and French

He has small feet and a feminine butt which people are quick to notice, he doesn’t like it when people point it out. In addition, he doesn’t have a lot of facial hair.

He came up with the group’s name of The Jade Owls and named the stolen prison ship, “The Falaina” which is Greek for “Whale”.

He compares his friends, family, and co-workers to Gods and Goddesses from different mythologies.

Russell was often bullied as a child for being Autistic and began to sleep around with his classmates as a result of this, because he wanted to feel accepted and also to numb the pain of the abuse he suffered from his family. He lost count of how many people he slept with; his best guess was 20.

At first Russell was an Anglican, then he converted to Lutheranism, and then Greek Orthodox. Now he is an Agnostic with a strong interest in Hellenism.

Otacaia, and all of its characters, species, races, information, et al © Jafan Adis, 2022-2024, All Rights Reserved.

[vegaseatsass]

GAP the Series ep 10 thoughts (spoilers!!)

Belated reaction post to yesterday's episode! It was such a sweet episode but I don't actually have much to say.

I guess the main thing that stood out to me was how it sort of felt like steel-spined, resilient, assertive, socially graceful Mon hit the end of her rope this week. Her apologies to Sam in the early part of the episode were super toothless, especially compared to how much thought she usually puts into how she communicates. Until she turned it around with a whole-ass wedding, she basically wasn't even addressing why Sam was upset, she just kept trying to cutesy her way out of Sam's anger/hurt. It felt really uncharacteristic for Mon, and made me concerned that her belief that she's a fundamentally unsuitable wife for Sam runs so deep that she can't actually talk about it.

Like when Mon fake-fell to make Sam run and check on her, I actually thought she was going to take that opportunity to get on one knee and propose, but she didn't, she just... made Sam fuss over her? Which feels like it was less about defusing Sam's anger like she claimed, and more about proving to herself that Sam still loved her, lol. Which then made me wonder if Mon was planning on proposing in that moment, but chickened out, couldn't actually do it right then, when Sam's affections felt at all uncertain. She needed the reassurance first.

Mon draws so much confidence from her own feelings - her love for Sam is a constant source of strength and inspiration for her - but it feels like she has no object permanence when it comes to how crazy Sam is about her in return, how necessary she's become in Sam's life. Which makes sense for so many reasons, and also made Grandma's visit in this episode the worst possible timing ever. Idk I just really felt for ep 10 Mon. She powered through her doubts and hosted a beautiful wedding, only to have The Lesbian Traumatizer thrown in her path a single day later.

Glad that Sam was gentle with her. Glad that Sam keeps growing and getting better control over her impulses (for instance, when she went looking for Mon and saw her with Nop and a little of her instinctive jealousy leaked out - but JUST a little!). Also glad Tee and Yuki were there for the wedding, but damn I'd be mad if I was Jim/Kade that I wasn't invited too lol!

Other quick notes:

Proud of Nop and his woke awakening. Kirk's stupidity takes me aback more and more every week, like I genuinely cannot distinguish what's malice and what is pure thoughtless idiocy in his choices, so it is important man representation that Nop is doing his reading and actually evolving as a person!

Nueng was a really interesting figure. I wonder how much of the authority figure Sam learned to be at Diversity was modeled not on Grandma and her heiress housewife lessons, but on fiercely independent, softness-is-weakness, "I make my own rules don't cross me" Neung.

TeeYuki series please please please. Tee dumping Yuki in the pool in the background of a scene? Make it the foreground. PLEASE.

Manifesting Cher and Risa joining the gang somehow before the series is done. They can still own their hotel they should just drive down for occasional Chaos Friend luncheons alright!

Think that's all. Beautiful episode but I guess my head is just as empty as Kirk's right now, alas.

Ep 1, Ep 2, Ep 3, Ep 4, Ep 5, Ep 6, Ep 7, Ep8, Ep9

[bakawitch]

Why did Kaibami chose the council members he did?

There are two basic criteria one would have to meet to join Kaibami's student council but there are some exceptions:

1. Be rich - Kaibami mostly approves applicants from highly affluent backgrounds so they can support both themselves and the council.

2. Be a threat - You know how that one saying goes? Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. If someone is a threat to his position or the foundation of the council, Kaibami will most likely recruit them to be able to keep a closer eye on them, probe out their weaknesses and weaken them while he's at it.

Now, here is how each of the council members got recruited:

Kaibami Eto: Should be obvious, Seto takes her everywhere he goes.

Ob Bhakta: Practically begged Kaibami to hire him as his personal assistant after he defeated the previous student council president. Kaibami was intrigued by his reasons and sincerity. He was only taken on as the secretary after working for Seto for a while.

Dartz Atlan: Dartz is actually a relic. He is the only one Kaibami allowed to stay from the previous council. He was able to persuade Kaibami with the promise of high financial support and loyalty towards only him. He's in the top 3 richest members (if we count Seto and Eto as one). Despite that, his position might be the least stable in the entire council.

Otogi Ryuji: Also in the top 3 richest of the council. He applied to the student council on the first day of his attendance to the school due to the urging of his father. Kaibami originally wasn't going to accept his application, but after seeing how quickly Ryuji was able to rack up supporters, he felt threatened and offered the treasurer position to him as a silent truce. Ryuji is still after his spot on the council behind the shadows.

Kaminaga Dei: Dei used to run a general run of the mill gambling den, but after failing to contribute to both his personal and the den's donations on top of his impressive amount of debt and refusing to pay or accept the housepet tag, Kaibami decided to have a conversation with him. The conversation went as well as you would expect since he is missing an eye, but it did lead to Kaibami coming to the decision to keep him in detention instead and have Dei work off his debt in a different way. Dei's old den becomes the Beautification Council, which is just a pretty name for the ruthless enforcers on academy grounds.

Nosaka Miho: At first, Kaibami had no desire to approve Miho's application because of her self-centered idol persona, but after receiving an invitation to one of her performances and seeing her handle and basically mind control the crowd, he decided to approve it with a few nudges from Otogi. Miho was made head of Public Relations for this reason. She's sort of the student council's mascot.

Fiona Sheldon: Alongside Risa, Fiona is one of the new recruits of the student council. Being the daughter of an Earl, she's fairly well off, and she also has herself a fairly large number of supporters in the form of her den. They stand for complete neutrality and are often sought out as reffs. She applied to the student council through the regular channels, but Kaibami only approved it after witnessing her ref a gamble between himself and another wannabe rival of his. He found it odd that despite Fiona wanting to win her favour, she never once stopped the game whenever his opponent cheated, upholding herself to her strict standards of neutrality. Following this, Kaibami approved her joining the council and continues to financially support Fiona's own Referee Committee, which eventually becomes the Election Committee.

Kageyama Risa: Unlike Fiona, Risa is only considered a junior member of the council since she more or less bought her way in. She got a really strong reference from Otogi, and she's mostly recruited for those reasons. Risa likes the idea of having power and being in a position of authority, but due to her spoiled upbringing she does not want to work for it and feels as if a chair at the council's table is owed to her.

Phew- and that's all of them!