#teapot genie

[fruit-colored-ninja]

Still fingers crossed for that “the ninja + Arin give sora and wyldfyre and anyone else who needs it a crash course on all the batshit adventures they’ve had over the years” episode, bonus points if Arin’s version of events is ridiculously warped by public view and the occasionally total conspiracy theory, bonus-bonus points if the ninja themselves are also blatantly disagreeing and getting into arguments on how certain events went down

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

book 7 part 10 thoughts!

***THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 7 PART 10 OF THE MAIN STORY!!***

Please note: this is NOT meant to be a summary or a translation; these are only my initial thoughts on the events that roughly unfold. There may be details overlooked or misunderstood in this post, so PLEASE do not use this as a translation.

This update spans part 158 to part 191.

BAHAHAHAHAHA THEY'RE AT THE CORAL SEA (not "in" it yet, more like at the surface level of it) AND JAMIL'S ALREADY UPSET OVER THE LOCALE

Jamil comes up with the smart idea of using ice magic to make a boat for them all. Silver takes up the oars (how princely lmao) and Ortho praises the second years for being so reliable!

WEL;ANJFDBIUGSOGSBIAF THAT BOAT DIDN'T LAST LONG, LITERALLY ONLY A SINGLE PART BEFORE WE CAPSIZE????? We see a dark and gloomy place with an abandoned ship, similar to where Ariel was exploring in the opening of The Little Mermaid. The gang can breathe though, since Idia hacked in bubbles around each person to provide them with an air dome made of magic nanomachines.

THERE HE IS FELLAS, MERMAID FLOYD PULLED UP. Mmm, interesting?? He sounds really flat and bored, expressing that he no longer has an interest in land creatures since everyone was weak + so easily deceived by Azul. Floyd also seems to report that Azul has found success with Mostro Lounge...? And Jade is probably supporting him there.

Floyd tells us that he's been traveling Twisted Wonderland in his dream world. He's been to the Shaftlands (Fairest City??) to try out the latest fashion and model (but got bored because he was asked to work exclusively with the brand), worked part-time in a restaurant in the Sunshine Lands (but got bored because so many people wanted to eat his food), and exploring the Scalding Sands. Floyd wandered the desert and found a black magic lamp in the Cave of Wonders and decided to bring it home because Jade said "the teapot" would be nice to have. Floyd summoned the genie and used it to wish for delicious food, www

He mentions having plans to visit other places too, like the Queendom of Roses, Briar Valley, Sunset Savanna, etc. (Floyd's looking for a challenging opponent to fight!!) But now he has returned to the sea, even though he considers it boring too. Floyd basically tells them to fuck on off and then stares floating around depressingly.

Idia theorizes that Floyd must be "resetting" his dream again and again since Malleus has set the parameters to achieve a "happy ending". Since Floyd is constantly dissatisfied, the dream continues to scrounge for something that will please him. The happiness never really lasts long though. The group decides that they have to provide him with that strong foe he wants to shock him awake!

OH MY GOD Silver and Jamil just walk up to Floyd and tell him he’s in a dream. Of course he doesn’t believe them????? But then they start telling him stories of things that happened irl including clarifying what it was that Floyd had done to disrupt his own first year opening ceremony. Apparently he grabbed Riddle’s hair and went “oh, it’s bright red but it isn’t hot”, which led into a massive fight with Riddle shooting fire at him. The staff (specifically Vargas) had to hold Riddle back. There’s another story of how Floyd tried to fight Cater but Cater used his UM to hold Floyd back and bro wiped hard 💀 According to Idia, Malleus and Leona also beat Floyd in combat.

Jamil talks about how sometimes Floyd would find it hard to keep up with him and/or how Floyd would get in trouble for wailing on the younger kids in their club. The headmaster wasn’t happy and made Floyd clean up the gym for a week

Wh A t😭 Grim recalls how Octavinelle made us HOMELESS in book 3 (and then how they got their asses beat BUT I’M BAWLING AT THE AUDACITY)

The dream manifests a fake Jade and Azul to drag Floyd deeper… We finally get a non-OB octoform Azul to look at!!

They goad Floyd and say he shouldn’t lose to land creatures, so beat them back and then the three of them can live peacefully in the sea together. Silver warns Floyd not to listen to the fake Jade and Azul, but he ends up not needing their help??? Instead Floyd blows up at the fakes and claims Jade and Azul would never say such boring things. Like, he actively gets SO pissed off that they’re borrowing their faces and voices to try and deceive him 😭

They tell Floyd about what’s going down and he’s delighted??? He starts calling out locations and the dream responds to it, he thinks it’s so interesting. Idia and co. panic because this spike in activity could alert Malleus OTL

They theorize that Jade’s dream may take place in the mountains, so Floyd should change into a land form.

When they change to Jade’s dream, Floyd praises Silver’s UM. Silver is flattered but Jamil is thanking the stars that someone mindful like Silver has Meet in a Dream and not Floyd. He says Floyd would probably abuse the UM and give people nightmares lmao

Now they’re in a part of the Coral Sea that has tons of underwater volcanos. Floyd saves us all from a blast of black smoke from one of the vents. Idia warns the air domes are not strong, so one blast from the smoke could drown them all.

Floyd suggests Idia make merforms for everyone. However, Idia says it’s hard to do, especially on a short time frame, since he lacks data on merpeople.

OOOOOH Floyd reveals his bioluminescence!! Looks so pretty aaaaaaah ✨ (He calls it “counter illumination”?)

J WORD SiGHTING

OOOOOH I GET IT, the volcanic vents are like the sea’s equivalent of “mountains”. He and dream!Azul are exploring this area looking for a gold mine or something. Interesting that Jade dreams of still assisting Azul for fun…

sguaddr(dFacFFh ??!!\!]]!£]!] AZUL????? He got hit by a blast from the vent while casting magic on it to get to some gold ore he spotted. Jade gets a good laugh out of it.

WHO THE FuCK ARE yoU, WhY Sre your eyes SO Big AnD WAtERY

Azul tearfully declares he won’t give up and Jade gases him up 😭 YOUR DREAM IS TO BULLY AND ENABLE HIM??????? WOW J WORD

Floyd claims he would never go mountain climbing with Jade but then—

WhAT YHR fUVkinh FVkkkKKKKKKKKKK

THAT’S DREAM!FLOYD?????!!?!!! HE LOOKS SO FRIGHIn DERPY 😭 😭 😭 BRo JUST StARTS EATINg SHRIMP AnD HAPPILY GOING AlONG WiTH wHatEVEF JAde AsAyS

Floyd gets pissed off seeing all of this and goes in for the attack. Everyone panics, but Jamil pulls a Silver book 7 part 9 and basically tells them to let Floyd cook 💀

Dream!Azul of course tries to convince Jade that Floyd is dumb and cute and everything, not some THUG cbjssbkwebodnxsk Jade is convinced that “this” Azul and Jade would use useless without him so he buys dream!Azul’s lies. FLOYD GETS MORE ANGRY THRymRE GONNa BRaWLLLLLLL

Uhhhh so fighting doesn’t wake Jade up. Idia suggests this is because while Jade doesn’t have a particularly strong imagination, he’s good at exploring possible scenarios within himself…? Not sure if I totally understood the wording here (I’ll have to double check with other sources later), all you gotta know if that punching was ineffective. ***Edit: It’s because (according to Idia), Jade has a strong belief in himself.***

OH, WORM??? J WORD AnD FKOYD ArE mAKinG HISSING NoiSES At eaCH OYher As THEY FIGHT (the NPC Azul and Floyd are busy cowering in a corner) 🍿 I believe it was previously said in a voice line or some vignette that when the twins fight, they get VIOLENT and it’s kinda funny we get to see it on-screen now.

Sebek gets the idea to stop both of the twins’ movements with his UM. (Very thoughtfully, he warns everyone, particularly Ortho, to stand back before he casts Living Bolt.) It works very well because salt water conducts electricity better than distilled water!! I think that helps Jade with realizing something’s off because right when dream!Azul and Floyd rush to him, Jade points out that the real ones wouldn’t call him “cute” and such.

WHoa WHOA, sCARY hot

Aaaand we got two eels added to the party! Onward to Azul’s dream~ (jxbsksvxiwnw J WoRD THROWS uP)

We’re underwater again! Jade theorizes it must be because Azul has expanded the Mostro Lounge into a worldwide chain, since Azul has expressed the desire to run a successful restaurant business like his mother.

We hear cheering, it seems to be from a Coral Rush (underwater ball) game. It’s similar to Magical Shift, but instead of brooms you ride on the backs of dolphins. Coral Rush is popular among merfolk!

WhAT

If I was drinking something then I would be spitting it up right now because WhY IS AZUL AN ATHLETE (If I’m understanding this correctly, he’s playing for a Coral Rush team called Golden Trident? And he’s the LEADER) 😂 I guess maybe because he’s been insecure about this weakness of his…?

MAN. Jamil is going to bully his ass later about this, I just KNOW he is… Azul goes all chuuni and shouts “KRAKEN SHOT” before scoring 🪦 Cringefail bbg…

OH MY GOD THIS SHADY BITCH

Jade has “-san” in quotation marks 💀 HE’S BEING TOTALLY SARCASTIC

Fun little detail, it looks like the Octatrio had a group handshake…? Jade and Azul do it here and later Jade and Floyd do the same, ending it each time with a cute little “yaaay” 🥺

dndjsnkweneow Jade asks Azul to sign Idia’s tablet OTL YOU ASSHOLE BE SO FR RIGHT NOW

Azul remembers “Leech-kun” and “Leech-kun” (*shudders*) from elementary school. His team mates call out to him and Azul invites us to their victory celebration at his mother’s restaurant (which finally gets a name!!! It’s called La Grotta). Apparently it would be hard for your average student to get in, but with Azul’s invite we should be okay!

Jade starts brainstorming again and suggests that this dream is what we see because Azul wanted you to erase the sad past in which he was bullied. He says he won’t divulge too many details since it involves Azul’s privacy (aw, the ONE time he decides to not leak info 😂).

Aaaaah Idia says he has a bad feeling about something… which gives ME a bad feeling…

They arrive at La Grotta and Azul casts a spell that makes an anemone crop up on everyone’z head?! Azul says that anemones are the most formal hair accessory one can wear in the sea; it makes them “fit in” more. He leaves Jade and Floyd alone though since they’re already merfolk.

Uhhhh Grim gets distracted with dancing and drags Sebek off with him??? Okay???

The entire time this is going down, the twins are watching silently.

Grim, Sebek, and Ortho dance but they end up falling down. The mob merpeople start to laugh and make fun of land creatures. It’s then we learn that Azul lied about the sea anemone being associated with high status, it’s instead something that indicates stupidity. So… uh… He just wanted to bully us??? This whole dream is playing out like a bitter high school revenge fantasy…

Azul says the twins can stay if they play Coral Rush with him. Surely they’re tired of hanging around dumb land creatures right? It’s better to come along with him.

Floyd makes a mess and passes an antique to Jade, and the two start to “play” with it. (… Nah, they start breaking shit 😬)

LOL???? Is Azul threatening to sue the fins off of the twins??? He’s all like “MY PAPA’S A LAWYER YOU KNOW” at them… (He also calls his mom “mama”; the word choice and behavior really makes me think he’s a mama’s/daddy’s boy.)

Jade says to everyone that we should move onto the next dream. He pretends (?) to leave, which triggers a memory of book 3 where Azul declares that he’s always going to be alone.

HMMMMMMMMMMM, there’s no dream!Floyd or dream!Jade to lure Azul to the darkness, only the mermobs 🤔

Ortho expects the twins to dive after him, but neither of them do 🤡 They say it’s Azul’s choice to dream more deeply, so they’ll allow him to.

Grim drowns in the darkness so we (Yuu, Silver, Jamil, Sebek) go after him. Ortho tries to appeal to the twins by saying if they don’t follow, then they’ll be trapped in the dream forever. Sooo Jade and Floyd depart into the dark. Ortho is left wondering if this coldness is actually how the twins express trust.

LOLLLLLl???????? Azul’s setting the photo of their class trip on fire and laughing like a maniac… (He also has apparently gained Ramshackle AND stolen the UMs of his fellow dorm leaders.) I counted, Azul has no less than like 3-4 Evil Villain Laughs this update 💀 OKAY KING POP OFF LIVE LAUGH LOVE

They split into two groups (the player gets to go with J word 😳), each with the goal of taking out one of the dream!Tweels. Jamil lures dream!Floyd out to the basketball court under the false pretenses of a special club activity (where a strong merman opponent would be present).

Jade meanwhile goes to the botanical garden?? And he starts to smash plant pots… He claims it’s a dream so it’s okay! It’s not like he’s doing this because he wants to (lie). Jade makes (anemoned) Grim take a bunch of rare ingredients he “harvested” to Mostro Lounge.

Azul becomes interested in the ingredients and wants access to the source to maximize profits. Dream!Jade is led off by Grim and Yuu to the woods behind campus. SILBEK JUMP HIM—

Jade uses Shock the Heart to learn where Azul has moved the contracts. They weren’t in his office vault when the group checked earlier; the contracts are now in Azul’s room…? Which… I feel like that was such an obvious place to check, not sure why the thought didn’t occur to them sooner??

They find the contracts but there’s like 500 of them and no efficient way to destroy so many in a short amount of time. Ortho suggests his beam, but it might result in collateral damage to them if he fires it this close. Floyd says they can just trick Azul into destroying the contracts himself but before they can say anything more they hear voices getting closer.

Jade and Floyd return to Azul warning him that someone is after his contracts, so Azul, concerned, asks for the contracts so he can relocate them again. When they don’t, he starts threatening them (even saying that the headmaster is under his thumb too, no one at this school can oppose him).

Azul is baited to cast a spell at them, which Floyd deflects with Bind the Heart. He then summons anemones (Ace, Deuce, Riddle, Leona, Kalim, Idia) to help him. Some mob anemones called him “Azul-sama” in dead-sounding voices which. Makes me think maybe he stole Jamil’s Snake Whisper in the dream too??

Together, the twins keep taunting their dorm leader until Azul unleashes King’s Roar. They use Bind the Heart once again to redirect Leona’s UM and dust the contracts ✨ (We also got Floyd’s UM chant!! Roughly: “This is a nice place/it was just getting good, but how about I interrupt it?”)

NxdbsjsbkFAJHQAN OF COURSE THAT’A WHEN AzUL BREAks 😭 and it happens like automatically too… The loss of the contracts really is a sore spot for him.

Here comes the suspicious black gloop again~

Azul starts to sink down BUT THIS TIME YHE TWINS CALL OUT HIS NAME AND GRAB ONTO HIM?????? Jade even specifically tells Azul to “take his hand” and instructs Floyd to help pull. Ayo… the “take my hand” imagery again…

Waaah… Octavinelle trusts each other so much?? When Silver warns them that he doesn’t know what will happen to the twins if they end up in Azul’s abyss, Jade and Floyd wish Azul luck/don’t go to hell AND AZUL’s CASUALLy LIKE “you too” 🤡

Azul finally faces his OB self!! How interesting, he tells his OB that with the weight of all that he stole from others, it’s hard to move. I think he means that metaphorically… like, it’s hard to achieve personal growth if all you do is take and hurt people. “Unlike you, I’ve learned.” He wants to make his dream of making everyone bow down to him a reality on his own. Azul’s not satisfied with this, he wants something of “real value”.

Azul wakes up back in his mom’s restaurant and surrounded by his team members. He asks them to sign a contract which states they will all continue playing hard together. Duh, it’s a trap and actually anemones them. The contract just handed all their powers over to Azul 💀 Bro… How dumb are you, you didn’t even SKIM to check the terms of the contact are what to claimed them to be??

Azul regroups with the others and they inform him of what’s going on. He immediately expresses concern that the Mostro Lounge hasn’t been operating + the ingredients in their fridge might spoil because of Malleus’s magic. Man has his priorities www Thankfully they’re fine since the flow of time has stopped and potential customers are all sleeping. No ingredients or business lost!! Azul still wants Malleus to pay him back for the inconveniences though.

Ortho recommends that Jade and Floyd stay behind, as they both have taken significant damage from fighting. Idia adds that they should lower the number of people dream hopping to minimize the chance of bugs showing up; Jamil volunteers. Azul says it’s a shame because he was looking forward to fighting alongside him; Jamil says that “friends” with Octavinelle’s dorm leader has its uses, so he “looks forward to it.”

… Jamil acknowledging what Azul wants and agreeing to go along with it feels… weird…

Azul joins us and we hasten to the next dream. “Time is money!!” so chop, chop!! Next update… Savanaclaw!!

Overall, I really enjoyed seeing the twins fight, as well as seeing their more animalistic aspects (ie the bioluminescence) come out. The Coral Sea locations were so fun and colorful, it makes me want a hometown event even more!! Merform Azul we kiiiind of already saw with his OB form (and I’d seen lots of edits from fans making their own prior to this) but I thought it was nice to have that confirmation nevertheless.

There were a lot of small moments that made me do a double take (derpy dream!Floyd is one, Azul’s Big Bad scenes were several others). It was cute to see their Club Wear outfits utilized in the dreams too; we saw Basketball Club and Mountain Lovers Club looks make an appearance. I felt like I was watching some kind of variety show while reading.

This update gave me many thoughts, most of them surrounding the Octatrio and their relationship with one another. I’d like to talk more at length about their dream worlds and the roles they played in one another’s headspaces. However, that will get very bulky and I don’t want to add even more to an already bully post. I’ll make that a separate post and put it up later, so please bear with me ^^

[amxrany]

!! CHAPTER 7 / DIASOMNIA ARC SPOILERS !!

Ya'll thought I forgot? Nah I was just busy (Floyd's Dream):

Ok so we start off at the ocean, where Ortho's carrying everyone, but Jamil and Silver create a boat and oar using ice. They all get in, Silver mentions how cold it is and Grim agrees. Grim also proceeds to get closer and snuggle with Yuu (like the bitchass mf he is /j) then Sebek's just mad on how much Yuu spoils Grim. Everyone's wondering who's dream they entered, and Jamil proceeds to get starting apprehensive; because they're only a few people we can associate with the ocean (and he does not take to them too kindly)

Then the boat gets attacked and everyone panics, Ortho assumes it's a shark and the gang proceeds to get thrown off the boat. We all end up under the sea with the scene changing to the sunken ship that Ariel explored in from The Little Mermaid

Being thrown out of their boat, everyone starts freaking out because they're gonna drown; but it never comes. Turns out that Idia gave them bubble shields using STYX's technology to make them breathe underwater. But Ortho senses someone close by, he senses that it's an eel that is 4 meters in length.

That's when Floyd finds us, we find out it's his dream because Silver's bird surrounds him. It turns out Floyd doesn't recognize the group, because the moment he finds out that they were humans, he sighs (very dramatically i might add) of boredom. Everyone's confused cuz this isn't the Floyd they're used to, as the Floyd right now sounds very depressed and emotionless.

It turns out that Floyd left the land because he wasn't interested in it anymore. When Silver asks him about Azul and Jade, he mentions that they're still in land; with Azul opening another Mostro Lounge with and Jade being Azul's right hand man. Apparently, Floyd felt that the land got too boring as everything was going a little too perfect. With everyone falling for Azul's contracts and Mostro Lounge having multiple branches, he just found it too boring and decided to start traveling around the world instead.

First, he lands in Vil's hometown where he was offered a modeling gig from a famous brand because of how handsome he is (even Silver thinks he's handsome too), but declined because it would get boring to wear clothes of the same brand. Next, he traveled to Sunshine Land where he was hired as a chef by a famous restaurant. For that, the chef really liked the meal that Floyd threw together on a whim and served it in the menu, it instantly became a popular hit. But when the chef asked for the recipe, Floyd can't give it cuz he just made it spontaneously so he just quitted on the spot 😭.

Then he went to Scalding Sands to check out their desert, in which he found a cave. He went in and found a supposedly "black teapot" inside, he took it and wiped the dust and accidentally summons a black ghost, this being a reference to Jafar being trapped in the genie's lamp. When asked about his three wishes, he proceeded to use all of them on food 💀. He also traveled to Sunset Savannah, Queendom of Roses and Briar Valley but still nothing was keeping entertained, as he found all of them weak and boring.

Of course at the mention of Briar Valley, Sebek immediately got defensive; stating that Queen Maleficia and Malleus wouldn't lose to someone like him. Then Floyd just goes "bruh I can't just go fistfight royalty" and Sebek's like "You only get common sense now?!". That's when Idia comes in with his take that Floyd isn't the type of person to go fight people to build up his reputation nor is he the type to seek out things to get stronger...

Floyd also tells us that he literally just threw us off the boat out of curiousity, but it turns out it was all just for nothing as he's getting bored again. That's when Idia mentions that Malleus' magic isn't working for Floyd, because the magic was set to give people infinite happiness; but because Floyd likes things difficult, the magic won't work right.

Jamil then mentions that Floyd likes strong opponents, like during a tournament in basketball where the team was losing; but the only who was motivated to win was Floyd. He relies heavly on his moods, as he sometimes like tormenting the weak but also going up against the strong.

Malleus' magic simply eliminates all negative emotions, which isn't really Floyd's style. But because Floyd can't escape, he became depressed in his own dream. Ortho also says that that would have also been the case for Idia if he never woke up. That's when Silver suggests giving Floyd a "strong shock" (or in other words fight him) and everyone's just like "Why is that always your idea?" like he's just trying my guys 😭.

But then Floyd starts getting suspiscious when they tell him that everything's just a dream. Until Jamil and Silver mentioned what happened during their first year orientation, where Silver was about to fall asleep but woke up to Riddle flinging Floyd around the room because Floyd touched Riddle's hair and Jade laughing his ass off in the background

It apparently got so bad that Riddle had to be restrained by the teachers 😭 (but Silver was grateful for that incident cuz he stayed awake)

This causes Floyd to start waking up, so they remind him of his past failures as well. Where he lost to Cater in a battle, as his unique magic is not capable of hitting multiple targets. He also battled Malleus and Leona AT THE SAME TIME and obviously lost

The final straw was Grim and Yuu tell him that they defeated him during Azul's overblot, this causes Floyd to start remembering what happened during that incident, but then the darkness creates fake versions of Jade and Azul that try to convince that everything he heard was all false

(Also Azul merform reveal ayeeee)

The fakes tell him to forget about the people from the land because the three are always together, but that causes Floyd to fully wake up cuz he knows that Azul and Jade would not say that. The fight starts and Floyd wins, but he's now throwing a fit and just hitting the sunken ship out of anger. Idia got scared and asked Jamil to do something, that's when Jamil's like "why me?" and Ortho replies with "well you don't want us first years to get hurt right?"

When Jamil tries to approach Floyd, he immediately asked if Jamil wanted to get strangled. But thankfully Yuu yells at him to listen to them as Ortho shows Floyd the video. Now that Floyd knows he's in a dream, he proceeds to abuse the crap out of the dream by teleporting to random places

Sebek's just yelling at him to stop it because it's gonna be obvious that he's awake. That's when Floyd goes "this means I can summon Malleus right?" and everyone's like "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT" 😭😭😭

Floyd is offered to join the group to go into Jade's dream, in which he agrees because he's curious about what his brother is dreaming about, probably a lot of mountains he assumes. Since they're still dreaming, Floyd could simply change his form and off to Jade's dream we go

Holy fuck why was this so long lmao, but yeah guys I'm still alive and no college hasn't eaten me alive yet, but stay tuned!

Next: Jade's Dream

[royonninjago]

I don't like how Skybound ended.

I like Skybound, but there are many things wrong with. The thing that I dislike most about Skybound, the thing that has been grinding my gears ever since I watched it in 360p on a sketchy website a few weeks before it officially aired on Cartoon Network, is it's ending.

I don't necessarily mind the 'everything was erased' angle, mostly because all the characters who underwent any meaningful arc (a.k.a Jay and Nya) still remembers everything that happened. It sucks what happened to Clancee and the other partially redeemed sky pirates, but lets face it, we were never going to see them ever again anyways.

What I have always disliked about it is the wish itself. Not only does it take away Nya's agency, which is something she has been struggling for a while at this point, but it also feels like a cop out because its two things. Jay wishes that Nya took his hand AND that no one ever found that teapot. That's not a wish any self respecting Genie or Djinn should ever take.

If I had my way, I believe a much better final wish that 'comes from the heart' would be something along the line of:

"I wish I could go back to before this all happened, so I could make up for all the stupid mistakes I made."

This wish does so many things that Skybound wanted to but never actually did:

Gives Nya at least some agency, like she's been wanting forever

Gives Jay an actual opportunity to fix his mistakes

Makes Nadakhan not an actual idiot for granting a stupid wish like that

I would also cut some filler from the final episode so that after this wish is made we have time to see the Ninja rushing to find the Teapot before Clouse (something they should have been doing from the start) and so we can see Jay apologize to Nya for how much of a dick he's been.

Maybe these ideas have been stated before, and if anyone has any other relevant information I would love to see it, but this blog is mostly for getting thoughts out of my head so I'm not too worried about that.

[sonicasura]

Persona 5: Tower Scramble

Yup. I'm expanding more on the crack idea of Peppino being Ren's biological dad. This is basically a deeper dive into the concept like worldbuilding, further shenanigans and a slice of some plot. Hope you enjoy! Link to alternate version here! Make sure to check the reblogs for extra stuff.

First thing to start with is actually the Pizza Tower universe. I decided that there needs to be more stuff involving the Who Framed Rodger Rabbit dynamic aka toons interacting alongside normal people. Everyone in PT are cartoons in nature which includes Ren/Joker. Arséne nor his adjacent forms doesn't escape this either since he was born from Ren's heart.

Due to the Velvet Room contract, our hero is forced to take on the appearance of those in Personaverse to not draw attention. Although it doesn't fully suppress his toon capabilities. If I can summarize Ren and Arséne's appearance as Toons then it's the Persona 5 Tactica iteration but mixed alongside some Pizza Tower aesthetics.

Like any other cartoon, Joker and his Persona have cartoon abilities. There's the basics like the hammer space but unique ones that suit a toon's particular trope. Ren alongside Arséne have the escape artist/thief type which means they can break in or retreat in various cartoony ways. EX: Instantly teleport via smoke bombs to slipping under doors.

Like I said in the previous post, Ren did inherit some of Peppino's abilities such as incredible speed and strength that can be boosted through rage. Although being in the Personaverse suppresses a good chunk specifically his unique trope. Ren sulked a bit when he couldn't stretch his arm under a door to unlock it or pull a keyring from outta his hair.

Only his dad's abilities remains untouched by the change. Being in the Metaverse actually loosens the restraints on Ren's toon abilities. How a Toon interacts with the normal is much different than vice versa. Toons can subject others to cartoon shenanigans on varying degrees that usually depends on their trope.

For example a Toon with Magician trope can successfully do extreme tricks like sawing someone in half on a normal person without killing them and undo the damage easily. The non-toon will feel degrees of pain though. How bad it is depends on whether the act is malicious or not. Death is too cheap for a toon.

The new contract Ren receives after Royal's events freely allows him to shift into his toon form without being in the PTverse. Arséne was unaware about Ren's cartoony heritage would affect him too. The Persona found out very quickly when he manifested at Peppino's Diner and notice the place was a bit too roomy. Cartoon heights vary erratically from normal people.

Peppino is barely 4'8 ft, Ren is around 4'4 as he still has a growth spurt awaiting him, and Toon!Arséne's height about 10'2. The toon Persona got noogied by Captain Kidd who thought the new difference was funny. Jokes about Toon!Arséne being fun size will never die amongst the Persona.

(Unrelated note, Ren as an adult will be much taller than Peppino. His forms heavily contrast at that point. Under a human guise, Ren is about 5'8 and looks barely different despite being more physically fit alongside having a mustache. His real toon self is the epitome of a fucking bear. Adult Toon!Ren is 7'2 feet tall, beefy and quite hairy. He does take more after Peppino than his 'mom'.)

Toons are prone to comical gags with Ren being no different. He's quite happy to show it to his friends as well. Casually stretching his arm from the kitchen to snag some chips outta Ryuji's snack bag whilst his friends sits at the farthest booth by the door... Sojiro did his absolute best not to drop a fresh pot of coffee on his feet via sheer shock.

Arséne couldn't resist the pull of mischief either. You know the Genie In The Lamp? Let me present Arséne in a Teapot! Milady and Haru were the only ones who knew something was up when Ren brought over a closed up teapot. (He barely hid a smile too big for a normal person before reaching the table.) An awareness that kept their dango from going airborne once Arséne shot out of the teapot the gremlin he is.

Unintentional gags are also prone to happen around a toon which includes the infamous banana peel. Yusuke was planning to paint around the subject of litter and gotten a fresh one from Ryuji. What do you get when you add: 1 Clueless Ren, 1 Banana Peel and 1 Ghost Mushroom(an invasive partially sentient powerup which turns a toon into a ghost)?

You get Yusuke panicking as he believes he just killed their leader while Gustavo calls a priest over to unghost a Teru Teru Bōzu!Ren. (His Japanese heritage changed the form to that instead of being the normal bedsheet ghost.) Peppino feels like he went from a father of one to ten(pending) at this point.

It isn't uncommon for his son's friends to the visit his pizzeria. Sometimes it is a study group where Peppino prepares some snacks for them and help with some of the questions. He makes sure Ren's Stupid Rats get a cheese log to keep them occupied as Crouton likes eating schoolwork. (Makoto got to use the rats ate her homework excuse at least.)

They often show up to help around the restaurant and hang out on slow days. Having extra hands to help around made things easier especially when it came to deliveries. Peppino wholeheartedly agrees on why Ren thought Morgana was a Toon as a cat becoming a van is very toonlike.

Peppino can't help eavesdropping on Phantom Thieves discussion though. Some of the requests these kids get can be really concerning even for an adult like him. Morgana had been kind enough to explain the 'Changing Hearts' and 'Metaverse' spiel.

If this is what they want to do then Peppino wouldn't stop them. The Persona already promised to keep the group safe. (Not like there was any chance to turn back.) He doesn't know who made those Golden Pizza Cutters but they definitely are there for the purpose of helping his son if needed. (Or help with his stress as beating up Shadows is therapeutic.)

On some occasions one kid from the Phantom Thieves would show up at odd hours. Whether it be looking for advice or have someone listen to their problems. Peppino does his best to help as he understands how hard and suffocating life can get at times. (If he's ordering a few adoption papers then no one will know or stop him.)

They definitely left their mark on his diner though. Paintings, group photos, books, little knickknacks from Japan and ironically Phantom Thief merch. Peppino picked up some Japanese vocabulary too as much the teens learn a bit of Italian outta him. The Persona just add more languages to the table.

Now I mentioned how Ren practically gets shoved into a non-toon form when entering the Personaverse. Well the same DOESN'T apply to other Toons. If one ends up there then they won't be restricted to a human form and everyone sees their true appearance.

The new Velvet Room contract does provide a neat effect though where Toons companions(keyword there) only look like normal people/allies to those who aren't Ren's confidants, other Toons or Persona Users. It makes things easier for Peppino alongside his toon companions. Whether it be attending the kids' special events or take a simple break around Japan.

Peppino isn't the only getting dragged into Metaverse. The Golden Pizza Cutter isn't restricted just to him as Gustavo, Brick and Pep(Fake Peppino) also join in on the mayhem. Sometimes on accident when you consider Persona's habit of snatching someone into the Metaverse unexpectedly.

Gustavo and Brick are the only ones who aren't as off put about the Phantom Thief business. The pizza chef had help raise Ren whenever Peppino couldn't so he's used to the chaos this kid gets into. Brick is from the Pizza Tower thus any oddities are ignored since that place is just as weird.

While they can't break through Physical resistances like Peppino, the duo's teamwork makes recon, item searches or corralling various enemies much easier. Gustavo tends to snag little knickknacks from any Metaverse excursion. Brick just munches on whatever he can find since various snacks can be found there.

Pep is someone Ren hadn't expected to meet upon going home. Although finding a malformed froggish clone shapeshifter of your father made by an insane pizza toon that definitely squat in the pizzeria and eat what is most likely roadkill for dinner is a given at this point. Ren pulls the Clone = Your Kid card, like the little shit he is, on Peppino.

Man had no room for rebuttal either since Pep took a liking to the younger Spaghetti. When you consider Ren's more eerie Personas such Legion, Abbadon or Mara, none of the Phantom Thieves were bothered by the clone's Eldritch Horror trope. Although Joker is the only unfazed when it comes to surprise goopy hugs.

Like Peppino, Pep tends to be very protective of the Phantom Thieves. Sometimes hitching a ride in Ren's bag much to Morgana's annoyance upon discovery. (Can I say Strikers with a shit ton of Pep antics?)

Some Shadows learned the hard way on why not to piss off a clone who can shapeshift into man eating giant monster. Nevermind that Pep has amped up versions of Peppino's abilities alongside his own. The Phantom Thieves have various allies to call when needed.

Although trouble won't just be from the Personaverse. Peppino has his own rogue gallery specifically one who ain't too happy about this new predicament. Nor the existence of Ren Amamiya Spaghetti.

Hope the Phantoms been taking on the Tower Scramble mode in the Thieves' Den. Toons fight way different from Shadows. Nor do they have limits to the chaos one can cause.

[mmmmalo]

One thing that gives me pause about the genie-bottle angle is that I don't know how to square it with Roxy's alcoholism, which constitutes the bulk of the story's bottles. But since the mutant cat climbs out of a lamp-looking teapot... I don't know, maybe in the same way that the abundance of harlequin pictures causes John to think Dad is a clown, maybe the abundance of wizard pictures should establish Mom as a wizard? Because she is engaged in necromancy...? Or else the cat in the kettle tells us that when she's drinking alcohol (spirits?), she's effectively imbibing (dead?) cats? Hence the mutant kitten named Vodka Mutini... I don't know

Given the HALLOWED TOMBS OF EGYPT line that Dad drops in Act 1, there's reason to think that Jaspers' tomb already existed in a rhetorical space that problematized colonial extraction from the Middle East, which adds to the cat-as-genie sense instilled by the teapot. But it's not immediately clear to me how to reconcile this with the more established (to me, at least) cat-as-child angle, so I'm at a bit of a loss. This might just be a point where systematization fails but there's no sense in not trying...

[disney-afternoon-pictures]

Why on earth does the Genie’s lamp look like a teapot?

[darkhymns-fic]

Being an angel is pretty inconvenient, huh? (Ch. 7)

Several years later, Colette reflects on what's changed and what hasn't - for Lloyd and for herself. [A Lloyd wingfic]

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving, Frank Brunel Rating: T Word Count: 6493 Mirror: AO3 Notes: For Colloyd Week 2023, Day 7: Free Day! This fic is now complete! There are more notes over on AO3. Otherwise, thanks for reading along!

--

On Colette’s twentieth birthday, she went to visit her father.

Frank was busy in the garden that was facing the back of the house, pulling out the weeds and setting them aside on a cleared patch of green. Colette had been quiet when she arrived, hovering down to the ground with her wings, barely moving them. The sun was bright, overpowering any of her light. She was fine with this, curious to see how her father worked on his garden. He had always been a gentle man, holding onto the weeds with care, apologetic in his every gesture.

Her grandmother had always said she took after her father the most.

But even as silent as she could be, Frank still turned around, his faint blue eyes alight when he spotted her. He placed the weeds on the ground, wiping dirt onto his pants. “Colette! You made it.”

"Of course!" Looped around her right arm was the handle of a wicker basket. On the back porch, the outdoor table had been recently cleaned of any fallen leaves and petals. She spotted the teapot that was already set, along with the porcelain cups. "I brought a few sandwiches for us."

Frank took a moment to get to his feet, but even in his clear exhaustion, he was smiling wide as he pulled up a chair across from her. "Let me guess… is it your famous caramel apple sandwiches?"

"Oh, I made you a ham and cheese one, but I got some extra apple sandwiches if you'd like!"

And her father was kind, as he always was, gratefully accepting the food, as he would do when she was little and just learning how she could stuff her favorite fruits into sandwiches. It was at least more to it than just plain apple slices between two pieces of bread this time. After some lessons with Genis, her once plain apple sandwiches were now served with caramel sauce and creamy cheese.

Colette only remembered when she sat down to finally put her wings away, the action sending motes of lights drifting in the breeze, fixing up her dress that now stretched past her knees. She watched it mingle with the rays of the sun before dissipating. Once, her father would have long stared at her wings in silence, his lips never quite lifting into a smile. But now, he barely glanced at it, or even commented on it at all.

The ginger tea was warm, her father always brewing it just right. As they drank and ate, she also decided to count the rows of flowers that had just started to bloom. The brightness of the marigolds gave her once plain backyard a sunny feeling, but it was the tulips that took over, their colors more varied, from bright red to a deep purple that matched her wings. Still, never had she imagined her father to suddenly develop a green thumb.

“Did you not want something bigger for your birthday?” Frank asked, leaning back in his chair. He had finished her apple sandwich first before taking the other in his hands. “This seems so small.”

Colette smiled. It truly was small, compared to her earlier birthdays—of the whole village gathered in the plaza, to wish the Chosen another year closer to salvation. She sipped the tea, enjoying, savoring that warmth. “But I’m happy with this. And I get to see your garden this way!”

Frank chuckled. Hours in the sun had bleached his already light-blonde hair, but the laugh lines around his mouth had also deepened. She remembered his smiles more in these recent years than when she was a child. “Dirk has been giving me a lot of advice on fixing up the flower bed. I might even start growing some vegetables later. Without needing to attend the Church as often as before, I find myself with a lot more time on my hands.”

That reminded her then. “I also just visited Grandmother in the temple, along with the other children.” She cradled the teacup in her hands, the mixture having long cooled. “They had just gotten back from a trip to the beach. They all seem to be doing well! And Jonah and his little sister recently got adopted.”

Frank nodded at the news, chuckling softly. “She has been very busy lately. But I think your grandmother always liked being occupied as much as she can.”

Even when the priests eventually left the Iselia temple, with the importance of the Chosen starting to wane with each passing year, it hadn't stopped Phaidra from visiting it, climbing those steps every morning. It also hadn't stopped her from deciding that the great atrium, now free of monsters as well as those of the cloth, could still be useful. Orphaned children from the Palmacosta tragedy, or rescued from the once common ranches, needed a safe place to stay.

Also, Colette figured that Verius, who had taken the temple for their home, liked the company. After all, it didn’t hurt for the children to have an additional guardian, and the Summon Spirit didn’t seem to mind its new role at all.

“And Lloyd?” Frank poured her another cup of tea, his hands steady as he did so. “I’m surprised he’s not with you.”

“Martel called him,” she answered, blowing on the hot tea. “He has to honor his pact with her, since he hasn’t gone to see the tree in a while.”

“Well, I hope you can spend this day with him at least a little. Or…did he forget again?”

Colette couldn’t help but laugh at the suggestion. “I should ask him that! But he’s been getting better about the dates.”

“And… is he getting better overall?” Frank asked. Both he and Phaidra had been one of the last to finally know about Lloyd’s wings—although Colette had always wondered if he had seen them both that day when she and Lloyd flew to the temple. Her father had never pushed to know, had always been patient to a fault.

“He is,” and though her voice was soft, the smile came to her naturally. She recalled the softness of feathers against her palm, the sensation making her chest warm. “We have so many wonderful friends that helped him.”

Still, there was a greedy part of herself she couldn’t ignore. Once they were on their journey again, they would only have each other, and the promise of it made her eager for the days to pass—even for her birthday to pass.

“Well, please tell Lloyd he is always welcome to come visit us anytime. I’m sure by then, I’ll have my vegetable garden set up! He can have the first bite of it.” Frank tapped his chin, thinking over his possible plantings. “Grape tomatoes are supposed to grow well this season. I’ll make sure they’re juicy once he comes around.”

Colette nearly spat out her tea as a giggle bubbled from her throat. Tomatoes! she thought, already imagining the look on Lloyd’s face if she brought him around. “Y-yeah! I’ll tell him!” And it wasn’t like she had to tell Lloyd just what type of vegetables her father was growing anyway.

She chatted with Frank until the sun made its descent through the sky, its light filtering through the trees that surrounded the backyard. The summer beetles hovered around the branches, and the breeze lifted her hair. She wanted even more of the tea, which brought back memories of holding the same cup when she was little, watching as her father dipped a spoonful of honey into the mixture.

She was so distracted by it that she didn’t at first hear the footsteps from behind her. They were quiet and padding, barely making the wood creak as they walked along the porch.

But it was the mewing sound that caught her full attention.

A white, furry shape jumped onto the table, knocking aside one of the teacups that Colette attempted to rescue. It hadn’t broken, which was the important thing. Still, she barely gave it a second thought, grinning at the sight of the cat; his meowing still as high-pitched as it was when he was first found.

“Blippy!”

“Still a little rascal,” Frank commented, but didn’t mind any of the spilled tea that was running across the table, merely mopping it up with a cloth napkin he had. “He always gets more energetic whenever you visit.”

Colette hardly needed to reach out before Blippy pressed his head into her palms. His purrs rumbled through her skin, the softness of his fur as familiar as the feathers from this morning. “I hope he’s been good,” she said.

Frank’s smile was a peaceful one. “Always. Your grandmother can’t get enough of him.”

The grown cat, so content with her petting, was a far cry from the small kitten she had once carried around in a basket. Once, he had been such a tiny thing, sometimes shaking as if it still remembered the river it had nearly drowned in. But then it would also reach out towards Lloyd’s wings to paw at like they were toys, to rub his nose at her fingers, fascinated by everything all around. It had been like that when they traveled to Mizuho, to Ozette, to the World Tree, and to so much else.

But the journey wasn’t just about sightseeing or visiting friends. Gathering the Exspheres still meant weeks out on the road and in the open, and fighting with those who refused to relinquish what they had. She knew they had to get Blippy into a proper home.

“Then why not with your dad’s?” Lloyd had suggested then, the idea coming to him so quickly that even Colette had been surprised. “I always thought your house could have used a pet.”

Maybe Lloyd knew it would make it easier for her, to leave Blippy with her family, to reassure them when she would need to be gone once again from their lives. She could tell how often his fur was brushed, how well-fed he was, and how the collar around his neck sparkled with the tag that was attached to it. His tail swished across the table happily, with his paws kneading one of the cloth napkins.

“Lloyd needs to visit you too,” she whispered, her fingers threading through the fur on Blippy’s neck. “I know he’s been missing you.”

It had also been months since Colette had truly pet a cute animal! There were no longer as many stray dogs that hung around towns or fishing ports, and while it made her happy that most of those doggies now had a stable home, she had missed giving them both pets and names, to shower them with as much love as she could before she had to be on her way. So she got her fill with Blippy, repeating his name and patting down the fur.

But then, she heard a small ringing sound from beneath her hand…

“Ah, Colette!” Frank stretched out his hand, plucking something tiny from the inside of her teacup. It glittered within his palm, the smooth metal capturing the light of the sun. “You dropped your…”

Her eyes caught the shimmer of the intricately cut topaz, and the familiar engraving on the metal. “Oh! Oh no, I almost lost it again…” She quickly accepted the item, affixing it back to her finger. “Thank you. I think I had it on the wrong finger today.” That was why it felt oddly bigger than usual…

Frank sighed but was smiling all the same. “Lucky I caught it now and not in my garden patch like last time. I nearly buried it with the tulip seeds.”

Colette’s flush rose to her cheeks, laughing as she touched the metal band. “Lloyd said he would just make me another if I did lose it, but I hope it doesn’t come to that… Ah, speaking of Lloyd…!” Her heart fluttered, seeing just how far the sun had traveled across the sky.

“Forgot you already have to meet up with him?” Frank answered for her so easily, already getting up from his chair.

“Yes! I’m sorry, I was really enjoying our lunch and then Blippy showed up…” At the mention of the cat, she had to give her friend a few more pets, a few more scritches beneath his ears. It took the prompting her wings appearing to finally stop, despite getting fur everywhere on her dress.

Another chorus of meowing, and Blippy was reaching up to paw at a bright wingtip. She giggled when she felt his soft paws make contact. “Aw, I don’t think you’ll like playing with mine as much as Lloyd’s,” she said.

Frank moved to pet Blippy, giving Colette a moment to escape. “Go on. It’ll be the end of your birthday before you know it.”

In his voice, she heard a soft plea. He would have wanted her to stay, as he had wanted her to numerous times. Saved from her fate as a Chosen, yet even so, he had to keep seeing his daughter off to an unknown.

But the worry lines in his forehead were not as deep, and she saw him visibly relax as he ran his hand across Blippy’s fur. The loneliness was not as all-engulfing as it had once been.

Colette rushed over to give Frank a great hug, her wings fluttering to keep her afloat. She felt his arms squeeze her back. “I’ll see you again soon.”

He hugged her tightly. He used to hold her with hesitance, as if doing it too much was not correct for the man who was only supposed to watch over until she must save the world. But she felt his love in his embrace, his fear now gone.

“Happy birthday, Colette.”

And when she flew off, she couldn’t help but turn back. She watched Blippy jump into Frank’s arms, as if knowing he still needed a shape to hold.

Lloyd really did always have the best ideas.

--

.

.

.

On the day that Lloyd’s wings had changed, Colette felt that she had failed him then. It was how the shape of his wings imprinted themselves into her mind like nothing else, how his stuttering gasp of fear had clutched at her ribs, how he fell limp to the ground once the back of his jacket was ripped open.

The kitten in his hands had been shaking, and she had to coax the little thing to go to her. He had held it out to her, in a last desperate attempt. The blood drenched the ground like it was rain, but Colette could not split herself in two to help both at once. She wrapped the kitten in a towel, patted it dry, and kept it safe within the shade of the tree. It had curled up, already fast asleep. And then, she finally rushed over to Lloyd’s side.

When Colette touched his wings, it was sticky with blood. The feathers were sporadic, the bones jutting out at sharp angles. She looked at his back, and it was a ruined mess, his skin so torn. Still, her hands reached out to him, even as Lloyd shook, even when she heard him cry out in pain.

Colette was not a healer. Even with all her angelic artes, she didn’t know a sufficient healing spell. Professor Sage should have come with him instead, she thought, while reaching for their packs for any of their first aid equipment. Or Zelos. Or Sheena. They would have known what to do. They would have had the experience of healing Lloyd in some way.

She remembered how much she was shaking herself as she tried to make use of the bandages. But no, she needed to remove his jacket first. Except his jacket was destroyed with bits of it stuck to his wings, and with the blood everywhere, it was hard to tell which was clothing and which were his feathers, steeped in a gory mess.

It made her so afraid. To think being an angel could still keep causing so much suffering.

“Gh!”

Lloyd gave a sharp gasp of pain that pierced her chest. His wings were too big. They bent at odd angles, were crooked, and still so fresh with agony.

She at first just tried to hold his hand. His Exsphere felt so warm, and only when she looked down did she see it shine. Was it hurting Lloyd? Was it helping him? Still, she held on tight.

Colette had hesitated, and that was a moment she wished she could have redone.

“Lloyd…” she called out softly, but still he was shaking. His other hand clutched at the ground, and his eyes were shut. His wings moved, and somehow, in that moment, they seemed a bit less intimidating.

Colette finally embraced him, carefully, as the blood stained her dress so deeply, feeling sticky against her skin.

She was clumsy with the bandages, and she was slow when she tried to clean up his wings then. Her fingers made contact with them once again, worried that every motion from her was hurting him.

How broken he looked then, barely able to stay awake. Still, she felt him lean against her, clinging back to her hand. His shaking lessened, even if only by a little.

Colette only realized her wings were still out as she continued to bandage him, the light falling over the ground and his feathers.

“I love you so much and this is all I can do.” She bit her lip, her vision blurry with tears, but kept him in her arms. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t expect a response, not until she heard him stir, mumbling something.

“Ah, Lloyd?” Trying to hold him gently, she avoided touching his wings, in case it really did hurt him. “Careful…”

“M’fine.” The words slurred out of his throat, and still she tried to keep him elevated. There were brief bouts of pain that made him shake, apologies once again spilling from her. But when he turned to stare at her, the light of her wings illuminating his face, he looked questioning.

She wondered if he had heard what she said earlier.

Colette had never before told Lloyd that she loved him. Not out loud, at least. It was tempting to say it again—but what right did she have when he was this weak?

“The kitten…” he whispered. “Is it…”

There was both relief and disappointment in her chest, a feeling she felt all too accustomed to, for so much else.

When she pointed to the sleeping kitten, all curled up and safe, she saw Lloyd smile. It looked almost euphoric; from the pain or from relief? But he quickly fell asleep again, still holding onto her hand. His wings lowered slightly, and through some of the blood, she saw their color was white.

Colette tried to set up a spot for Lloyd to rest, angling his body so that his wings wouldn’t be cramped. Her dress was still stained, and after she finally was able to change into a new set, she sat beside Lloyd, noting that most of his wounds seemed to have healed.

She did love Lloyd, but this time, the words stayed locked inside her throat. All she could give him was the touch of her hand, his fingers clinging to her again. I can’t push that on him now, she thought, even as part of her wished she could, somehow. The closest she had ever hinted at it was a kiss on the cheek every now and then, which Lloyd always accepted with a flush and a wide smile. Maybe I can just do that later…

It wasn’t long though before the kitten came to waddle up to her.

“You should be resting too!” she said. “Or are you awake because you’re hungry?”

In answer, the little animal pressed against her arm, meowing constantly that she couldn’t help but give it a few pets. “Hehe, you’ll wake Lloyd up,” she said, but didn’t stop from giving it a few scratches, entranced by its golden eyes.

At the petting, the kitten stuck out its tongue at her, making such a face that Colette couldn’t help but laugh at it—quietly. She really needed to let Lloyd rest for as long as he could.

With a small gesture, she coaxed the kitten to come closer. Its fur was no longer matted or dirty by the river. It even seemed to already forget the whole ordeal altogether.

“You need a name, don’t you?” She let it cuddle into her lap, all while she kept holding fast to Lloyd’s hands, hearing him breathe deeply as he slept. “Hm, you feel like a Blippy to me…”

.

.

.

--

“Heeeey, Coleeeette!”

Even if Lloyd hadn’t called out to her, it would be hard to really miss him at all.

The Great Tree had finally started to grow over the last few years, less of a sapling and more like a young oak tree whose roots had finally settled deep into the soil. It now reached past her height, inviting one to look above and try to see the very top. Birds flitted among the branches, rustling up the leaves that sounded hushed in the glade. If it weren’t for the mana that she could feel through the air currents surrounding it, the tree would have looked like any other in a forest.

As she flew towards it, she already caught sight of Lloyd, and the great wings that were outstretched as he flew over the top of the tree. The setting sun painted his feathers in watercolors of orange and violet.

He was waving at her with both arms. His wings flapped behind him excitedly. “Hey!!”

“I see you, Lloyd!” Colette waved back, her wings taking her further up into the sky. The leaves turned brighter from the light of her passing, and even the air around her seemed quieter too. She wondered if Martel was nearby, and if she would see her this time?

She only just barely broke past the tree’s canopy before Lloyd rushed to her with a great hug, tumbling them both through the air.

The feeling was almost electric; Colette’s wings fluttered to try and keep them upright, as well as from falling to the ground. But Lloyd’s arms were strong, his hands pressed against her back while his wings stayed outstretched to catch the gentle gusts of wind.

“We’re gonna fall!” she called out, except her voice was already devolving into laughter, mixing with Lloyd’s own.

“We’re fine, we’re fine!” Lloyd’s grin could be felt against her ear as he already kissed her cheek. The affection made her want to hold onto him even more. “I felt I was going crazy without you here.”

It was too easy for him to make her heart beat so fast at just a few simple words. But she didn’t let go, her fingers moving to interlock just at his back, to stroke at his feathers. “Hehe, it’s only been a few hours.”

“Really? It felt way longer!”

For a while, both held each other in the air, lifted by their wings; one made of light, the other of feathers. She could have been content to just stay, to just soak in his touch like nothing else. It seemed as if Lloyd was ready to just fall asleep in her arms like this—until he spoke again.

“…I think Martel could tell I was getting kinda bored.”

She tried to hold back her laughter, which came out as something like a sneeze instead. Lloyd moved back to pout at her. “It’s not that funny.”

“It’s a little bit! I wonder what Yuan would think?”

“Oh, I don’t even wanna know…”

Even as she slipped her grip from his shoulders, she felt his hand take hold of hers. His Exsphere, embedded in his thick glove, winked in the sunlight, and was warm as her thumb rubbed it absent mindedly. Looking at Lloyd against the backdrop of the Great Tree, she felt light. He still wore bright red, though no longer did he have suspenders on. His jacket was larger, the button clasps still fashioned tightly over his chest, and the longer hem pulled by the wind. Though he no longer sported flowing white ribbons, Colette knew if she let her hands wander around his collar, she’d find the bow she would tie up for him every morning.

He had also let his hair grow out slightly in the last few years, just slightly, with a lock or two sometimes falling over his forehead. It almost always called to her to push it aside, to let her fingers linger as she did so.

And of course, how bright and beautiful his wings were, framing both his face and smile.

With a gentle beat of his wings, Lloyd led her closer to the tree, to a certain spot among its branches. The more she looked at it, the more she understood just how much stronger it was getting, and just how fast it seemed to grow over these past few years.

But she could see the concerned expression on Lloyd’s face, even before he spoke.

“Martel says that she’s been sensing some unease in some parts of Sylvarant.” Lloyd sighed, leading them both to an outstretched branch that reached towards the west. “Probably those Vanguard guys again.”

Colette had known of that. The reunification of the world hadn’t been met with complete acceptance. Many feared Tethe’alla’s power, despite efforts from Zelos and Sheena to dissuade it. “It’s enough to affect the tree?”

Lloyd nodded, landing on the branch with her. It was steady, with just a small creaking of the wood, the leaves whispering as they seated themselves, as they would do when they were children and climbing up the trees around Iselia. “So along with the Exspheres, I’ll need to check on all of this, too.” He scratched the back of his head. “Sorry. I just keep dragging you around everywhere.”

Colette swung her legs from the branch. “You know I don’t mind. I can help talk with people, like Zelos does.” It was what she had already done on their travels. Not everyone would listen, and not everyone forgave the Chosen for not completing her journey, but there were still others who did, and in that forgiveness, she found more strength.

She grinned a little at a past memory, one that caught Lloyd’s curiosity. “Hey, what’s got you laughing now?”

“Just remembering when that little girl followed you around back in Asgard. I think your wings were her favorite. And you even helped her fly with you!”

Lloyd grinned slightly, all while still gripping her hand. “Heh… I don’t think her mom appreciated that though.”

“Oh, hehe. I guess you’re right.” Even so, that day had made her happy—seeing Lloyd comfortable, when once before, he hadn’t wanted to be seen at all.

The branch they sat on was more out in the open, allowing Lloyd’s wings enough space to stretch and fold evenly against his back, to not be too buffeted by leaves and other boughs. It had still taken time for Lloyd to show himself in public as he was now, with wings that evoked the angels of Cruxis. Some had even wondered if he was yet a third Chosen that had appeared with the reunion of the worlds.

But something Colette had always noticed during their travels, something dear to her, was how the children were always the very first to accept Lloyd, to reach out for his wings with no fear at all.

The glade where the Great Tree resided stretched out before them, the sky slowly turning to dusk. The tree was just tall enough to stand above most other trees of the area, allowing them a clear view of the mountains that lied to the south. Colette felt content, her free hand pressing against the bark, where the mana of the earth flowed through, while the other still lay in Lloyd’s palm.

“I saw Blippy today,” she finally mentioned, the color of his wings reminding her of that white fur.

“Oh! So he’s doing good?” Lloyd asked. She heard the little eagerness in his tone. “I think it’s been almost a year since I’ve seen him.”

“Yeah, he’s doing really good! Father loves having him around. He’s taking good care of him.”

Lloyd smiled at that. Before they had given Blippy to Frank, she would often find the kitten in Lloyd’s arms as he slept, positioned in a way to not put more weight on his wings.

After only a short while, Lloyd then gave such a great yawn that his jawbone audibly cracked from the effort. His wings fluffed a bit at the action, and his back stretched. “This place always makes me so sleepy…”

“If you want, you could sleep right now. I’ll watch over you.”

“I haven’t really mastered how to sleep on a branch without falling down though,” Lloyd answered, then winced slightly. “Also, I think I slept on my wings the other night. They’re a little achy.”

That only made Colette move closer so she could press her fingers into his wingspan. Feathers shifted at her touch, and she watched Lloyd’s eyes flutter shut at her massage. “Maybe I accidentally rolled onto them again…” she admitted.

“Aw, well, I like having them around you though.” He sighed happily, feeling her kneading touch. “Like…extra arms… or something.”

Colette smiled, her wings still out and illuminating his feathers with a gentle and familiar glow. “I also stayed a bit late when I was home, and I got worried I wouldn’t make it in time to see you, especially for today.”

Lloyd opened his eyes again. “Huh… Why’s today so important?”

Ah, Colette thought. She stuck out her tongue at him playfully. “Because,” she started with a little dramatic flair. “It’s today!”

Lloyd blinked, one of his wings curving around her once the aches went away. “You’re so dorky sometimes. Seriously, what’s so special about to… Uh…” He froze.

Colette found his shocked expression so cute that she had to cover up her giggles with a hand. “Did you forget again—?”

“I didn’t!” He paused, his face colored in tomato-red, just a shade brighter than his clothes. “Really! I knew your birthday was coming, just…not today… But I really didn’t forget! Promise!”

Teasing Lloyd was always a fun hobby of hers, but she tried to show him some mercy. “It’s okay, Lloyd. I really don’t mind at all! Especially when there’s been so much going on lately.”

“No, Colette, I’m really serious!” Lloyd leaned forward, taking her other hand in his. “I already have your birthday present!”

Now it was her turn to be speechless. The wind pushed aside her hair, the leaves of the Great Tree whispering all around her.

“Er, well, what I mean is… I made it ahead of time.” Lloyd threaded his fingers with hers, switching from looking at their hands and back to her face in intervals. “I really didn’t want you to not have a birthday present this year. Especially since…this is the first year that we’ve been…

Colette’s breath was caught when Lloyd took her hand in his—the hand that held the ring he had made for her. He touched that ring gently, biting his lip.

“So, I didn’t forget! Kind of, anyway. But, to give you your birthday present, I’m gonna need this for a second.”

Colette hadn’t expected it. She was still for a good solid moment until a distant bird call brought her back to reality. “Oh! But, how come?”

Through his flush, and the stray locks of hair she wanted to touch, he said, “Hey, trust me. I promise it’ll be good.”

She had no reason to deny that. And so, she held out her hand closer to him. He had been the one to first put it on her, after all.

Lloyd delicately slipped the ring from her finger. Even from their height, she knew he wouldn’t drop it. If it had been her, it could have slipped off her finger and fallen to the ground below, lost among the bushes. But instead, it stayed safe in Lloyd’s hold, looking small within his palm. The topaz that he embedded into the silver band glittered, along with the engraving of Sylvaranti letters alongside it.

She had read it so, so many times, yet it never failed to make her heart clench.

Lloyd was so adept with his hands, that his steadiness didn’t falter at all when he reached for a small box that he had within a hidden pocket in his jacket. It was several inches long, lengthwise, and made from oak that Lloyd must have carved himself. She remembered those few days when he had gone back to Dirk’s home a month ago. Was that when he had…?

He opened it, and inside it was a golden chain.

“Lloyd…” she whispered, watching eagerly as he picked it up. And with his deft fingers, he had opened the clasp to slide her ring onto that same chain.

“Hold on,” he said, seeing how she was about to speak. He grinned. “I’m not done yet.”

Using his teeth, Lloyd pulled at his right glove. The leather came off, and there, on his ring finger, was a golden band that matched hers, but with ruby for its jewel. The red matched his clothes, matched the blushes he would give when embarrassed, matched the passion she would feel from him in their kisses.

He took off that ring, slid it onto the same chain, and then shut the clasp. Both of their rings clinked against each other, the setting sun reflecting off the cut jewels, making them shine even more.

Lloyd offered the necklace to her. “Is it alright if I…?”

Colette didn’t hesitate this time. She nodded rapidly, then quickly turned around, lifting her hair so that no strands would get caught. Her wings were out, still, but they moved through him, her mana mixing with his. It sent soft warmth across her neck at the sensation.

She still wore the necklace he had first given her years ago; a birthday present given late, fashioned and re-fashioned numerous times, so that it could counter the once crystal sickness that had run rampant on her skin. The runes inscribed onto it had faded a bit with time, the golden surface of it scratched from so much use. After so long wearing it, Altessa had told them that any threat from her disease should no longer be a reality. She would not revert to her soulless state, especially now that she could better control her angelic artes and senses.

Yet, Colette still wore the necklace. Nothing else had been more precious.

But she trusted Lloyd when he unclasped that childhood necklace, to be replaced by the new one. She felt the rings bounce against her dress, the chain cool on her skin. Lloyd’s fingers, both gloved and ungloved, brushed her skin as he fixed the clasp.

“Dad helped me out with the chain,” Lloyd said. “He made sure it still had the runes on it, just in case.” She heard him clear his throat, caught the white patch of a wing near her side. “I know you were worried about losing your ring, so… I thought this would help! And necklaces are harder to miss…”

Colette turned back to him, finding that same red flush on his cheeks that she had always known. Her fingers reached to clutch at their wedding rings, both of them, and how close they were to her heart. “This is so… But, now that I have yours, too…”

“Heh, about that… I made another! See?” He went ahead and pulled off his other red glove, wiggling his fingers to show off a similarly-crafted ring, with the same design of the ruby and inscription on the band. “I thought it would be cool if I had two of them! And then when I thought of your necklace, I figured I could use one of them for it. But I still get to wear this one!

He cleared his throat again, as if just hearing how silly that all was when said out loud. “A-anyway, I really wanted it to be special. Oh, and,” he held out the carved box that the chain had been in, putting in the older necklace in its confines. “If you still want to keep this one or wear it again, it’s here. But… I really hope you like this new one I made.”

And with another shaky breath, his nervousness both endearing and wonderful, Lloyd told her, “Happy birthday.”

Maybe it was the way it was said in the setting sun, or maybe it was how his wings caught the light, reflecting so many colors just then. Was it the closeness of the Great Tree? The mana that existed all around them, but could be seen in their wings? She thought he had never looked so beautiful then.

Well, except once.

So it was this time that Colette rushed to him in a sudden hug, laughing happily, and kissing his lips when she could. “Thank you, Lloyd! I love you!”

And if they happened to have fallen off the branch and knocked aside some leaves before finding their balance in the air, that was okay too. She was sure Martel would forgive them.

--

.

.

.

When Colette and Lloyd got married, Dirk had helped fashion the groom’s clothes, for Lloyd could not just go to any regular tailor. His wings made it difficult just to wear most things, but his father was all too happy to make the clothes special for his son. For he could invoke all his love in every stitch, all his pride in the chosen fabric color.

Colette remembered how Lloyd’s wings that day were so grand, how their white color matched her own dress. She could barely pay attention to much else at all, to their friends, to their families, to anything else. Just Lloyd’s wonderful smile, and the way their hands linked together.

“Hey,” he had whispered to her once it was over. Her lips were still tingling from their kiss, just now catching her breath. “I love you.”

His wings seemed to catch colors then. Maybe it had been from the setting sun, for the feathers tinged with orange, or maybe it had been from her wings, for the feathers were painted violet. Yet, she thought there was more, an array of colors from cerulean to ruby, from silver to gold.

She reached out to touch them, whispering her love to him as she stroked those feathers, as she watched his wings curl around her. He's beautiful, she thought, melting in his hold.

For Colette had always loved every part of Lloyd.

[adrianfridge]

For the ask game:

Stackson and "74 people have died trying to find the magic teapot."?

The teapot in question is rumored to house a genie, and the total deaths are spread across the years and aren’t limited to a single location. However, lately there’s been talk on the black market gossip mill that the teapot has made its way to Beacon Hills. Both Stiles and Jackson have wishes they’d like fulfilled, and neither is ready to heed the warnings of the more sensible people in the pack. They strike a bargain to split their three wishes somehow (it’s a whole argument) if they work together. And they do, with a precision that catches them both off guard. These idiots almost die trying to get to their treasure, and, in the end, the magic in the magic teapot only grants perfect tea every time.

[diamondcrownacademy]

DCA Info Part 17: Futterwacken Dorm 🐰🫖🎩

Futterwacken (フッターワッケン寮, Futtāwakken Ryō) was founded on the Wonders (不思議) of the Curious Explorer and is inspired by the world of Alice in Wonderland. Students of this dorm excel in Magic History and follow the absurd rules of the Mad Hatter.

Dorm Founder: Alice

Known in-universe as the Curious Explorer (好奇の探検家).

Dorm Crest

The dorm crest features a frame with a pink outline and purple interior. The frame features a silhouette of the Mad Hatter's tea party. There is additionally a banner with the dorm's name on it. On top of the frame is a clock with a light yellow outline and Roman numerals and the interior of the clock features pink and purple stripes. On top of the clock is a rabbit head with it's inner ears being pink in color. On both sides of the picture frame are rose bushes with two red roses and one white rose. There are also flamingos on both sides with the left one being pink and the right one being blue.

Dorm Leader: Allison Liddel

Futterwacken's current dorm leader is Allison Liddel, a rebellious prankster with a love of exploring.

Dorm Fairy: Sui

Sui (スイ, Sui) is Futterwacken's dorm fairy and vice dorm leader. She is described as being good at entertaining. She pops out from everywhere, she only resides in one teapot but finding it is hard unless you're the dorm leader. The teapots in the dorm follow her command and would listen to her when the dorm leader isn't around. Sui loves to play pranks on people.

Her current appearance is based on Allison's childhood love for nursery rhymes and Sui's appearance is based on her personal favorite, The Walrus and the Carpenter. This nursery rhyme was the one that her mother always read to her and Maddison. Alison felt sorry for the little oysters so much as a child that she refused to eat when they were served at dinner. It was a funny memory for Allison.

Dorm Living Quarters

• The Futterwacken dorm living quarters is described as resembling a mansion with the exterior is decorated with singing flowers that greet students with a tune. They are often used as a pet project by the professors. The process of raising it is quite difficult though, it needs specific procedures and fertilizers if you want a certain musical piece.

• The most bizarre thing you could find in the dorm living quarters is the floating teapots. They have a design on the body that indicate which tea is in the pot. Nobody knows what makes them float but no one's going to find out anyway and the tea inside the pot is affected by the teapots emotions. If it feels anything negative, the tea will taste like swamp water. So the students of the dorm make sure to keep the pots at high spirits by polishing them and being polite.

• The building may look small on the outside but inside it has a staircase that leads downwards onto several rooms and doors. One could easily get lost if they don't memorize which door leads to their destination. The students use their own clocks or watches to tell time. The clocks in the Futterwacken dorm living quarters only ring at 3 o'clock and it's when the teapots start to float frantically.

• Instead of the Queen of Hearts rules, they follow the rules of the Mad Hatter. But this only applies to tea time and nothing else. However, the rules are so absurd that it looks like it was written by a madman.

Futterwacken Doors

The dorm has several doors that lead to random places all over Twisted Wonderland. Most doors have a unique design that can give away clues to the location it leads to, but then there are times that some doors would change positions in the building, depending on the time or day a certain door may change it's usual spot. Regarding, MG Genie's VIP parties that may be accessed through one of these doors is a mystery even to the Futterwacken students. The door to the VIP party is a golden door that has an Arabian design with a golden MG letters engraved on the door. The door has the color scheme of the Mad Hatter (Teal and Yellow) with a 10/6 quarters sign on the front. The doorknob is sentient and talks in riddles, the dorm leader and the dorm fairy know how to translate and answer the riddles asked by the doorknob. Most of them don't make sense but that's the point, it's all nonsense. Once the door has been unlocked it leads to a whimsical world of plants with curly leaves and teacups growing out of them and the scent of tea wafting in the air. The Hatter Pots are odd with unique colors and shapes, some have more than one spout, some have a square-shaped body.

Hatter Day

• In similar fashion to Heartslabyul with their "Unbirthday Party", Futterwacken also has its own party. It's called, Hatter Day (ハッター・デー).

• An extravagant yet unusual tea party held on Saturday on the first week of the month. Students have to wear hats they have to make themselves and wear wonderland themed clothing to match with their hats. Some of them sew the clothes on their own while others go to Glastanzerin to request a commission.

• They hold the party in from of the dorm, with an very long table in the garden. The singing flowers are placed as the centerpieces and the floating teapots come out and whistle to the tune.

• But the best part of Hatter Day is the "Great Teapot Hunt". Within the dorm's many doors, there is a unique door that only shows up on Hatter Day, it bears the mark of the Mad Hatter and has a talking doorknob. If one enters this door they are lead to a bright colored forest with teacups growing out of bushes and the scent of tea is everywhere.

• Students here would spot the wild teapots called, Hatter Pots (Allison jokingly refers to them as "Crackpots"). These teapots don't look normal, they have the oddest of shapes and colors and most importantly, they are very chaotic to catch. But the reason why they catch them is the tea contained within. It holds odd flavors but they are considered a golden opportunity to try the most bizarre tea flavors out there. The way these wild Hatter Pots don't work the same as the ones in the dorm. They open their lids and mimic the action of "consuming" tea leaves to make the tea. And they clean themselves in a nearby fountain that spouts soap water and is surrounded by dogs with brushes for faces and students are allowed to only catch ONE. And the reason why every student participates is because for some odd reason, the Hatter Pots serve tea to those who caught them only, they won't serve anyone else. • The Hatter Pots are only around for Hatter Day. When the tea party ends, they disappear in an explosion of glitter and fireworks while whistling an odd tune. They teleport back to their domain and go about their little teapot business.

• It's a much less organized yet eccentric event for the students. A contrast to the detailed and very organized unbirthday party at Heartslabyul.

Secrets

The reason why Futterwacken is a special dorm is because of the doors it has inside, it could lead to places in Twisted Wonderland, or perhaps ... A doorway to other dimensions such as the world the protagonist came from.

Why do the students of this dorm have keys instead of gem brooches? Maybe they are the ones who can navigate through these doors without getting stuck? Allison's unique magic has its limits. So she has her dorm keys to help her travel. Maybe that's why there's very few students in this dormitory.

Rules of the Mad Hatter

• No mustard! (No explanation, just no mustard!)

• In case of a Mad Watch please strike with mallet.

• One must always have Butter!

• Oysters must be kept away from the Walrus at all times!

• If one must tell stories, one must sing it.

• There's no order to sit but one must be careful which chair is hexed.

• If it's no one's birthday, one must bring an unbirthday gift!

• At the end of the tea party, there must be a cake that will fly up and explode into fireworks.

Etymology

The dorm's name derives from the word "Futterwacken", the name of the Tarrant Hightopp's favorite dance in Tim Burton's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, which was released in 2010.

[tundesweb]

TUNDE IMANN WRITING CHALLENGE DAY 4 🐉🤓

Prompt: Genies must return to their lamps once their masters make their third wish. Normally this is not an issue, but one genie and its master have struck an unlikely friendship that has lasted several years. Two wishes have already been used up, and a dire situation will force a choice to be made. (WP: from Goblin_Crotalus on Reddit)

In the land of Kanekalon, genies, fairies, werewolves, vampires, and dragons live in “harmony.” By harmony, I mean they decided to drop the beef after a 1000-year war. I kinda get it, you know? If I were practically immortal and you stole my gold, I’d hold a grudge for a millennia as well. Emin Romyln was a young (100-year-old) vampire from a city in Kanekalon called Rose Trench. He and his best friend, Mo Genie (every genie in Kanekalon’s last name is Genie and they all share a common ancestor, but we will expand on that another time).

Emin and Mo met when Emin was just 100 years old and finally reached maturation. To celebrate his birthday, Emin journeyed out of Rose Trench to…

On this journey, he met a merchant with an extensive collection of ancient goods from the time before peace in the lands. When he saw the gold “tea pot,” he was drawn to its energy and just knew it was meant to be his. The merchant educated him on the… and let him know that it wasn’t a teapot but actually an Al Lamp. Basically, a vessel that can contain a magical being that grants you three wishes.

Emin was overjoyed about his find, as he wanted to find herbs in distant lands that would help his bewitched mother back home. A “random” sickness fell over her, and she was slowly deteriorating. Nothing other than magic seemed to be the cause, and even the family’s most trusted high priestess, Sana, was stumped on how to reverse it.

Emin’s mother, Clarissa Ayla Romyln, was the most beautiful dragon in all of Rose Trench, some say in all of Kanekalon. When she married his father, Kiran Romlyn, beings from far and wide came to see their holy matrimony. Even though the beings live in peace, dragon blood was still sold on the black market to vampire elites. This marriage was a testament to a new era for Kanekalon. Many disapproved of the pair; dragons hated the idea of one of their own—a jewel in their community at that—being with a vampire, let alone a Romlyn. The Romlyn Crest, before revamped (see what I did there 🤓😏), was a symbol of death and fear to many beings, especially dragons.

Giving myself only 45 mins sucks because I really want to expound on this too. Like, the ideas that are coming to me are so good. I’m thinking Emin and Mo travel together; they become best friends from the journey, and I already have plot twists in mind. After Emin finds out Mo goes back in the bottle after 3 wishes, he refuses to use the third one. And that’s why Mo accompanies him on the journey to find Cato but also just things along the way that break the curse put on his mother.

Lore: Emin enjoyed watching Sana work; she was an ardent student, and books were always being delivered to the castle. Her master was none other than Cato Michiko, the oldest mage in Kanekalon. He spends his days in the mountainous region called Madina. He’s the type of man that isn’t found unless he wants to be, and Emin is the type that is relentless and accomplishes EVERY goal.

[ellasent]

Nadakhan having to spend the rest of eternity trying to get Clutch Powers to wish it all away as he just wishes for stupid things like a hot dog is such an insanely funny and fitting punishment on a similar level to the infinite death loop.

Like if he got the original Clutch he'd have a leg to stand on. He could do something involving original Clutch's missing dad or his friends that could easily get him to wish it all away, but Ninjago Clutch simply does not care. His lack of caring just makes him invincible to Nadakhan and allows him to constantly awake him from the Teapot of Tehran to ask who he calls Mr Genie to take him to the grocery store.

[atomicsuperrobot]

Yo guys check it out

Joker stimmy real??

(Also peep the Genie's Lamp that Hachi is using as a teapot; iirc that was the chapter right before this one? Not sure bc I took a bit of a break before picking this back up hh)

[violentplumbob]

Luis rubs the 'teapot' and magically a Genie pops out (I have Phaenor's category organiser so it's probably affected the Genie outfit). With the Aspirs in desperate need of money he uses his first wish on wealth.

With the money they decorate Pauline's room.

With it being the last day of summer the family decide to skip school/work and head to the local beach.

(I ended up taking loads of pictures. I really enjoyed the beach activities). Victor and Elizabeth ended up trying for a baby in the photo booth (Do they have no shame??) and she got pregnant.

Round 1 for the Aspirs ends here. For my first time playing them I had loads of fun :)

Next up are the Jocque's.

[jeeperso]

D&D Quotes Without Context

Ravenloft Edition, Fundertainment Land Arc part 2

Gunder: “Don't you know I'm dead inside?” Vesh: “Yes, that's the problem, we want you dead on the outside too.” Poom: "And all the other sides, too. Just to be safe.” Marshal: ”Management wants to make a show of my suffering. Of course we'd be going through their outdated knockoff Darklords.” Marshal: ”Count Strahdical (pronounced St-radical) was the leader here, back in the day.” Gorbash: “How insufferable was he compared to the real one?” Jonni: “Real one gave us goulash, so I’m guessing lots.” "Hunky Harkon, Adamazing, and... I always forget what the mummy was saddled with.” "They literally could not come up with anything dumber than Ankhtepot.” Marshal: ”By all rights, I should offer you all a chance to be in the union, but I served with each of you as Lord Soth-cool, and I know you all to be a bunch of knobs.” Strahdical points at you. "No. NO. IT IS YOU WHO IS THE KNOB!” "Time to cut the count up; 1, 1 blade strikes, 2, 2 blade strikes.” "You always thought you were SOOOO much better than us.” “I mean… he is…” "You never wanted to hang out with us and eat kids after hours.” Edmund is thinking. ”Hunktepot, Ankh I’m a little teapot, Ank the Poo…." GM OOC: You guys are basically getting your asses kicked by the Groovie Ghoulies. Azathoth: "Since when was this game a 90s Saturday cartoon?” Nyx: "Since about our first adventure where we dealt with a haunted house.” Strahdical: ”We call THAT the bite of 87. Fucking RECOGNIZE.” Nyarlathotep: "That you're a relic? O-kay.” Somewhere Vesh is suddenly filled with an urge to burn down an overpriced pizza parlor. OOC: No, that's what they want you to do. For the insurance money. "Gnarlytepot... Ankredibepot…." He stands there for a second. seemingly fine. "HA! YOUR PATHETIC ATTACKS ARE USELESS AGAINST ME!” Then his top half falls off. “SHIT!" It is just now that Poom arrives. "Sorry, I had to burn down the toilets to make them sanitary.........And you guys did fine without me.” “That’s great. I am bleeding very badly.” Poom: "So do we just set each one on fire till we find the mimics?” Jonni sighs. “Nyx, you’ve got the best hand eye coordination. Give it one shot before I become Death, destroyer of claw machines.” "I do NOT have a gambling habit!” “Is that why Strahd knows what you look like naked?” “You're right... YOU HAVE A GAMBLING PROBLEM!” Nyx: *rolls nat 20* Marshal: ”I did see that right? She just noclipped through the glass and grabbed the ticket?” Even though you are pretty sure the claw tries to deliberately drop it at some point, and when it drops it to your hand you swear the claw flips you off somehow. When the flash clears, where Marshal was standing now stands a four foot tall teddy bear in adorable armor. "Darn, if it is a curse it the weirdest curse I've ever seen. Into a statue or plant, sure. But a stuffed toy, never.” “You mean… other than last week when that happened to all of us?” "That felt more like genie magic, not a curse.” "Um what the fuck happened to Marshal?” "Revenge of the Claw Machine.” "I've only known Bitey for five seconds and if anything happened to them I would burn this world to cinders and piss on the remains.” Nyx carries Marshal teddy bear. Gorbash: “One or both of them are going to murder the rest of us in our sleep.” Poom: "That's why I sleep with both eyes open.” Vesh: ”Well I think I saw him reading a bellhop the riot act a little while ago.” Gorbash: “…The Fuck? I'm fairly sure I diced him into pieces…” Jonni: “Did he at least have robot parts?” Gorbash: “Wait... THAT MEANS I CAN KILL HIM ALL OVER AGAIN! There are positives to this situation.” ”SHAZAM!” fluffy marshal says, before with a thunderclap, flash of light and a cheap smoke bomb effect, he's returned to his proper form. Gorbash: “Could you do that this whole time?” Marshal: "I bore the price of my hubris, for as long as I tolerated it." Gorbash: “You forgot you could do it, didn't you.” Marshal: “…Yes.” Yog-sothoth: "Hey, Poom: we cheated and gave you Intellect Fortress. Get casting.” Poom: "So apparently now I can do Jonni's thing.” "Can I have a salad please? Thank you.” "Sure, you want Macaroni, Taco or Tuna?” “I could shit a better Turkey Leg. I should go back there and show them how to season huge chunks of meats.” "They always make these chairs sized for big people, I have to stand on it to see into the arena.” “I mean… you want the high chair or the kiddie stool? Those both seem bad options to me, but it’s your dignity.” Gorbash: “Marshal I think you've managed to piss off both of our old tormentors in one shot. Keep up the good work.” Jonni: “How bad could it be?……..It’s cool, I said it ironically.” Gorbash: “... Really?” "Good news. It doesn’t infect creatures... It eats the tadpoles. Bad news? It eats everything else too.” Gorbash: “It's a killing machine with mind powers. This is going to suck.” OOC: Behold my Champions levels of dice! Fear me! GM: The arena fills with scorched worm flesh, which smells slightly better than the turkey legs. OOC: Bad news… I can only do that once more. Good news, I did that from 60 feet away. Edmund murmured, clasping his holy symbol and bringing out a reliquary as it is filled with golden light and summons forth a figure garbed in blue. <"Peace be upon you, seekers of knowledge! I-- HOLY FUCK!”> Jonni: “I only understood those last two words, but it’s generally bad when the being of pure angelic knowledge thinks this shit is messed up.” "Incoming dragon steamroller!” Azathoth: "FINISH HIM!" Yog-sothoth: "Wrong part of the fight.” Poom puts her fingers to her head, a third eye opens up, and a wave motion beam comes out. Gunder sighs, and waves his hands, and several servers in peasents begin setting up a stand around the Neothelid and then begin carving it up to sell shanks on a stick for 10 GP a hock. Gorbash: “Damn it, now I have to waste 10 gold if I want a taste without licking the gore off my armor.” “You one a those angels can be a lady on command?” "I can be a lot of things.” "I am the angel TriVia, of where the three roads meet." Vesh comes up to Trivia "Welcome to the group. We just adopted you. No you don't get a say. Here's your introductory pamphlet.” Marshal wisely switches out Nyx's stein of Ruminating Jolt for something less likely to make her hyper. "Nooo, my Jolt! I haven't felt like I had this much energy since I was 5. Wheee!" Nyx goes running around with her arms out. Vesh takes it from you. "YOU DON'T NEED IT. YOU'RE ALL THE WOMAN YOU NEED TO BE.” Marshal: ”That, and I'm reasonably sure Danzi has it spiked with actual ruminating drugs.” “Okay, food is shit, entertainment tried to eat us. I say we cast sleep on Nyx and sleep this off.” So you guys all get as good a nights rest as you can (and consequently Gorebash spends half the night infllicting menacing attacks on the toilet). Poom (as she stare-sleeps from her armchair): "That's what you get for trying to buy all the neothelid.” GM OOC: Also does Gorebash have the beard yet? Gorbash OOC: Let me roll. Okay it's a 50/50 chance so 1 is beard 2 is no beard. *rolls a 1* Gorbash has become a beard dragon. OOC: I’m presuming that's a fryer, with what looks like bacon and potatoes in it? OOC2: I’m not sure, I think it’s the “American “ hot pot from a Japanese show. Hamburger and fries cooked in a pot of cola. OOC:…that hurts my brain, teeth and stomach all at the same time. OOC: Now I got the Winnie the Pooh song stuck in my head, imagining him wrapped up like a mummy… OOC2: I have the same problem every time I think about China.

[xvx-lucifer-is-a-cat]

Alrighty! @bonetrix-arts apologies for the long wait but here you are!

This is hplar son of chaos(hedes) and these are all the refs I could compile hopefully these help!

This is void a very mysterious proper demigod intombed aka trapped in an old Japanese teapot like a genie

villan tome babee

This is Dustin and his right hand minnon nine that is usually perched on Dustin's shoulder he's a little guy he's like three feet it's kind of like having a cat on it shoulder

This is Magnus an evil and also semi closeted lab leader who's one of the main villains and I love him he's a TV head with wires for a neck and plug in sockets for fingures

Stay tuned