#so. idea: meet in human world during halloween because potential for both of them

[hershelwidget]

NEW STUPID CRACK SHIP JUST DROPPED HAVE FUN

ABSOLUTELY NOT A SINGLE THOUGHT BEHIND IT I JUST WOKE UP TODAY AND DECIDED I’D CAUSE A PROBLEM

[adashofniallandasprinkleoflunacy]

The Switching Hour

A/N: it’s been just over a week since halloween but i finally got this piece done and i’m quite happy with it! :D i hope you guys enjoy and feedback is always welcome and cherished!! ilyyyy

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word count: 8.4k 

content: dramatic perfectionist demon!h, fluff, and a lil bit of smutty sexual tension

preview:

Her voice chimes up, prickly with annoyance and just the slightest bit of awe. “Are you always this picky when it comes to your Halloween costume?” 

Harry rubs the material of a Jack Skellington pantsuit between his thumbs and forefingers, humming in absentminded disapproval at the flimsiness of the fabric. “Always.”

“Why?” 

He drops the article of clothing, watching it sway back and forth on its hanger for a second before glancing up to meet her irritated expression, answering with a prideful undertone. “Because Halloween is the best holiday of the year and I’ve built quite the reputation for myself amongst my group. I always outshine and I tend to keep it that way, darling.” 

Y/N rolls her eyes lightly, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. “Right, I forgot how competitive you are.” 

“Actually, I like the praise,” Harry gives her a slow, sultry once-over, lips buckling with a sly smirk, “but you already knew that.”  

Her arms tighten instinctively across her body. 

Harry goes back to filtering through hangers, scrunching his nose in distaste at yet another Dracula ensemble. Drac never even wore a cape, he preferred tapered vests. He was the one who taught Harry how to style flared pants centuries before they came into fashion. With the way humans stained his cherished outfit designs, he’d be rolling around in his grave right now if he had one. He wasn’t even a vampire— just a crossroads demon with a very peculiar taste in beverages.

Y/N toys with the visor of an astronaut helmet, staring at her warbled reflection in the grey plastic and sighing with defeated boredom. “Why don’t we just get the Purge masks and go?”

Harry gives her a look of incredulous disdain. “And cover up one of my most prized assets? I’d rather let a hellhound disembowel me again.”

///

Harry was aiming to be an angel. 

Well, not literally. Hell forbid it, in his opinion. Most of them are wound so tight, they wouldn’t be able to fly if they tried. 

Plus, he actually quite enjoys being a demon. Immortality, flexible work hours, free range of the human world, and not to mention a pretty sick gig with the sorcery. It’s a sweet deal, once you get past the decades of excruciating torture and training, of course.

So no, he’s not aiming to be a literal celestial being. Rather, he’s planning to be one for Halloween on behalf of Y/N’s approach to switch identities as a couple’s costume. 

The idea had stemmed from when they had been walking around Party City a few days prior, trying to gain inspiration for the annual costume party a friend of Harry’s is hosting. 

Y/N hadn’t really been keen on going, despite the invitation being extended to her through Harry. She felt like she never really fit right with her boyfriend’s inner circle and it was for an obvious factor: they were all demons. 

She’d only ever gotten along with one demon before (granted, she’d only ever put effort into befriending this single one) and she was perfectly fine with that number. It isn’t that Harry’s friends treat her coldly in any way (they were pretty welcoming, much to her surprise), but she could practically drown in the awkward tension that milled whenever they had to interact. She stuck out of place in a painfully obvious manner and she refuses to force herself into bonding with them; it would just make the situation a whole lot worse. 

The connection remained as a polite acquaintanceship, and from what Y/N could tell, both parties are more than happy for it remain as so. 

Either way, Harry had managed to sway her into accompanying him. She wanted to give out candy to the children from the complex and he wanted her to be his plus-one, so a compromise was settled. They would hand out candy from six in the evening until eight, then get ready and leave for the party at nine.   

After agreeing upon the terms, they’d spent well over forty minutes in pursuit for their costumes at the store. 

The choices they had weren’t very compelling, according to Harry.

He outright refused to be a vampire, warlock, or werewolf— the overuse of the genres made them tacky. He’d rather be caught dead (a second time) than have to wear a cowboy hat, so that was a bust on Y/N’s part. No aliens, no zombies, no Frankenstein (which he filed under zombie and it was an entire five minute bicker session between them before Y/N finally let it go with an exasperated sigh). 

No superheroes. He’d cycled through all of them already, including Black Widow. He looked great in a bodysuit, if he does say so himself.

Historic figures were a bore considering there isn’t anything truly scary about King Tut, other than his crippled foot and untimely demise. Animal costumes are for children, as well as ghosts and ghouls. Mummies were too messy. 

Due to his selectiveness, they ended up circling the store five times, coming up empty-handed. Y/N had stopped giving him suggestions after he’d used a release spell to make her drop the Elvis wig she’d been inspecting.

Her voice chimes up, prickly with annoyance and just the slightest bit of awe. “Are you always this picky when it comes to your Halloween costume?” 

Harry rubs the material of a Jack Skellington pantsuit between his thumbs and forefingers, humming in absentminded disapproval at the flimsiness of the fabric. “Always.”

“Why?” 

He drops the article of clothing, watching it sway back and forth on its hanger for a second before glancing up to meet her irritated expression, answering with a prideful undertone. “Because Halloween is the best holiday of the year and I’ve built quite the reputation for myself amongst my group. I always outshine and I tend to keep it that way, darling.” 

Y/N rolls her eyes lightly, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. “Right, I forgot how competitive you are.” 

“Actually, I like the praise,” Harry gives her a slow, sultry once-over, lips buckling with a sly smirk, “but you already knew that.”  

Her arms tighten instinctively across her body. 

Harry goes back to filtering through hangers, scrunching his nose in distaste at yet another Dracula ensemble. Drac never even wore a cape, he preferred tapered vests. He was the one who taught Harry how to style flared pants centuries before they came into fashion. With the way humans stained his cherished outfit designs, he’d be rolling around in his grave right now if he had one. He wasn’t even a vampire— just a crossroads demon with a very peculiar taste in beverages.

Y/N toys with the visor of an astronaut helmet, staring at her warbled reflection in the grey plastic and sighing with defeated boredom. “Why don’t we just get the Purge masks and go?”

Harry gives her a look of incredulous disdain. “And cover up one of my most prized assets? I’d rather let a hellhound disembowel me again.”

“You’re so dramatic.”

He pulls a pirate costume out from the metal rack, eyeing it judgingly. “You don’t get crowned best costume every year without being dramatic.” 

The outfit holds a decent aesthetic with the passable material and colorful gems. The embroidery on the cosmetically tattered vest holds up and there’s no stingy parrot accessory in sight, though the cheap plastic sword is a bust. He’ll have to rummage through his storage and find a real one (probably the one he used during the American Revolution). If he’s lucky, maybe it’ll still have some dried blood on it.

With a bit of smudged black eyeliner and a pair of silver hoop earrings, he just might strike gold at the party. 

Best of all, the costume gives him an excuse to show off his broad chest (not that he needs one, but the fact that it adds to the genuinity of the look is a win). 

“Harry, look.” 

The giddy hilarity in Y/N’s voice draws his attention upwards from examining the purple buttons on the potential candidate. 

She’d clad herself in a bright red glittering cape that goes down to her knees, the button of the collar a large pentagram and perched atop her head is a pair of bedazzled devil horns about five inches in height each. In her hand she holds the rest of the costume— an attachable pointed tail and a three foot tall blood red pitchfork. 

“What do you think? Kinda reminds me of someone, but I can’t quite place my finger on it.” She looks up in faux thoughtfulness, tapping her chin for effect. 

Harry’s cheeks twitch with a grin of endeared amusement, dimples blinking. “I think you look absolutely adorable. Although...”

He trails off as he drift towards her, tugging lightly at hem of the cape, looking past his girlfriend towards the array of other devil costumes. He reaches for another, pulling it out and holding it up for consideration, shrugging his brows suggestively. “I think I’d rather see you in this skimpy little red dress and fishnet stockings.”

Y/N’s eyelids droop into a stern scowl. “And I’d rather not have my ass hanging out in front of all your friends.” 

“That’s the whole point, minx.” Harry holds the hanger up in front of her, humming admirably as an image swipes over the front of his eyes of her prancing around in a pair of glossy red-bottom heels, a pentagram choker, and some bold cherry-colored lipstick. “Just wanna show off my girl.” 

Y/N shoves the garment back towards him, tone cocky and pointed. “If you like it so much, why don’t you wear it, then?”

He lowers his arm, slinking his head slightly to the side and tugging his bottom lip between his teeth, the edges of his mouth twitching cheekily. “I don’t think all my bits and pieces would fit inside these stockings properly.” 

She unclasps the pin that holds the cape closed, pushing it off her shoulders as she sing-songs her words teasingly. “Won’t know until you try it.” 

Harry puts the articles of clothing back into their designated spot. “You’re no fun.” 

His focus dances to a few hangers down, a random twinkling nabbing his curiosity. He moves the surrounding pieces away with the back of his hands to get a better look, a smile creeping across his face at the fit. 

“Hey, babe. What d’you think of this one?” 

Y/N glimpses up from fiddling with the bendy devil tail, scoffing in entertained delight at the sight before her. 

Harry stands with his elbow propped on the top of the metal clothing rack, his legs crossed at the ankles with the tip of his worn tan boot tapping at the sleek black floor beneath it. He’s decked himself out in full angel attire, a light-up, wire-supported halo flashing brightly above his head, alternating patterns between quick bursts of yellow light and longer, drawn-out fading. The wings across his back span about four feet in total, strewn with white and gold holographic feathers, some covered in glitter. 

“I think you look dashing.” 

Harry pushes off the metal rail, the whole set-up quaking a bit under his strength. He ambles over until he’s right in front of his girlfriend, holding his arms out to his sides grandly. “I think I look dashing, too.”

He then turns his torso to the side, propping his chin on his shoulder and batting his lashes, going for a faux effect of adorable pureness. “Personally, I feel like I’d blend right in.”

His eyes suddenly ink black, dark veins protruding under his waterline and snaking their way down his cheekbones. “I’m as innocent as they come.” 

Y/N glances up at the ceiling with pretend mild annoyance, irises focusing back on Harry with the left corner of her lips curved, her sentence deadpan. “I beg to differ.” 

Harry drops the act, a look of insulted shock painting over his features as he carefully removes the halo headband from his quiffed curls. “You don’t think I’d play off being a good angel?!”

Y/N reaches over his shoulder and gives the tip of one of the fluffy wings a signifying tug. “Frankly, I don’t think you’d get past the gates. You’d get smited on sight.”

He gently grabs the hand that was playing with a gold polyester feathers, sifting his fingers between her’s and thumbing over the back of her knuckles temptingly. He cocks his head sideways a tad, stepping forward until his chest is ghosting over Y/N’s, the air of his sultry words just barely caressing her lips. “Maybe you could sneak me in, then?”

Y/N squeezes his digits playfully, snorting softly. “And why would I do that? So you can wreak havoc in the dining hall?” 

Harry releases a boyish giggle, the edges of his eyes crinkling as his nose scrunches. The childish grin slowly melts into a brazen smirk, teeth gnawing at the inside of his lower lip as some very explicit scenes bounce around the inside of his skull. He shakes his head lightly, making a low mm-mm sound to hint that he has other plans in mind. 

“Want you to sneak me in so you can take me up to your room. Show me around a bit— beginning of the universe memorabilia sounds interesting.” 

“Yet something tells me prehistoric rocks aren’t why you’d want me to sneak you up to my room.” She gives him a knowing stare, the pad of her thumb toying with the glossy black surface of his painted index nail. 

“Well aren’t you a clever little thing?” Harry leans in closer, his lip piercing grazing the skin along her jaw, settling nice and snug right against her earlobe. Her blood feels like it’s boiling. 

His whisper send tendrils of electricity revving across her temples and down her neck. 

“You’re right, though. Honestly, I just wanna fuck you on your bed instead of mine, for once. Make you whine and whimper for me to let you cum, all right under your dad’s nose. Make you stain your sheets and leave a few nail notches on your headboard.” 

“Harry, we’re in public...” Y/N’s urgent murmur is warm against his neck, causing him to whine deeply in the back of his throat as the heat washes down his jugular, leaving his ears tingling. 

His voice is thick and full of gravel as he answers. “I know, makes it so much hotter.”

He pauses his breathing for a heartbeat and Y/N gets the sensation that he’s analyzing her. She then feels him press a conceited grin across the back of her jaw, his two front teeth nipping at her earlobe tauntingly. His tone is heavy with arrogant certainty. “You’re wet.”

She digs her nails into his knuckles, looking down at her feet out of embarrassed instinct. “Shut up.” 

He ignores her request. “I’d have to muffle those pretty sounds you make— we both know how loud you are. Would cover your mouth with the palm of my hand while I spread your thighs with my hips and fill you up with my cock until you feel it at the pit of your tummy. I’d run my lips across your stinging nose and hot cheeks, hushing you and mumbling dirty things against your skin. Telling you what a good girl you are for me and how tight and warm you feel. How good you’re taking me and how cute you look all sweaty and needy, trying to keep quiet so no one finds out you snuck a demon back home, all because you wanted to get your brains fucked out with everyone right outside the door.”

A sudden prickling slithers up the back of Y/N’s neck, her muscles tightening in heightened anticipation. “Someone’s watching us.” 

Harry’s arm wraps around her waist, the hand holding the halo sliding over Y/N’s hip and maneuvering her out of sight of the prying eyes he can feel burning into his broad back, piercing right through the material of his leather jacket. He glimpses over his shoulder, catching a snapshot of the culprit peeping into their exchange: an elderly woman, partially hidden behind the black and orange tensile decorations, staring at them with disgust. 

Harry mumbles a quick basic spell under his breath. “Dis.”

Push.

The aged woman spontaneously jars forward, stumbling out of sight down the aisle she’d been loitering. 

Harry cranes his neck back towards his girlfriend, a happily satisfied smile staining his lips. “Took care of it.”

Y/N’s wide, astonished gaze leaves the empty space where the target had been, zoning in on her boyfriend with alarmed outrage. “You just shoved an old lady!”

His giddy grin immediately drops into a confused frown. “And?”

Harry didn’t think it was possible for her eyes to go wider, but she puts rest to his doubt. 

“And?! She could be hurt!” She immediately slaps his hand off her hip, releasing their conjoined fingers and smacking her palm across his chest as a repercussion for his actions (though he barely feels it). 

He rolls his eyes at her theatrics. “She’s fine! It was a light graze.”

“It was a satanic spell!” 

“She was intruding!”

“Oh, and that warrants you pushing her down the aisle?”

There’s a halt in the argument, followed by Harry’s eyes darting across different points of Y/N’s face— her tinted lips, her creased brows, her slightly flaring nose, and her faintly glowing eyes. The look in them is intense and begrudging. 

He hadn’t even realized his lips were parted in aroused surprise at her vehement outburst— she always looks so hot when she’s mad. He licks over them lightly, willing them closed and exhaling loudly through his nose. His eyebrows jolt upwards with salacious intent, the corners of his pursed mouth following suit. “Are y’gonna spank me for it, then?”  

“You’re insufferable.” 

“Don’t act like you don’t love it.” Harry pecks the tip of Y/N’s nose and steps sideways, purposefully leaving just enough space for Y/N to squeeze between his chest and the clothing rack. 

A swift peek at the designated aisle confirms that the woman is indeed fine (just a little bewildered) and Y/N is finally able to move past it, though still grumbling condemnation. 

She pulls at the thick clear straps of Harry’s fake wings thoughtfully. “We still haven’t found any costumes.” 

“Speak for yourself. I think I’m gonna go as Captain Jack Sparrow over there.” He hooks his thumb towards where he’d hung the pirate costume while he tried on the angel props. 

Y/N squeezes the cushioned bedazzled devil horns, an idea dawning. “What if we go as each other?” 

Harry raises a single brow, intrigued. “Well, that’s an idea.”

“It’d be a cute couple’s costume!” 

He removes the wings from his back. “I dunno. I quite like my pirate costume. I look great in black liner.”

Y/N pouts, though he doesn’t think she notices, which makes it all the cuter. “Pleaseee?”

He lightly tugs at the collar of Y/N’s striped t-shirt. “I could be persuaded...”  

She huffs. “Why are you such a handful?” 

He taps the pad of his index finger against the faint hollow at the center of her throat. “I’m more than a handful and you’re well aware of that.”

She forces herself to keep a tab on the electricity threatening to brim into her irises. “Please?” 

“Say it again. Love the way your voice sounds when you’re begging.” 

She narrows her eyes at him, irked (and slightly aroused, though she’d never admit it) at the way he’s being so crude. “Pretty please?”

The sensual touches at her neck halt, the atmosphere suspended for an elongated second. “Pretty please...?”

His tone suggests he’s waiting for her to utter something more, eyes waltzing with pompous appeal at the way she’s stroking his ego.  

Y/N grinds her teeth, jaw muscle visibly ticking. When she speaks, her voice is low and timid. “Pretty please, Daddy?”

The amusement swimming in the amber specks around his pupils translate across the ends of his mouth. “Sounds like a plan. Cliché, but I’ll bite.”

She clears her throat to break the puncturing sexual tension. “We just have to figure out the outfits to wear with the accessories. It can’t be that hard, right?” 

Harry smiles confidently, dozens of combinations of clothing already buzzing around his mind. “You leave that to me, sweetheart.” 

He doesn’t disappoint. He brings the rest of their costumes home the next day after three grueling hours at the shopping mall, carrying two frosted plastic covers over his shoulders (as well as an exhausted yet triumphant expression) when he saunters into the living room. 

Y/N falls in love with her fit before it’s even fully out of the bag. 

It’s a two-part velvet design and it’s absolutely dazzling. The main statement piece of the garment is the actual pantsuit: flared cuffs that cut perfectly just below her ankles, the soft fabric a pigment mix between a bright red and deep maroon. As the eyes draw upward, the suit ombrés into a murky black; by the time one’s sight gets to the bando-style top, the color is solid. The accompanying second half of the outfit is a blazer, tinted the same shade of maroon and covered with carefully embroidered crystal clear gems, resulting in material that both absorbs and reflects any light that hits the jacket, giving it bewitching juxtaposition. The cuffs and grand folded collar are lined with elegant glittered lace— a small detail that makes a world of a difference. 

The beauty of it draws attention, clutching it effortlessly and Harry knew it would match her ideally the moment he laid eyes on it at the store. 

He even managed to work an aspect of his little skimpy dress fantasy into the mix: the red-bottom heels. They compliment the look down to the detail with the chic, dark glossy surface on top and the flashy red lining along the underside. The model of the pumps is sleek and tapered, made to give an air of sensual confidence to anyone who dons them. 

He doesn’t regret a single cent of the thousands he’d spent— the way his girlfriend’s eyes are twinkling with enamored awe makes it more than worth it.

Y/N had been rendered speechless as she passes the pads of her fingers gingerly over the plush velvet, almost as if she’s scared it will disintegrate if it wrinkles. Her voice is a stunned murmur. “Jesus, Harry...”

“You like it?” He sets his own protective carrier down along the arm of the couch, the blurred plastic keeping its contents hidden. 

She holds the top portion of the pantsuit up to her chest, trying to imagine how it’ll look with her hair and makeup done. “Like’ doesn’t even come close.”

Harry smiles shyly as he takes the spot beside her, chest fluttering at the notion of making her so happy, fingers rising up to mess with the hoop piercing hooked along his eyebrow— a bashful mannerism. “Good. Always love making your eyes glow like that. Metaphorically speaking.”

Y/N laughs lightly at his joke, face shimmering with a certain loving warmth that makes his insides stir. 

Harry drops his hands into his lap, leaning a bit to bump her shoulder jestingly with his. “Where’s my thank you?”

Y/N returns his gesture, hugging his gift to her stomach gratefully. “Thank you. You spoil me rotten, honestly.” 

He ducks his head down to press a lingering kiss to her temple, inhaling her scent of lavender and cherry blossoms and baby powder and another odor he can’t quite place but it reminds him of a time in his life long ago when he was happy and fulfilled and loved. “I’d do anything for you.”

“You better stop before my eyes start glowing non-metaphorically.”  

Harry’s full-hearted chuckle chimes the air like a thousand bells. It dies down slowly, his forehead pressing against her cheekbone, the tip of his nose brushing across her skin in a caring manner. When he speaks, his voice is gentle and raw. “Can I have a kiss?” 

Y/N bobs her head, craning her face towards him, their noses bumping. She flushes her forehead to his, gazing deeply into his irises as they twinkle with delicate admiration. 

Contrary to the usual, there’s no lascivious teasing or suggestiveness in Harry’s behavior; just simple, subtle affection. And the fact that he’d asked permission makes it sweeter. It’s intimate moments like these that make her cherish giving love a chance.

She buttons her lips to Harry’s tenderly, feeling him sigh dreamily through his nose. It’s not a messy kiss, there’s no desperate sexual drive behind it. It’s homey and mellow, like a hug from someone long lost.     

It lasts a solid ten seconds before Y/N draws back, dwindling the singular kiss into a dozen tiny pecks across Harry’s cheeks, nose, and eyelids until his face is puckering up at the feathery sensation, lashes fluttering open sleepily. 

Y/N sponges her lips between her boyfriend’s brows with finality. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

She attentively eases the cover back over her expensive present, zipping it closed and making sure the metal bit doesn’t catch on the cloth. She lays is out across her lap, already glancing over Harry’s shoulder investigatively, trying to make out what he had bought for himself.

“So what’s yours look like?” Her hand stretches out towards the costume with the intent of undoing the zipper. 

“Ah, ah, ah!” Harry’s fingers come town over the top of her own, smacking them away humorously. 

Y/N’s head reels back quizzically, insulted. 

He shrugs his brows ominously, one of his large, ring-clad hands streaming across the bag protectively. “It’s a surprise.” 

“That’s not fair!” She exclaims adamantly, though the giggles escaping her are doing a horrible job at backing her claim. “You got to pick mine and I can’t even take a peek at yours?”

Harry defends his secret with another playful slap at her insistent hand as it attempts to reach below his arm. “You know how much I love edging.”

Y/N slumps her shoulders dramatically, the weight of the mystery already itching the back of her brain. She doesn’t know how she’ll be able to put up with it for the next couple of days. “Can I at least see the shoes?”

Harry shakes his head, an evilly delighted simper coiling onto his face. “Nope.”

“Unbelievable.” She snips, crossing her arms over her stomach. 

“‘Good things come to those who wait’ and all that.” 

He’s having way too much fun with this.

Y/N narrows her eyes at him challengingly. “I’ll have my way when you’re asleep.”

He belts out a laugh. “Over my undead body.”

With that, Harry springs up from the couch, jetting towards the stairs that head up to the top floor of the condo, the forbidden costume in tow. 

“Hey!” Y/N vaults up to chase him, well aware of all the possible hiding places scattered upstairs. It’ll take her ages to find it; by the time she does, it would already be past the date.

Harry has a decent amount of time ahead of her, his lanky legs taking the steps two and even three at a time, easily leaving her in the dust. How he keeps from slipping on his jack o���lantern socks is beyond him.

Y/N scurries up the spiral staircase after him, both of their airy giggling bouncing off the intricate metal railings and dark hardwood panels.  

Harry stumbles into their room and slams the door shut behind him with a simple spell, the lock magically flicking shut. He’s laughing so hard his stomach aches, whipping around on his heels to keep alert as he backs into the room, picking his brain for a proper enchantment. He mumbles the invisibility incantation out of breath and half-snickering, but gets it out nonetheless. 

“Fallax flamma, ignis de potentia, et in abscondito, ego ignire te evanescit.”

Cloaking flame, fire of power and concealment, I ignite you to vanish.

A blinding red and blue flame engulfs the entirety of the plastic cover, extinguishing almost immediately, leaving behind no trace evidence of the object he had under his arm moments ago.

And without a second to spare, the door flies open, Y/N rushing in with a victory elating her features. “Gotcha—!”  

Her head swivels from side to side, confusion furrowing her brows as she takes in the image of her boyfriend’s empty arms, alongside his smug, self-satisfied expression. “Where’d it go?!”

Harry creases his brows to mimic her own baffled appearance, mocking. “Where’d what go?”

She ignores the dig. “You can’t possibly have hid it that fast! Not unless you used…”

Realization floods her face. “Cheater!”

“It’s not cheating, it’s called using my resources.”

“Cheater!” Y/N reiterates, lunging forward and koalaing her arms and legs around Harry, sending him stilting back and crashing into the mattress, the duvet rising up in a puff of fluffy black cloth.

His back bounces three times against the bed yet she manages to stay latched on, her knees digging into his hips as her hands fumble to pin down his wrists. 

He fights back, wriggling from side to side to try and shake her loose, kicking up his legs wildly in hopes of teetering her off. “This is wrongful punishment, I didn’t even get a fair trial!”

Y/N ducks down, running her soft lips over the spot where his neck meets his jaw, knowing full well it’s one of his most ticklish places. She whispers her words warningly. “Let me see it.”

Harry can’t help the high-pitched, half-suppressed laugh that escape him, jitters coursing through his bones, stemming from the area where her mouth rubs along his heated skin. He wills the bubbly shrieks to die down, teething at the ring that adorns his bottom lip, eyes alight with pure ecstatic energy. “No.”

Y/N shrugs off his refusal, her supernatural strength proving valuable as she manages to keep her boyfriend stretched to the sheets. “Fine, then. Guess I’ll just have to torture it out of you.” 

Harry sticks his tongue out at her mockingly, the ruby gem piercing glinting in the faint, grey evening light streaming in freely through the large glass wall that overlooks the city skyline. “Guess you will.” 

Her method backfires almost immediately. 

Harry’s sneaky ways and matching inhuman strength accomplish to outmaneuver her. After a fair share of complaining grunts, palms slamming against cheeks, carefully coordinated pinches to side, and a somewhat harsh tug to her hair, she ends up splayed over the mattress beneath him, heaving shallowly as he traps her forearms against his chest, nimble fingers wrapped around her wrists. 

Harry kinks his brows up boastingly. “How’s that, then? Taste of your own medicine.”

Y/N squirms excessively, but slipping free seems unlikely. “I could totally kick you in a really sensitive place right now, but I won’t.” 

He calls her bluff, words sticky and warm against her chin. “It’s in your best interest not to considering you’ve taken a liking to bouncing on it.”  

She yanks at her arms almost savagely, snapping her head sideways to avoid him taking a piss at her as her irises flare up a pale neon blue. 

Harry ends up getting his way. The costume remains unseen until the night of the Halloween party, hidden in some tear in the universe where he knows she won’t be able to find it.  

It remains in its magical alcove until Harry summons it out after his shower, hanging it on an unused towel hook on the marble wall.

He gives it a calculating once-over, chin propped on his loose fist, elbow supported by the wrist of the arm he has swung across his torso. He sways ever so slightly, the towel clinging to his hips dangling dangerously low on his structured pelvis. His wet curls caress the back of his neck, mopping over his small ears and itching his brows, resulting in Harry combing them out of his face with his fingers and sighing lightly.

He taps absentmindedly at the center of his plump lips, running the pad of his index digit along the ridges of his bottom one, feeling the smallest bit off since his piercing is lacking in its rightful spot. The things he does for the authenticity of the look. 

The hand across his stomach clenches and unclenches thoughtfully as he chalks up the details of the full costume in his head, cracking each of his knuckles one at a time with his thumb as he dwells on his ideas. He can never seem to stay still when he’s plotting. 

He glances down at his nails, smiling fondly at the white lacquer Y/N had painted on them to go with his theme. He knows the suspense has been killing her and it amuses him to no end.

Harry rummages through the bathroom cabinets, retrieving his hair drier along with his favorite mousse. Y/N’s makeup bag also makes it onto the counter, as well as his Dove Fresh Cucumber deodorant, cologne, and a pair of dangley pearl earrings he’d acquired as a gift centuries ago from a French noblewoman more than willing to give him what he wanted (in more than one sense).

He knows exactly what his costume is going to look like now and he doesn’t waste a second in beginning preparations. 

On the opposite side of the door, Y/N thinks quite the contrary— he’s taking forever to get ready, the minutes wasting away just like her patience. 

The plan had gone as intended, to an extent. They’d handed out candy to all the children that had come and she’d even weaned Harry into buying a cute jack o’ lantern bowl to set the mood. She enjoyed seeing all of the creative costumes the kids had conjured up; she thinks her favorite was probably the ten year old girl dressed like Thanos from the Avengers movies. Y/N’s favorite part had been the gauntlet, which had carried different colored Jolly Ranchers in place of the Infinity Stones. Quite clever, if you asked her. 

There was an incident with a twelve year old who gave them attitude for their choice in the candy they gave out, but Harry handled it before Y/N could even react. He’d crouched down to her level, mumbled something unintelligible, and then from what Y/N could see in the split second that it occurred, flashed her his demon face. The preteen fled without a single word. 

He had pushed himself back up with his palms to his knees, brushing past Y/N into the apartment, grumbling under his breath. “Entitled miscreants.” 

No more kids ventured towards their door after that. 

She had been the first to get ready, well aware of how long Harry tended to take when preparing himself to go out. 

He casually suggested that it would go by faster if they showered together, not to mention it’d “help the environment and what not,” though she knew his intentions would likely set them on a detour. He was playfully insistent, however, and she ended up having to shove him out of the bathroom with his underwear already half off. 

After she had cleaned up and blow dried her hair accordingly, she left the bathroom to him, deciding to finish getting ready in the bedroom to avoid being late (and also because she knew he wasn’t going to let her see him putting on the costume). 

“I know we have an eternity to live but try not to fill it all up with your showertime.” She’d quipped as she drifted past him on her way out of the foggy, humid washroom.

A sudden tug at her towel had sent her hands fumbling, just barely managing to keep her chest covered. Harry’s snickering had bounced off the shell of her ears. “I make no promises.”

Now Y/N sat on the large bed, distractedly rocking her heels back and forth against the thick-carpeted ground, running her fingers over the silky velvet fabric of her flared pantsuit as it bunches around her thighs. 

She isn’t one to brag or boast because she had been wired to be humble, but she doesn’t think she’s ever looked better. The suit fit her perfectly, all of the seams and cinches falling exactly where they should. The jacket was loose enough to be comfortable but snug enough that it hugged her shoulders properly, not to mention the inside was made of velvet, as well. The wide-legged portion of the fit stopped just below her ankles, giving away to the shiny, midnight-tinted glassy shoes. She’d practiced her walk for about ten minutes. 

Her hair is parted to the side, the front section pinned back from her face to showcase the makeup she’d applied. She’d tightlined her eyes with black kohl eyeliner and a red lip pencil she’d had to make due with (which she’d ducked into the bathroom to get, disappointed when she didn’t see the familiar plastic covering hanging anywhere along the walls) and applied the bright red lipstain Harry had gotten for her. 

Around her neck lays a delicate gold chain, Harry’s large ruby ring glittering at its center. He always loved seeing something of his on her and he always joked about how this specific act was a vintage antic that dated back to the nineteen twenties; girlfriends would wear their boyfriend’s rings around their necks as a symbol of love. The first time he’d mentioned it, she had fallen head over wings for the idea— fallen for its simple yet deep meaning. And it just confirmed to her that under the layers of the hard exterior he donned, Harry was a hopeless romantic at heart (despite the fact that his no longer beat).

Y/N thumbs over the big stone encapsulated in the aged gold band, sighing restlessly through her nose as the pattering of the water echoes through the walls of the bedroom. He’s probably taking this long on purpose and she has half a mind to stalk in there and drag him out by his wet curls, but she refrains. His surprise better be worth it.

The water spout creaks to a stop, the only sound resonating in the bathroom being Harry’s faint humming to Thriller as the door to the shower cracks open loudly. Fucking finally. 

Y/N scampers onto her feet, nearly breaking an ankle as she forgets her choice in shoes. She heads towards the washroom door with an attentive stride, rapping her knuckles on the wooden door lightly, voice tinged with irritation. “Are you done?”

Harry chimes back, tone full of airy, cocky humor. “Not quite. Still balls-naked, but I suppose I could go like that, if you want me to. Don’t mind it.” 

“Just get dressed already, would you? You’re taking forever.” 

“Haven’t you ever heard of being ‘fashionably late?’”

Y/N growls in exasperation, crossing her arms and pacing back and forth in front of their bed, trying to reign in her nerves. Going to a party where she barely knows anyone is bad enough, but Harry isn’t easing her woes any by being a little shit. 

On the other side of the wooden door, Harry is finger-combing mousse through his hair as he harmonizes to Monster Mash, twirling strands here and there around his index finger to accentuate the ringlets just the way he likes. He flips his head over, mussing up the roots to ensure the soft volume and fullness he’s so known for. He always takes his hair seriously— a residual mannerism from when he had it shoulder-length for almost a decade. 

Blow drying doesn’t take long and he’s buttoning up his top before he knows it, leaving the last three buttons undone to expose his swallow tattoos and upside down cross necklace, the antennas of his butterfly inking peeking out from the edge of the open shirt, along with the curved tips of its wings. 

He fishes out a couple of products from Y/N’s cosmetics pouch as he wiggles his toes into his new shoes, zipping them up with finality and leaning in closer to the mirror for the makeup application. 

Once he’s finished and everything has been returned to its rightful spot, he spritzes a few pumps of his Tom Ford cologne across his flexing necking and down his jaw, capping it and giving himself a thoughtful once-over in the mirror. He’s proud of what he’d achieved. 

He murmurs a spell, retrieving the halo and wings from the magical storage facility he’d placed them in, fitting them onto his costume and humming in approval. 

The door to the bathroom swings open, startling Y/N enough to trip up her angry loitering.

Harry steps through the frame of the door, completely decked out in his attire for her to witness in its fully glory. “Let the switching hour begin.”

Y/N can’t stop her jaw from dropping in astonishment. 

Harry looks incredible— breath-takingly ethereal, to say the least. She scans the look from bottom to top, taking in every detail slowly, feeling almost as if time had slowed down around her. 

It starts with the footwear. They’re a pair of glossy, bright white heeled boots, silver metal tips adorning the front of the shoes. She’s never seen anything like it and knowing how dramatic Harry can be, she wouldn’t be surprised if they’re custom. 

The boots disappear under the flared cuffs of the off-white, wide-legged pants he is sporting, the fabric ironed and crisp, complimenting his height. They’re high-waisted, ending just above Harry’s navel, the front embellished with two parallel rows of gold buttons, each engraved with a capital, Roman-font letter G that glints under the soft, buttery low light of a single lamp. 

His top is probably the statement piece of the layout. It’s a baby blue long-sleeved button-up blouse with a frilled collar and cuffs, the buttons decently-sized opal crystals that shimmer holographically with every movement. The fabric of the cloth presents a similar effect, the material frosty and see-through with reflective, multi-colored sparkling fibers sewn in. The shirt is tucked into the high waist of Harry’s pants, fitting loose and flouncy around his torso, the twinkling faintness of the thread juxtaposing the darkness of his tattoos in an unexpected yet flattering manner. It hugs his shoulders and back tightly, muscles rippling the cloth in a way similar to how a stone wrinkles the surface of a still lake. 

The layers of the collar ornament Harry’s sharp jaw and grace the intricate pearl earring dangling from his right ear. She takes notice of the inversed cross necklace resting at the center of the valley that is his chest, glinting with a type of poetic irony. His fingers are garnished with his usual plethora of rings, his two blocky initials hugging his second middle finger and pinky amidst an array of gems and carvings. 

Though the dazzling clothes and expensive jewelry are eye-catching, Y/N can confidently say Harry’s makeup is the real caviar of the entire look. 

White liner runs across his waterline and over the crevices of his top lashes, opening up his eyes and making the olive tone of his irises pop more than usual. Glitter has been strewn across the curve of his cheekbones and faded up onto his temples, the holographic flecks of pastel blue, baby pink, and snow white glued down securely and glimmering under the flickering light-up halo. The lustery specks have also been combed into his fluffy, soft curls with a dash of gel, twinkling like a billion little stars. Evenly-spaced rhinestones decorate along the curve of Harry’s thick eyebrows— a final touch of grandeur that pairs adequately with the rest of the accessories.

Harry lifts the palms of his hands upward expectantly, giving a slow twirl and showing off the glitzy wings (which mold into the look effortlessly). “So, what d’you think?”

Y/N puts all of the pieces of the costume together in her brain, attempting to process it all at once and being rendered utterly speechless. The broadness of his body— the thickness of his chest, how his biceps and back muscles strain the dainty material of the top, his towering height with the heels, his sharp, defined features— contrast the delicateness of the fit, but it somehow it works. It somehow makes heat pool at the pit of her stomach and makes her ears crackle with spurts of electricity. 

All she manages to croak out is a quiet, tender, “You look pretty.” 

This sends Harry into a round of light-hearted giggling, his smile more blinding than any of the flashy props he carries. He glances down, zoning in on the metal tips of his boots to avoid her noticing the blush invading his cheeks. He pushes it down, scolding himself for being so mushy. 

He clears his throat lightly, giving a quick glimpse over her own costume. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Y/N instinctively looks down at her outfit, grabbing the excess fabric around her thighs and curtsying jokingly. “Thanks, my boyfriend picked it out.”

Harry tilts his head to the side, his two front teeth digging into his bottom lip, eyebrows jolting knowingly. “He has great taste.” 

Y/N steps closer to her boyfriend, draping her arms over his strong shoulders, the corners of her lips twitching. “Yeah, but he takes centuries to get ready. That’s kindof a trade-off.”

Harry’s hands coast onto his girlfriend’s hips, squeezing jestingly as he draws her body flushed against his, the golden buttons of his pants cold against the ombréd cloth of her pantsuit. “He sounds like an ass.”

She wobbles her head from side to side as if mulling over his comment, eventually nodding in agreement. “He is.” 

His jaw falls open into a shocked smirk, raising his eyebrows in silent objection. “Is that so? Why do you stay with him, then?”

Y/N’s palms glide down the taut muscles of Harry’s arms, the pads of her fingers pressing into his skin suggestively. “He’s got a few redeeming qualities.” 

Harry’s heavy lashes dust over the tops of his cheeks, catching a few stray particles of glitter that shimmer alluringly in the dim lighting. His forearms suddenly tighten harder around her waist, pulling her so close she can feel his groin pressing into her thigh. His tone is slathered with arrogant self-assurance, the ghosts of the words dancing across her stinging lips and her eyes nearly roll back as whiffs of his intoxicatingly delicious scent numbs her sinuses. 

“Oh, yeah? Like what?”

Y/N has a hard time swallowing, feeling her voice lodge in her throat as he begins brushing his lips up and down her jaw. “I’ll keep that to myself.” 

Harry chuckles deeply and she can feel the vibrations down to her bones. “S’okay, I’ve got an idea of what you meant.” 

“You sound awfully confident.”

“I speak from experience.” 

Y/N moves her face back a tad, noticing that her fingers had somehow ended up tangled in the chain of his necklace, tugging at it so hard it's bruising Harry’s throat. He doesn’t mind it— he liked the burn. 

He ducks down further, wisping his mouth over her’s, groaning lowly in the back of his throat when he sees her lips are stained with the tempting red color he’d picked out. “Your mouth looks so pretty like that. Bet it’d look even better skimming down my chest and over my thighs.” 

His hold has her leaning back so far she’s now balancing on the tips of her toes, her chest heaving slightly against his. “Bet it would.” 

Harry reaches one hand up, cupping her jaw with his fingers, his thumb rubbing slowly over her bottom lip, watching the color transfer faintly. “Wouldn’t mind some of the glitter on my face ending up across your inner thighs, either.”

A small whine strains the back of Y/N’s throat at the image of Harry’s head ducking between her legs over and over, the white liner smudging under his eyes due to sweat while her damp skin rubs the glitter off his cheekbones, his ringed fingers clamping over her plush thighs as the light from the moon bounces off the glossy surface of the white nail polish. 

Harry presses a warm, sloppy kiss to the center of her jugular, her knees quaking as heat surges through her veins. “Some of it on your fingers, too, from pulling at my hair.”

He slowly dips his thumb past her lips, it’s weight heavy on her tongue. She acts on impulse, closing her mouth around it and sucking drunkenly. 

Harry’s teeth skim along the side of her neck, a breathy purr of, “That’s my good girl” simmering her nerves. 

Her words are muffled and weak, but she manages to get them out into the open. “We’re gonna be late.” 

It’s not that Y/N doesn’t want to because, fuck, she wants to, but she knows that Harry would leave her a disoriented mess for the rest of the night, and it’d be pretty obvious. The last thing she wants is his friends teasing her about it— the mortification would be eternal. 

He sighs grandly against her throat— which nearly sends her crumpling to the floor—  and reluctantly pulls away. 

Harry knocks his forehead against her’s, his sparkly lashes dusting her eyelids as they barely conceal the puncturing sexual hunger glinting in the amber flecks around his pupils. “You’re lucky the pantsuit is a one-piece or I’d have you riding my face right about now.” 

With that, he refixes her crooked demon horns atop her head, retrieving the cape, clip-on tail, and pitchfork from where she’d placed them on the bed. He tangles their fingers together and yanks a very hazy, unbalanced Y/N towards the door. 

She stumbles after him in her heels, gaining enough footing to avoid rolling as they descended down the stairs, the sounds from both of their shoes pounding hard inside her temples. Harry hands her the rest of her costume, grabbing his favorite navy blue trench coat from it’s hook next to the entryway and shrugging it on, carefully working his hands through the sleeves to keep the frill detailing from bunching up. He pats down his pockets to make sure he has his keys, fishing them out with his index finger as he unlocks the front door. 

He steps off to the side for Y/N to go through first, kissing her cheek chastely as she brushes past him with a tiny, soft, “Thank you.” 

“Of course, darling.” Harry follows her lead, turning back to lock the door to their apartment, checking the knob the same way he’s done his entire life. 

Y/N loops her arm around his as they walk towards his car, the chilly air rustling her velvet jacket and drying the light sheen of sweat that had accumulated across her hairline. The moon hangs calmly amongst the stars, illuminating the high points of Harry’s face in a very fitting heavenly manner, the soft sounds of chirping insects and hooting owls setting a comfortably spooky tone for the rest of the night. A few straggling trick-or-treaters are turning in for the night, exchanging happy halloween’s and heading towards their complexes. 

The beeping of the car rings across the still air along with the quick flash of the headlights. Harry opens the door for Y/N, just as he’s always done, helping her get settled into the passenger’s seat. He then leans down a tad through the frame of the door, fingers tapping at the hood of the car, eyes half-lidded in a sly simper.

“Just thought I’d tell you in advance, you might wanna get the situation between your thighs settled before we get to the party. I’d be able to smell how wet you are from a mile away.” 

[hopeymchope]

Magia Record: Reflecting on the Anime and the Game’s Story Ending

With Magia Record's story now complete in-game and with the anime "finished" (only the first season, but it took until literally this past weekend for the production team at Shaft to acknowledge that the second season is coming/inevitable), I have like… a ton of thoughts about where the game and the anime landed.

This will probably mostly be gripes, but overall, I'm still pretty happy with both. I've invested my past year into Magia Record during a lot of my free time, and hey – no regrets here. That game was absolutely worth the experience. The anime? Jury's still out somewhat, but it looks good so far.

This is definitely a normal thing to find surrounding a radio tower.

Anime Adaptation Thoughts:

The original Madoka Magica anime made the world feel slightly off-kilter by employing locations that were just a little off the rails from reality. The producers noted Madoka's bathroom as an important example; it's simply too large and has too much wasted space. It's maybe the biggest room in their house for no discernible reason, and that's by design, because it feels wrong. Another one was the music store we see in the first episode, where the technology is noticeably on a level that you just can't find in any real shop. On the flip side, the Magia Record anime creates a world that is deeply bizarre in many ways – much moreso than the original anime or the Magia Record game world. This is probably because the creator of the witch designs in the original was given far more creative control over the series as a whole this time around, and the result was BUGNUTS. Take note of the massive stack of discarded school desks that is arranged in a dangerous, precarious pile atop the school building (helpfully labeled as a waste pile, despite the fact that… well, who is picking up these garbage desks from the goddamn roof?). That's some imagery straight out of a witch's labyrinth, but it is ostensibly "reality." I think that's where Magia Record's anime really goes bugnuts, sometimes to powerful effect in that it makes things feel more unsettling… and sometimes to ridiculous effect. I mean, the field surrounding the radio tower now being replaced with a yard of jagged, cockeyed, towering gravestones and cross-like woodwork dangling with ropes and tridents? That's a LOT. That's… that's too much.

Look, if you were a die-hard fan of Kaede in the game, I am deeply sorry, because your girl got done DIRTY by the anime. Anyone who played the game who then sees where she winds up at the end of episode 12 is likely on a train straight to Double-You Tee Eff Station. I can't deny that it makes sense for the limited story she's given to develop across, but it was still disappointing to see. I suppose we don't really have the time to develop up all of the other characters from the game, so somebody had to sub in for this role… but oof.

Sana's backstory with her family is not nearly explained or explored enough in the show. I honestly think it comes off as confusingly unclear why they treated her like this or why they didn't notice her vanish at all. The game justifies this devastatingly well, but it feels like it's not clear at all here.

I think they could've had Kyubey run around Kamihama for part of the first season before he got ousted/blocked, and I think it would've been beneficial to do so. Now, that's not just because I love his character and find him fascinating, although that's definitely true, but it's also because there's so much exposition that I wish he could deliver to the characters about what's happened before we got here. Like, the tragic truth about Felicia's backstory is wonderfully awful, and I wish there was some way to deliver that into the anime, but I don't think it's possible without a ton of flashbacks. (And to be fair, players of the game may never know it without playing her particular Magical Girl Story.)

The change to not having Mami attack Yachiyo when they first meet was something I felt was a positive move. I loved that Mami got to have a moment she never had in the game during the Radio Tower arc, too. In generally, I enjoyed the slower, more piecemeal involvement of the original Holy Quintet, which has served as nice slow tease compared to having them be more upfront in the game. I did kind of miss the Madoka/Homura involvement in the radio tower case, but I ultimately came away feeling like it was better to save those two for later in the story because they're probably the best-known characters from the original series.

The combat soundtrack is exquisite - maybe better than ever before, honestly. The Magia Record anime has the best fight music in the series outside of, say, Rebellion.

Game's Ending Thoughts: (Spoilers Within)

The anime cutscenes in the final chapter are delightful.

Puella Magi has never shied away from having its characters die in the original anime or in the many manga stories. I'd argue that those deaths are at least part of what makes it such a successful subversion of the Magical Girl formula; the threat of death (often via witchiness) establishes the idea of there being permanent consequences that simple hope and faith and love can't overcome in spite of what those other anime may have told you. On the other hand, Magia Record turns out to have very close to zero consequences. Aside from established deaths from flashbacks that have occurred before the game even begins, by the end of the game, literally no one dies. Not even the most blatantly psychotic character is allowed to shuffle off her mortal coil; she just "disappears" and escapes. I particularly like (please note the sarcasm) how three different characters do some kind of "super-move" during the final two chapters that is said to most likely kill them, and yet they all survive them! At least ONE character winds up with some paralysis, but jeez, the others walk away completely unscathed. I can only hope the anime doesn't go quite so weak in the knees about any of the characters suffering actual consequences from the potentially-world-ending-level battles that occur.

I previously griped that I actually expected the psychos responsible for the entire storyline to get off scot-free, and although they don't get off 100% free and clear by the time the credits role, they come extremely close to doing so. However, I was really happy with the "Cherry Blossom Dreams" epilogue event, because there is dialogue in there that has the Magius admit that whatever guilt they have now, they are still capable of being complete sociopaths who want to dominate the Earth. That one person's presence (Ui) shouldn't be (and isn't) enough to keep them from being incredibly dangerous. Ultimately, the solution/punishment they receive is probably the best one available in light of their overall survival. Well done.

Speaking of the Magius, I mean… is it really possible that so many feathers never questioned that they were following a couple of 11/12-year-olds and one blatantly obvious psychotic? I guess having face time with the Magius was pretty rare, but there was still enough that some of the feathers declared their allegiance was primarily to those three above all else. And most magical girls range closer to 16 than to 11, I mean, y'know? Which is practically an eternity in terms of maturity. So I guess MIfuyu did a lot of heavy lifting on NOT making them seem like absolutely the worst possible choices for leadership, huh? (And for that reason: Mifuyu got off fucking LIGHT.)

Aaaand speaking of "one obvious psychotic," I find it funny how almost nobody knows Alina outside of her Magius role except for Karin. Because, just… it's so perfect. Karin (who is not a "Karen") happens to be the most insanely tolerant person when it comes to Alina. She seems to shrug off Alina's entire everything as amusing, forgivable quirks. Perhaps because so many people believe Karin's own obsession with Halloween is a weirdly morbid quirk, Karin doesn't even question Alina's obsession with making art about death using actual human remains. Which is… funny? No, seriously. I think it's legitimately comedic in a good way. But it should probably be much more alarming to me that she doesn't care. I'd like to think that Karen feels it's just delightfully Halloween-y for Alina to paint her canvas with legit blood, and I do believe Karin isn't really the kind of person who would ask where the blood came from because whatever, it's probably fine, better get back to planning my pageant or something. She probably even thinks Alina's skulls are plastic Halloween decorations. :P

We need to talk about Mami: Mami in "Another Story Chapter 9" felt so off and out-of-character compared to how she was written in things like Rebellion or A Different Story or Wraith Arc, and furthermore, despite that chapter being entirely about Mami wanting to just be a simple peer with no superiority over the rest of the Holy Quintet, Another Story Chapter 10 has her immediately revert back to being the smart senpai character, further cementing how weirdly "off" Chapter 9 felt. I realize they had something difficult to write, here, though. It's painful how Sayaka has to run middlewoman between Kyoko and Mami in Chapter 10 of AS. I feel like I could write a whole screed about Kyoko's behavior across the franchise and how difficult a character she is for me to like even though I "get it" and don't think she's necessarily a bad person; she's just living on the edge of being almost a total hypocrite basically ALL THE TIME. The conclusion where Kyoko acknowledges that she's going to continue to work with Mami and the others semi-regularly in spite of everything is really the best closure you can hope for with her. She's too antagonistic to give us much else, and she prefers it that way. It would take years to see her mellow.

At this point, it seems safe to assume that there isn't going to be any "season 2" of the game like what happened with Fate/Grand Order after its finale. The main narrative is well and truly done, and it's just going to be various events from here on out. Is that enough to keep me around? Um. I don't know. Probably not? Hard to say. I don't really know what other mobile game to throw my heart into. I've considered Attack on Titan Tactics, but like… Attack on Titan hasn't been kind to me lately so uhhhhh.

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing 23-29 August 2020

Here’s this week’s roundup! Aug 23-29!

Remember to give your content creators some love! And join in on the events at the bottom!

~Mod Hel A reminder, that if you want what you’ve created (or seen created by others) to be in here. Send it to us via messenger, it’s the only sure-fire way we’ll see it!

Fanfiction/Snippets/AU Ideas:

Amberly

The World is Going Dim In My Gaze https://archiveofourown.org/works/25958503

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell

Panic Attack, Present Tense, PTSD, Pre-Slash 

He was a good agent and learning to be a good friend, and he wasn’t going to ruin it all by letting his traitor’s heart beat too loud every time he caught Wufei’s black gaze. Every time he caught the slow, elegant eyebrow raise and quirk of lips like a challenge.

Will We Ever Meet https://archiveofourown.org/works/26036584

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell

Chang Wufei, Duo Maxwell, Relena Peacecraft

Miscarriage mention, trouble adopting, Tense Change, Present Tense, Mature

It was almost Christmas and the gift they’d both asked for was set to make an appearance any minute. Any hour. They were just waiting on the call, and that, Wufei knew, was the hardest part. Was filling his husband with coils of anxiety, looping around each other and holding him hostage, keeping him trudging outside. With a sigh, he left the back porch, covering frozen hands with his own.

@lifeaftermeteor

LAM!Verse https://lifeaftermeteor.tumblr.com/post/627830314850451457/private-island-location-redacted-fiji-south

Private Island [location redacted]

Fiji, South Pacific

18 August 211 

Relena stood before the mirror as her mother secured the string of pearls around her neck.

ShenLong1

Bound, Bonded and Betrayed (Ch. 85) https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9726683/85/Bound-Bonded-and-Betrayed

Genre: Drama/Romance

Rated: M

Character: Heero Y., Duo M.

Summary: Heero is the eldest son of the King of Colonia. His 21st birthday is approaching and as tradition dictates his betrothed is soon to arrive. However he is also bound by tradition to select his own personal slave. The events that unfold lead him down a path that not only tests his sanity but his humanity and love as well.

@simulacraryn

Paradox (Ch. 29) https://archiveofourown.org/works/3224081/chapters/63372139

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Relena Peacecraft/Heero Yuy

Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Relena Peacecraft

Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Teen And Up Audiences, Major Character Death

It is argued that time travel must be impossible, because it can result in a paradox. Time is immutable. It is most likely that a time traveler going back to change something in his past will only end up causing the event somehow anyway, thus completing the causality loop. History cannot be changed because time will always find a way to heal itself. If you follow this rule, then maybe, just maybe, you can override the loop and change the past after all. In fact, Duo Maxwell is counting on it.

The Manwell

The Silencer and the Sicarian (Ch. 4-6) https://archiveofourown.org/works/25478938/chapters/61805635?view_adult=true

Trowa Barton/Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei/Solo

Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Chang Wufei, Solo (Gundam Wing), Hilde Schbeiker, Catherine Bloom, Kyouju H | Instructor H, Middie Une, Sister Helen (Gundam Wing), Heero Yuy

Wufei POV, Duo POV, Trowa POV, Solo POV, Explicit, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

It was just one vow. A simple but necessary promise to respect life -- both human and fey -- but can Duo hold to it when his resolve is put to the ultimate test?

Fanart/Crafts/Photo Manips:

@2pcb

https://2pcb.tumblr.com/post/627193939683917824/a-little-doodle-for-seasons-of-gundamwing-s

Hilde Schbeiker, fanart, Summer of Hilde

@antarespromise

https://antarespromise.tumblr.com/post/627421715050479616/noin

Noin, fanart, blk&wht

https://antarespromise.tumblr.com/post/627464964988354560

Noin, fanart, sepia

@duointherain

https://duointherain.tumblr.com/post/627764309715533824/duo-from-the-final-chapter-of-leprechauns-and

Duo Maxwell, fanart

@grey-sentry

https://grey-sentry.tumblr.com/post/627719960946475008/tales-of-retail-wufei-text-says-what-can-i-do

WuFei Chang, fanart

@oekakimemo

https://oekakimemo.tumblr.com/post/627699698359222272/20200828-digital

Trowa Barton, fanart

@tatakaumono

https://tatakaumono.tumblr.com/post/619306671257387008/outer-space-has-gone-mad-so-ill-destroy-it

Quatre Raberba Winner, fanart

https://tatakaumono.tumblr.com/post/627762368053657600/playing-detective-dont-tag-as-kinetc

Duo/Quatre, fanart

@vin-doodles-gundams

https://vin-doodles-gundams.tumblr.com/post/625289518427389952/obligatory-1x2-maybe-ill-color-this-someday-if-i

Heero/Duo, fanart

Calendar Events:

@gwcocktailfriday

Cocktail Fridays!

Post responses on Friday, during Happy Hour between 3 & 5 pm in your own timezone.

Here’s the prompt for Friday, September 4th! https://gwcocktailfriday.tumblr.com/post/627792578118565889/cocktail-friday-post-responses-on-friday

In need of FALL/AUTUMN & WINTER prompts!

@gwoc-october

GW OC October 2020!

Help pick out prompts! https://gwoc-october.tumblr.com/post/626092853664399360/gwoc-october-hello-gundam-wing-folks-thats

The soon-to-be calendar https://gwoc-october.tumblr.com/post/626094750078025728/heres-our-calendar-for-this-year-once-the

@thisweekingundamevents

Events Calendar

https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/624053314842230784/event-calendar-update

If you are hosting an event currently, or are planning on one, hit us up with links and dates! We’ll add them to the Calendar and reblog your notices to get the word out!

There may potentially be something, happening somewhere, for Halloween spookiness!

[effervescible]

Trick or Treat 2020 letter

Hi there! Thanks for checking out my letter! First, I want to note that while I hope my likes & prompts are helpful in sparking ideas, optional ideas are optional, and I'd rather you go with a premise that you feel really good about and are jazzed to create rather than something that checks a lot of boxes but you don't feel strongly about.

General likes: adventures, complicated relationships, loyalty/BFFs being rock solid in the face of adversity, canon divergence/"for want of a nail" AUs, time travel, exploring the setting beyond what's shown in canon, outsider point of view, established relationships, found family/unusual family arrangements, in-world texts, amnesia, exploring identity issues, supernatural elements, characters wrangling with past mistakes without demonizing anyone, close friends forced to fight, missing scenes, post-canon events, characters being very competent DNWs: AUs other than canon divergence, omegaverse, cheating/infidelity, non-canon gender identities, major character death, hopeless endings (anst is fine though), excessively saccharine fluff (but general good feelings/happy stuff is fine) If you're interested in writing smut, please no scat, watersports or dubcon/noncon (though bad idea sex that characters might kick themselves for later is absolutely fine). More detailed stuffed regarding my requests: KINGDOM HEARTS I only requested Roxas as a character because I'd really like something where he is either the main character or has a strong role, but feel free to include whatever other characters you like! I adore the sea salt trio to the moon on back, but I also enjoy seeing him interact with characters he had no or few interactions with in canon. His relationship with Sora and how complicated it can be is also endlessly fascinating to me. I also enjoy bouncing him off Riku, Ven, the BBS trio and his former Organization comrades, especially those who only knew him as a dazed clueless kid and not an angry ball of pointy fury. A few canon-specific requests/notes: -If you write something post-KH3, feel free to fast forward slightly and assume Sora's been brought back somehow, you don't even have to explain how. -Please no post-KH3 resurrected/redeemed Vanitas; I felt satisfied with the resolution of his story in KH3. That said, if you wanted to include him in some other way, that's cool! -Also please no dad!Isa. I think their relationship becoming something more positive is interesting and complicated, but I just can't buy that he'd ever have that kind of emotional authority over Roxas. (Using him as a Fake Parent for plot purposes makes me chuckle though.) As far as ship stuff goes, please no Axel/Roxas (nothing against it, it's just not how I see their relationship) or Namine/Roxas (KH2 leaned too hard into the Sora/Kairi parallelism for me to enjoy it romantically.) Platonic friendships with both of them are A+++ though. tbh I'm not super shippy about him with anyone, but if you have an idea that includes a ship, I'm pretty okay with all other characters, male or female. Spooky Scary ideas: -Delving into the nature of Nobodyhood and being half a person and just being different from standard humans has a lot of potential here. And of course Roxas has identity issues ahoy. He might be in a much better place post-KH3 but that doesn't mean everything is 100% great now. -Visiting creepy places. Maybe a missing portion from Days, or something post-KH3 now that he can travel as much as he wants? -Canon divergence AUs/time travel/supernatural stuff where Stuff Goes Wrong is always interesting. Sweet Treat ideas: -Post-KH3 ADVENTURE TIME. Suddenly Roxas has a lot of free time! He and some friends deserve to go exploring. -Roxas meeting and getting to know the Twilight Town kids for real. What was that like? -General trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life now that it's his own. Getting to know the other wielders outside of a crisis situation. -Terra and Aqua dealing with Ven's sudden non-evil twin also has a lot of potential. ASSASSIN'S CREED Similar to Kingdom Hearts, I only listed Altair because I like him so much, but feel free to include most other characters! He became one of my favorite Assassins because I'm really fond of the Huge Jerkass Learns To Not Be a Jerkass and Becomes Kinda Cool Actually trope, as well as his boundless intellectual curiosity and extreme competence (while still being very flawed.) Sweet Treat ideas: -What about some slice of life, even if that life is mainly in an Assassin stronghold? The mundane side of being a mysterious stabby brotherhood is alway fun to explore, along with Altair having to actually run Masyaf once he takes power. Would especially love to see Malik by his side for the latter, because I'm sure there's a lot to mine there. -Maybe a look at younger Altair hitting some milestones as he grew up, before he became an arrogant dick. -I'm pretty fond of dad!Altair because I doubt it would come naturally to him but he'd care so much. Spooky Scary Ideas: -The Pieces of Eden are always really creepy when they activate in-game, so inventing new ancient artifacts that facilitate creepy shit happening would be a lot of fun. -An Assassination gone wrong in some way? I do enjoy angst and whump. Also, not sure which this would fall under (maybe both), but finagling time travel (either real or simulated somehow) so Altair can meet other AC characters is something I enjoy a lot. Caveat - I have not played Oddysey, so please nothing after Origins if you want to give this a try. Character-wise, I love how his relationship with Malik evolved from bitterness to ride or die. Altair and Malik as either best friends or a couple are both excellent, but if you write them as a couple during a time period when Maria Thorpe would be around, I'd prefer you just pretend she doesn't exist rather than finagle a breakup or infidelity. (I also like them as a throuple but please don't feel pressured on this - I'm mainly looking to avoid a 'Altair never really cared about her' scenario.) OVERWATCH NGL, I ship Mercy/Moira like burning, but very much as a complicated thing where their differing ethics present an insurmountable barrier between them yet they're incredibly drawn to one another both personally and intellectually, and a lot of angst ensues (well, for Mercy; I'm not sure Moira actually cares about the ethics division.) They're especially interesting to me when Moira's edges aren't smoothed down - I LIKE that she could take some really dubious actions and still be someone Mercy can't quite get over. That said! If you don't feel them as a ship, pretty much everything I just said also applies to them as professional peers/onetime friends/science rivals, just without the sexual tension. Sweet Treat Ideas: -Pre-Overwatch shutdown/Talon era where they're actually working on a project together or sparking cool new scientific ideas or just smoochin' if you go for a ship. -Likewise earlier in canon - Mercy and Moira both want to woo the other one but have VERY different ideas about how to go about it. (Babe, I did some mad science for you, isn't it romantic?) -Surely Overwatch had at least one obligatory office Halloween event -Epistolary fic feels like it could be really fun. Spooky Scary ideas: -I mean, Moira is the evil/amoral scientist trope, I feel like you could get a ton of creepy stuff just from there. -Bad idea ex sex -General clashing of ideals + angst Also I'm explicitly counting Dr. Junkenstein-verse AU fic as being the exception to my request for only canon divergence AUs. That would be a ton of fun, for either a trick or a treat.

[nordictwin]

Life of the Dragonfly (Meeting Him) - A TittM AU

Hi @tsume-yuki! Surprise “Fic of Love and Support”!

Because OF COURSE we need Riskua’s POV of Meeting Her. Nothing else would make sense. (Even if it kind of evolved into its own thing, because I’m a sucker for backstory and I kind of liked the idea of Riskua going off on her own adventure before leaving her home permanently.)

I actually had this idea way back when I’d just finished Meeting Her. I just had finals to worry more about, and then my ideas died. But now they’re back with a vengeance!

Like with Meeting Her, Meeting Him is based around the idea of what would have happened if Raowl had never died and Riskua grew up on Melring.

(Also, I’m imagining that most islands/countries have schools where the children can get a World Government Approved Standard Education (TM) for at least a few years).

Please enjoy ^_^

For being reborn into One Piece as the daughter of Red Hair Shanks and the niece of Dracule Mihawk, Riskua had never imagined that her life would be so... peaceful.

Well, as peaceful as it can get while living on the Grand Line, at least, and being related to some very dangerous people.

She grows and she learns, for the most part. Shortly after turning 10, her uncle decides that she needs more varied training grounds and starts “borrowing” her for a week or two at a time to take her to a nearby Spring island that becomes somewhat of a second home to her. He visits a couple of times a year, though Riskua herself decides to make the journey on her own as she grows older, testing her strength against various animals.

It’s like camping. Just a little more deadly. But she makes progress and the exercise is good. (Now and then her mother bullies Shanks into taking them on short trips to neighbour islands so they can actually go camping or just enjoy a little vacation, just Raowl and her).

As she grows older, her Papa visits less, but she still sees him at least three times a year. Riskua understands. Her father’s influence and power in the world of piracy (heck, just in the world in general) is steadily growing, and as it does so, so does the risk of one of his enemies (or worse, the Marines) spying on him or following him and finding their way to Melring.

Finding their way to her.

And as much as she’d like to believe that she’s strong enough to take care of herself... Riskua knows that’s just not true. And so she accepts and understands the fewer visits, instead throwing herself into learning about and experimenting with, well... everything, really. From haki to proper sword-form to making log poses to survival skills.

This love of learning is what eventually brings Hudson to her home when she’s 12 years old.

Hudson is a good man and almost as much a part of Melring as the ground they all walk on. Almost nobody would suspect him, the kind owner of one of Melring’s best restaurants, of having a past as a Marine, but that is nevertheless the truth. It’s a story she’s heard many times, when the man has taken breaks to entertain the children with his grand tales.

Of how he’d grown up in a family of Marines and had followed in his parents and brothers’ footsteps, only to fall in love with a pirate when he was but a young recruit.

Oh, they’d tried to make the relationship work. He’d even quit his profession and cut all ties with his family just to be with her. Alas, the relationship hadn’t been meant to be, though through no lack of trying on both parts. In the end they’d just wanted different things from life, and even if he was now on Melring and she elsewhere, Hudson still remained in contact with her.

Which, in the end, brought him to her house on one of the days where Shanks is visiting with a special offer in hand. An offer for her.

“I would not offer this if I did not think the little miss couldn’t handle it or if she lacked potential,” he says bluntly, sitting in one of the few armchairs in Raowl’s home. “I know that between you - Madame Dracule, Captain Red Hair - and Hawk-Eyes, little Riskua has learned a lot of stuff she’ll need when she sets off to sea. But Melring ain’t big - far too small for one as clever as her - so I was thinkin’ maybe the little miss might like to leave the island for a bit”.

The speed at which both her Mama and Papa move, ready to attack at the mere thought or hinting towards someone wanting her off the island, will forever impress her. Even then, the only thing that impresses her more than that is, for a long time, Hudson’s ability to remain calm and seated.

He explains his offer in a very concise manner. His old pirate love, Darma, runs a... schooling-scheme of sorts on an island on the edge of New World named La Padde. She’s taken in children of pirates before, teaching them all sorts of things, and is willing to do it again - the offer being extended towards Riskua. La Padde itself he describes as neutral land where both pirates and Marines are welcome and obligated by island law (however that even works, Riskua never learns) to remain civil to each other.

She doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know what to think.

“What do you hope to gain from this?” Raowl asks after a few minutes of silence.

Hudson just smiles and admits to hoping that Riskua would return to work for him before setting off on her own adventures. “That girl is brighter than any of the new generation in this place. Be a shame to let it go to waste”.

In the end... Riskua accepts.

That’s how she finds herself spending two years on La Padde.

La Padde, much to her surprise, is a autumn island where everything is themed after Halloween. Plenty of buildings are decorated with pumpkins, ghosts and cats, the houses looking like a cross between something the Addams Family would vacation in and every stereotypical haunted house ever.

It’s an odd place full of wrought iron fences, twisted trees a LOT of orange and black. It also rains a lot more than it ever does on Melring

Somehow she fits right in with her colouring.

Grandma Darma (as she insists on being called) herself is an odd woman with dark skin, sky-blue hair and a laugh that could crumble mountains. She thinks this woman would get along swimmingly with Hagrid, and it doesn’t take her long to understand why Hudson would leave behind his family and budding career, just for this one woman.

Riskua grows to love her like a grandmother during the years she spends in her care. 

Grandma Darma is as kind as she is strict. Ironically, she too runs a restaurant, though it’s more of a bar that sells meals in the evening. Riskua is given a room in the attic, right by the chimney so she remains nice and warm throughout the cool nights.

After that... Riskua is given more freedom than she’d expect based on Hudson’s explanation. 

Then again...

Grandma Darma probably teaches her everything the World Government would probably rather not she knows in between manning the bar and keeping an eye on her cooking, so in that sense it’s two years of education, but other than that... she can do as she pleases, so long as she reports in for dinner and gets enough sleep.

“You’re gonna go far, little Dragon-Eye,” the woman tells her on that first day. “But you’re not gonna find the knowledge you need out there in books and lectures from an old woman. What you really need to know can be found elsewhere”.

No, a lot of Riskua’s education definitely isn’t with books and numbers and letters.

Instead she finds it in the streets and on the roof tops of Calabaza Town, running and jumping and experimenting to her heart’s content whenever she can. It’s how she meets the local kids and learns enough street-smarts and tricks to get away with (mostly) anything. It’s where she meets Poppy, Kitsune and Lucy who become her first real friends, connecting with them in a way none of the other kids “her age” back on Melring had ever been able to.

They’re a mismatched group, but Riskua is grateful for their friendship. (Kitsune jokes that between Poppy’s work-ethic, Lucy’s skills at making disguises, Riskua’s fighting abilities and her own energy and love of mischief, they’d either make one badass human or the best prankster team in the entire world).

So yeah, Riskua likes La Padde. She thrives, even, discovering new things about haki and herself each day.

She keeps in contact with her Mama, Grandma Darma encouraging her to write Raowl letters at least twice a month. Shanks and Mihawk steer mostly clear, because neutral land or not, the world isn’t as “civilized” outside of La Padde. It’s also the reason why she gets into the habit of hiding her hair beneath a bandana and covering her eyes with her bangs, so as not to draw too much interest from the Marines that visit Grandma Darma’s establishment. (She doesn’t dare dye her hair... again. Not after the incident on her 13th birthday).

She returns to Melring at age 14 on the same day she left with more ideas and plans for the future than she ever knew she’d ever have.

Not even a week after returning to Melring, her uncle kidnaps her for two hellish weeks of near non-stop training.

She’s ready for it, having expected it since barely an hour after getting back home. She’s ready for it - two years away has not meant she’s been slacking off. She’s more agile, more flexible and definitely not afraid to play dirty and use the terrain to her advantage. (Running around and sparring with Kitsune had taught her that). She still needs to refine her style and skills, but... she’s definitely better than what she used to be.

After that, she takes up work in Hudson’s restaurant, like she promised she would as thanks, but she also jumps into learning more about log poses and how to make them.

She’s 16 years old when the Whitebeard Pirates suddenly show up out of the blue to comission her mother.

That’s how she meets him for the first time.

It’s completely unexpected. One moment she’s doing mindless busy-work in the kitchen, the next they’re swarmed with people and she’s weaving in and out between filled tables.

And then she’s face to face with one Portgas D. Ace - Fire Fist Ace himself.

Outwardly she remains professional. He’s just another customer to her - not one of the major characters in the story that has become her reality.

Still... she can’t help but strike up a conversation, if only brief.

It’d be a shame not to really.

(Maybe they’ll also catch the subtle hint that Melring is under Shanks’ protection... then again, maybe they do know and don’t care).

She goes home that night with a thousand thoughts spinning in her mind, but otherwise tries not to think too much about this sudden visit. Even if she has an inkling what, or rather who, the Whitebeards have come to see.

Her suspicions are confirmed when, the very next morning, someone comes knocking at their door and her mother declares that there is work for them.

That’s where she meets him for the second time.

It’s becomes an interesting week, to say the least.

She’s used to being around pirates, it kind of comes with her origins, but never a crew as big as the one aboard the Moby. It’s like a floating city, almost. Full of life, with a hint of the chaotic, yet there’s a fluidity to it all. It’s natural, free.

It something she likes.

Edward Newgate himself, terrifying as he is at first, is a kind man as well. Of course he can tell she’s the daughter of his rival, the man isn’t stupid, but even if she knew him to be an honorable man, she’d still been... nervous. Afraid that her still peaceful life would come to an end.

There is only one comment about her mother’s standards for the father of her child, and that’s that, really. (Except for the half-joke invite for her to become his daughter instead shortly before the week is over, followed by his musings on how angry it’d make “the upstart”. She politely declines).

She’s not as good as making log poses as her mama. Far from. And definitely not good enough to do the advanced work that Whitebeard needs done. So instead of helping Raowl, Riskua uses the opportunity that has been presented to her to do some serious training and work on her Haki, now that new sparring partners have been presented to her temporarily. She practices her speed, Concealment Haki (a useful discovery that made sneaking around the Marines visiting La Padde so much easier), her knife-form... it’s wonderful.

(In another time-line, Riskua would discover and perfect Concealment Haki to fight the Marines and help the Revolution, and learn how to skate on water. In this time-line, Riskua perfected Concealment as a tool to play pranks on others and sneak around the city like a shadow, and the water-skating has become a speed on land so great that she almost teleports between places).

Surprisingly... she finds a friend in Ace.

She’d approached him for a spar on that first day, just out of curiousity, to compare her abilities against his. And they’d clicked. Her mother teasingly comments on it a few mornings later, while they’re walking to the harbor. That she’s already gotten quite close with the boy, and should she call Shanks to tell him all about his daughter’s new suitor? 

She refuses to admit that she blushes at the comment and just hurries on ahead towards Hudson’s place. She’s still got her job to do, after all. (And if she lingers with him outside of her house a little closer to his side than strictly necessary, she tells herself that it’s just because she’s cold... even if Melring is never, ever, at any time of night or day, a cold place).

It’s only on the day that he leaves, her favorite bandana now in his possession and his close-but-not-quite pleading suggestion that she come away with hi- with them - and her heart aches as the ship sails further and further away, that she lets herself admit to there having been something between them.

It might have been small, it might have been fragile, it might not have been there at all... but it was, and now she’s in trouble.

She doesn’t regret their little barely there thing. She doesn’t want to deny her heart.

But damn it if her papa isn’t going to hunt Ace down the second he figures out that she likes a boy. Mihawk, too.

Screw him being Luffy’s brother... she knows very well that any boy taking an interest in her is bad. Not to mention that he’s one of Whitebeard’s.

She just hopes she can convince the two to not hurt him before they manage to locate the Moby...

Fortunately for her, neither Shanks nor Mihawk hears anything of Newgate visiting Melring before she’s aboard The Red Force as the newest - even if temporary - crewmember of the Red Hair Pirates.

Unfortunately, Riskua is forced to tell her father of the boy she relinquished her favorite bandana (a present from him) to, when he wonders why she didn’t pack it. (He thought it might make a nice match to the stawhat’s bought her as a ‘welcome to the family business’ present).

Next thing she knows they’re docked right next to the Moby, her father already glaring daggers at Ace by the time she spots him and waves.

And that’s how she meets him for the third time.

The terrified look in his eyes lets her know that he’s definitely aware of the potential new threat against his life. (She just prays that it hasn’t scared him off completely). She sees Thatch say something to him that has Ace flushing red with anger, fire sparking at his fingers. She wonders briefly what it’s about, but then they make contact and she gets lost in conversation with him again, eventually ending up at her real reason why she didn’t go with him on Melring.

She can’t stop the grin from spreading across her face when he asks her if she were planning on being a Red Hair in the first place.

Sure, she could stay with her Papa and be his apprentice and heir - the Princess of the Red Force, unstoppable and powerful, but...

She’s got no desire to follow in her Papa’s footsteps, no wish to captain her own ship. No... her destiny lies with someone else.

The beaming smile she gets in return when Ace realizes who she dreams of sailing with is more blinding than the sun on Melring in the heigth of summer.

Their conversation takes a different turn after that. Something softer, quieter, warmer... 

Her Papa, several tankards of some potent booze later, cries about her choice in men and why it had to be “one of Newgate’s brats” and not “someone, anyone, not associated with him of all people”.

Ben just pats her on the head and assures her that he’d be like that with anyone, be it male, female or other.

(To her mortification all the other crewmembers are very supportive of her not-a-real-relationship with Ace).

.

.

.

(She keeps the necklace near her at all time, even when she’s sleeping and bathing).

Time passes, and she gains many aliases. She’s quite proud of the fight that got her the first one, even if a little embarrassed.

“You better listen well!” He’d bellowed proudly, after they’d defeated an entire platoon of Marines, back to back in a syncronicity  only father and child could ever reach. “This is Riskua, and you better remember that name until the day you die! Mark my words, my little princess is going to be greater than any of you could ever hope to be!”

That’s how the world came to know her as Princess Red Hair or Red Hair-hime, depending on the region.

Her next bounty poster adds the “Dracule” when they run into Mihawk and a nearby Marine hears him call her “Niece”.

Once she leaves her Papa a few years later, the “princess” part is lost, and she allows herself to disappear completely for a couple of months, exploring Paradise, visiting her Mama and Hudson.

Then she finds Luffy...

She scares the crap out of Usopp by just randomly jumping up on the ship shortly after they enter the Grand Line. There’s shouting about “Red Hair-hime!” and her impossibly high bounties and supposed achievements. (Mere rumors... mostly...)

Luffy being Luffy just goes hyper when he learns she sailed with Shanks (even more, so, when he recognizes Ace’s necklace) and shouts out his familiar “join my crew!”

The expression on their faces at her quick acceptance is priceless, and she joins as their Haki and Grand Line Expert.

(She finds a new friend in Nami and a great sparring-partner in Zoro. Sanji is, well, Sanji, and Usopp is scared of her until she starts telling him about the adventures of his father).

And then, many adventures and a new moniker later... she meets him for the fourth time.

They’re on their way to Alabasta, and the smile on his face when he spots her with Luffy is radiant, a little glimmer in his eyes.

It feels like Home and summer nights...

She’s not stupid. She knows loving Portgas D. Ace is a dangerous thing - knows that he knows it, too. But damn it all, being a pirate is dangerous in general, and she’s related to dangerous and powerful people already. She’s enough of a target without being involved with the son of the Pirate King.

She doesn’t care.

She’s got the eyes of a dragon and a heart to match. 

She is Dracule Riskua. Daughter of Red Hair Shanks and Dracule Raowl, niece of Dracule Mihawk - the World’s Greatest Swordsman.

Resolve settles deep in her stomach as she leans against him (they’d gotten him to stay one night - nothing more, nothing less), looking to the stars.

She is Dragon-Eyes of La Padde, she is Red Hair-hime, she is Dragonfly Riskua of the Strawhats. 

And nobody will take Ace from her, be they Marines, pirates or himself.

That’s a promise.

Fun facts and tidbits that didn’t fit into the fic:

La Padde: I was originally going to call this place Tortuga, but when I remembered that there is an actual island of this name, I decided to give it a slightly different name - since “skildpadde” means tortoise/turtle in my native language, I just took part of that and added “La” to be fancy.

Grandma Darma’s nickname for Ri: Darma calls Riskua Dragon-Eyes, because while she does indeed have the trademark Dracule eyes, she thinks she should have a nickname that mirrors this, but isn’t exactly the same. It later becomes “Dragonfly” when a Marine mishears the nickname and it just sticks.

The blatant cameos:

Poppy: Poppy is of La Padde’s middle class. Shortly before Riskua leaves, she opens a pharmacy with totally-not-her-boyfriend Reg. She’s 14 years old when Riskua arrives and 16 when she leaves.

Lucy: Lucy originally belonged to the miniscule high class society on La Padde, but ran off to live with her godfather Rodrigue, because she didn’t like the life of pseudo-nobility. On her way to being a good seamstress. Same age as Poppy. Introduced Poppy and Regulus to each other. (Distant cousins - maybe also victims of an attempted arranged marriage).

Kitsune: Kitsune is a rambunctious little orphan whom nobody’s quite sure where came from. She lives in Calabaza Town’s orphanage for the most part, but frequently sleeps in Grandma Darma’s attic, which was how Riskua met her. She’s 11 years old when Riskua arrives with dreams of being a pirate, too.

About Regulus: Riskua never actually meets Regulus for real until a day or so before Shanks arrives to get her home, and she doesn’t fully realize that he may or may not belong in a different universe, because Poppy consistently calls him “Reg”, “Reggie-kins” and other odd nicknames, just to annoy him. 

[kidspartycharactersny-nj]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsqdzl3XjPU)

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUyDGxSNM5s)

5 Strategies for Keeping Your Business Strong Through the Holidays

There’s no fighting it at this point. The Halloween 70% off items are long gone and the shelves are overflowing with holiday candy, gifts, and decorations. The tree lots are being stocked and the stores are fully adorned in red and green, with Santa Claus cutouts to greet you at the door.

Even if you’re Nordstrom, which has a long-standing policy of not decorating for Christmas until after Black Friday, you can’t deny that the world is awash in Christmas spirit.

What this means for most solo or small businesses is that it’s time to wind down the year, take a break, and start planning for how you’re going to come on bigger and better next year.

But slowing down for 6-8 weeks during the holiday season is a mistake for a couple of reasons.

First, for most of us, this is the time of year we’re spending more money than usual. So it hardly makes sense to bring in less money when you’re out spending more.

Second, chances are you have little to no competition from now until the end of the year, so why not take advantage of that and be one of the few businesses that is reaching out to people?

Of course there’s a reason people take time off right now, especially parents. We want to spend more time with friends and family. More time shopping and baking and addressing cards. More time listening to Christmas music, relaxing, and contemplating New Year Resolutions.

The nice thing is, with just a little extra effort on your part, you can make December your best business month of the whole year. It won’t require 40 hour work weeks and pulling all nighters to fit everything in.

Just a few well-planned strategies will allow you to take the time off you want, as well as grow your business. Here are five simple strategies you can start implementing before you put the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven.

1. Send a Personal Greeting

Don’t bother with the stock Christmas cards that come with some generic, impossible-to-offend greeting and your signature conveniently pre-printed on them.

They may go on the mantel with the other cards, but they’ll be quickly discarded on January 1, without having made any real impact.

Take the time now to send a more personal greeting. Depending on your client and prospect base, it may not be realistic to send a handwritten message to everyone, but concentrate at least on your most valuable clients.

This is a great time to thank and re-engage former customers, and to get to the top of mind with your hottest potential clients.

Choose a card that looks unique, if possible. Most businesses will send a green card with “Seasons Greetings” written in gold on the outside, and “Wishing you joy throughout the holidays” on the inside. These are boring and scream, “I’m trying to be spiritually-correct and non-offensive to all.”

You have to decide here. If you love Santa and celebrate Christmas, does it matter to you if you send  a card that represents this and two or three people blacklist you because they’re offended?

But if you’ll go with something that represents your personality, doesn’t look like it’s one of 5000 identical cards that was sent to all your customers, and contains a non-generic handwritten line or two, you’ll find the recipients especially responsive to your other holiday marketing efforts we’re about to go through.

2. Offer a Discount on Advance Purchases

You don’t want to spend your holidays working, and your customers may not need or have time for your services over the holidays.

Come up with a solution that works well for both of you.

Offer a discount if they buy now, receive a voucher for future services, and can redeem that voucher any time throughout the coming year.

Yes, they can wait until they’re ready for you in 2019. But if they do, they’ll pay 20% more. You get the money coming in now, they get the discount on something they’ll need later. (Just remember to budget and plan for the fact that you’ll be providing the service later without the money coming in!)

3. Put Together a Personal Holiday Video

No matter what your religious beliefs are, the holidays are the perfect time to get personal. People crave a feel-good, human story around this time.  

And there’s no better way to connect personally than through video.

It doesn’t have to be professionally done, and thinking that it does is what will keep 99% of your competition from doing it.

In fact, it’s better if it’s not perfect, that’s what makes it personal.

Consider a behind the scenes video of how you manage your business (which can be quite funny for moms!), a story about your family’s holiday traditions, or even a sneak peek at how you plan to serve your customers in bigger and better ways in 2019.

No, you don’t have to be in it, but if you’ll get over yourself for just a minute and at least make a little personal appearance, your audience is bound to love it as much as you hate it.

Post the video on social media and send it to your email list. Send it personally to those you really want to reach.

4. Plan Your Social Media

Rather than just disappearing, or posting some random obligatory pictures of the school play, your fresh-cut tree, and your best attempts holiday baking, keep your business hat on by creating content now to either post manually or, better yet, load into Buffer (or the service of your choice) for automatic posting while you shop, bake, and wrap.

Yes, it will take some extra time now, but it will be so worth it.

Remember, people are likely spending a little extra time on social media sharing pictures and stories. If they see you out there joining in the fun, they’ll remember you, and their know/like/trust for you will grow.

Make sure you set aside a few minutes to respond to comments, and engage, but that’s the easy stuff compared to content creation.

Also, pay special attention to Pinterest. Everyone goes there for some type of holiday inspiration.

5. Open Some Time on Your Calendar

Yes, we’ve already decided you don’t really want to work over the holidays, but could you do just 5-6 hours a week those last two weeks in December?

Sure you could if it meant going into the New Year with no Christmas debt!

Open up your calendar for new client calls or consults or whatever is relevant to getting you business. Maybe it’s just a check-in session, or a jumpstart to 2019 where you brainstorm the New Year and how you can help your prospect be more successful.

The point is, you’re going to be the only one talking to your client or potential client during this time. And a lot of people have some extra time off around the holidays, a lot are planning for 2019 right now. It’s the perfect time to establish you as the one who’s going to help with whatever product or service you provide.

If nothing else, it’s going to make you memorable, which is half the battle in business.

Planning is the Key to Profitable, Stress-Free Holidays

You wouldn’t sit down on Wednesday night and start meal planning and making your grocery list if you were serving Thanksgiving dinner for 20 the next day.

Don’t take a “fly by the seat of your pants” approach to your marketing either and December can be your best month ever, and can set you up for an easy flood of business after the New Year.

It’s easier to connect over the holidays because most people aren’t, and when you’re getting personal, a little bit goes a long way. You don’t need a complicated marketing funnel to make a significant impression.

Take an hour to think about your unique business and your unique story. These five ideas will get you started, but what personal, yet simple, ways can you come up with to keep your business strong over the holidays without sacrificing your holiday cheer?

As you hopefully know by now, if you want mentoring for your entrepreneurial journey, Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs may be able to help.

Cheryl started out as a single mom needing to feed two small kids, and has now had a hand in starting 10 different businesses.

To help cut out the learning curve and meet the time constraints most moms have, Cheryl has created a unique opportunity that allows you to have your own Kids Party Characters business, complete with all the resources Cheryl used to grow her business to six figures.

In addition to an exclusive territory in which to book parties and the right to use our 200-plus costumes, you’ll also get step-by-step training from Cheryl on how to set your business up for quick profits.

Book a free, no-pressure chat with Cheryl right here and she’ll answer all your questions and get you on the right path.

Learn more about the joy we bring to children’s parties by connecting with Kids Party Characters on Facebook for daily updates, including our best tips for building a successful business while raising happy and healthy kids.

[jurassicparkpodcast]

Halloween At Jurassic World | What Attractions Would You Expect?

During our October episode of The Jurassic Wire, Aaron Beyer and I posed the question - “What attractions do you think we be available during Halloween at Jurassic World?”. We reached out to all our listeners and now YOU, the readers, to let us know your best ideas for Halloween attractions inside a real life version of Jurassic World. It’s an interesting question to pose, because seeing what Jurassic World did during Christmastime (nothing), it’s possible that they may not have done anything at all. Jurassic World - the film - took place in December of 2015, yet no Christmas decorations were present anywhere throughout the park. Jurassic World as a theme park refrains from presenting any seasonal decorations, and instead presents a wondrous tropical escape from the every day life. But, what if that wasn’t the case…

Jurassic World Is First & Foremost, A Family Park

Family parks all over the world celebrate the lighter side of Halloween to include guests of all ages. While Jurassic World was certainly a park that begged to thrill their guests, they were still a family park at heart. Kids are the number one demographic when it comes to dinosaurs, so I’d expect Jurassic World to cater to the younger audience. For example, Disney parks throughout the globe celebrate Halloween with “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party”, an event that dulls down the scares and creates a fun, spooky atmosphere that parents and children can both enjoy. With an up-charged event ticket, Disney offers guests Halloween themed fireworks shows, parades, meet & greets and more throughout the night to entertain their target audience. This would seem the most likely choice for Jurassic World.

Within this family friendly banner, Jurassic World would most likely decorate with the typical Halloween flair, play spooky music throughout the park, throw a costume party and offer special trick-or-treating spots for kids to find their sweet-tooth fix. I think they would bypass a fireworks show, as that would scare the animals, but a seasonal parade would be a blast. Imagine Halloween themed floats with the inflatable dinosaur costumes dancing along the route - it could certainly entertain the guests. I think this costume would be a hit:

What About A Scarier Approach?

As I mentioned earlier, Jurassic World is a theme park that prides itself on the thrill and potential scare of encountering a dinosaur. What if Jurassic World took their thrills a step further? Would haunted house like attractions, where the scares are high, actually work in a theme park like Jurassic World? It’s hard to say. Personally, I would think Jurassic World and the operators would set a goal to ensure the safety and comfort-level of park-goers in a park where they could “potentially” get eaten.

Universal Studios is a different story, as it doesn’t have to specifically worry about it’s guests being eaten by dinosaurs, but in 2002, they held the event Islands of Fear at Islands of Adventure. They featured human hybrid clones and dinosaur props and scar actors throughout their scare zone and walk-through house. It was a gruesome sight with a beheaded Triceratops, human Dilophosaurus hybrids and more in and around the Jurassic Park area. Would something like this work at a real life dinosaur park? If they stuck with the human-hybrid aspect, it just may - but if they attempted decapitated dinosaurs and horrific human by dinosaur deaths, it may have worn some of the guests nerves thin. I think any portrayal of human deaths by dinosaur may have been a bit insensitive, especially after hearing Claire Dearing’s thoughts on a Jurassic Park t-shirt.

It’s possible that Jurassic World could take the route most theme parks do around the United States and scare their guests with zombies, vampires, ghosts, witches and other deadly creatures. Instead of scaring guests with dinosaurs, we could see typical haunted house attractions themed or even sponsored by third parties. Jurassic World certainly prided itself on corporate sponsors, so I’d expect Halloween to be no different. Ideas a re a plenty when it comes to haunted house attractions in the park - The Reeces Pieces Labratory Lockdown with mad scientists or Imax Infested, where hordes of zombies have taken over the Pterosauria theater. I think this is the most likely route for Jurassic World.

So what would YOU like to see in a Halloween attraction at Jurassic World? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll try to include them in our follow-up portion of the next Jurassic Wire! We can’t wait to hear your spooky ideas!

Written by: Brad Jost

[teekoyang]

It’s October the 24th, one week and four days since I’ve left America for Great Britain. The fast-paced lives of Londoners can be compared to that of New Yorkers; everyone here hustles and they hustle quickly. Minnesotans move a bit slower, and this makes me miss home. As odd as it has been since it came as a surprise that I’d be homesick, I appreciate the quickness in movement London has offered.

Again, I’ve been homesick the past few days; finally today, I withdrew from that overwhelming feeling. I know you’re thinking, Teeko its only been a week-ish, but I MISS MY FAMILY okay!

My first few days were spent at a conference by the Centre for London, focusing on Open Spaces and the Public Realm. It was a lovely conference with amazing people. It definitely provided more knowledge on the local politics of England and the role of placemaking in London.

I’ve only been here for eleven days but I have already learned so much.

Here’s a list of eleven things I’ve learned about London, and myself.

Buy an Oyster Card once you get out of the airport to take the tubes (that’s what they call their trains or subways) if you’re planning to take public transportation. I’m staying in Zone 1 (Or is it 2?) and sometimes venture out to other zones. Buy an Oyster card because every other option on the ticket screen will be confusing.

Exchange USD for pounds before you leave for England. Yes, I should have known better but I thought I could get by with credit cards on my first day. I landed at midnight and needed cash for a taxi ride since it was dark and I had two suitcases. A nice British couple offer to share their taxi with me, so I naively rode with them. I can hear my mother screaming at me for riding in a car with strangers, but I survived it!

Download the app City Mapper. Google maps is good too. I used both simultaneously.

Eat at Xi’an Impression for hand-pulled noodles and simple Chinese food. I went and had dinner there by myself. I ordered two entrees, and the waiter looked at me and said, “The plate is very big, you sure you want two?”... YAS!

Do not wear heels while exploring London. However, I’ve been able to explore with one-inch wedges! Okay, I lied, they were two-inches!

Many flats do not have dryers for your laundry. I was incredibly ignorant when I first moved into my flat and asked my flatmate why dryers aren’t a thing here. The washer is generally tiny and located in the kitchen, and you dry your clothes on drying racks (or clothes horse?). It's kind of a pain to wait for clothes to dry because it takes a day or two. What happens when you have to wash a large blanket?

Apparently, philanthropy in placemaking isn’t a thing? For folks who don’t understand what placemaking is, it is a sexy term as defined by Wiki, Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people's health, happiness, and well being. During the Centre for London conference, a woman posed a question about philanthropy in the UK and their responsibility in investing in places and people. A contentious subject here as Brexit continues to move onwards. I need to do more research on this topic of giving in the UK if I want to provide better context before I make any elaborate assumptions! However, I did find this article that counters this bullet point: The Placemaking Factor in Philanthropy and Funding. For more information on placemaking, here’s a great article I received the other day from a colleague: Five Steps toward Implementing Creative Placemaking. This is from the perspective of an engaged urban developer.

Tier 2 Visa Restrictions. My 20 yr old brother was in London last week as he had trial shift interviews for two 1-star Michelin restaurants in Mayfair. He was offered a position for both places but visa issues hindered the process. After hours of research, it turns out that on April 6, 2016, Theresa May introduced tighter restrictions for a new £35,000 salary threshold to be able to apply for UK Tier 2 Visa. As someone beginning his career in the culinary world, my brother will not be making that amount. Whatever...

Making friends. I am fortunate enough that I have great flatmates! And as an extrovert, its been easy to talk with people. I’m attending conferences, workshops, networking events, etc. There’s also Meet Up, and apps like Hey! Vina and Bumble BFF. I also have a few friends in London prior to coming here, so I haven’t been too lonely. From what I’ve observed thus far, people are cold to one another. I may be wrong, as I spoke about this issue with my British friend, he thinks that it may be because people here are always on the move and no one has time to speak or connect with one another. This is interesting as I’m curious how placemaking would operate in populated urban spaces with the lack of human connection (sorry, this is a tangent). Anyway....

Check out Opium. Its a speakeasy in Chinatown next to Dumplings Legend. The bartender made the best Old Fashion. Ask for a Yam Sling Shot, this shot is off the menu. You choose your liquor base and they finish it off with the bar scraps. This shot is for the brave.

And lastly, the MEN! What better way to explore options than in the city of London! First, I’d like to start off by saying that I’m in no position for a long-term commitment or actively seeking a significant other. However, men in London do not know that (ha). I’ve been courted a few times and met a sweet Swiss man the other day. At the end of our walk, instead of a hug, I fist bumped him (yes, I’m awkward but it was hilarious!). He had no idea what a fist bump was (must be an American thing?). Needless to say, there was a second meeting. One thing I’ve noticed is that I have not been cat-called once while walking the streets in London. But I’d like to add that haven't taken advantage of the nightlife here yet. I don’t care for it too much... OMG, AM I GETTING OLD? Before I came to London, I was in NYC with my best friend. During my commute, I would get cat-called at least once for every two blocks or so. The difference has been nice.

This is not a list off of thorough investigation but of observations from my first eleven days in London. I’m off to Amsterdam this weekend and will be celebrating Halloween in the beautiful city. Can’t wait!

[animalfactsus]

Top 10 Black Cat Facts and Myths – Cats 101 – Animal Facts

Top 10 Black Cat Facts and Myths – Cats 101 – Animal Facts

No feline is more maligned than the black cat. The black cat along with pumpkins, bats and witches, and spiders … yes and spiders … has become a staple of Halloween imagery.

While black cats are typically associated with Halloween, witchcraft and bad luck, and the #1 Halloween costume choice for both children and women in their freshman year of college… oddly enough… there’s much more to these dark-colored fur balls that you probably didn’t know. [I thought I taw a puddy tat] Let’s take a look at our shadowy feline friends.

Let’s get started. But, before we start, take a moment to like and subscribe for more fun, fauna facts.

Our Black Cat Binx

Meet Binx. Binx is our resident black kitty in the Animal Facts household. Binx showed up at our doorstep two years ago and well. We can say without a doubt that the only spells he’s ever cast were … [meow] What’s that? Oh right… get on with the list, it’s almost dinner time. OK.

10. Beginning in the Middle Ages, black cats became associated with witches and witchcraft and of-course the Devil. Some people went so far as to believe black cats were cohorts to witches or even witches who had taken animal form.

This widespread superstition resulted in the horrific mass executions of black cats—and sometimes even their wrongfully labeled owners.

The elderly, solitary women who often fed and cared for stray cats were also often misidentified as witches and the cats as their evil conspirators.

Well… Well, we did do the nose and the hat. She is a witch. Burn her.

We publish Every Monday and Friday, so hit that notification icon to not miss a single fact.

9. Maybe these “witches” were onto something.

Forget the stereotypical depiction of the perpetually single crazy cat lady. In some parts of the world, it’s believed that black cats can actually improve your love life. That is as long as you remember to hit your outfit with the lint roller before going out for a date. Or you could just wear that little black dress.

In Japan, for example, single women who own black cats are believed to attract more suitors. And in Great Britain’s English Midlands, a black cat is the ideal wedding gift. They’re believed to bring good luck and happiness to the bride.

If you’re in Germany and a black kitty crosses your path from right to left, good things are on the horizon.

Right to left Binx, Right to Left

8. Not only can a black cat beef up your love life, but they can amp up your good luck and improve your finances, too.

Historically, sailors brought cats aboard ships to hunt mice—and, presumably, for companionship—but British sailors in the Royal Navy believed a black cat, in particular, would bring the ship good luck and ensure a safe return home. A few of these kitties have been enshrined in maritime history, like Tiddles, who traveled more than 30,000 miles during his time with the Royal Navy.

If you were a pirate it became a little more complicated, though.

Pirates believed a black cat walking toward you was bad luck; a black cat walking away from you was good luck; and if a cat boarded the ship, then jumped off, the ship was headed to see Davey Jones.

7. It’s common to think that black cats in shelters are the last in line to find their forever homes, but a recent survey from the ASPCA suggests otherwise.

Although euthanasia numbers for black cats were of the highest, their total number of adoptions was the highest of any hue as well.

But his wicked past does still haunt him.

Aside from continuing to rep all things eerie, the fear of black cats still has some influence today: Many animal shelters won’t place black cats in homes during the month of October, for fear of them being used sacrificially.

Yeah, that’s some bad Joujou.

Many also advise keeping your black cat indoors on or near the Halloween holidays.

6. The black cat is not a breed.

The Cat Fanciers’ Association recognizes 22 different breeds that can have solid black coats—including the Norwegian Forest Cat, Japanese Bobtail, and Scottish Fold—but the Bombay breed is what most people picture: a copper-eyed, all-black shorthair.

The resemblance to a “black panther” is no coincidence. In the 1950s, a woman named Nikki Horner was so enamored with how panthers looked that she bred what we now refer to as the Bombay.

The Bombay’s nickname is the “parlor panther,” because of his resemblance to the big cat.

Many black cats have golden eyes, which is the result of high melanin pigment content in their bodies.

5. Put your lab coat on. Researchers at the US National Institutes of Health discovered that the genetic mutations that cause cats to have black coats may offer them some protection from diseases. In fact, the mutations affect the same genes that offer HIV resistance to humans.

Because cats can experience many of the same health issues as we do—cancer, HIV and Alzheimer’s, to name a few—they make perfect models for studying human disease. By figuring out how cats have evolved to resist diseases, researchers can, potentially, learn how to prevent disease in humans as well.

And we thought the only thing cats ever did for us was to knock stuff off the furniture.

4. Black Cats can “rust”.

Okay, so they don’t actually rust like a tin can or bike. A black cat’s color all boils down to a genetic quirk. There are three variants of the black fur gene (solid black, brown, and cinnamon), and the hue works in conjunction with the pattern. If a cat has a solid black hue, but also the dominant tabby stripe gene, heavy exposure to the sun can make the pigment in his fur break down to reveal his once-invisible stripes. Your once black cat is now a rusty brown cat.

3. They’re difficult to photograph—but it can be done.

The modern-day conundrum black cat owners face isn’t bad luck, but bad lighting. In a world filled with people sharing photos of their pets on Facebook and Instagram, black cats can end up looking like a dark blob in photos. A photographer’s advice? Minimalist backgrounds, so your kitty can stand out, and angling him towards natural light sources (but keep him out of bright sunlight!).

If you’re snapping pics on your smart-phone, tap on your cat’s face, to lock exposure on your cat.

2. A black cat with an arched back and bared claws was used as a symbol by the Industrial Workers Of The World, the US-based labor union known as the Wobblies. It conveyed the idea of a wildcat strike but was also meant to unsettle employers, implying that a black cat was crossing their path and they should watch out.

According to one story, the logo was originally devised during a strike that was going badly. An emaciated black cat strayed into the strikers’ camp, where it was fed. As it grew healthier the strike prospered [and when the workers won some of their demands they adopted the cat as their mascot.]

1. Can’t get enough black cat in your life? You can visit a cat cafe devoted to black cats.

Step through the doors of Nekobiyaka in Himeji, Japan and get ready for your wildest cat lady dreams to come true. Black cats are the stars at this café and visitors are invited to pet (but not pick up) these bewitching felines.

Since it’s hard to tell the cats here apart, they all wear different-colored bandannas around their necks, and their names incorporate their identifying color. The staff will lend you a little book with photos of all the cats, listing their names and birthdays.

Want more fun, fauna facts? Go ahead and smash that subscribe button and hit the notification icon to not miss a single fact. If you like THIS video, go ahead and push the like button, or that other button also works. If you’d like to help us grow, consider becoming a patron on Patreon or clicking the Paypal link on AnimalFacts.us. And as always catch ya next time.

Top 10 Black Cat Facts and Myths – Cats 101 – Animal Facts was first posted on October 13, 2017 at 12:00 pm. ©2017 "Animal Facts". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at dickson.leroy@gmail.com from Top 10 Black Cat Facts and Myths – Cats 101 – Animal Facts

[kidspartycharactersny-nj]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUyDGxSNM5s)

5 Strategies for Keeping Your Business Strong Through the Holidays

There’s no fighting it at this point. The Halloween 70% off items are long gone and the shelves are overflowing with holiday candy, gifts, and decorations. The tree lots are being stocked and the stores are fully adorned in red and green, with Santa Claus cutouts to greet you at the door.

Even if you’re Nordstrom, which has a long-standing policy of not decorating for Christmas until after Black Friday, you can’t deny that the world is awash in Christmas spirit.

What this means for most solo or small businesses is that it’s time to wind down the year, take a break, and start planning for how you’re going to come on bigger and better next year.

But slowing down for 6-8 weeks during the holiday season is a mistake for a couple of reasons.

First, for most of us, this is the time of year we’re spending more money than usual. So it hardly makes sense to bring in less money when you’re out spending more.

Second, chances are you have little to no competition from now until the end of the year, so why not take advantage of that and be one of the few businesses that is reaching out to people?

Of course there’s a reason people take time off right now, especially parents. We want to spend more time with friends and family. More time shopping and baking and addressing cards. More time listening to Christmas music, relaxing, and contemplating New Year Resolutions.

The nice thing is, with just a little extra effort on your part, you can make December your best business month of the whole year. It won’t require 40 hour work weeks and pulling all nighters to fit everything in.

Just a few well-planned strategies will allow you to take the time off you want, as well as grow your business. Here are five simple strategies you can start implementing before you put the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven.

1. Send a Personal Greeting

Don’t bother with the stock Christmas cards that come with some generic, impossible-to-offend greeting and your signature conveniently pre-printed on them.

They may go on the mantel with the other cards, but they’ll be quickly discarded on January 1, without having made any real impact.

Take the time now to send a more personal greeting. Depending on your client and prospect base, it may not be realistic to send a handwritten message to everyone, but concentrate at least on your most valuable clients.

This is a great time to thank and re-engage former customers, and to get to the top of mind with your hottest potential clients.

Choose a card that looks unique, if possible. Most businesses will send a green card with “Seasons Greetings” written in gold on the outside, and “Wishing you joy throughout the holidays” on the inside. These are boring and scream, “I’m trying to be spiritually-correct and non-offensive to all.”

You have to decide here. If you love Santa and celebrate Christmas, does it matter to you if you send  a card that represents this and two or three people blacklist you because they’re offended?

But if you’ll go with something that represents your personality, doesn’t look like it’s one of 5000 identical cards that was sent to all your customers, and contains a non-generic handwritten line or two, you’ll find the recipients especially responsive to your other holiday marketing efforts we’re about to go through.

2. Offer a Discount on Advance Purchases

You don’t want to spend your holidays working, and your customers may not need or have time for your services over the holidays.

Come up with a solution that works well for both of you.

Offer a discount if they buy now, receive a voucher for future services, and can redeem that voucher any time throughout the coming year.

Yes, they can wait until they’re ready for you in 2019. But if they do, they’ll pay 20% more. You get the money coming in now, they get the discount on something they’ll need later. (Just remember to budget and plan for the fact that you’ll be providing the service later without the money coming in!)

3. Put Together a Personal Holiday Video

No matter what your religious beliefs are, the holidays are the perfect time to get personal. People crave a feel-good, human story around this time.  

And there’s no better way to connect personally than through video.

It doesn’t have to be professionally done, and thinking that it does is what will keep 99% of your competition from doing it.

In fact, it’s better if it’s not perfect, that’s what makes it personal.

Consider a behind the scenes video of how you manage your business (which can be quite funny for moms!), a story about your family’s holiday traditions, or even a sneak peek at how you plan to serve your customers in bigger and better ways in 2019.

No, you don’t have to be in it, but if you’ll get over yourself for just a minute and at least make a little personal appearance, your audience is bound to love it as much as you hate it.

Post the video on social media and send it to your email list. Send it personally to those you really want to reach.

4. Plan Your Social Media

Rather than just disappearing, or posting some random obligatory pictures of the school play, your fresh-cut tree, and your best attempts holiday baking, keep your business hat on by creating content now to either post manually or, better yet, load into Buffer (or the service of your choice) for automatic posting while you shop, bake, and wrap.

Yes, it will take some extra time now, but it will be so worth it.

Remember, people are likely spending a little extra time on social media sharing pictures and stories. If they see you out there joining in the fun, they’ll remember you, and their know/like/trust for you will grow.

Make sure you set aside a few minutes to respond to comments, and engage, but that’s the easy stuff compared to content creation.

Also, pay special attention to Pinterest. Everyone goes there for some type of holiday inspiration.

5. Open Some Time on Your Calendar

Yes, we’ve already decided you don’t really want to work over the holidays, but could you do just 5-6 hours a week those last two weeks in December?

Sure you could if it meant going into the New Year with no Christmas debt!

Open up your calendar for new client calls or consults or whatever is relevant to getting you business. Maybe it’s just a check-in session, or a jumpstart to 2019 where you brainstorm the New Year and how you can help your prospect be more successful.

The point is, you’re going to be the only one talking to your client or potential client during this time. And a lot of people have some extra time off around the holidays, a lot are planning for 2019 right now. It’s the perfect time to establish you as the one who’s going to help with whatever product or service you provide.

If nothing else, it’s going to make you memorable, which is half the battle in business.

Planning is the Key to Profitable, Stress-Free Holidays

You wouldn’t sit down on Wednesday night and start meal planning and making your grocery list if you were serving Thanksgiving dinner for 20 the next day.

Don’t take a “fly by the seat of your pants” approach to your marketing either and December can be your best month ever, and can set you up for an easy flood of business after the New Year.

It’s easier to connect over the holidays because most people aren’t, and when you’re getting personal, a little bit goes a long way. You don’t need a complicated marketing funnel to make a significant impression.

Take an hour to think about your unique business and your unique story. These five ideas will get you started, but what personal, yet simple, ways can you come up with to keep your business strong over the holidays without sacrificing your holiday cheer?

As you hopefully know by now, if you want mentoring for your entrepreneurial journey, Kids Party Characters owner Cheryl Jacobs may be able to help.

Cheryl started out as a single mom needing to feed two small kids, and has now had a hand in starting 10 different businesses.

To help cut out the learning curve and meet the time constraints most moms have, Cheryl has created a unique opportunity that allows you to have your own Kids Party Characters business, complete with all the resources Cheryl used to grow her business to six figures.

In addition to an exclusive territory in which to book parties and the right to use our 200-plus costumes, you’ll also get step-by-step training from Cheryl on how to set your business up for quick profits.

Book a free, no-pressure chat with Cheryl right here and she’ll answer all your questions and get you on the right path.

Learn more about the joy we bring to children’s parties by connecting with Kids Party Characters on Facebook for daily updates, including our best tips for building a successful business while raising happy and healthy kids.