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cornholio4 · 5 years ago

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Terms of En-Rampagement II

I honestly don’t like the fics subset of another character being the biological father of Marinette but I thought fo this idea on Twitter, thinking I may treated it as crack not to be taken seriously. There is some influence here from Supervillain Backstabber by quicksilversquared.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng always knew that her dad wasn't her biological father, but it didn't matter to her as Tom Dupain was the best dad that she could ever ask for. However when the subject of her biological father was brought up, her mother never had anything positive to say about him.

Sabine Cheng had only said that between her and Marinette's biological father was a fling when she and Tom had temporarily split up while dating. Just before they got back together and through her life Marinette never sees her mother as angry as she was whenever she was ranting about what happened between her and Marinette's biological father after their one night fling. Marinette could never get the full details but she was sure she didn't want to get the full details since they involved her father turning out to be a complete jerk (the nicest way that Sabine had put it), Sabine being knocked out after an accident and waking up to almost being buried alive!

Marinette could never blame her mother for not wanting to bring him back, especially after hearing that detail.

Plus her mother would really be tense whenever she apparently reminded her of him, if she lost track of a joke she was going to make and muttered "wait, I had something for this..." Whenever there was Top Gun airing on the TV and when she started getting into the song Highway to the Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins after Nino played it for one of his parties.

She admitted that at night she would overhear rants Sabine would give to Tom whenever someone asked about Marinette's biological father (mostly by Tom's mother and Marinette's grandmother Gina) she managed to get the name 'Sterling Archer'.

Any desire for details about her biological father had been left aside as she had bigger problems, like having to stop Hawk Moth's Akumas as Ladybug and balancing her Superhero life with her normal one.

One night after taking care of an Akuma she found masked people tailoring them and managed to take them down when they found her going to her home. She had then tied up with her yoyo and interrogated them. It turned out they were CIA agents from the US, sent in undercover to try and retrieve the source of the French Superhero powers for the US government. She shook her head as the two agents were embarrassed about being defeated by a teenage girl. She made them promise to not to come back and keep any secrets they found out secret plus to tell their superiors to never try that again or else she will make it known that the CIA were here in France.

What an international incident that would become.

The man grunted and the woman was being embarrassed about backing down to threats from a teenage superhero. Marinette warned them to make themselves scarce before anyone comes out especially since her family the Dupain-Chengs owned this bakery. Then the man called Archer by the woman grunted about knowing a woman with the surname Cheng 14 years ago when he had an assignment there, what they had between them one night and the woman Lana shouted at him not to say this in front of the girl.

Marinette was shocked and open mouthed at this and did not move as she was transformed back into civilian with Tikki next to her, the two agents jumping at the floating red and black spotted bug but otherwise concerned about what was wrong with Marinette. "My name is Marinette and my Mum knew a Sterling Archer..." Marinette told them with Archer's mouth open in shock and Lana shaking her head as they had obviously realised where this was going.

"I think I'm your daughter." Marinette told them and Archer was open mouthed. Marinette told them by as she transformed again to sneak into her room but before the agents left Lana gave Marinette an email if she wants to contact them.

She mostly went back to normal but the thought of having a way to contact her biological father made her wonder and deciding wanting to know about him was what she wanted to do. She would keep this from her parents especially since she didn't know how her mother would react as well as having to explain how she came across them in the first place.

She contacted Archer by emails and as it turned out he was a tough secret agent which she thought was cool (though apparently terrible at most parts of his job, especially the 'secret' part) and currently she was working under the remnants of the spy agency run by his mother Mallory (from the descriptions even her grandfather Roland would find Mallory unpleasant) and was now part of the CIA under the supervision of Agent Slater. They were not pleased that the mission was a failure and was thwarted by a teenager.

Archer told her about his adventures and Marinette thought that she was sure that most had to be made up or embellished. Plus he did sound kind of unpleasant but it felt nice getting to know her biological father (like trying to say that he helped cover up the death of the Prime Minister of Italy?). He told her about how the agency his mother set up was never actually sanctioned by the US Government so they had to spend a year as a cartel (which apparently they were even worse at than even spying) before joining up with the CIA.

Plus she was told about her half-sister Abbiejean along with a photo sent to her, she was already thinking if she can meet up when they were older then she can make some designs for her.

She talked about her friends, helping out with designing for celebrities like Jagged Stone and a band featuring her classmates called Kitty Section. Plus with help from advice that he had gotten Lana (apparently he knew that any love advice that he would come up for her would be terrible) she managed to ask out her friend Juleka's brother Luka (who she had wanted to try pursuing after given up on her crush on Adrien) and they were now dating.

She didn't know why she decided to go as far as she did but she admitted problems with bullying from classmates; her lifelong bully Chloe Bourgeois who she trusted as a Superhero ally and seemed like she was trying to be nicer only to decide that she preferred being selfish and that the idea of not being Queen Bee anymore being worth joining with Hawk Moth. Then there was Lila Rossi who had her classmates enthralled with ridiculous lies that were easily disproven and made her out to be jealous for pointing them out.

Then she got the response saying that Lana would kill him if she knew what he was going to suggest to her. She was told about how he was a breast cancer survivor before it went into remission (freaking her out and causing her to send messages making sure he was alright) and how he was sold phony cancer drugs and made a home movie of his revenge rampage against those responsible.

He suggested that she made a sequel.

Against all common sense and advice from Tikki, she thought she would try it, using cameras she got footage of both Lila and Chloe jumping to catch Akumas with audio of them taking the deals. Especially with Lila being excited about taking down Ladybug and Chat Noir and Chloe making Hawk Moth promise they can retrieve her Bee Miraculous. She would go down and fight the Akumas along with Chat Noir.

Once she had enough evidence, she contacted Max, Nino and Alya wanting their help with them jumping for chance.

She had Nino filming with his camera and Alya filming love for the Ladyblog as came into their hiding location were two smug looking Chloe and Lila who looked confused when they noticed and recognised eachother. She had gave them separate messages in person with her lying to Chloe about wanting to negotiate giving her back the Bee Miraculous this time full time and Lila about wanting to make peace with her about before and giving her the Fox Miraculous.

They were both put into the cage traps that Marinette set up for them as she as Ladybug greeted the cameras "Hello Paris, I hope that you can join me today as this will be the day that Hawk Moth will be defeated for good and we will start with his two civilian accomplices!"

She then had both cameras playing the footage collected with her two friends shocked and stunned by what she had done. Lila snapped and shouted "you stupid false Superhero! I can't believe that i wasted my time convincing people that we were best friends, you were too much of a goody good and I wish that Hawk Moth beat you on Heroes Day! To use Volpina to play everyone for saps!"

"You lied to me! You told me that I was your best partner... this is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Chloe ranted as Marinette made sure to include the news footage of her not even bothering to deny that she purposefully set a train to fail on her Superhero debut.

"Marinette was right all along, if only she knew how bad Lila really was..." Alya was close to crying as Nino comforted her. Marinette told them that they needed to bring Hawk Moth down at his lair.

She had a plan for it too, Archer had told her about how Cyril got a Pirate Virus stuck into the agency's computers in a stupid attempt to solve it and redeem his reputation as a loser. She asked if he had a copy of the virus to send to her.

At the Agreste Mansion she had them sneak to the side as she had Max use Markov to hack into the computer systems at the top and insert the Virus. There was Chat Noir appearing asking what they were doing when they heard missiles going off at the top. The two Heroes (along with Markov who had a camera to record live for the Ladyblog) at the top as in the lair up there was Hawk Moth and Mayura trying to fight the out of control missiles and lair. They were unprepared for the Heroes taking them down and taking the Miraculous away reveal Gabriel Agreste (seems that the Collector was a trick) and Nathalie Sancoeur much to Adrien Agreste's shock.

The police came after seeing the Ladybug feed and the sound of the missiles and were there to arrest Gabriel and Nathalie. Ladybug went to the camera and shouted "Booyakasha!"

Chloe and Lila were taken in to be investigated as well due to the footage as well as look into what they had been doing at Francois Dupont. Marinette's class were in hysterics to hear that Lila's mother had denied pretty much every story and trip that Lila had told her and so her claims of disabilities plus trips were being investigated. Also were Chloe's bullying going on at the school and this was causing trouble for her father the Mayor. The school was closed for the foreseeable future.

The classmates were contacting Adrien to make sure he was alright after finding out his father was Hawk Moth.

Marinette had the filmed footage made into a movie called Terms of En-Rampagement II and now as Ladybug she had Chat Noir, all the Kwamis besides (Tikki & Plagg) and all their former temporary Miraculous allies (besides Chloe of course) come by at a screen in a remote location every Friday to watch it since then. That was months ago it started.

Ladybug had the ending rewinded and everyone assembled simultaneously and unenthusiastically shouted "Booyakasha!" along with Ladybug in the footage. "My Lady, when can we stop as I didn't think I would get sick of watching Hawk Moth's downfall when it happens but after all this time, I have gotten sick of watching it!" Chat Noir complained with everyone else there in agreement.

"I worked so hard to make Terms of En-Rampagement II so we are going to watch it and celebrate the downfall of Paris' Supervillain." Marinette told them firmly with her arms crossed.

"Please Ladybug, I have a girlfriend and I had been wanting to have a Friday night date with her for the longest time and you making us watch this has dampened this song I want to sing." Pleaded Luka as Marinette was tempted but remained firm.

"Seriously, we should get Marinette over here. She is a brilliant friend and I think she would be a great positive influence for you." Kagami spoke up with mutterings of agreement from the others. Marinette was silent as the Kwamis watched wanting to see how Marinette spoke her way out of this.

"Yes My Lady, bring in Marinette. Why haven't you brought her in before anyway, she was Multimouse." Chat Noir spoke up causing questions about that and Marinette was silent.

There was another camera there sending the feed back to the office where Sterling Archer, Lana Kane and their co-workers were watching having been informed that one of Archer's illegimate daughters was the French Superheroine they failed to capture the power source of. Archer was beaming with fatherly pride as Mallory muttered "as if the first movie wasn't bad enough..."

#ml salt #ml salt fic #ml salt oneshot #miraculous ladybug #luka x marinette #lukanette #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #archer #sterling archer #bio dad au #oneshot #also on ao3 #also on fanfiction.net #also on fanfiction #also on fanfiction and ao3 #also on ao3 and fanfiction #chloe salt #lila salt #ml oneshot

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arolla-pine · 4 years ago

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I, Marinette - p.4

(4) – The questioning

Surprisingly, I survived the art classes without ruining Marinette’s reputation. It was like a body’s memory – my hands did their job with no need to use my brain. Of course, I knew some basics of sewing or knitting, but I was a complete amateur when it comes to designing. Luckily, Marinette had started a new project last time, so all I had to do was continue.

While I was sewing I could try to analyse my current situation. Those lucky coincidences were a bit weird. Was it possible that Ladybug’s Miraculous could influence the reality and protect me from a total disaster? Or was it only ‘a beginner’s luck’?

Although I didn’t figure out why I avoided being compromised, an hour of the art classes was a nice relax after morning sensations. Actually, I had an earthquake one after another, so this calm time was a nice break from them.

After a school bell I left the school immediately and ran back home. I needed to start investigating why I’d appeared in the Miraculous universe.

I entered the apartment like a hurricane and that surprised Sabine.

“I have to read a book for the afternoon classes, mom!” I explained quickly.

“You don’t have much time, darling…” She commented. “I’ll call you when lunch is ready!” She added, but I was already on the stairs, so I ignored her words.

I closed the trapdoor and sighed with relief. I was finally safe. Or not… Five seconds later I knew I was in troubles.

A red kwami flew out of my purse and stopped just in front of my face.

“Hands up!” Tikki glared at me. “Who are you and how did you get here?!”

I could expect that kwami would find out that I wasn’t real Marinette. But I didn’t expect that Tikki would assume the offensive instantly.

“I’ll answer your first question right away, but bear in mind that it can be a shock for you. When it comes to your second question I don’t have answers but I need to find them soon… Sooner than later, I’d say… Maybe Master Fu could help?”

“Master Fu left. He gave up the Miracle Box. He doesn’t remember anything…”

Holy crap! That meant we were just after the Season 3 finale…

“Don’t tell me I’m the Great Guardian of the Miraculouses…” I groaned. Anything else?!

“You are. Marinette… What happened? Why don’t you remember anything? Why do you act so different?”

“Because I’m not Marinette. My name is Lena Klimka and I live in Poland. I’m adult, I have a family… I don’t know why I’m here… And I have no idea how to go back…”

Tikki watched me carefully for a while, like she was checking my truthfulness. Then she began flying around me, that looked like a weird dance, buzzling as if she was filled with sparkled water. I felt like I was examined with a lie detector – in a Miraculous edition.

“Maybe it’s Hawkmoth’s trick?” Tikki asked when she’d finished her dance. Apparently I passed the truthfulness exam.

“I don’t think he’s so powerful.” I replied, shrugging, and then I added: “Unless he akumatised someone and gave them a power of transferring souls between bodies…”

“That’s quite plausible. He has already given many strange superpowers.”

“No, it’s not.” I denied. “That was a wild guess. Because… it doesn’t make sense. Why me? Why someone chose me to be exchanged with Marinette?”

Tikki looked at me thoughtful.

“Is there anyone who could want you to be in troubles?”

“Even if, I’m not aware of that. Besides, that should be someone from here. We’ve already known that Hawkmoth doesn’t have powers from afar.”

“How do you know that?” Kwami asked.

‘From the Startrain episode…’ I was about to say, but I held my tongue.

“He couldn’t control the akuma when Marinette’s class was in the space…” I said instead.

“How do you know that?!” Tikki repeated in an alarmed tone.

“I’ve seen…” I mumbled.

“Where?”

“Oh, Tikki… This might sound a bit unreal, but it is the same for me. ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ is a TV series. Fans from all over the world watch Marinette and Adrien’s adventures and wait for the moment when they’ll finally learn about each other. They ship them… I know Cat Noir’s identity. I know who Hawkmoth is…”

“Who is Hawkmoth?!” Kwami asked immediately, ignoring my previous news.

Gabriel Agreste. That was on the tip of my tongue. However, I couldn’t speak because of a sudden knot in my throat.

“Well?” Tikki insisted.

“I’m trying to say that but somehow I can’t. Maybe I’ll write it down…” I suggested, taking a piece of paper. All four pencils broke and pens didn’t work. “What’s happening?!” I muttered irritated.

“Magic.” Kwami explained immediately. “Same as the spell that doesn’t let us share our holders’ names.”

“I know.” I nodded and added under my breath. “Although I had a theory that it was only to delay the reveal of identities…”

“It’s so weird to talk with you like that, Marinette… You know, like I was talking with Master Fu, not with you…”

“Because you’re not talking with Marinette. And believe me, it’s much more irrational for me. Like a million times more…”

“So you can’t tell me anything?” Tikki came back to the subject.

“It looks like I get a knot in my throat every time I try to tell you something that would lead you to Hawkmoth. I could help. I could tell you that you’re really close to find out who he is. Lila helps him…” I added and stopped surprised that I could say that. “Oh, it’s not always that knot…” I commented staring at my kwami.

“Let’s check what you can say.” Tikki proposed.

“Cat Noir is… Thomas.”

“What a Thomas?” Kwami laughed.

“Not Thomas!” I snorted. “I know it’s A… Thomas.”

“You keep saying that…”

“Damn you, ‘no-spoiler-man’!” I exclaimed irritated. “Thomas Astruc, I believe…”

“That director?”

“Exactly. Every time I try tell you something I have his name instead of a knot.”

“Magic.” Tikki repeated, nodding as if my symptoms were something normal. “What else can you tell me?”

“Mayura is… Thomas. Damn! I know what happened to Adrien’s mum. I know what would happen if Ladybug revealed her identity to Adrien… I know that… Thomas… Urgh!” I groaned because that was all I could say.

“You know quite a lot and don’t know why you’re here?”

“Not a clue.”

“If that’s an akuma behind this, you will have to find it, capture and purify. Then you must repair all damage.”

“With ‘Miraculous Ladybug’, I know.” I muttered. “If I manage…”

“You need to learn quickly.”

“I know the theory, but I have no idea how it works in practice…”

I started walking around the bedroom. It usually helped with thinking. Kwami observed me and waited.

“I could trust Ladybug’s instinct.” I discovered. “When Ladybug and Cat Noir lost their memories by Oblivio, they managed to defeat him anyway. Their instinct was stronger than the memory. Maybe it’ll work this time as well…”

“You’ve seen that too?!”

“Oh, it’s my favourite episode ever!” I admitted.

“Uh! Episode! I still can’t believe we’re in some TV series!” Tikki exclaimed outraged.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me and I looked at her in horror.

“Oh, my God…”

“What?”

“If Marinette woke up this morning at my home, she’ll be exposed to some information… If she survived the first shock…” I muttered.

“What do you mean?”

“I have plenty of books about Miraculous, including a written version of some episodes. Marinette will learn about Cat Noir’s identity. She’ll learn about Hawkmoth’s identity! If my daughter shows her some episodes on TV, Marinette will see everything! That may have significant consequences for your world! Like a butterfly effect. Or rather an akuma effect…”

“Maybe Marinette is protected by the same magic as you are here?”

“Do you think that this magic can work from afar?” I asked doubtful.

“This magic doesn’t have limits. If Marinette appeared in Poland because of an akuma, she’s bound by the Magic of the Miraculous. The question is: who the supervillain is and why they chose you.”

“I have no idea why me… I’m just a writer. I write short stories. Actually, I’m quite anonymous. I’m sure that nobody in France even knows me!”

“You write? What do you write?” Tikki was curious.

“Fanfiction.”

“What’s that?”

“Stories written by fans for fans. It happened that I fell in love with the Miraculous universe and I’ve already written some fanfics about Marinette and Adrien. You know, some theories how they could reveal their identities or how they defeated Hawkmoth… Sometimes I fixed the plot if I was disappointed with the actual episode…”

“You fixed?”

“I wrote an alternative plot development…”

My voice fainted. I remembered a popular sitcom, where one of characters was a soap opera star. In an interview he said that sometimes he improved his lines written by screenwriters. In consequence, he was killed in the next episode.

What were the chances that I was a victim of a similar intrigue?

What were the chances that Thomas Astruc had read one of my stories and he took revenge on me by setting me in the middle of the world created by him?

---

I, Marinette - p.3 <- Previous part | Next part -> I, Marinette - p.5

Read the story from the beginning

#miraculous ladybug #fanfiction #fanfic #I Marinette #Tikki #Lena Klimka #season 3 spoilers #season 3 finale #after season 3

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gabby-welch · 5 years ago

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lovers in quarantine // nick + gabby

One of the last things Gabrielle would’ve ever anticipated was to be in quarantine. Nothing had ever required her to really forcibly stay in one place for a long time. Except for that one time there was a torrential storm and she had to stay in a NYC library for a few hours, but that was nothing in comparison to this situation. At least it hadn’t been challenging for her to find something to do in the library. Or… someone, rather. Ha. And that someone just so happened to now be her husband. Astonishing how life works, huh? Gabby was grateful to be isolated with Nick. If it’d been anyone else (besides maybe her best friend), she’d probably lose her mind and wind up pulling her hair out after a couple of days. She couldn’t possibly imagine being quarantined with her siblings or her parents–regardless of the love she has for them. There are only certain people that can be dealt with for a long period of time. And well, she was already used to Nick, they saw each other on a day-to-day basis and lived together. Sure, there were those few things that grinded her gears every now and then, but she could confidently call him her favorite person in the world.

Gabrielle’s past battle with cancer had put her in a tough place. She was immunocompromised. It’s not something she liked talking about regularly, not even with Nick. That was her past, not her future, but the fact of the matter is that she had to be a little more vigilant than many. Her immune system was shot and catching anything could put her in danger. So, because of that, the pair fled from their home in Brooklyn to a less busy area in New York–Nick’s family cabin. Gabby had never been there before, but there was a first time for everything, and she was excited to see what the hype was all about. At first, Gabby didn’t think it was all too crucial to relocate, because it wouldn’t have been so hard to self-quarantine in their home, but Nick’s suggestion sounded inviting, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Perhaps the married couple could use this time to their advantage.

With all the commotion going on in the world, it was hard to tell when anyone would feel any sense of normalcy again. It was challenging for them both; Gabby having to close her cafe and Nick having to transition to online teaching only, with a few months left in the school year. It was a big adjustment, but it was attainable. This would give Gabby the opportunity to work on some writing, and maybe focus on some self-improvement simultaneously. Monetarily, she wasn’t concerned. Business had been thriving at the cafe before having to temporarily shut down, and Nick was wealthy. It’s not that she relied on Nick financially, and she never did for as long as she’s known him, seeing as how it was never something she focused on–however, they tended to have joint finances, and money never felt like an issue.

It’d been about three weeks since they’d formally started their quarantine adventure. This cabin was starting to feel like a third home (their home being #1, her cafe #2). It was beautiful, spacious, and cozy, which she considered idyllic. Though the two spent a lot of time together, they also spent some time on opposite sides of the same room or even in separate rooms in the cabin. Gabrielle very much so enjoyed seeing Nicholas in his element, speaking so fluently about history. He was so well-informed… and that was unquestionably sexy. Sometimes she’d sit on the couch and make faces at him whilst he was on Zoom, having to hold back her giggles so his students wouldn’t hear her. She couldn’t help herself; it was just the goofiness in her.

On a few occasions thus far, Gabby had thought that Nick’s knowledge and passion for his subject was tremendously hot, and when he was free from his teaching responsibilities, she’d have to take him all for herself and pull him away from his laptop for a little something… sometimes even midday. They had a very… healthy sex life. Now, even more so, since they had quite a bit more time with one another than they did before. On the couch, on the floor, in the kitchen, in the laundry room–needless to say, they always had a good time expanding their horizons.

“Babe,” Gabby cooed to her husband, a grin on her face upon hearing Nick end his Zoom session. “What would you like for dinner?” She said, glancing up from her laptop, which she then placed aside, on the arm of the couch. “Spicy basil chicken with rice and veggies, or homemade buffalo chicken pizza?” For a cafe owner and someone who adored cooking, these may not have sounded super extravagant, but her unique touch in the kitchen would greatly enhance these recipes. // @nicholasthompson

#nicholas thompson x gabrielle welch #❝you are all i want❞#cancer tw

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genelmag · 5 years ago

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10 Black Witches in TV and Film Who Put a Spell on Us

For way too long Black witches in film and television were relegated to sidekicks or very bad voodoo priestess stereotypes with over the top accents—witches that the main protagonists meet in passing on their journey. More often than not, Black witches in television and film have been subjected to very bad writing. As filmmaker and witch, Monika Estrella Negra said, it’s a “misuse of the erotic and demonization of [African diaspora] spiritual practice”.

Luckily, we are getting to see more and better representation of Black witches. From big budget shows like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and American Horror Story to independent shows, films, and web series like Juju Web Series, Black witches are beginning to feel seen.

Still, in a sea of thousands of White witches in film and television, we literally have but a mere handful of Black witches, warlocks, and brujas that present worthy representation. So, on our first day of Black History Month in 2020, here are some of our favorite Black witches gracing us with their magical presence.

Tati Gabrielle kills it as Prudence Blackwood. Prudence is the illigetimate daughter of Faustus Blackwood leads The Weird Sisters as they attend The Academy of Unseen Arts to learn and improve their magical powers.

In the beginning of Season 1, it seemed as if writers were portraying Prudence as, what Teen Vogue’s Taylor Crumpton said, “the angry Black woman who attacks the misunderstood, small, blonde, white girl”—a trope we see far too often. Luckily, this wasn’t the case as the show progressed.

Even so, Prudence devoted her life to the Church of Night and, though it’s not mentioned, it’s inferred that she was the best at the Academy.

In truth, Prudence is one of the best things about Sabrina. Her power is expressed in everything she does, from her flawless makeup, killer wardrobe, and finger waves for days!

One of the biggest icons of the 1990s was Rachel True’s performance as one of the lead witches in cult classic The Craft. She was the bubbly best friend that you just fell in love with.

While most films of 90s portrayed Black witches as voodoo priestesses doing root work, Rochelle practiced a more European, neopagan form of ritualism.

Yusuf Gatewood plays one of the most powerful witches in New Orleans in the hit show The Originals, Vincent Griffith. Vincent does what he can to keep the peace in a city run by vampires and owned by the original vampires, The Michelson family.

Because of his power and his relationship with the Michelson family and with werewolves, he became regent to the nine covens of New Orleans. But, like any normal person would in his situation, he grew tired of the supernatural community and all the pain and death it came with.

Intelligent, charismatic, positively devilish—that’s Ambrose Spellman, played by Chance Perdomo.

From the very first time he comes on screen, you can’t help but fall in love with the Spellman cousin, Ambrose, who has been on house arrest at the mortuary for 75 years.

That’s right, he’s more than 75 years old, but we don’t know his exact age. All we know is that the famous alchemist Alester Crowley was his father figure and mentor and that somehow led to Ambrose being a part of a plot to blow up the Vatican.

Though he has something witty to say for every situation, he also usually has a solution—or knows just where to find it.

Kat Graham brilliantly played the most powerful witch in Mystic Falls. Bonnie started off as that lovable best friend who thought she had a little bit of psychic in her because Grams always told her she had witches in her ancestry.

Season after season we watched Bonnie’s powers grow as she repeatedly sacrificed herself for her friends and their boyfriends. Meanwhile, it took 7 seasons to give Bonnie a love interest who was actually worthy of her. But, of course, it didn’t last long.

Juju is a brand spanking new YouTube web series about best friends who discover they are witches is the story about Black witches we’ve been waiting for.

Juju takes place in New York City and follows the lives of three best friends with Caribbean and Bayou ancestry.

Jhé "Moon" Ferguson, the creator of Juju said she wanted to create a world of Black supernaturals.

I’ll be honest, I had no interest in American Horror Story until I learned Marie Laveau would be in Coven. Even better, she would be portrayed by the goddess herself, Angela Bassett.

Marie Laveau is a power, immortal Voodoo Queen who runs a salon called Cornrow City. The strength of her power is on par with The Supreme.

Billie Porter can do no wrong. Porter masterfully plays Behold, one of the head instructors of warlocks at the Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men.

He’s a leader and a protector, doing what he must to bring better representation on the Witches’ Council. He’s snarky, sarcastic, and adds an animated, flashy element when he uses his telekinesis.

What stands out for me with Behold is that he’s noble, valiant, and not a zealot as we see in many witches and warlocks tend to be in film and television. He’s sensible. He doesn’t jump to conclusions; he investigates his gut feelings.

Fringilla is a baaaaad witch. Played by the talented Mimi Ndiweni, Fringilla is a Nilfgardian sorceress and adviser.

I’ve only read the first two books of The Witcher series and I’ve only ever watched others play the game, even though I have the games in my library.

That said, even though Fringilla Vigo turns out to be villainous, she’s extremely powerful and cunning.

Though this show is a bit problematic, there is no doubt that black girl magic is real when you watch Carmen escape slavery through a time spell and land in modern Columbia.

She quickly adapts to modern life and technology, making friends, going to school, and casting spells to try to help where she can.

Quite honestly, there is much to be desired in Always a Witch, but it is worth taking a gander to see where and how we can do better in portraying our stories while avoiding certain tropes and stereotypes.

A special shout out to Dean Thomas from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the Witches of Eve’s Bayou. Wanting more and better representation of Black witches doesn’t mean we don’t have our favorite mainstream witchy films. From Witches of Eastwick and Practical Magic to Charmed, we’re here for it.

Like us on Facebook and tell us which Black witches we may have missed or what shows and films about witches we should check out.

#black witches #lists

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amnachil · 5 years ago

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The College Society Chapter 3 Part 4

Right on time ? Idk anymore

Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey Thursday January 31

It smelled really appetizing. He had almost finished this pie, and he already knew it was a fuckin' success. I think I did my best pie ever. I'm so fuckin' good. The thought of Liam eating it made him both horny and blush timidly in the same time. Damnit. Why it's like this ? Normally, he would just have a boner when he was thinking about his prey. But with Liam... Sometimes, he didn't feel aroused but the dull need to be with him. The need to be with him, it's must be a joke. My bloody body is mocking me.

"What are you doing here ?" asked his great father, surprised. "It's uncommon to see at this hour."

"I'm baking." he answered.

"For what special occasion ? I thought you disliked to cook in the afternoon and especially for nothing."

Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey blushed again. Damn brain, damn body. Both traitors. He lowered his head to hide this shameful red on his cheeks.

"I wanted to. Don't worry, I'll find someone who'll eat it."

He pictured Liam's smile. Stop. Thinking. About. Liam. Since they had officially decided to be a couple, the junior was encountering this problem. Sometimes, he was his normal self, and fucked people. A secretary, a whore from an idiotic book club and some others. But sometimes, especially when he was with Liam, it was different. His mind wasn't thinking clearly. It was weird and a nuisance. But a part of me is liking it. I mean why the fuck I would like being with him ? I can't even bang him ! He watched the clock. Almost time. Liam had texted him everyday, and they decided to have a date tonight. He said he had several important things to ask. Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey had respected the conditions so far. He even stopped in the middle of a coitus with Gabriel to answer a text. Gabriel for god's sake, one of the best sucker he had ever met !

"I need to go grandpa." he said.

He took his pie and left, almost running. Stop it you stupid body. Don't be so excited to see him, it's pathetic. Pitiful.

Despite how much he tried to calm down, he felt totally enthousiastic when he joined Liam. They agreed to make a walk at the park. I fucked in every corner of this damned park. Every bench, every child's playground... But tonight, he didn't expect to have sex. Worst, he didn't want to. He was just happy to share a moment with the baboon. That's not normal.

"You bought a pie." noted Liam. "It smell nice."

"Don't touch it yet you foodie." he ordered. "Only after we did the stroll."

What the hell I'm saying ? He took his boyfriend hand and started to walk. For a moment, they stayed quiet. Liam started to look at the sky full of stars. Dreamin' again. So pitiable. Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey thought that, but in the same time he couldn't held but stare at the freshman's face. He looks so peaceful. He's so cute. Hell. Stop thinking.

"So... Maybe we should say some stuff to each other." suggested suddenly Liam.

"Like what ?"

"Uhm... Things to get to know each other ? My birthday is on May 18th, I'll be 19 years old. I'm 183 cm (6'0") and weight 76 kg (168 lbs). Well, I think it'll increase if you continue to feed me. I have two siblings, one sister Chloe and one brother Luka. Both younger than me. Otherwise I don't really want to talk about my family... Your turn."

That's... Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey remainded silent for a bit. A part of him wanted to ran away. So much frivolity, so much ingenuousness. It make him want to puke. But it's so adorable.

"My birthday is on July 1st, I'll be 21 years old." he said against his own will. "I do have one older sister Naomi Alexandra, already married and with a baby. I don't want to talk about my folks. I'm 178 cm (5'10") and I... Am I supposed to give all these data ? It's weird."

"Sorry." laughed Liam. "It worked like this in my old highschool. They were always checking our height and weight."

This. Laugh. It made the blond lad blush like a kid. He was sweating with stress. It's not supposed to happen. I'm a hunter. A fucking hunter.

"Your text said you wanted to ask something." he recalled in hope to change the subject. "What was it ?"

"Yeah, I have many question in fact." confessed Liam. "But we can talk about most later. For now, I have one priority. I think Theo will ate my roommate Nick. Do you think there is a way to prevent this ?"

He asked so genuinely. He just spoke about canibalism. He's insane. So why I'm melting for it ? Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey was definitely going through someting weird.

"I'll see what I can do." he promised.

They sat on a bench. They were only a few people around. It was a bit cold, and for a dreadful moment, the Dean's grandson wished to put his head on Liam's shoulder and embrace him softly. Thanks god, this urge disappeared as fast as it came. Slowly, he took a slice of pie and gave it to his boyfriend. This one ate it happily.

"Damn, you outdid yourself Dami." he congratulated. "I thought you couldn't be better, I was wrong. How long was the preparation ?"

Four fuckin' hours. I skipped one class and two sex meeting do bake this. Fuck you.

"Not that much." Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey just lied. "I hope you'll eat the whole thing."

"Of course I'll. I told you, all your pastries are mine. I want them."

He didn't know why, but the blond lad really felt pleased when he heard those words.

Liam Saturday February 2

Theo's family lived in a impressive penthouse in town. When Liam arrived, he felt poor. Well in truth, his father was a millionaire, but he didn't count that. (It probably was dirty money anyway).

"Let's meet my dad." smiled Theo. "You'll see, he's nice."

There were two things wrong about the whole situation. First, Liam was about to go in the ogre's den. Not good at all. (But Liam the 8yo always dreamed about adventure so... It was time to be brave). Second, when he had texted Dami about this, his boyfriend replied, word for word :

< Dami : Fuckrnthisnjtassholenvirdonhq'tnigo. >

(It probably was a code). (For what Liam understood, it meant something like "be prudent, I miss you"). (Maybe Dami was having some... business while he answered, but it was better to think it was a code) (And to be honest, Dami was always sending weird text).

"Dad, this is Liam Strucker. Well, you already know him."

The freshman went back to reality when he faced his father's lawyer, Mr. Meyers. He was a creepy old man, maybe as brawny as his son's. Another ogre... Damnit.

"Nice to you meet you again young man." he said with his deep, serious voice. "Theo told me you wanna intercede for your mother Rachel ?"

"Yeah..."

Liam didn't really come with a plan. He didn't know why he agreed for this in the first place. Be alone with two ogres wasn't good at all. (Don't worry, he had put his magical shoes. If needed, he could fly thanks to unicorn's power). (Maybe, at this point, some people would think Liam was completely insane and under influence. To those people, no he wasn't. His imagination just got the best of him).

"Isaac wants an alimony of at least 2000$ per month." explained Mr. Meyers.

"It's more than my mother salary !" rebelled Liam. "How could he be so greedy after everything he already won ?!"

"I'm not asking him as long as I get paid."

"Dad, be nice." interrupted Theo. "And you Liam, stay cool. I'm sure we can find a kind of... agreement, can't we ?"

The freshman nodded. His phone was constantly ringing in his pocket. The vibrations were kinda... titillating.

"Can you put in a good word for me to my father ?" he asked. "I'm ready do to anything you want to in exchange."

"Okay. Just... stay for diner."

"But I'm supposed to work..."

"Do you want me to help your mother or not ?"

Of course he wanted.

Liam took the time to call Judy, and said he couldn't make it tonight. She agreed, as long as it was the first and only time. Then, he called Dami back, since this one had made 24 calls in less than two hours. (Dami wasn't a text guy, his messages were always in code and filled with spelling mistake, which made them incomprehensible for the most part).

"At least you're answering you baboon !" his boyfriend shouted. "I thought Theo had devoured you !"

Then, he whispered :

"I didn't intend to say that. Fuck myself."

"I'm fine." reassured Liam. "In fact, Theo and his father invited me to diner."

"And you said yes ?! But what if you're in danger or.... I mean, ain't ya supposed to be workin' ?"

The freshman smiled. Sometimes, Dami was weird, in a cute way.

"I called Judy and she said it's fine. Don't worry too much, you know I can take care of myself."

He distinctly heard his boyfriend swear and promise he would call Judy to talk some sense into her head.

"I think they're waiting me." said Liam. "Dami, trust me it'll be fine. Don't take it out on some random guy okay ?"

"Grmbl, fine. See you tomorow at noon."

The diner happened to be fine. They were a bit generous with the portions, as he could've expected from ogres. (He tried his best to not overindulge but... Damn he had became a food-lover again). (Dami had reawaken his sweet tooth and his gluttony). Then, they shared a glass of wine. Liam wasn't into wine or any alcohol, but Mr. Meyers insisted. Afterwards, Theo brought him home. During the trip however, the chestnut lad started to feel sick. He was a bit nauseous. His eyes were closing against his will. (And it wasn't fatigue, he was an sleep expert, he knew when it wasn't). Being more and more uncomfortable, Liam put an hand on his slightly distended belly, and another on his forehead.

"Everything's fine ?" asked Theo.

"I don't know. I don't feel well."

He was losing consciousness, he knew this. The ogre trapped me. He'll eat me. He tried to activate his flying shoes, but failed. He noticed they were idle. Please, let me.

"I'm sorry Liam." whispered Theo. "I don't like it this way, but hell, I'm just losin' so hard. It's not only money, it's also my reputation which is at stake. And I don't have any other option. Seduce you is impossible, you're just too weird. I'm sure he failed too. And I'm not waiting that he drugs you first. Don't worry, it won't be long nor painful..."

Liam found enough strenght to get out the car. He wanted to run, but fell onto the sidewalk. He heard a feminine voice.

"Hey guys. Is he alright ?" she asked, seemingly worried.

"I think he drank too much." said Theo. "He just started to feel ill."

"Let me see. Shall we call 911 ?"

"It's not necessary. I should bring him back home."

"I will come with you, to be sure he's fine. I got a nurse diploma."

Liam was maybe dreamin'. The voice went silent for a while.

"Okay." eventually ceded Theo. "Help me put him here..."

"Deborah. I'm Deborah."

Barbara Saturday February 2 (at the same time as Liam's chapter)

This morning, when she eventually got ready, she headed towards the Dean's quarter. She had a special mission in order to please the hunters. Make the king fall. It was a bit thrilling honestly. She met Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey when he left the building.

"Hi." she greeted with her brightest smile. "Can I talk to you ?"

He looked at his phone angrily.

"Fast. I'm in a hurry."

Maybe someone already warned him about Theo's plan. I need to be prudent and smart on this one.

"I was wondering, could you attend to the general assembly of the student union ? I know you don't like these stuffs usually but... I think you should be there for once. As the president of the cooking club of course."

He looked at her, not convinced.

"Summer's summarizing this bullshit for me. Not that I care. For real, a bunch of dummies fighthing for money, it's like watch some rabbits fight for a carrot. Funny, but nothing more."

Of course, you greatfather gives you all the funds you need anyway. This man really was arrogant. Barbara already knew Summer was devoted to him. In fact, she counted on this.

"I can't agree more but this time, I don't think Summer will defend your interest. She might even give some support to Theo and the swim club."

"And why that ?"

He was losing patience. He's used to get eveything instantly. Finally, he's really different from Raphaël. But as powerful... For now.

"You ditched her for me. And you're losing your bet. C'mon, the best hunter is gonna let them do the general assembly without him ? Summer can convince them all you're out of the running."

"I'm not losing. You know what ? I'll come and watch for a bit." he grumbled. "Oh and... I really want to fuck you, but I think you are too tiny to handle the thing, if you know what I mean."

She let him speak. You're so full of yourself. But this evening, you'll lose absolutely everything.

The general assembly happened to be boring, since she wasn't the president yet. Javier and Summer were doing all the work. Mostly Summer. They listened representatives from each clubs. Barbara noticed Steve, from the music band. She had tried to speak with him on tuesday, but as the other, he liked the stupid head of the student. There were some others hunters among the crowd, but she didn't know most of them. The swim club was represented by a petite girl and a cocky sophomore. The running team by this black girl and her captain, a blonde one. Many other groups tried to catch the lower dollar Summer was givin'. Of course, the football captain Oliver got the biggest budget. Barbara looked towards Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey. He was watching his cellphone, but keeping a calm and neutral expression. He's good, I can say. But I think he's worried. He knows somethin's happening.

They made a break after two hours. They hadn't made any progress. There were still a lot of clubs unhappy and complaining. But it was clear Summer was managing the meeting well.

"Hey Barbara. Long time no see."

The blonde turned towards Leila. What on earth is she doing here ? In front of people, they had always looked friends. Back in 12th grade, where Colton was the king of their pitiful highschool, they both stayed close to him. They used his power. We were at war. Two queens. But in college, it was different. Colton was nothing more than an useless handsome guy. In fact, he never had the guts to be a real king. At start, Barbara had hoped he would make an effort. But she had understood she needed to work for herself. Alone. Leila've been hating her since the beginning.

"What are you doing here ?" she asked. "This is an important meeting."

"Yeah, a general assembly. All students are allowed to be here." Leila replied. "And I'm the secretary of the Women-defense club, remember ?"

"This useless association who's supposedly defending women rights ? I didn't even know you've a budget."

"Well we're not defending only women nowadays, but everyone who needs protection. And you've always been a real cocky bitch." insulted Leila. "I knew you had dated Colton only to take advantage of his popularity. And now ? He came to this college for you, you know this. He could've been in a way better university. And you want to make him meet some random girl ? Don't try to justify yourself. Just keep in mind I'll make you pay, one way or another."

"Sorry, miss secretary of I don't know what, but you don't scare me at all. Now I have some duties. See you later."

The end of the general assembly came. Summer had done quite a good job. But I can do better, for sure. Barbara glimpsed Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey calling someone. She came closer, but stayed quiet when he groused :

"I'm not asking Debbie. Just go. I know this asshole is up to something bad. I have a gut feeling."

His interlocutor replied during a moment, but he cut off :

"Just go ! You're supposed to protect people aren't you ?! You'll recieve the location."

Then he hung up. I guess he has a lot more ressources than I expected. I think Theo might lose after all...

To be continued

A little part where two awkward and socially inept guys try to interact with eachother. Seriously, Damian and Liam are weirdos. But they’ve a point of agreement : this pie is delicious.

Barbara plays with fire, but she likes it.

#the college society #cs #Damian Nicholas Smith Carrey #Liam #Barbara #they are so stupid #Liam's being Liam #Dami doesn't know what the hell is happening #Barbara is evil #Theo's plan #Big bad ogre #chapter 3 #part 4

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synkiller82 · 6 years ago

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Collapse Into Me Chapter 9 - Sophisticated

Gabriel stood at the top of the grand staircase in the foyer, awaiting his son’s return and thinking over his actions since his wife's 'disappearance.' His neglect of Adrien was for his own good, right? He wasn't a heartless person, he just had to focus on his goals in order to make is family, his world, whole again. Who was he kidding? He knew he had been hurting his son more by pushing him away. He was the owner of the miraculous of emotion, after all. However, he had noticed Adrien's attitude and demeanor changes over the past month. Nathalie informed him that Marinette had a lot to do with it, and he had her put together a file on the Dupain-Chengs. While he was impressed by Marinette, he still had to protect his family.

The door opened and Gabriel’s attention snapped to the young man walking in. He watched as Adrien’s face morphed from surprise to panic, then quickly sliding into a blank expression mirroring his own. “Adrien, you are late.”

“I’m sorry, Father. The storm came on suddenly and Viktor had to wait—” Adrien stopped talking when his father put a hand up.

“I am well aware of why you are late and where you have been this evening.” Gabriel retorted. "I would you to invite Ms. Dupain-Cheng to dinner tomorrow.”

“Yes, Father.” He watched as his father nodded, then turned and disappeared toward his office. Adrien quietly made his way to his room, confused about what had just occurred.

Plagg zipped out of Adrien’s shirt and toward his cheese cabinet. “Hey, Kit,” he called after grabbing a couple of wedges of his beloved Camembert. “You okay?”

Adrien flopped onto his bed with a sigh. "I'm not quite sure what happened back there. I was certain I was about to get grounded or he was going to cut Marinette out of my life. Instead, he invites her to dinner?"

“Don’t know, but you need to give Baker Girl a head’s up before tomorrow morning.”

Nodding, he took out his phone, and pulled up the messaging app. He was surprised to Marinette was still active.

A: Hey Marinette. Thanks again for today. I really needed it.

It took about thirty seconds of dot dancing before her response came through.

M: No problem, Adrien. Any time.

A: Funny you should say that. After today’s adventure, Father would like to meet with you.

A: I know it’s last minute, but he wanted me to ask if you would join us for dinner tomorrow.

A: Would that be okay? If not, I can ask Father if another day would be available.

M: Wow. I can’t believe he wants to meet me!

M: I will ask Maman and Papa tomorrow and let you know when we meet up to walk to school.

M: I’m sure they’ll say yes though.

M: What should I wear?

Adrien chuckled at her quick-fire texts.

A: Clothes would be preferred. 😼

M: ADRIEN! 😲 You know what I mean!

A: Wear one of your designs.

A: But no matter what you wear, I’m sure he’s going to like you.

M: I’ll have to take your word for that.

M: So, are you okay? Really?

Adrien smiled fondly at his phone. He could just feel the care and concern radiating from the device in his hands.

A: How could I not be when I have great friends like you watching over me?

M: 🙄 Why do I even try?

The words ‘because you love me’ appeared on Adrien’s screen. Before he pressed the send key, he decided to rephrase his response.

A: Because you care about all your friends.

M: Some more than others

A: Ouch! Where do I fall on that scale?

M: Lower by the minute 😛

A: That hurts, Marinette. 😿

M: Don’t be like that. You know you’re at the top, right below Alya.

A: I can handle that.

A: Anyway, it’s getting late. Get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow. 😺

M: Night Adrien. See you in the morning. 😊

A: Good Night, Marinette.

Adrien placed his phone on the charger and changed before crawling into bed. He wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring, but as long as he had Marinette to lean on, he was sure it would be okay.

---

Marinette was at the kitchen table nibbling on a slice of brioche covered in marmalade when Adrien entered the apartment. “Good morning, Adrien.”

“Good morning, Marinette. You are up early!” Adrien teased as he swiped a piece of bread and jam off her plate.

“Hey!” She exclaimed as she tried to get her breakfast back. “Get your own!”

Adrien grinned smugly as he bit into his prize, chuckling as he watched Marinette pout. She really was cute when she pouted, or did anything for that matter.

Marinette finished her breakfast in a huff and took her plates to the sink and rinsed them before returning. “Ready, Bread Thief?”

“Always, Princess.” Adrien retorted as he opened the door for her.

“Princess?” Marinette stopped and looked quizzically at him.

Adrien panicked. He hadn’t thought about what he said. “Like Aladdin?” He said, trying to cover for himself.

Marinette laughed, “Oh, that makes sense.” She dismissed the sudden thoughts of her partner as she linked her arm in his as they made their way downstairs. “Just don’t make a habit of calling me that.”

Adrien opened the side door. “No problem, Marinette.”

“My parents said it was okay for me to go to dinner tonight.” Marinette relayed quietly as they neared the school. “What time do I need to be there?”

Adrien couldn’t figure out if he was excited or terrified to hear she was coming to dinner. “Viktor will pick you up at 6:45, dinner is at 7. Are there any food allergies I need to tell the chef about?”

“Not that I know of.” Marinette squeezed his arm and walked over to her locker, returning shortly before he was done at his. “I’m looking forward to tonight!”

Adrien nodded, wishing he could feel the same way.

---

Marinette caught Chloé as the school let out for lunch. “Chloé, can I ask you a favor?”

“Is it about Adrichou? Don’t think I haven’t noticed you two walking around together.”

“Yes. He and I talked about his home life yesterday and, well—”

Chloé cut her off. "What? He did?" She looked Marinette up and down. "Well, respect, Dupain-Cheng. So, what does that have to do with me?"

"I'm sure you aren't the only one who's noticed us walking to school, and I'm afraid he'll withdraw if anyone says anything to him—"

Chloé cut her off again. Chloé, trying to look disinterested, turned to her side and examined her nails. "Got it. You leave the class to me. I won't like it, but you focus Adrichou. As much as I hate to admit it, he really needs someone like you. I'm surprised he hasn't just asked you out yet or whatever."

“He doesn’t see me in that way, Chloé, and I’m fine with that.” Marinette replied with a sad edge to her voice. She changed the subject before she could dwell on her words, while Chloé rolled her eyes. “I was also hoping you had some time to come by my house after school to help me with picking an outfit. Adrien’s father invited me to—"

Chloé held up her hand, cutting Marinette off for a third time. Seriously, what is her deal? "Say no more. I'll be there at 3 pm sharp. I'm sure we can find something in your drab wardrobe." Chloé flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned around to go find Sabrina.

Marinette sighed as she watched after her, whispering to Tikki, "I guess she's improved, right? " Before Tikki could respond, Marinette shook her head as she went to meet the others for lunch.

Adrien watched as the two girls parted. It made him smile to his two friends getting along after years of tension and resentment between the two. Chloé wasn’t perfect, but becoming Queen Bee had been a blessing for her, and she was taking her new mantle seriously.

Marinette sat down next to Adrien, who immediately pulled her into a quick side hug. Marinette smiled up at him before turning her attention to her lunch and the conversation around them. She didn’t miss the fact that Adrien’s arm never left the back of her chair for the rest of the period.

---

Chloé was flipping through Marinette's closet, occasionally scoffing at items she saw, while Marinette paced around the room. After a few minutes, she groaned and slide onto her chaise. "I just don't think I have anything sophisticated enough to wear to dinner with M. Agreste.”

Chloé rolled her eyes while she kept searching. "Quit being such a drama queen and come help me look!" Marinette reluctantly got up and started searching deeper in her closet while Chloé moved on. As she looked around Marinette's work station, something caught her eye. "Hey, what's this?" Chloé asked as she walked around the dressing screen where a mannequin was.

Marinette looked in the direction of Chloé's voice. "That? It's a design I sketched a few years ago. Apparently, Maman told her family about it when she went to visit them, and they sent the fabric last month. Aunt Xia knows someone who was able to create the pattern I wanted." Chloé raised an eyebrow." Well, I suppose it looks decent." Marinette shrugged and went back to searching through her closet. Chloé snorted," Well? What are you waiting for? We don't have all day! Go try it on!"

Startled, Marinette squeaked and hurried behind the screen. Sighing, she took her time and care with her latest design, putting it on slowly before reappearing in the dress: a white, floor-length qipao detailed with red plum blossoms, blue lilacs, and gold thread accenting throughout. The edges and ties at the top were black.

Chloé was floored by the design. It was absolutely stunning, but she didn't know if she was willing to tell Marinette that. Sure, Ladybug expected her to be kind, even to her enemies, and she has made a lot of improvements over the time since she was first Queen Bee, right? But, taking the high road was hard, so she settled for an indifferent response. "I suppose that'll do." Yeah, that wasn't mean, right? "Now sit. It's time for your makeover." Chloé said with a glint in her eye. Oh how she loved giving people makeovers! Even if it was for this baker girl, she was still going to enjoy this. Marinette, however, looked a little worried. "What are you going to do?" Chloé smiled. "I'm going to turn you from a diamond in the rough into a polished jewel."

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royvdhelart · 6 years ago

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So...as I've been sick for the last week, I kind of needed something to cheer me up a bit and something to get the Art-passion flowing again. So, I decided to finally redo Emil's reference sheet, as I never liked the old one, after designing him a new outfit <3

This was a bunch of work but boy, I can not recall having this much fun with a drawing and I'm actually hella proud of it for once :D I hope you like it as well!

--- Just to be clear btw: This Art is NOT for free use. ---

Callname: Emil/Baltazar Full-Name: Baltazar Emil A'zam Duman Jaren Qazir Languages: Common, Dwarfish (future: draconic)

Age: 26, born on the first day of June Sex/Gender: Male Height: 1,95m/6'4 Race: Human Class: (Lore) Bard (level 9) (future: Draconic sorcerer)

Background: Entertainer/Noble Sexuality: Bi-Romantic

Favorite Instrument: Violin. Alignment/Personality: Neutral Good, optimistic, Drama Queen, charismatic, polite, group-mom, party-guy, curious, creative. Flaws: Drama Queen, has a big mouth and turns into an awkward/clumsy dork when he has a crush on someone. More about his family: https://sta.sh/014wc8gu8y2p Background: Baltazar was born on the first day of June in the city Setus. He was the 7th and youngest son of a wealthy merchant family, having 4 brothers ( (35) Amin, (33)Kareem, (30)Jarah, (27)Gabriel, and ( and 2 sisters (Farah (31) and Iris (35) above him. Baltazar had always been the "runt of the litter". Tall but lanky, Emil wasn't strong, and always out searching for trouble. This often caused him to clash with his parents, who really wished Emil would become more serious instead of going on about silly adventures and hanging around in inn's every night. Actually just fearing for his well-being.

As a proper noblemen's son Baltazar was learned etiquette from a young age, getting schooled by a wise old teacher (Nazim), who had years of experience teaching his older brothers and sisters. Emil wasn't the best student however and caused quite the frustration to his teacher. He skipped classes, pulled tricks on his teacher and rarely did the work he was expected to or find some kind of way to do his tasks with the least effort possible. Emil was much too busy learning plays out of his head, creating new songs or just dreaming about what it would be like to be actually free, to travel the lands, slay monsters, be a hero, to do such boring and repetitive tasks. It didn't matter anyway, he was the youngest, he would one day be married of to a rich woman/man and that would be it. He often worried about this future, a future, which in his opinion, could only become boring. The moments he spent on stage, telling people silly stories when he played his violin, were the moments he actually felt alive, at those moments he could feel a kind of power flowing through him, which could vaguely be described as a warmth but different. To him, it seemed that all that they wanted to do is take that from him, make him "more serious" as he would never honor his family's name as a simple entertainer. One day Emil had pushed his parents too far, he missed his teacher's lessons again and had a big fight with his father. All Emil's frustration and fear for the future came out at that point. Which ended with Emil, angerly saying that he was going to leave the city and that he would prove them that he would become worth something, he would become a great entertainer, a Hero even, his name would become known! With that, he packed his stuff and left the next morning. Quite quickly Emil found out that traveling was definitely not as easy or fun as he expected and regretted his decision quite quickly as he started to run out of gold, the city Setus was mostly surrounded by desert and small villages, where there was no way for him to make any profit. After traveling for days, he decided that he really wasn't ready to cross an entire dessert after having a nasty run-in with Goblins. He finally reached a cross point between three larger cities. He decided to travel between the cities, to try out work as an entertainer to earn some gold. For a few years, he played music at inns, took on small roles in plays and did some odd jobs to earn some extra gold. In these years he discovered the kind of power within himself again, a power which he studied and could control more and more each day as he got mentored by another bard called "Rafael". Who saw potential in him. Eventually, he learned how to control magic with his voice, movements, and music. Even though he enjoyed entertaining, with his new found powers and being able to do whatever he wanted, he realized he became somewhat stuck there, unable to grow, he was running out of ideas for songs or tales. But what was he supposed to do? He couldn't go back home and wasn't confident enough of his abilities yet to go on actual adventures alone, as he and Rafael split up after a year, his powers seemed mostly passive, supporting at most. Contemplating his options, he almost stumbled over a black panther which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He looked back at the table which the large black cat was laying against, sitting around it he saw what could only be described as a perfect example of a knight in shining armor drinking a large pint of... milk? and a younger somewhat odd hooded figure, bright red with a large bird emblem depicted on his back in gold. Emil was immediately intrigued by the curious figures, decided to buy them a round and started talking to them. The knight was apparently the Paladin called Adil Fahd, somewhat of a folk hero, who he actually recognized by name as he had heard it before. The hooded young man was called Yashan, a Phoenix sorcerer from far away, this apparently meant he knew a lot about setting things and himself... on fire, he was apparently on a holy mission to find a religious artifact called the Sun-Stone. He spends the rest of the evening talking with the adventurers and eventually convinced them to let them join their group. A few months later, they met their newest members to the party "Kakaah" a odd but smart Kenku Rogue and a sassy Fighter called Ustrom and with the party complete they would face many adventures, from fighting as gladiators in the area of a savage dwarf Island, to Dyeing Ogers hair to get out of trouble, surviving many of Adil's bad ideas, dangerous sea-trips, a trip to the Underdark, meeting the Evil beholder called Kazejux, retrieving priceless artifacts, fighting a Demon called Kalahai who is wanting to take over the world... and many more and many more more to come. Extra/Random Facts about Emil: - Emil is a very charismatic and likes to flirt but is absolutely terrified of sex because of a mix of bad/silly experience and anxiety. He gets nervous about the subject and panics as soon as things become too hot and heavy. - Emil has a huge weakness for smart and dorky, guys/girls <3 - He learned the tips and tricks about being a Bard from a Bard called Rafael, with whom he has a somewhat competitive-love/hate friend-relationship as their friendship got a little complicated at the end of their showbusiness-partnership. Rafael is a stereotypical bard, very charismatic, party-animal and somewhat of a nymphomaniac. - Emil used to own a tiger when he was younger, who he shared with his brother Gabriel, which is supposed to be depicted on his bracers. Gabriel, after being reunited with Emil again 3 years after Emil left home, decided to also engrave his name into the bracers, in a way, so he'd be with him on his adventures. -Emil grew up with two mothers and a father, his biological mother is called Anjah, she is smart, smoll and scary, his second mother is called Dolunay, Cool, collected and wise, and his father's name is Azam who is intimidating but too sweet for his own good. His parents are in a Poly-romantic relationship and don't appreciate the "He is rich so he has more than one wife"-talk/ habit, the relationship is shared between all of them and they all love each other equally.

- Aside from the strings, his Violin is made out of Wood, Gold, and Ivory. It's called "Yarro" and is named after the Yarrow Plant. - He was thought to shoot his crossbow by his older brother Amin, who is good at handling most weapons known to that region, and an avid collector. Currently, Baltazar owns a magic Heavy Crossbow which is able to cast the spell "Tenser's transformation". - Emil is familiar with wearing drag or being scarcely clothed on stage as he used to be a part of a show in an "Entertainers-bar" for about a year. His drag is now one of his costumes next to his dessert robes... this job wasn't one of his favorites... but it was where Rafael discovered him, which would change his life forever. (He is dangerous with a pair of heels.) - Emil recently acquired a sentient cape, called Thanatos, a cured copper dragon with a ton of attitude. He allows Baltazar to Fly, be resistant to fire and look very extra. - His feather ear-ring is supposed to resemble a phoenix feather, however, he has no clue if it's real, as he bought it on a market from a somewhat sketchy guy. - Emil lost his finger for a while after using a magic artifact to save his ass... (Future: luckily he was able to get it back!) - Emil has a birthmark on his left hip. - (When compared to the real world) Emil would have a combination of Arabic/Indian/maybe a bit of Egyptic heritage. - Emil Knows gods exist but isn't necessarily a follower of any. More Baltazar: - https://romyvdhel-art.deviantart.com/art/OC-Spectrum-Meme-DnD-Characters-724820026 - https://romyvdhel-art.deviantart.com/art/DND-Reference-Baltazar-Emil-Qazir-707607613 - https://romyvdhel-art.deviantart.com/art/DnD-Sketchdump-VIII-717548901

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secretagentspydetectiveninja · 7 years ago

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The Misadventures of Prince Kim - chapter 72

The final chapter. Phew. I don’t even know what to say. (That’s a lie, I left several rambling paragraphs of crying on AO3.) It’s been one hell of a ride. Everyone who read this, thank you and I love you. Kim, thank you for existing, and I love you too.

Read it on AO3 where the Morse code actually works and you can see the aforementioned rambling paragraphs of crying

It took several weeks for the telecommunication lines to be repaired. In the meantime, plenty happened. Empress Chloé continued to work on sorting out her empire, and very slowly, things began to improve. The weather remained stormy for a while, but soon cleared up. The raging river eventually returned to its normal, peaceful state. Many more students left, and by June the school seemed almost empty.

Adrien, though under a lot of stress from the recent events, sent a letter to the court of the Agreste Empire, letting them know what had happened. The crew of the ship that Gabriel had used to sail here all bowed down and swore allegiance to Adrien, their new emperor, though he was not sure how much he could trust them. Did they think he had murdered his father? There was a chance that a lot of his subjects would think so, and be wary of him. He had to be careful.

After some tearful goodbyes he sailed away with the crew, back to his home for the first time in years. His new empire could not wait for him much longer. What with the school being so devoid of students, there didn’t seem much point staying until the official start of the holidays. It would be best to go back right away and cement his reign before any troubles began.

No news was heard from Gabriel. If he had made it ashore, he was keeping quiet.

The school soon received a letter from the kingdom of Lê Chiến, informing them that the border troubles had cleared up, meaning that it would finally be safe for Kim to return. A zeppelin had also been sent up in the 7th region to provide remote telecommunications access, and within a few days it would be up and running, meaning that phone calls could once again be made to the kingdom. Preparations were immediately begun for Kim’s departure – the remaining porters collated all his luggage from his room and loaded it onto the carriages.

By this point there was no need to stay at school until the very end. No one was here anyway. Chloé, Sabrina and Lila had all left long ago. Adrien was gone now, and Marinette had soon returned to her own home, eager to see her parents again after such a long break. Nathaniel had not even returned to school after the spring holidays. Lady Caline was still here, but she was one of the very few teachers remaining. It was not possible to learn much with the school in a state like this.

The building itself seemed haunted now, too, every creaky chandelier and broken piece of tiling reminding Kim of his near-demise. He really did not want to stay here any longer. This school did have good memories for him too, of course it did. But in a way he had outgrown it. The time was right for him to begin a new chapter of his life – this time as king, ruling over a country.

He stood in his now empty room one sunny June morning, his phone in hand. Today would be the day he finally left. It would take him a while to get back home, all the way on the other side of the world, and no aeroplanes yet to take him there. But at least he was finally going home. It had been three whole years. Would much have changed?

There had been a certain number he had saved into his phone long ago. Now he dialled it, and held his breath, waiting. According to the timestamp on the letter, the communications zeppelin went up over a week ago. Surely there would be enough time for it to be working now. There had to be.

A voice finally answered.

“Good afternoon, you have reached the kingdom of Lê Chiến. How may we help you?”

It worked! It actually worked! He was speaking to a real person from back home, an actual official! It had been so long that he’d even forgotten about the time difference – of course it was late afternoon back home.

He stopped himself from laughing in relief, reminding himself to sound like a proper ruler now. “Hello, this is Prince Kim calling from my personal telephone. I think I sent the phone number details by messenger pigeon a while ago, so you can verify it if you need to.”

“Ah, Your Highness! We have been hoping to hear from you. Please wait one moment while I verify your details.” There was a pause for several seconds. “Yes, we have your personal telephone number on record. Thank you for your phone call. What do you require from us today?”

What did he require? He wasn’t even sure. He had barely thought about it at all, just wanting to see if the phone lines would even work. There was something else he definitely wanted, though, and he had wanted it for quite a long while. “Um… can I talk to my family? If possible?”

“Of course. Your parents are away at the moment, overseeing the summer solstice festival arrangements, but the Queen-Dowager-Regent is available. She has been eagerly awaiting any news from you. Shall I pass the phone call to her?”

“Yes please.”

“Right, please hold the line for a few moments.”

“Thank you.”

Kim waited for a few minutes, his heart beating rapidly. It had been far, far too long since he had last directly spoken to his grandmother. He missed her so much it was getting impossible to bear. And now, within just a few moments, he would get to hear her voice again! He was so excited he couldn’t stand still, having to pace around the room as he waited.

Finally, that familiar voice spoke. “Kim, I’m so glad to hear from you!”

He hadn’t expected to suddenly be overwhelmed with emotion, and hastily wiped tears away from his eyes. “H-hi bà… how are you?”

“I’m doing very well, thank you, but I really should ask about you! With the communications finally open we’ve been receiving all the world’s news, and it sounds like you have been through quite the adventure. What happened? I want to hear it directly from you.”

“Well… Emperor Gabriel showed up at school and tried to kill me, but then… he fell in the river when the balcony broke…” He was still crying a little, and was aware that his grandma could probably tell.

“Goodness gracious, that really is a terrible thing to have happened to you. I assume you’re out of danger now though?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. We’ve all missed you ever so much. And we’re very proud of you, too. You’ve managed to get our country into the International Alliance without any of us even being there to help you. You’ve grown up so much over the past three years, and I for one can’t wait for you to return so that I can see this change for myself.”

Kim smiled, his heart soaring at the thought of finally getting to go back to his home palace and be with his family once more. “I can’t wait too. And… I’ll try and be a good ruler.”

“I’m sure you will do just fine. We’re planning the coronation to happen around two months from now so that you have plenty of time to get back and adjust yourself. I’ll still be on hand to always help you out. And I’m sure the friends and alliances you’ve made at school will be willing to help you out too.”

“They definitely will.”

“Excellent. With you as leader, and the trade routes back open, I don’t doubt that our kingdom is going to prosper.”

Though still nervous about being a king, Kim was finally beginning to believe that too. Maybe he really could do a good job. He had survived this far, hadn’t he?

“I’m leaving school today,” he said. “My luggage is all packed away and those carriage guards who have been stuck here for like two years can finally take me home.”

“They are still there? My god, I had forgotten about that. As soon as they return they’re getting a hefty pay rise and promotion for their duty. Will you tell them that?”

“Yes.”

“Fantastic. And make sure to give us another call when you’ve almost reached home, so that we can be waiting to greet you. It was so good to speak to you again. We’ll see each other soon.”

“Yeah, see you soon.”

“Goodbye, Kim.”

She hung up. For several seconds Kim just stood there, grinning to himself, unable to stop. He was finally going home. It didn’t feel real. Home seemed like a distant memory, like a movie he had watched some time in the past or a dream he’d had, rather than a real place. The thought of finally getting to go back filled him with so much relief it made him dizzy.

He was not sure how long it was before the knock on the door – time seemed to have stopped entirely at this point. Putting his phone back in his pocket, and walked over and opened the door to see Markov hovering there, bobbing up and down a little less than usual.

“Markov! Good to see you!”

Markov wordlessly flew into the room, looking around at the emptiness of it.

“I was gonna come and say goodbye to you actually,” Kim said to him. “I guess you just beat me to it.”

Markov slowly turned around to face him before speaking. “Kim, I… I am feeling an emotion I’ve never felt before. A strange, terrible one. I don’t like it. It hurts.”

“You mean you’re feeling actual pain?” Wow, that robot was always surprising him. Every time he thought Markov couldn’t get any more sophisticated, he did.

“No, not physical pain. I do not have nerve receptors. It is an emotional pain.” His eyes were beginning to be overrun with little pixel tears. “Kim, you’re going to leave, for a very long time. And I won’t get to see you. This is a very intense kind of sadness I am feeling right now, because you are my friend, and… I… am going to… miss you… and I’ve never ‘missed’ anyone before!”

His voice was wobbling, and he seemed to be shaking. Was this a robotic form of crying? Without thinking, Kim hugged him tight.

“I’m gonna miss you too, Markov,” he said. “But I’ll try and visit as often as I can. I’ll see you every Peace Ball, at least.”

“That’s only once a year. A maximum of around 21 days out of 365!”

“Well I’ll call you up every single day. That way you can talk to me 365 days out of 365.”

“Thank you, that does make me feel a little bit better…”

“Awesome.” Kim let go of him, letting him fly back into the air. “You’ll take care of Max, right?”

“Yes, of course! In fact, that reminds me, I’m also here to inform you that Max is waiting for you at the school entrance.”

“I guess I’ll go see him, then. There’s no point me hanging around here any longer.”

Markov still had tears rolling down from his eyes. “Kim… when I first met you, I did not realize I would become emotionally attached. I didn’t even expect to form emotions in the first place. But your kindness and friendship helped with that, so thank you. Thank you for helping me experience what it is like to be human, just like you.”

Kim’s own eyes were filling up a little too now. “Hey, uh, it’s no problem. I didn’t realize you were gonna be so cool.”

“Good luck with ruling your country. I think… I think I’m going to go now…” He turned and flew out of the room.

Kim’s cheerful mood from earlier was beginning to slip away slightly. Sure, it was exciting to finally be going home again. But saying goodbye to his friends was not fun, not at all. Thank goodness for the existence of telephones. That would make things so much more tolerable.

Taking one last look around the dorm room that he had spent the better part of the last three years in, he stepped out of the door and closed it for the last time. Maybe he would come back and visit this school again one day. As much as he was getting sick of it, he didn’t want to say goodbye forever.

He headed through the maze of empty, dilapidated corridors, towards the entrance where Max would be waiting. Before he had even exited the dorm areas he caught sight of a familiar face.

“Hi Ivan, what’s up?” he said, going over.

“Hi Kim!” Grand Duke Ivan had been looking out at the courtyard through one of the windows, and now turned to face Kim with a smile on his face. “I heard you’re leaving today. Is that true?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh good, there’ll finally be a bit of peace and quiet around here.”

“Hey!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” He suddenly gave Kim an almighty pat on the back, almost knocking him over completely. “You know, you’re actually alright. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… I’m really glad you’re not dead.”

Kim grinned. “Coming from you, that’s a compliment. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. And good luck for the future. I think you might actually do an okay job.”

“Excuse you, I’m gonna do an amazing job, you’ll see. Anyway, have you proposed to Mylène yet?”

Ivan’s pale face suddenly flushed red. “We’re only 18!”

“Pfff, that didn’t stop me proposing to Max one time. You’re just a wimp.” He left out the fact that it had been a complete accident, and he didn’t really mean it, and Max had never replied to that anyway.

Ivan crossed his arms, going back to his usual sullen demeanour. “I take back what I said. You’re gonna do a terrible job and I’m glad you’re leaving.”

“You don’t mean that. You love me really. And also I was kidding, take your time with Mylène.”

“Of course I will.”

“Cool. I gotta go see Max now, but I hope I’ll see you again someday. Good luck and everything.”

Ivan nodded at him, unable to hide a smile. “You too.”

Kim continued down the corridor as Ivan turned back to the window. It was nice that things were cordial between them now. As much fun as it had been in the past to annoy Ivan on purpose, it was even more fun to do it when they were on good terms, when they both knew it wasn’t serious. Perhaps someday they could become proper friends? Kim hoped so. He didn’t want to be a jerk to anyone ever again.

He was distracted from his thoughts when he heard someone around a corner saying his name.

“…and I guess I haven’t been calling you ‘Kim’ at all recently, have I? You’d just get mixed up with human Kim. But I should have been calling you your actual name, Imhotep, and instead I’ve been calling you ‘snake’, so in revenge you can call me ‘human’ if you want…”

He would recognize that voice anywhere – the voice of his best friend in the entire world. He ran around the corner to see that Pharaoh Alix was indeed standing there, talking to her pet snake that was wrapped around the sceptre.

Walking over, he leaned an arm against the wall, saying, “Hey, human. What’s up?”

She hit him with the sceptre. “Only the snake’s allowed to call me that!”

“Well considering that time you called me ‘Emperor Palpatine’ for like a whole week, it’s only fair if I get to call you ‘human’, right?”

“Whatever. You won’t even be here for a week anyway.”

Oh yes, of course. Now was probably the best time to say goodbye to her. He had very much been putting that off.

“I was just heading down to the school entrance,” he said. “The carriage is there with all my stuff in it. And Max is there too.”

“So this is goodbye?”

“Yeah…”

“Okay then. Bye.”

He frowned. “What, is that it?”

“I didn’t want to make it all stupid and dramatic!” She was looking down at the floor, avoiding eye contact. “What did you want me to do? Tell you how cool you are? How awesome a friend you are? Start crying and hug you and admit that I’m g-gonna miss you? Because that’s… that’s n-not happening…”

.-.. .. .- .-. the snake tapped out, sliding off the sceptre and wrapping itself around her headdress.

“Oh fine! I’ll say it! I’m gonna miss you ‘cause you’re my best friend, and l-like… I never had best friends before going to school. And I never cared about anyone this much before. And I know the main threat’s gone, b-but… you have to promise to be careful! I can’t go through losing you again! I can’t!”

She dropped the sceptre and put her face in her hands, seemingly trying very, very hard not to cry. Kim had mostly avoided thinking about his near-death as much as he could, and definitely avoided thinking about the fact that in one timeline he really did die, and all his friends were there to see it. Alix had outright forbidden anyone from speaking about it at all, so it was surprising that she was bringing it up now.

He bent down and pulled her into a hug. “I will be careful. I promise.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d promised her that he would be careful. To be fair, the death wasn’t his fault at all. From now on, though, there were no more timeline splits to ruin everything. It was just his own willpower against the world. This time, he was going to survive. He was sure of it.

“By the way,” Alix said, “I’m gonna call you up every single day and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Good. So I’ll get phone calls from you, Max, and Markov. That’s a lot of phone calls.”

“You’ll need our help, you Kimbecile. You have to do a good job at being king.”

“Don’t worry.” He let go of her and stood back up. “I’m gonna be the coolest ruler ever. Well, almost. You’re the coolest, of course.”

She smiled, wiping tears away from her eyes. “I can’t believe that’s an actual thing you said out loud…”

“Yeah, this is the last time I’ll properly see you for ages, so I have to say all the stuff I wouldn’t otherwise say!”

“Well then, since you did go and make it stupid and dramatic and cheesy, I guess I may as well carry on.” She crossed her arms, her face going red. “I think I learnt a lot from you. Like, I’m not so idiotic and reckless anymore, and I’m better at not scaring people away. That’s definitely at least partly your fault. But you got way better too, which is great ‘cause I sorta hated you when I first met you. You’re cooler now. And I didn’t think I’d end up caring this much, but I do. So yeah.”

Kim rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah, I was a jerk at first, wasn’t I… but you were really annoying too.”

“I’m still annoying, actually.”

“Good point. But I love it now.” He ruffled the little bit of hair sticking out from under her headdress. “I learnt a lot from you too. I mean, we have the wackiest history ever, don’t we? I don’t think I’ll ever have another friend as close as you. You’re special. If platonic sweethearts were a thing, I think I could call you one… if that doesn’t bother you?”

Still smiling through her tears, she shook her head. “It doesn’t.”

“Nice.” He suddenly realized that he was about to start crying too, and quickly changed the subject. “You’ll still go visit Max loads, right? He and Markov can keep you company. I know you don’t wanna lose any friendships and stuff so like…”

“Of course I’ll hang out with Max and Markov all the time. And I’ve got Jalil, too. I’ll make sure I’m not lonely. I’ve actually got the hang of friendship now.” She finally looked him in the eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me, Kim. I’ll be fine. You focus on ruling your country and not dying.”

Ruling his country… not dying… that was it, the tears were already rolling down his face before he could stop them.

“I’ll see you at the Peace Ball,” he managed to say, sniffing, hoping she wouldn’t make fun of him for crying. She was an expert at being hypocritical like that. “Maybe I’ll challenge you to a rematch of… that thing that happened in the lift…”

“Oh yeah, that thing!” Alix laughed. “I’d almost forgotten about that! You haven’t told anyone what happened, right?”

He shook his head.

“Good, neither have I. And I never will.”

.-. .- .--. / -... .- - - .-.. .! the snake tapped, rather enthusiastically.

“Yeah! Hey, maybe next time the snake can take part too.”

“But I won’t understand what he’s saying…”

“Well then, you’d better learn Morse code before the next Peace Ball. I’ll be waiting.”

Kim just nodded, knowing he wouldn’t have the time or patience to do that. “I… I guess I should go now…”

“Yeah. You should go see Max, and uh, get in a bit more scientific research before you leave.”

Kim had been putting off saying goodbye to Max too, and the thought was twisting at his insides rather nauseatingly. “Yeah, I’ll go do that… You be a good pharaoh, okay? And tell Jalil I said ‘screw you, square’ and… keep swearing on international television and being awesome…”

“Dude, if I say ‘fuck’ one more time in an interview they’ll probably start censoring it. They’ll just have to interview the snake instead.”

Kim gave the snake a stroke. “I’ll miss you as well, little buddy. Uh, Imhotep or whatever your actual name is.”

The snake gave his hand a lick with that adorable little forked tongue.

-- . / - --- --- !

“Lemme guess, is he calling me a punk bitch again?”

“Nah,” Alix said, shaking her head. “He says he’ll miss you too.”

“Aw, he’s so sweet. I can’t believe I used to be scared of him.”

“Yeah, in my experience, human beings can be far, far deadlier than snakes…”

That much was true. It was very, very true.

“Anyway,” she said, “you should probably get out of here now. The sooner you go home and see your family, the better.”

“Yeah…” He finger-gunned at her. “Remember, I love you. No romo.”

She rolled her eyes, grinning. “Whatever. See you later, weird prince guy.” With that, she picked up the sceptre and ran off with the snake.

After a few seconds of getting rid of any remaining tears, Kim continued wandering down the corridor towards the entrance, nostalgia weighing on him. Back when he had first started here, he had never considered that he’d end up best friends with the tiny, terrifying little pharaoh who had somehow managed to enrage him and also capture his heart. Life could be so bizarre sometimes, couldn’t it? There had been rivalry, and reconciliation, and coming outs, and kisses, and fist-fights over Monopoly, and too many stupid challenges to count. He couldn’t have predicted any of that.

And he hadn’t realized he would fall in love with Max, either…

No, when he had first started here, Prince Max was just that good friend of his, the guy he had seen at summer camps and found fun to hang out with. Now they had been together through the worst of times, the thought of looming wars, assassinations, influenza. Max had always been there for him. To the point where he started crushing hard, and didn’t even realize that the love of his life felt the same way in return.

In fact, when he started at this school, he hadn’t even realized there were more “fish in the sea” than just girls! Perhaps that was something he’d keep quiet about back home for a while, though. He wasn’t sure how they’d take it.

All too soon, his feet had carried him to the school entrance. The doors were wide open, allowing the warm sunny air into the large entrance room. Unlike the end of the previous years, it was almost deserted. A few servants and porters were scurrying around, packing the last things into the carriage on the path just outside.

Max was leaning against one of the walls, watching them absent-mindedly. Kim’s heart instantly lifted, the way it always did whenever he saw Max, and he rushed over.

“Max!”

Max turned around just in time for Kim to hug him tightly enough to lift him off the ground. When he put him back down he did not quite let go, only pulling back enough to be able to see his precious sweetheart’s face.

“Hi Kim,” Max said, a sweet little smile on his face. “Did you see Markov?”

“Yeah, he told me you were waiting here. He’s really gonna miss me, poor guy.”

“Well, he’s not the only one who’ll miss you a lot…”

Kim rested his forehead against Max’s. “I’ll call you up every day, I promise. And I’ll build that airport soon so you all can visit.”

“Keep an eye on the budget so that you don’t overspend on the airport. There are probably a lot of other things that your kingdom could use the money for too.”

“Your advice is gonna be so helpful, I just know it.”

Max chuckled. “I’m glad you think so. Hopefully it’ll help you avoid more misadventures.”

“Misadventures? What’s that?”

“An adventure with misfortune or tragedy. Much like the ones that have plagued us over the past few years.”

“Oh, right. Well I’ll definitely be sure to avoid those.”

Max’s voice was starting to waver, and Kim noticed he was clinging on rather tight. “Kim… there’s something I’ve been meaning to say…”

And now the goodbyes were truly going to start. Kim’s eyes were stinging, but he tried to ignore it. He couldn’t start crying again, couldn’t he? He had cried enough for today!

“I’ve already told you a lot how much I care about you,” Max continued. “And you’ve told me, too. It’s not something we ever hold back on. In retrospect, I think I owe that to you. I tend to act very logical and rational, and you’re the opposite, and it really did me a lot of good. We’re… we’re a very good balance.”

Kim smiled. “I was gonna say the same! You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Max.”

“You’re the best too! So open with your feelings, so free with your heart, so passionate and full of confidence and energy! No wonder I’ve liked you for so long. Well, that, and also you’re rather attractive…”

He was sure he was blushing hard. At least Max seemed to be blushing too, as invisible as it was with skin like his.

“I don’t want to make this too long. I know you want to see your family again as soon as possible, and the journey will be long. But…” Max sniffed. “…you’re like a dream come true. You’re the one encouraging the part of my brain that runs on emotions, rather than logic. And you’ve always been supportive! Ever since I first met you, probably ten years ago now. The fact that you love me back is a bonus, since your support is worth the friendship either way… oh, I don’t even know what I’m saying, I’m just rambling…”

“You’re doing the thing I always do,” Kim said. “That thing where I gush at you about how cool you are?”

“I suppose I am doing that. Though it’s not like I haven’t done it before.”

“Well it’s my turn now.” Kim willed himself to at least hold it together long enough to say something heartfelt – Max deserved that much. “Honestly, you’re so cool I still can’t believe you like me. I used to be a jerk and everything, but you’d still hang out with me, trying to tell me to be better, trying to get me to use my brain for once and stop being an idiot. And thanks to you, I did. I got nicer, I got better at schoolwork, I’m at least a bit less reckless now…”

“Kim, that wasn’t me! That was you, thanks to your own hard work and effort.”

“You helped, though. You’re always really supportive too. I mean, you were helping me out with all my hopeless crushes even though you were into me? I’m still not over that. And you stayed in quarantine with me for months, even though you’d been vaccinated and didn’t need it, and I feel like I can tell you anything and everything, no matter what. You’re like the best mix of a best friend and a sweetheart. When I’m with you I feel more… stable, I guess.”

Max’s smile had been growing wider and wider while Kim had been speaking. “I’m going to miss all these compliments so much.”

“I’ll still compliment you over the phone!”

“It’s not the same though, is it?”

“No, I guess not…”

“There’s another thing I wanted to say,” Max said, sounding far more nervous suddenly. “Do you remember that time when you… um… accidentally proposed to me?”

Kim’s heart leapt right up into his throat. He nodded – how could he forget it? That had been mortifying!

“Well, we’re too young for that, as I’m sure you know. But, that being said… if you feel the same way in about seven years or so, then uh… feel free to ask again…”

“I will,” Kim said, his brain already coming up with all sorts of cheesy romantic proposal scenarios in his head. “Exactly seven years from now, I’ll ask. Mark the date.”

Max grinned. “Perhaps I’ll surprise you by asking first…”

“No way, I’ll beat you to it for sure!”

“Oh really? Like how you beat me to confessing your love for me? Oh wait, that didn’t happen, because I got there first.”

“But I asked you out first!” Kim shook his head, laughing. “It doesn’t matter anyway. As long as it’s in exactly seven years. I’ll have time to let my kingdom get used to the idea. And then I’ll abdicate, or maybe we could do that thing Marinette’s parents did, where their kingdoms became twin-kingdoms and they split their time ruling both… oh, I don’t know. I’ll decide nearer the time.”

“Good, you need a while to relax now. These past years have been very stressful, and ruling a country won’t be easy either. Make sure you don’t burn yourself out.”

“I’ll try.” The prospect of leaving, going home and being coronated, was weighing on him again. “You make sure to look after Markov, and have fun, and go visit Alix lots, all that stuff…”

“Of course.” Max went up onto tiptoes suddenly, leaning in closer. “None of the porters are around, so how about a goodbye kiss?”

Goodbye kiss… why did those words hurt so much? Everything about this moment was so bittersweet. Everything about the past several months had been bittersweet, actually. Perhaps it was a side-effect of growing up. Maybe his whole life was going to be bittersweet from now on.

Well then, he’d better revel in the sweet parts, and learn from the bitter.

“Sure.”

He leaned in and kissed Max deeply, wrapping his arms around him tight, never wanting to let go. If he could stay here forever, he would.

But he couldn’t. He was a prince, soon to be king, and he had a duty. Plus, he would see Max again. This wasn’t goodbye forever.

He was already crying by the time he pulled away, tears spilling out of his eyes faster than he could wipe them away. Now that the moment had actually come to leave, it was hitting him just how much he would miss this place, miss all his friends, miss his sweetheart, everything. This school and everyone in it was a part of his life now. Letting go was not going to be easy.

“You’ll have to go back to pillows from now on,” Max mumbled, taking off his glasses to brush tears away from his eyes too. Kim laughed weakly, wondering if he was blushing again.

“Pillows can’t compare to you.”

“And robots can’t compare to you.”

“I’m still gonna tell Markov about that someday…”

Max smiled briefly, then looked over at the carriage waiting outside the doors. “Your carriage is waiting for you, Kim. And your family is too.”

“You’re right, I should go…”

“Kim, I love you. And just… thank you. For everything.”

“I… I love you too, Max…”

He was crying too much to be able to say anything, so he just pulled Max into one last ribcage-crushing hug, before turning and walking towards the carriage. The guards had opened the door and were waiting for him.

“My grandma says you’re getting a pay rise when y-you get back,” he said. “You deserve it.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” the guard said with a smile, before shutting the door.

Your Highness… Soon he wouldn’t be called that anymore. Soon it would be Your Majesty. How quickly would he get used to that?

As the carriage set off down the path, Kim looked out of the back window. Max was standing at the entrance, waving. Kim waved back, though he wasn’t sure if Max would be able to see him through this tiny window. He noticed suddenly that up on the roof, Alix and Markov were there waving at the carriage too – how had they got there?! He waved at them too.

Slowly his friends faded out of sight, and the school did too. One chapter of his life was finishing, and the next was about to begin. Would it be as turbulent? As stressful? As dangerous? Hopefully not. At least he was much better at dealing with all that than he used to be, considering how much he had grown up over the past three years. Thinking back to his very first day of school, it was astounding to note the difference.

Now his spirits were lifting again, thinking of his family waiting for him at home. The familiar palace, those friendly servants, the sports rivals, everything and everyone he had been missing so much. Lê Chiến was still very dear to his heart, even after all the other places he had seen. From now on, that was what he had to focus on. Ruling his country and doing a good job, staying out of war, promoting new technologies, making allies. Everything he had been taught at school would surely help him out.

Yes, once he got back home he would not be a prince anymore. He would be King Kim, ruler of Lê Chiến. It was time to take the lessons he had learnt from the past, and put them towards making a bright future for himself, his country, and the entire world.

He looked forward to it.

#holy shoot i'm dead. i'm dead. deceased #never writing a long runner in my life again (that's probably a lie)#royalty au #miraculous ladybug #le chien kim #kimax #max kante #markov #alix kubdel #random stuff #aish writes #the misadventures of prince kim #this is literally just chapter 1 but more dramatic bc i'm a nostalgic mess

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dia-luneris · 6 years ago

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Identity

Khatayin and Lady returned from Limsa, with a job advertisement in hand.

Once they got back to the camp, they found Scar, eating an apple, Damien watching the waves, and Gabu watching him. Lord Damien Luneris was stood atop a rock, his hair blowing in the wind. Obviously with no idea of how majestic he looked. Lady called out to him "We found-" Gabu cut her off, shushing her, with a hand raised.

He turned his head back to watching their resident noble. "Is beautiful" Gabu murmured. Lady shook her head, watching the Lalafell, watching the Elezen. She spoke up again "My Lord, we have work to do". Damien turned around "Oh. We best get to it then, before someone else takes the job". He made his way down from his vantage point, and joined the others.

Scar held the parchment up, studying it. She had her apple between her teeth, holding it in place with her fangs. Khat took the parchment from her, swiftly. Scar blinked in response to the act, her apple falling out of her mouth. Khat simply stuck her tongue out, and sauntered off.

Once Damien, Lady, and Gabu had arrived, they started packing things away. Scar watched them a moment, her thoughts ticking in her head "Actually... Since Khat and Lady have already been to town, and this job isn't far... we can leave the camp here, and they can watch it. It doesn't need a party of so many, for such a simple job."

The others saw wisdom in her words, and put things down again. It was after all a pretty routine task. Some farmers were being harassed by bandits, and needed a group of adventurers to drive them off.

Scar took her axe up, and rested it over her shoulder. It was always a surprise to Lady, how she could even carry something so heavy, let alone swing it at an enemy. But she was formidable, despite her fluffy tail, and delicate ears. She strolled on by, almost casually, slowing near Khat "Can you make me a sandwich when I get back?" she asked, smiling. Khatayin scowled "Get stuffed". Scar laughed merrily, and carried on her way. Damien and Gabu followed after her.

They had arrived at Summerford Farms, and of course the first thing Scar noticed, was a busty farm worker, tending to a watermelon patch. She grinned “I wouldn’t mind taking care of her melons”. Gabu was utterly disinterested, having a preference for a Miqo’te farmhand they saw earlier. The man was helping to plough the fields, and had removed his shirt. The Lalafell had admired the view, quite unashamedly.

He listened to Scar’s comment, and informed her that he would have preferred to get to know the other worker “I wouldn’t mind getting my field ploughed, if ya know what I mean” He winked, causing Scar to laugh loudly. Damien sighed, and shook his head at their immaturity. Gabu spoke up “”It’s not like you don’t have any urges man. Everyone wants to get some, at some point”

Damien chose to ignore them. This was not a subject open for discussion. Not for him.

A large Roegadyn, wearing a straw hat spotted them “You ‘ere about me ad?” Damien nodded. He still found their way of speaking hard to understand, but got the idea. Scar did the talking for them “Yeah, our friends saw it hanging up at The Wench”. The Roe smiled broadly “Ah, good, we’ve been ‘aving ‘eadaches over those bloody bandits for ages now”.

He led them just outside of a pumpkin patch, and raised a hand, to look about “They should be ‘ere soon ah reckon. They been ‘asslin us unless we pay em, scarin our stock an smashin our produce. A right pain in the arse they’ve been”. Scar stood confidently, her axe in hand “We’ll drive them off! Don’t you worry!″. Her pep and attitude assured the Roe “That’s what ah like to ‘ear”. He wandered off, leaving them to it.

Sure as anything, the bandits showed up. Their weapons and armour were shoddy at best, and at the sight of an axe wielding red head, as well as a mage, brandishing fire, they fled. They ran so fast, that the dust from their heels was left floating in the air.

Gabu sounded disappointed “Well that was easy”. Scar shrugged “Never complain about easy gil, my friend”. She hefted her axe back onto her shoulder, and walked away. Gabu put his cards away, storing his planisphere afterwards.

Damien was still fascinated by the weapon, as well as the cards. He had always been fond of cards, but these were certainly special. he had wanted to have a closer look at the weapon, but Gabriel had been reluctant. Damien chose not to press the matter.

-Back at camp-

“It has to be here somewhere!” Khat cried out, searching frantically. Lady was scouring the ground “I don’t see it...” at that moment Scar, Gabu and Damien wandered over “What the heck happened here?!” Gabu asked. Stefania stood herself straight, her hands rested on her hips “We heard someone shouting for help, so of course we ran off to check... and found nothing. When we got back, well, you can see what happened...”

Damien sighed “Never mind the mess... are you and Khat alright?” Khat stood, utterly dejected “They took my paint...” Khatayin was of the Dagasi tribe, and her facial markings were painted on every day. She couldn’t apply them without her paint, that she had brought all this way.

Lady’s hands dropped from her hips. She looked down at her jacket, tied around her waist. It was the colour her father had chosen, when their family officially became a House. And the same shade of purple as Khatayin’s markings, by coincidence. She took the garment, and tore a strip of cloth from it, making a loud ripping sound. She strode over to Khatayin, and tied it around the top of her arm “There! You’re purple again!”

Khat had been trying to hold it together, but launched herself at Stefania, hugging her tightly “Thank you...”

@thegrumpylizard

#ff14 rp #ffxiv #ff14 #final fantasy #finalfantasy14 #final fantasy14 #ffxiv stories

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scrawnydutchman · 7 years ago

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Coco Movie Review

Note: this review contains spoilers highlighted by bold letters for readers convenience. If you have not seen the film yet skip the bold sections and come back to read them once you HAVE seen it.

So I just came back from the theater after seeing Pixar’s Coco with a friend. An adventurous little romp about a Mexican boys’ supernatural journey to find his destiny, Coco is a spectacularly colorful, visually stimulating, heartfelt and clever little masterpiece that shows that in spite of recent worries many people have been having (myself included) Pixar isn’t losing their touch in creating marvelously original animated pieces. Granted this film borrows a lot of stylistic choices from Disney Animation Studios as well as other animated films (cough *BOOK OF LIFE* cough) but it also arguably takes those choices and makes them better. I’ll delve into more detail about that in a bit, but let’s tackle this film one section at a time, starting with story.

Story:

Synopsis: Miguel is a young boy who is part of a large family in Mexico and has aspirations to become a great musician. But music is banned in his family due to an ancestor of his leaving his wife and child behind to selfishly pursue a career in it. This doesn’t stop Miguel from striving for greatness though as he feels it’s in his blood to play music. One thing leads to another and Miguel ends up transporting himself to the realm of the dead where he decides to learn more about his families past to find out just what happened all those years ago. But it’s a race against the clock as Miguel finds out if he doesn’t leave the realm of the dead fast enough he will end up staying there forever. Will he be able to find his destiny and discover the truth about his family in time?

This is a pretty typical Disney plot setup. Young protagonist wants to achieve something greater than what his family has planned for him, goes on big misadventure to discover his true destiny, his family learns an important lesson about letting their kid follow their heart. If you’ve seen a Disney movie you know the ropes. But while this storyline is undeniably common among Disney films, Coco actually has a unique take on the subject matter that I haven’t seen previous entries ever do before. The lesson of the family letting Miguel follow his dreams is still present, but this time around it isn’t as clear cut and dry as, say, Pixar’s Ratatouille, which also had an ongoing theme of passion vs. family. While in Ratatouille the family pretty much has to concede to Remy as the film demonstrates he was right all along, Coco has the angle that Miguel is also at fault for a lot of his actions and has to know the importance of family as well. The film also has a great plot twist that makes the point that there IS such a thing as going too far for your dream. Truth be told it’s probably the most refreshing take on the subject matter I’ve ever seen either Disney or Pixar do.

The plot twist in this film is arguably the most effective twist I’ve ever seen either a Disney or Pixar film pull off. Matter of fact it’s very similar to the plot twist in Disney’s Frozen, but I would argue Coco succeeded where Frozen failed. In Frozen the true bad guy is hidden through a cheat in the narrative. The prince acts all starry eyed and innocent even when in the context of the scene nobody is around him, and so it’s a bit of a cheat to have it be executed in this fashion. With Coco, the bad guy is shrouded in mystery for the majority of the film. Ernesto de la cruz plays a very similar role to Gusteau in Ratatouille, where he’s a role model the protagonist never really interacts with outside of watching films and pretending to be there with him. At least that’s what it is for the majority of the movie. But when we DO finally meet him and learn his dark terrible secret, and that he cheated and murdered his way to his success, it’s not unbelievable, because just like the main character we as the audience only saw what he wanted us to see. We only ever saw his on screen persona and heard other people talk about him, whereas again, in Frozen the context implies the prince is virtuous even behind closed doors. It doesn’t feel out of nowhere because the narrative doesn’t progress in a way where betrayal was ruled out. And this twist is beyond clever because, again, it takes the moral we all see coming and puts a completely different spin on it. There IS such a thing as going too far for your dream, and there IS a certain extent where you have to put your family before your aspirations. It’s a much more profound look than kids are used to.

Beyond the compelling plot twist and the clever spin on an otherwise overdone message, it’s a pretty cookie cutter Disney movie. There’s a comedic foil, an adorable sidekick, an ambitious young protagonist, and this time around more than a few tear jerker moments. But hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. And man, when it comes to the tear jerkers, this film comes from the realest place since Pixar’s Up. The last 30 minutes are especially gut wrenching, which I for one think is a welcome compensation after Moana was pretty lacking in the sad stuff (though I will admit as a result this movie is lacking in the more comedic side). Also there’s a more than healthy dosage of Mexican culture to really break up the monotony of the story we’ve heard millions of times.

Animation/Art Design:

This. Film. Is. GORGEOUS!!! Absolutely colorful, inventive backgrounds, great use of contrasting blue with orange, dripping with Mexican atmosphere, and it really showcases some of the most impressive and inventive visuals I’ve ever seen in a Pixar movie. For one, this movie is not afraid to zoom in on all the intricate guitar playing, and for good reason. You can see every detail, every plucked string, every held note in the guitar playing. You might think this is a minor point, but take it from an animator; animating guitar or piano playing is EXTREMELY difficult especially if you want to make a point on being as accurate as possible. There’s a reason why in most animated media they zoom out, zoom in to the face or depict the playing from the other side of the piano to hide the fact that they probably aren’t hitting the right notes. Also, the way the skeletons move is wonderfully creative and interesting. So much thought went into how they walk, how they interact with their environment, how they rebuild themselves after splitting into several pieces. I especially love the squash and stretch the skeletons have; it makes them look appealingly jagged and really sells how lightweight they are without all that flesh and meat. This films is dripping with inventive visuals from beginning to end. The use of colous are on point, the lighting is great, the Textures are the best Pixar has pulled thus far. It’s a visual marvel. The character designs are great too, especially Dante the very derpy looking dog. The way his eyes and tongue look make for an effective comedic foil as well as the way his lanky scrawny body moves. In fact, the animal creatures in this movie are all very appealing in different ways. Many people including myself were skeptical about the designs of the skeletons, particularly with the big expressive Disney-esque eyes. While I’ll admit at first I thought they looked a little too odd they grew on me over time.

Also this movie is great at using it’s visuals to better progress the story, like how Miguel’s body is becoming more of a skeleton to sell the passage of time without verbally pointing it out too often.

There is just one very VERY minor issue I have with the visuals. I’m not 100% certain on this as I’ve only seen the film once thus far so it’s possible there’s just something wrong with my sight or some other reason, but I think the film uses motion blur to it’s disadvantage at times. There are scrolling shots in this movie that are supposed to showcase how massive an environment is and how many people are present in a location, but the use of motion blur makes it too fuzzy to really take in and I honestly think they laid it on too thick at times for how fast the camera actually moves. It got to a point where trying to follow the movement actually strained my eyes a little bit. It would have benefited the film more if they just left it out in certain points to make the image pop as clear as day. All well, it’s a minor knitpick that for all I know might not actually be a problem, but for the time being i’m docking a wee bit from the overall score. Besides that, it’s an undeniably beautiful flick.

Acting:

Pretty standard Disney and Pixar quality here. Every voice actor and actress in this movie does a stellar job. The cast is authentically Mexican and it shows (lncluding a Gabriel Iglesias cameo), making for greater immersion into the scenery. No performance seemed out of place, everybody got the proper emotions across. Not a whole lot else to say really.

Sound Design:

Again, pretty standard Disney and Pixar quality. Being that this movie has a heavy music theme in it, the soundtrack is beautiful and, again, authentically Mexican. The recurring song “Remember Me” is especially beautiful. This is one of those movies where the music is actually so good that I ended up getting the soundtrack on Spotify. Also, though it’s a minor addition, the mariachi cover of the music for the opening Disney logo is a nice touch. The sound effects were effective as always.

EDIT: I forgot to mention this the first time around. Not only is the music stellar but it actually plays into the plot as well in a way that’s very effective in retrospect. The song “Remember Me” has 2 versions; the opening bombastic one done by the villain of the movie and the softer, more sentimental version done by the real musician. This is actually brilliant foreshadowing to the types of characters each of them are. de la Cruz is a self absorbed, entitled asshole, and so his version of the song reflects that by being a big over the top dance number. The phrase “Remember Me” in this case is more about him telling his audience about how important he is. In contrast, the lullaby version is soft, sentimental and genuine. It isn’t superficial and it’s beautifully simple. This is a reflection of the writer. He didn’t write it to become a star. He didn’t write it because he wanted attention or glory. He wanted to make a connection with his daughter before he left. A touch like this is brilliantly subtle.

Conclusion:

Coco is tightly written with a clever and refreshing take on a recurring Disney trope. It’s visually stunning, very inventive, dripping with Mexican atmosphere and culture, and showcases some of the most heartfelt visuals and audibles I’ve seen come out of Pixar in a very long time. Really, my only problem with it was the use of motion blur at times, and that’s me REALLY stretching for something bad to say about it that I’m not even entirely sure I can back up. It’s a great film to take your kids to or to see for yourself if you’re an animation fan.

Story: 2/2

Animation/Art Design: 3.9/4

Acting: 2/2

Sound Design: 2/2

Final verdict; 9.9/10 - DAMN close to perfect.

#coco #pixar #disney #disnerd #disney pixar #animation #3d animator #3d animation #film #movies #film review #movie review

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ao3bronte · 7 years ago

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if i had a wish (i’d wish for more of this)

Also on AO3

3 < 4 > 5

For centuries, people have traveled from all over the world to visit the temples of the Oracle for their prophecy, an inside scoop into their future. Any question could be answered, any problem could be fixed unless…well, sometimes prophecies were simply too dangerous to share.

A Miraculous Ladybug Soulmate AU.

"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."

Ayn Rand

le 17 juillet 2015

Nathalie wears many hats, one of which is that of a travel agent. For years, Monsieur has only trusted her to make his various travel arrangements, being the paranoid man that he is; he claims that he's had poor experiences with other travel professionals sharing his location with paparazzi and the like in the past but Nathalie is fairly sure he just uses that excuse so he doesn't have to pay another person for something she's perfectly capable of doing herself.

Evidently, this is how Nathalie finds herself painstakingly planning an itinerary for a two week trip to Tibet. She would have spat her coffee all over her tablet at the very concept had she not been in on the scheme from the very beginning; Monsieur deigning to visit a third world nation? Preposterous. Except the revelations that had occured since procuring the peacock brooch four years ago had been...

Well, miraculous.

Since that's what they were called of course. With Mme. Dubreil’s help, they had managed to track the peacock brooch across history as it passed from hand to hand and continent to continent time and time again. From Locusta to Marie Antoinette, it was both rumoured and proven that this seemingly magical brooch had been far more important to the history of the world than any of them could have imagined at the start.

Their research had inevitably led them to a second brooch, this one far more subtle in its design in comparison to the bright blues and greens of the first. Nathalie still remembers the day Monsieur had come home with it in his possession, his normally stoic facial expression wracked with an excitement she can hardly even remember seeing on the man before that day. He'd called her into his office immediately and shut the doors behind them as he recounted his exchange with an elderly Chinese woman with unusual animation. Nathalie had been in charge of the wire transfer from one of his hidden offshore accounts and although she had the bank account number, she never did get the woman’s name.

From there, Mme. Dubreil, Monsieur and herself had been meeting regularly to determine the history of the purple brooch, which proved to be far more difficult than the peacock one due it its sophisticated, if slightly plain appearance. However, once the connection between the brooch and the butterfly motif had been made (and finding that out had been an adventure all its own), tracing its history became far less impossible and equally as fascinating. They'd even managed to associate it with both François Leclerc du Tremblay and Machiavelli, a fact that Monsieur found particularly fascinating; he'd become so smitten with the purple brooch that he’d taken to wearing it with his cravat on a daily basis and had even used its design as a source of inspiration for his 2013 spring line.

Eventually one thing had led to another. Monsieur called her in on her day off in the middle of the night back in the summer of 2014 to reveal what he had discovered, which turned out to change just about everything they thought was possible. Coming upon a PDF scan of an ancient scroll, Monsieur had learned that there weren't just two magical brooches at stake, but several magical pieces of jewellery that ranged from hair combs to earrings. They never did figure out the exact amount, but that particular piece of the puzzle wasn't what interested him.

As it turned out, not only did the scroll confirm what Gabriel had already figured out but it also revealed an even more intriguing aspect of their ever growing puzzle. The scroll, written in Sumerian and richly illustrated with seven ancient Chinese symbols, revealed a plethora of new information on the subject, including what could happen if a person wore multiple Miraculous on their person at the same time. Unfortunately, the butterfly and the peacock weren't compatible as matching pairs as they were both brooches; the style of the jewellery had to be different in order for the bearer to yield the rewards of the match.

Gabriel revealed all of this to Nathalie that night, extolling the details of the scroll with fervour. It turned out one of the matching pairs could grant the bearer the ultimate wish, something that had turned his hobby interest into a full blown obsession. In the scroll, he'd learned that not only did these magical pieces of jewellery continue to exist to this day, but the whereabouts of the majority of them could be found in a temple in Tibet, the location of which was described on the scroll in great detail. In his spare time, Gabriel had carved out the location through satellite images and insisted that Nathalie begin to organise a trip to Tibet to locate the rest of the Miraculous jewels immediately.

Opening another tab on her browser, Nathalie confirms the appointment with their Tibetan guide and copies the appropriate booking number into the spreadsheet she’d been using to keep track of all of their reservations. It would take them roughly four days to reach the temple by foot and another four to return, so Nathalie had to plan hotel stays, car rentals and the like accordingly so as to make their trip as comfortable as possible. Once she’s triple checked everything, she forwards the itinerary to the French embassy so they can monitor his whereabouts at all times and make sure that his safety is of the utmost importance throughout the trip.

At some indeterminate point, Monsieur had brought his wife in on his plans. Madame seemed particularly keen with the idea of being granted the ultimate wish, the result of which would most certainly lead to the long awaited addition to their family. In all honesty, Nathalie hasn’t seen Madame so excited in years, her sallow cheeks and pale skin from spending so much time in her bedroom suddenly blushing pink with the resurgence of hope that throbbed between her and her husband.

Adrien, as usual, was left in the dark.

Not literally of course, but figuratively. His parents would be gone during his 12th birthday, something neither of them had considered when giving Nathalie the dates for their trip. More often than not, it was Nathalie who took the responsibility to remind Monsieur of Adrien’s birthday on his calendar, but even then he tended to miss it as celebrations and holidays were ranked lowest priority on the program’s software. For the past few years, Nathalie had personally taken Adrien to various patisseries around town to pick out his own birthday treats on the sly and he would happily snack on them in the back of the Mercedes before returning home. It was their little secret, one that wasn’t shared with anyone else save Adrien’s seemingly mute bodyguard who still hadn’t spoken a word to her since being hired shortly before Adrien’s birth.

Nathalie calls the first class bureau of Air China to confirm their seats and submit Monsieur’s tailored list of demands during the nearly twenty hour flight, all of which is taken into account after a few well placed comments in regards to the sheer magnitude of influence their travellers possess in the eastern hemisphere. Gabriel’s right hand design aide was stationed at their Shanghai headquarters and he hired many budding fashion students from Donghua and Fudan, two of China’s top fashion schools. In an odd twist of whimsy, Gabriel even had Adrien studying Mandarin in case his modelling duties ever took him outside the country, something that Nathalie foresaw happening should the Agreste’s actually find success in Tibet. After all, with a new baby in the family, Monsieur would have to keep Adrien occupied and out of his hair somehow.

It bothers Nathalie sometimes, the fact that Adrien is often considered an afterthought to his father and mother. She knows her place of course, but it still niggles at the back of her mind that something about this is so so wrong.

...if only she’d told Gabriel the truth about Adrien’s prophecy.

It’s been a weight on her shoulders for nearly twelve years now, her transgression. She’s laid in bed and stared up at her ceiling a million times and wondered how Monsieur would have treated him if she had told him what actually happened, that the Pythia had explained that he had a prophecy but it was simply too dangerous to share. Would Monsieur have treated him like a son? Was Monsieur even capable of acting like a father? She’d only ever seen him consider Adrien with disdain and occasionally mild interest and Adrien learned quickly that there was no pleasing his father, no matter how hard he’d tried. Goodness knows she’d spent countless hours consoling him over that particular life lesson.

She wonders vaguely if and when the inbalance she’s caused with her omission will come back to haunt her. She wonders if it already has and her punishment is to continue to be the pseudo-surrogate mother for a boy with a dubious future until whatever danger lies ahead of him ultimately consumes him.

Something tells her she’ll soon find out.

le 7 septembre 2015

Adrien is in the renowned Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie with a credit card and a list of his favourite sweets when Nathalie receives a phone call from the French Embassy in Tibet. Her hands shake as the man on the other line relays the news, relays that the backpacks of both Monsieur and Madame and their guide have been found abandoned on a riverbank high up in the mountains with their passports still inside. He assures her that they’ve sent a search party out to try and find them and that all available resources are being assigned to the mission. Nathalie demands that he keeps her updated, hangs up the phone, and waits for Adrien’s return.

“This place is awesome,” Adrien extols breathlessly, plopping onto the backseat with three boxes in his lap, “I bought a vanilla and a raspberry Saint-Honoré for me and I bought a chocolate millefeuille for Mme. Doré because I know she likes them and I bought these for you Nathalie! There’s orange blossom and raspberry and pistachio ones...Trip Advisor says they have the best macarons in all of Paris and I would know, I looked them up on the way here to see if they were better than the Ladurée ones because I know you like them the best but I thought maybe you would like these better and…”

Nathalie blinks a few times and takes the proffered pink box, setting it down across her knees. She listens as Adrien prattles on, oblivious to her inner turmoil as she opens the box and takes a vanilla macaron between her numb fingers, lifting it to her lips. It smells heavenly and tastes even more so, the delicate flavour and texture of the meringue melting on her tongue like snowflakes on a ski hill in the Alps and it hits her like a hurricane all at once, the significance of the past few minutes, her situation now.

“...and literally, they had the biggest ispahan I’ve ever seen on their counter and they don’t just raspberry ones either, they had…”

Nathalie hears the engine roar to life as their driver accelerates by the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral, her Gothic silhouette casting a heavy shadow across the road they’re driving down. Vaguely, she feels the gentle breezes of the air conditioning brush against her cheeks and forehead, smells the sugar on her fingers and the t-shirt of a boy who spent a little too much time running about in the sunshine earlier that morning. She takes another bite and tries to pay attention, tries to focus on something, anything but the sudden rush of uncertainty in her gut, writhing and thrashing against the bitter panic that’s threatening to take over. She takes a few steadying breaths and stares down at the box of macarons instead, counting them over and over again like a mantra until the blood stops rushing in her ears.

“...and the lady there was really nice and helped me choose all the flavours because I didn’t really know which ones to get you but she said that these ones are the most popular so I…”

Nathalie nods occasionally as Adrien continues to babble on about pastries and begins to make a mental checklist of all the things she’ll have to do when she gets back to the estate. She’ll have to call the lawyer to make sure Monsieur’s affairs are in order, after which she’ll have to remind him and his firm of the gag order in regards to their media involvement. Then she’ll have to call an emergency staff meeting and explain the situation, cut all forms of communication and boot up the wifi jammer so Adrien can’t access the internet. Nathalie figures she’ll have at least twenty four hours before the story leaks and shows up on social media so she’ll have to block his data as well, if only for a week or two. By that point, he’ll be wondering why his parents haven’t returned and Nathalie will be forced to explain…

...oh.

It dawns on Nathalie at that moment, the realisation hitting her skin like a dousing of freezing cold water. It’s the reason Monsieur had renounced his faith in the Oracle and refused to let his wife travel further than the border for modelling contracts except when he was with her…

Nathalie shoves another macaron in her mouth and opens the messaging app on her iPad, jabbing the ALL STAFF button with a manicured finger. The alert goes out immediately as the Mercedes pulls into the driveway and rolls to a stop by the door.

“Nathalie?”

His voice breaks her out of her reverie and she jerks her head around, staring wide eyed at the son of her potentially deceased boss, his lips and cheeks dusted with icing sugar.

“Yes Adrien?”

“Are you alright?” he asks, tipping his head to the left. He looks down at the half eaten box of macarons in her lap, “You haven’t said a word since you got back in the car...do you not like the pastries I got you?”

Nathalie shudders, if only slightly, “They’re delicious Adrien. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” he grins, his eyes lighting up immediately, “I’m going to go bring these to the kitchen staff to put in the fridge okay? Bye!”

He’s out of the car before she knows it, skipping up the stairs and through the front door of his lavish home with a wave and a smile at the staff member manning the front door and Nathalie can’t help but feel that crushing weight against her chest again, heavy and exhausting. How on earth is she going to be able manage all this? What would happen to her, her job, her life if Gabriel Agreste was gone?

Heaving a heavy sigh, Nathalie lets her head fall back against the headrest with a thunk.

“Mobile phones in the basket please,” Nathalie orders as the staff all file into the ballroom, settling themselves in a vague semi circle around Nathalie. Once all of the devices have been gathered up into the bread basket and set on the table in front of her, Nathalie laces her fingers together and begins.

“I received word from the French embassy in Tibet roughly an hour ago. Monsieur and Madame Agreste are missing.”

There’s a pregnant pause before a raucous hum of voices bubbles up from the twenty odd people standing in front of her, all showing different expressions of shock and concern. Nathalie gives them a few moments to react before raising her hand to regain their attention, “The Tibetan government has called in reinforcements and has sent out a large search party to look for them. The member I spoke to at the embassy assured me that it’s quite likely that Monsieur’s guide simply wandered off their initial path for weather related reasons.”

Nathalie waits for the information to sink in before continuing, “As you know, it is quite likely that this story will hit international media sooner rather than later. To prepare, I will be reinstalling the jammer on the estate’s Wifi and temporarily disengaging the televisions that are connected to the cable. You will need to sign into the hidden Wifi signal again in order to use your devices,” Nathalie squares her shoulders and faces the crowd, “It is imperative that Adrien does not hear anything about their temporary disappearance until their whereabouts are confirmed. Any questions?”

One of the maids raises her hand, “When will we know more?”

“The embassy will be calling me every four hours with updates,” Nathalie replies, “If I receive anything worth noting, I will call another staff meeting.”

“And what about Adrien?” Mme. Doré asks, the live-in tutor jittering nervously, “Surely he’ll get suspicious if we don’t let him go outside the estate for fencing practice.”

“We will need to come up with a list of excuses then,” Nathalie taps her fingernails against the side of her iPad, “I’ll leave it to you to draft a list so our stories all correspond if he decides to go looking for answers.”

“But Mme. Sancoeur...” Mme. Doré averts her eyes and wrings her hands together, “That’s lying.”

Nathalie takes a deep breath, “To protect Adrien. If we’re doing it for the right reasons, the balance will remain in our favour.”

There’s another heavy murmur from the crowd. Nathalie knows that her opinion isn’t exactly the most popular one but she knows her staff; if Adrien is involved, they’ll do whatever it takes to keep him as happy and sheltered as possible.

“We should have known this would happen…”

“...I knew the prophecy would come true!”

“That’s what Monsieur gets for rejecting the Oracle…”

“...don’t say such a thing, there are lives at stake!”

“And what about Madame? What will happen to Adrien if…”

“The Oracle did say that she would die, this is just the balance at work…”

“...and Adrien, he’ll be heartbroken! What will we…”

“ ENOUGH! ”

Nathalie pinches the bridge of her nose, “As a staff, we have a job to do and that hasn’t changed. Your directives are the same until you’re told otherwise. And as for all of you, keep your gossip to yourself in case Adrien can hear it. If he learns anything about what is happening in Tibet from any of you, you can guarantee that your position at the Agreste estate will be up for debate. Shielding him from the media will be challenging, but I expect you all to be up to the task. Do I make myself clear?”

Nathalie scans her audience with a shrewd expression before continuing, “Good. Now, remember your duties and get back to work.”

le 12 septembre 2015

Bzzz-bzzz-bzzz

Nathalie jerks awake and blindly rummages for the iPhone on her nightstand, wrenching the mobile free from its charger.

“Nathalie Sancoeur speaking.”

“We found him.”

#miraculous ladybug #soulmate au #ml fanfic #ml #ladynoir #brontewrites #if i had a wish (i'd wish for more of this)

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the-mf-bread-babies · 4 years ago

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28/7/2020

— TRUE VOLUME ONE —

VOL 4, ACTUALLY, BUT WHATEVER.

R. W. NORTH

i dedicate this volume to no one except for me bc i was the only one who wrote this. self love ok

_________________________________

CHAPTER ONE

“Halle Berry Did Two Movies Like This”

Damon was kidnapped. This is bad. Oh, there should probably be some explanation behind this. Sorry.

_________________________________

CHAPTER 0.5

“Short × Backstory × Summaries”

After four years of the most iconic event the universe had ever experienced, The Sixth Augmentation, also known among the locals as The Fusion, Doomsday, and several other names, one particular group of people had formed a good family amongst themselves. This family had three human members and several other non-human members, including, but not limited to, cats, banshees, ghosts in general, reptiles, and beings our planet couldn't invent through biology and even through thought.

This family's main members were Dennis and Aaron, and Damon and Sawblade. Their whole lives were completely changed after having to stick together in a ghost town and raise chickens and cows and plant crops for food. That sounded like a description for a rom-com or something. This is not a rom-com. Well… yet.

The family had settled down in the 74th district of the third Earth that joined the Amalgamation. The district had possessed a variety of… everything, really. The Eiffel Tower was a few blocks away, there was an upsidedown barn there, half of a condominium building, a quarter of a Tesco, and god knows what else. This diverse array of resources had been responsible for new buildings in the area that combined specialties from around the world, and while they were mostly fusion restaurants, there still existed things like Tesco cosplaying events and such. Apocalypses bring odd things to the world, and some are worth trying… for example, otherworldly foods.

This subject was a difficult topic to tackle among the residents there. Mainly, the dangers and morality of doing such a thing– you'd have to consider the effects it would bring to your health, if you're harming their ecosystem, if you're harming the people who lived with the beings before it was introduced to you– it really had to be quite challenging to negotiate a good compromise.

Well, except for Aaron. Meet Aaron… again, this time, since he's changed a lot after what happened. Aaron Russell is a simple man; most of the things he does in life are things a normal person does– eat, sleep, have companions– everyone does that, but not the way he does.

Even before he entered the amalgamation, he was always trying new things, mainly foods, but also things like video games and hobbies. Yes, the sight of the contents of his fridge could bring a stroke to someone from a hundred years ago, because goddamn, is he dangerously experimental.

The reason Aaron doesn't enter discourse on things as insignificant as what one eats is because while he does acknowledge the fact that the opinions of the natives on who should consume their resources should be very much respected, he also knows that it's human nature to hunt, to explore, and to be curious, as long as it isn't endangering oneself. He would eat risky foods, but anything that sets off his fight-or-flight instincts if he saw it live is definitely a no-no. Even though he's an adventurer at heart, he follows the rules and does what's right. But goddamn it, if he gets disappointed at a failed experiment, he's never touching anything resembling that. So, in his opinion, the safest route to an entertaining journey is…

Video games.

His library of games range from first-person shooters to slime rancher, from dating simulators to… well, a majority of video games nowadays have dating in them. But yeah, Assassin's Creed, Metal Gear, Borderlands, Spider-Man, Life is Strange, Smash Bros, and Luigi's Mansion are just some of the many franchises he's into. And then the companions, God, I mean, the man lives in a haunted house with his co-worker, some random kid and, like, thirty cats. He's friends with mythical beings, now. If anything, the amalgamation changed his life for the way better.

Dennis, on the other hand… is sort of the opposite. While escaping from certain clearly bad conditions is something he absolutely loves, he doesn't really know where to go after that, since he didn't really think it was possible. His family was bad, he joined Aaron's. Then? What was he supposed to do, cut them off after decades of living with them? Thankfully, the augmentation came along. Dennis is a man who daydreams about living a life he couldn't possibly achieve, but when he does, he didn't plan ahead. To get to this amount of joy in his life was unfathomable for him; back before he moved out of his hometown, he was essentially living a lie.

His life was planned out for him– move out at 20, get a stable job at 22, marry his old high school girlfriend his parents keep bothering him about at 25, and forever dread his life starting at age 27. Then, kids at 30. Even though this life seemed to be nice, and even to him had its benefits, he still hated it. Sure, he would be open for a very short-term relationship with Chloe from French 2, but jeez, is she super republican.

Dennis's views on life differed significantly from his family's, and even though he disliked seeing anything that reminded him of them, he still moved around in the Midwest, and stopped when…

he saw a certain someone at Krispy Kreme.

Now, everything is history. He and Aaron renovated the old family workshop into a pet store, and thankfully, business was way better. Not only did Gabriel start up a traveling psychic service and Lan, a plant store, but even Dennis sold a lot of art. All thanks to the Krispy Kreme store at the end of the street that was…

… crushed by a condominium building. See, this is where it all gets messed up. The Russell family surely had enough members for now, Gabriel and Lan didn't want any grandchildren in the near future, and so did Aaron and Dennis, but, well, something, or rather someone, came along.

Here's Damon Eddmil Ameakfen, or “Nomad Middle Fakename,” after unscrambling the anagram. He, like Dennis, also couldn't really care less if he, or his family, suddenly disappeared out of nowhere. Outside of having a number of inconveniences, the thought of it doesn't bring any emotional distress to him.

Instead, Damon finds joy in finding out practically everyone he's ever known could've died as soon as he arrived on Eris-6, knowing those unlucky dumbasses don't deserve… well, not exactly ‘they don't deserve to live,’ but really, it's what they all believed, except directed towards Damon and others like him.

If Damon stayed on Earth-3 forever, and in that same, depressing place, he'd be dead by now, really. He's not exaggerating or whatever, he'd probably either kill himself or get killed. Whatcha gonna do.

But, obviously, he's still living, and it's all thanks to Aaron and Dennis for their acknowledgement and appliance of common sense when it comes to living. That sounds like he came from a family of very dangerous carpenters, but really, if anyone important in his old life had even a speck of common sense in analysing people and knowing what's right and wrong about someone, he probably wouldn't have been so suicidal.

So thanks, Aaron and Dennis.

CHAPTER 0.75

“What's Going On Now, Though?”

Moving on to the present, the Russell family now are the only living inhabitants of [town name.] The others were tragically moved into NULL by their forceful officers. Now, they live in stealth, their identities changed. After years of searching, NULL had classified them as deceased and had closed down inspections within the town. However, they still had to be very cautious about their actions– they never went outside the city, and they always preferred to travel in tunnels and alleys, always moving around in the shadows.

For months, they believed NULL was no longer their biggest concern in living there, but unfortunately they were proven wrong.

Apparently, surprise inspections are a thing.

This story's true beginning takes place in March of 2025. Even though it was supposed to be spring, winter still ruled the other seasons because of the location of the district. After years of only experiencing the same season, the family got used to it– except for Damon…

Damon hailed from Malaysia, which, by the way, doesn't have the luxury of experiencing four seasons. Although he did visit Cameron Highlands once as a kid, living somewhere where the temperature was constantly below zero had proved to be a very difficult struggle to him. The unforgiving climate constantly cursed him with fevers and frostbite. Despite that, he absolutely loves the gloomy, cold weather, and wishes he could spend his entire life there, cozily wrapped up in three blankets.

This problem had a butterfly effect on him being kidnapped, though. Snow was one of Damon's favourite things about the climate, and that meant he went outside a lot. He usually made it home safely, except for one unlucky day.

CHAPTER 0.875

“The Abduction”

It was a normal day for the Russell family. They followed their daily routines, but unfortunately, NULL intervened.

“Hoodie, other hoodie, three scarves, watch, bracelets, mittens, metal bat, pepper spray, water, keys, backpack, hockey mask…” Damon muttered to himself, “I think that's all.” He walked over to the dining hall, meeting Dennis and Aaron. “Hey, I'm heading out,” “want anything?” He asked, his face almost covered to protect him from the cold. “Uh, not really. We're outta cereal, though,” Dennis replied, petting Sawblade, who was laying on the dining table. “Moisturizer, if there's any.” Aaron requested, eyes unmoving from his year-old newspaper, annoying Damon slightly. “What brand… what kind… which outlet… how much… just moisturiser, or a whole set?” Aaron pondered for a while, “Two,” “from Wal-Mart.” he teasingly replied. Damon rolled his eyes and stomped out the door. “Heh…” Aaron smirked.

Damon walked outside and immediately jumped facedown into the snow, making a snow angel. “hheheheheheeeheheh” “snoww” he giggled, rolling around. “Okay, enough of that. You're 19, dude,” the man muttered to himself disappointedly, dusting off the snow from his clothes and readjusting them. “Moisturiser… cereal… um…” he thought. “Yeah, that's all.”

Damon continued walking before realising something he forgot. “Camo! Shit!” He yelled, completely disguising as a snowman, carrot and all. He bounced along the street, as it was the least sketchiest way to go to the shops there. As soon as he reached the grocery store, he dropped his empty backpack onto the ground and faced the other way, ignoring the store.

Damon noticed the usual sound of rustling leaves, followed by the backpack being swiftly dragged across the pavement. Chittering, and after that, the bag was thrown back at him. It was packed with the groceries he wanted, and a bottle of shampoo. “Hey, my hair's not that bad.” Damon commented sadly, facing the store again. A small, teasing chitter shot back, making him narrow his eyes. “Sure, yeah, whatever, man,”

Damon hopped back home, questioning what the being, or beings, running the grocery store were, but eventually accepting that he'll never know that. Suddenly, loud squeaks grabbed his attention. It sounded like it came from the store, but why? Did he get the wrong order? Did he steal something on accident? What's going on? Damon anxiously thought of all the horrifying possibilities until he saw what he never thought would terrorise that city again.

NULL agents.

Despite his efforts to escape and hide as fast as possible, an agent caught him and chased him. Damon, seeing this, scuttled underneath a passageway they never used. It lead to a tunnel that they tried to develop for the past year, but ultimately failed to do so. Luckily, it was the perfect opportunity to block himself in with the remaining dirt pile next to it, thanks to Dennis's unwillingness to throw it out.

Except it wasn't.

Frogs hopped everywhere in panic, scaring Damon enough for him to stumble over. Ah, he remembered this. Aaron turned the dirt pile into a froggy apartment. Whoops.

Swatting the amphibians away, Damon was trying his best to cover the hole leading to the tunnel, but…

A NULL agent grabbed his arm and used a stun gun on it, leaving him helpless and screaming in pain. Suddenly, an idea sprang to mind.

Damon sprayed the living hell out of the agent with pepper spray, but sadly, their helmets had proved that idea to be useless.

Then, he was left with no choice but to whack his arm to death with a metal bat. So long, watch he had from 2014. You could've taken the UPSR exam next year…

Well, except he couldn't chop it off, there were frogs on the bat, and he just put on hand cream this morning. That means they could die at his touch, and that would be more tragic than his death. Damon was now running out of ideas, begging for some ghost to hear him and come kill the bastard, but no one came.

Oh, nevermind.

D: “I'LL F**KING KILL YOUR ASS, MOTHERF**KER!!”

A: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

Dennis and Aaron came rushing in, with Aaron unsheathing a katana and Dennis loading a rock salt rifle. How they got those weapons, Damon really doesn't know, but thank God they're here.

“DAMON, ARE YOU OKAY?!” Dennis yelled loudly, his voice cracking and tears streaming down his face. “DO I LOOK–” “ARM!!!” Damon shouted back, “OTHER THAN THAT, VERY, BUT I HAVE FROGS!!!” Aaron signalled to Dennis to split up, with both of them on either side of Damon. “TRY NOT TO DIE!!” Aaron wisely advised, grabbing Damon's arm and getting into a fighting stance. “HOLY SHI–”

[squelching sounds]

[gunshot]

[heavy breathing]

[gunshot]

[loud yelling]

[gunshot]

[splattering sounds]

[gunshot yet again]

“Okay, don't freak out, I sterilise this baby every day,” Aaron softly assured amidst Damon's screams of pain. Dennis aimed the rifle through the dirt, shooting it again. “HOW MANY FUCKING BULLETS DO YOU HAVE??!!” Damon shouted angrily, continuing his screaming shortly afterwards. “Okay, we're just gonna carry you,” Aaron said reassuringly, although Damon felt like he was in walking distance from the grim reaper.

“Herhehsjjdnfbdjs” Damon cried. “YudhrhuYduYdudh” Aaron looked at him sadly. “Okay, there ya go.” Damon thought he was engulfed in the flames of hell by then, but thankfully, it was just the operating table from the old pet shop.

“Hey, this is okay. You can be like Junkrat now.” Aaron said softly, somehow successfully calming Damon down. “Yeah… Junkrat…” “Or like… Iron Man… or something…” Damon responded slowly. Dennis watched them worryingly before realizing something. “Shit!” he muttered before running back to retrieve the arm. Sadly, it was gone and probably under NULL's hands now, so there was no getting it back.

Aaron looked at Dennis while he was treating the wound, hoping for him to retrieve the limb. Alas, the man shook his head, sweating in fear. “Oh, that's okay, I can, like, staple a stick here or something…” Damon assured. “If anything, having a gnarly scar and a fake arm is way cooler than just the scar, guys.” he said calmly as his arm stopped bleeding.

“Is that bad?” Damon asked confusedly at Aaron. “What? No! That's a really good sign!” he said happily. “That makes it sound even worse…” Damon confessed sadly, sending Aaron into mega-reassuring mode. “NO!!! NO!!! IT'S GOOD, DAMON!!! YOU'RE ALIVE NOW!!! ALIVE!!! PLEASE DON'T DIE!!!” Damon just stared at him in further confusion.

“If it helps, you'll see Brendon Urie in hell later.” Dennis said softly. “I'd rather die infinite deaths.” Damon shot back, disgusted in the offer. “What's wrong with Brendon…” the redhead asked. “He's racist, Dennis,” Aaron replied, examining Damon for any other wounds. “Jesus, that's a lot of bacne.” “Brendon Urie's racist? I thought he was g*y.” “G///ay people can be racist.” Damon replied. “I thought you liked the guy?” Dennis asked in confusion, looking at Damon. “Dennis, that's Gerard Way,” “What the hell!”

“Sorry,” Aaron apologized. “just some bandages so it doesn't get infected or anything.” He explained, gently wrapping Damon's… well, what used to be his arm, in bandages. “I'm Rick Sanchez… no wait… Deckard…” Damon mumbled happily, forgetting Rick Grimes' surname. “Yeah,” (Rick Grimes has his arm cut off in the comics, they didn't do this in the show due to budgeting concerns)

A short while later, the three joined Dennis in boarding up the windows and doors to keep NULL out. However, due to Damon's injury, he instead helped carry around tools and other equipment with his healthy right arm.

The house was now the most secure it had ever been, with no direct contact to the outside world. Gabriel had organized shifts for the house ghosts to surround the house and guard it. Dennis and Lan moved the farms into spare rooms, and Aaron distributed weaponry to the whole family. Note to self: Gabriel and Lan are still alive and you should put them in at the beginning.

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psyriaart · 7 years ago

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The Lazy Cat Themes: family/romance, post-reveal, a whole bunch of fluff Rating: General Audience/ PG Pairing: Marinette/Adrien, mentions of Alya/Nino Word Count: 1.8K Summary: The daily life of a married Marinette Agreste-Dupain-Cheng

For Miraculous Ladybug Secret Santa 2017 @mlsecretsanta Merry Christmas @chatnono I really hope you enjoy your gift!!!

The Lazy Cat is having it’s 2nd annual BOGO sale tomorrow X00X/X0/XX with superstar Adrien Agreste as the frontman for it’s giveaway. There will also be live music from my boo, DJ B.Shell so come on over and get some coffee!

The Lady Blog, now more of Alya’s Adventure blog, posted for thousands to read. Marinette smiled at the headline on her laptop screen and quickly grab her phone to send her thanks. It was a great surprise to see such a quirky yet heartwarming article so early in the morning. She rolled over toward Adrien’s side of their monstrous bed to show him the article but stopped.

“Oh Kitty...,” she chuckled softly.

From the pile of various pillows stuffed around his head, she could make out his hair sticking out from under the blankets. He had been sick for a couple of days trying to get better for the big event tomorrow. Thankfully, the cluster of blanket and pillows, as comfortable as they were, were also warm enough to help him sweat whatever the sickness was, off.

It was a miracle that Marinette hadn’t gotten it herself, course she made sure to be extra careful while she was taking care of him. Heaven knows that they didn’t need to both be out of commission.

She got out from her side of the bed that she quarantined and walked out to the kitchen. Humming a quiet tune to herself, she heated up the kettle to pour into his herbal tea. There were some side projects that Marinette knew she had to finish before the big event and now seemed like the perfect time. One of the projects was a surprise for her husband. Adrien had worked so hard for the last couple months to the point of getting bedridden sick. It was all for the sake of the Agreste Cafe Line, she knew, but he deserved a break.

By the time the kettle was ready and the tea had steeped for a bit, she had already made the proper arrangements to Gabriel Agreste’s Fashion Walk coming up within the next few weeks, and booked some flights to various islands to try out their coffee beans. She also booked an island in-between for their spontaneous mini vacation. Though she wasn’t in charge of the Agreste’s new branch of coffee shops and products, she still tried her best to support her husband’s work. Gabriel had both been pleasantly happy that she had some fashion sense to help the company and grateful that she was bring Adrien back into his arms.

It was kept a secret that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth, the evil that had been terrorizing Paris for years. Only the immediate family of Adrien and Marinette as well as the miraculous holders knew that. It was thanks to the formation of the entire miraculous crew that finally stopped him.

So consumed in his resurrection of his late wife, Gabriel gave away to the dangerous desire that corrupted his heart. Years of research and of denial made him obsessed and thus vulnerable to the evil side of the miraculous powers. Every miraculous could be used for good or bad. It was unfortunate that Gabriel believed his actions to be good when in reality they were, in fact, toxic.

After the whole ordeal and the interrogation from good old LadyBug and Chat Noir, Gabriel confessed that he had no control over himself during the past 10 years. He explained that it was like he was a prisoner in his own body, only seeing and feeling but never able to take control. He felt possessed, like someone else was there taking the reigns. The only idea Master Fu could come up with was that the miraculous’, which held both yin and yang energy, were susceptible to evil. Since Gabriel’s wish was selfish and toxic, the dark energy consumed him throughout the years and drove him into pure evil insanity.

He gratefully thanked the young teens for helping him escape and, though the young heroes were hesitant, they did not report him in. The general public was shown and told that whoever had been Hawkmoth had been destroyed and that Paris was safe again.

Despite their rough relationship, Gabriel had been trying hard to show Adrien how good of a father he could be. He was extra grateful to Marinette for helping him build that relationship and was especially accommodating with their wedding a few years after. Adrien had been reluctant at first, he had felt bitter and untrusting, but with his friends coaxing him and Marinette soothing his anxieties he slowly opened up and had begun to forgive. It helped that Gabriel allowed him to broaden the Agreste line through coffee shops.

“Yeah Alya, thanks again for that post. You really do know how to work your magic,” Marinette said to her headset.

“I’m a journalist now, so I got to turn that skill into a hobby somehow if I don’t want to think of it as. And if that means hyping for my girl then so be it. You can just pay me back by making me an aunt” Alya replied from the other line, to which Marinette laughed barely keeping her voice down.

“You are already pregnant Mrs. Cesaire-Lahiffe, do you really need another one?” she joked and pulled up her laptop.

“There’s a difference, Marinette Agreste-Dupain-Cheng!” Marinette shook her head in amusement and continued writing up her email.

“Speaking of children, how’s Tiki and Plagg handling their sleepover?” She asked hoping to change the subject and also curious herself. All the heroes had spent a week after Hawkmoth’s defeat mulling over whether they should reveal themselves, and Alya was the one who pushed that they each deserved to know the true face of their comrades.

“Plagg is being his sassy self, but Tiki is refraining him from bullying everyone else.” Alya replied in amusement. “I’m sure he just misses Adrien like the that kitty he is.” Marinette smiled at that. She thanked Alya once more and promised to see them tomorrow at the Lazy Cat.

Right on time Marinette’s phone dinged, signalling the medicinal tea to be done brewing. Finishing up the last of her work, Marinette grabbed a tray of pastries and the mug of tea to bring to the room only to find the mug missing from the counter.

“You seemed to have lost your touch, bugaboo” a familiar voice chimed behind her. “Just because you’re married now doesn’t mean that you have get all soft on me.” Marinette turned around to see her bed head of a husband sipping his drink casually.

“If you weren’t recovering from being so sickly, I’d show you just how soft I can be,” Marinette crossed her arm and smirked right back. There was a soft chuckle as Adrien took another gulp.

“Trust me, My Lady, I know just how soft you can be,” he winked and gave Marinette a kiss on the cheek. She shook her head at his returning innuendo and turned around. “What’s Father been having you do now? Don’t you have today off?” After moving Marinette’s silky black hair to the side, Adrien settled his chin on top of her shoulders. He was glad she kept her hair long only because he loved to bat at it with his hands every now and then. Leaning against him, Marinette smiled contently and began typing.

“Don’t worry, I’m almost done and then you can have me all to yourself.” Marinette replied. Adrien simply watched her work while continuing to finish his drink. He was halfway done when he started to get antsy. He kissed her neck and blew at her ears only for her to continue with her work. Adrien frowned and placed his cup down. But just as quickly, Marinette snapped the laptop shut before Adrien got anymore pouty. She felt his arms circle around her waist as he cuddled to her. “You need to finish your tea, Adrien.” She chastised lightly to which he grunted.

“It just makes me sleepy and I haven’t hung out with you yet.” he whined and nuzzled his face to her neck. Marinette sighed and reached one hand to pat his head and placed the other on his arms around her. She swears that he was just a child cat sometimes, and thought that Alya was practically already an aunt to this catman child. She mentally snorted at that. But as goofy and cat-like as he was, Marinette knew she wouldn’t change a thing about him.

“I love you.” She turned around in his arms and hugged him. If he was Chat Noir, his tail would be wagging in sheer happiness.

“No matter how many times you tell me that, it will never cease to amaze me,” he replied and hugged her tighter. “I love you.” he kissed her forehead and began rocking her to a silent melody only their hearts knew the beat to.

“Alya wrote about the shop’s annual opening tomorrow. I thanked her for us already,” Adrien hummed and continued to hold her. “She said that she wanted us to give her babies-” Adrien froze.

“You’re pregnant!?”

Marinette laughed and shook her head.

“Why are you working so much right now?! Sit down! We need to call everyone! Who-” Marinette booped his lips closed.

“We’re still on the pill and we’re not ready yet. You know how Alya is,” Marinette looked at Adrien’s flustered face and laughed again.

After shaking off that world changing possibility, Adrien took in the sight of his beautiful wife in her red and white pajamas laughing into the morning sun. He smiled and thanked God for this blessing.

“You’re right. We still have our own adventures we need to go on before we can add more to the party.” He grinned widely. “Alya can be pregnant for the both of us.” Marinette nodded in agreement and let him push her to their bedroom.

“Kitty, stop whatever you’re thinking. That face always means you’re up to something,” Marinette warned only to be picked up and quickly tossed onto their colossal bed. The cloud-like cushion softened her fall and she barely let out a screech before Adrien pinned her with various pillows and blankets.

“You have to take responsibility and take me to sleep, especially since you forced me to drink that thing.” He explained while piling even more cushion around them.

“That thing is going to help you get through tomorrow,” Marinette replied. She could already tell that he was getting a lot better by his energy, but one couldn't be too careful.

“Such a dutiful wife, just how lucky am I to have you,” Adrien stated and tucked himself right next to her. “You can almost say, I’ve got a ladybug by my side!” he laughed at Marinette’s groan.

“That was just plain horrible,” Marinette teased. “Worst yet in fact.” Adrien just laughed and pulled her in closer. It wasn’t long before she heard the soft even breathing coming from his lips. She gave him a quick kiss and settled towards him before closing her eyes. She’d give in this time and take a little cat nap with him. They could afford to be a bit lazy today.

#mlsecretsanta 2k17 #adrienette #post-reveal #maybe mild spoiler #i haven't seen season 2 yet though #@chatnono #@mlsecretsanta

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sequentialartconfidential · 7 years ago

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Week Two: 1/10/2018

Books purchased:

Head Games Graphic Novel Craig McDonald/Writer Kevin Singles/Artist First Second

The Imposter’s Daughter Graphic Novel Laurie Sandell/Writer/Artist Little,Brown

Motor Girl Real Life TPB Terry Moore/Writer/Artist Abstract Studio

My Favorite Thing is Monsters Emil Ferris/Writer and Artist Fantagraphics

Elsewhere TPB Jay Faerber/Writer Sumeyye Kesgin/Artist Image

Royal City Issue 9 Jeff Lemire/Writer/Artist Image

Stray Bullets Sunshine and Roses Issue 31 David Lapham/Writer/ Artist El Capitan

Star Wars Forces of Destiny (Rey) One-Shot Jody Houser/ Writer Arianna Florean/Artist IDW/Disney

Star Wars Darth Vader Issue 10 Charles Soule/Writer Giuseppe Camuncoli/Artist Marvel

The Vision Hardcover Collection Tom King/Writer Gabriel Hernandez Walta

So it was a light new comic day for me but I still spent about $52 because I bought the new Vision hardcover collection which runs $40 by itself. I only picked up four new comics today (what I have heard some people call “floppies” so I’ll use that term here to designate new single issue comics). I did pick up some TPB’s (trade paperbacks) at a used bookstore and I did finish My Favorite Thing Is Monsters so I’ll be reviewing those as well. I have not read the Vision book yet so I’ll talk more about that next week. From what I’ve heard and read the book is supposed to be fantastic so I am looking forward to reading it. So let’s do this…..

Head Games Graphic Novel Craig McDonald/Writer Kevin Singles/Artist First Second

This book was okay. Just okay. I really liked the artwork by Kevin Singles. The cover blurb about him says this was his first time drawing a graphic novel and he did a really good job on it. Good visuals that enhance the story even when it’s meandering around which it’s prone to do. That brings me to the story itself. The main character is a Hemmingway like writer named Hector Lassiter who, the introduction tells us, is the subject of ten novels by Craig McDonald. I’m not sure that I could read another book about this guy so ten seems like overkill. The problem I have with the character is that he’s too extra. He helped Blackjack Pershing chase Pancho Villa, he served in World War One, he’s buddies with Hemmingway and Dashiell Hammett, he has romanced great beauties such as Marlene Dietrich (who he endearingly calls “Kraut”…ugh), he’s a hard drinking, award winning book writing, son of a bitch. It’s as if Hemmingway’s life story was written by Dashiell Hammett and filmed by Sam Peckinpaugh. That may sound like a fun combination but it’s really a mess. Just like Hemmingway he is a hard drinking writer living a life of great adventure and sadness, just like Hammett he is a crime writer suffering from ailments that have slowed him down in his old age, and just like almost all of the great Peckinpaugh films he is a man out of time, unable to adjust to getting old and the changing world around him. He’s too much and the plot is as well. I won’t give it away but it’s convoluted and involves Pancho Villa, Prescott Bush, Orson Welles, and gun toting members of Yale’s Skull and Bones organization. I was kind of bored with it by the end.

Pass. Don’t bother unless you want to check out the art.

The Imposter’s Daughter Graphic Novel Laurie Sandell/Writer/Artist Little,Brown

I liked this book but I do tend to favor true stories and personal reflections, especially when it’s a good story. Laurie Sandell is a very good writer and her art is fun and colorful. The drawings are loose and a bit cartoony but they fit perfectly with her story and oh what a story it is! I won’t give too much away but here is the premise, Laurie’s dad is an imposter, I mean he is her real dad but nothing he has ever told her is true. He brags about his heroics in Vietnam and being a pen pal with the Pope and little Laurie is enamored of her larger than life dad until she discovers that all of his stories were lies. Not only that but he also turns out to be something of a scam artist. This causes Laurie to start seeking not only the truth about her father but also discovering who she really is. It’s a great read if you like personal memoirs like I do.

Buy. I recommend this to people who like slice of life comics.

Motor Girl Real Life TPB Terry Moore/Writer/Artist Abstract Studio

Motor Girl is okay. This is the first volume I’ve read and I’m not sure that I need to see more. Like most of Terry Moore’s stuff I’m “meh” about this. To be more specific, in case “meh” doesn’t serve well enough, I like his books but can live without them. I would buy another volume of this if I found it on clearance like this one (I paid $4 for it) but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find one and I certainly wouldn’t pay full price. It was a fun read with a few interesting ideas but nothing earth shattering. Like most of Moore’s work this one has a female lead (which I have no problem with). This lead happens to be a former Marine who works in a junkyard named Samantha (Sam). Sam spent some time in an Iraqi prison and has the scars, both physical and mental, to show for it. This leads the reader to question if anything they are seeing is real, like the giant talking ape she hangs around with or the aliens that keep coming to visit her. You may find that intriguing and want to know more but I’m not sure that I do.

Pass. For me, your opinion of Terry Moore may vary.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters Emil Ferris/Writer and Artist Fantagraphics

So I finally finished this and I have to say that all the praise this book is getting is well deserved. There is a lot going on here but the characters and their development keep it interesting. The artwork is phenomenal, drawn as if in a lined notebook with colored pens, sketchy but technically sound with gorgeous crosshatching. I was a bit irked that the book ended because I wanted to keep reading and it just left me hanging. I know there is a second volume in production now but there’s no telling how long that will take because this one must have taken forever to do. There is a ton of diversity and representation in this book with little stereotyping or misrepresentation. The book itself deals with monsters both real and imagined, from werewolves to Nazis, zombies to child abusers. I won’t give any of this away because I think it needs to be read without prejudice going in. I highly recommend this book and, if you don’t want to take my word for it, I suggest you look at any of the reviews online because almost all of them agree.

Buy. Yes, buy this. You will thank me later.

Elsewhere TPB Jay Faerber/Writer Sumeyye Kesgin/Artist Image

I thought this book was interesting. I enjoy most of Faeber’s books, especially Copperhead, so I was intrigued by this one. This is another book I picked up relatively cheap and I’m not sure if I would have bought it otherwise. I’m glad I bought it because I enjoyed it but I’m not sure I would continue to buy it. The art by Kesgin is nice and the story is unique but not exactly exciting. The gist is that an alternate dimension exists where things from other worlds get sucked in and trapped there. If you have seen Thor 3 then it’s kind of like that. A lot of people and things that have mysteriously vanished end up here, like DB Cooper and Amelia Earhart. Amelia is of course plucky and brave just as she was in real life and DB is a money hungry cad but together they plan to overthrow the head of this crazy place and escape back to their lives. I did enjoy the book but I’m not sure it’s something that would hold my attention over a long period of time.

Pass. I reserve the right to change my mind if I ever read another volume because I think it may have potential but for now it’s a pass.

Royal City Issue 9 Jeff Lemire/Writer/Artist Image

I like a lot of Lemire’s work but sometimes his work is a little surreal and difficult to follow. I prefer his books that are about people and their relationships. This is one of those books. Some may find the book slow moving but it’s atmospheric and we are slowly seeing the characters develop and it’s worth the wait. The pacing mirrors the slow moving small town that the characters inhabit. It’s the story of the town just as much as it is of the Pike family. This is the story of people who grow up in dead end factory towns who never leave and always wonder what could have been if they had left. Everyone in this town is haunted by regret and lost dreams, the Pike family is haunted by that as well as the ghost of their little brother, Tommy. Patrick Pike, the de facto lead character, is one of the people who escaped from the town becoming a best selling author but now his star is fading and he’s come back to town to deal with his own ghosts. I love this book. Some may find Lemire’s art a bit cartoony or loose for their taste but I find it homey and ethereal. The art fits the story perfectly and Lemire knows how to use angles and varying shot lengths that help underscore the impact of this morose tale.

Buy. I love the book but I expect that not everyone is a fan of Lemire, or slow building character pieces, or mesmeric art so think about whether you enjoy those types of things before picking it up.

Stray Bullets Sunshine and Roses Issue 31 David Lapham/Writer/ Artist El Capitan

I enjoy David Lapham a great deal but almost exclusively on things he does by himself. I haven’t enjoyed much that he has done for outside publishers but I love his crime books like Stray Bullets and Murder Me Dead. Lapham does have a tendency to get off track at times but this run has been relatively straight forward. One of the fun things about Lapham’s characters in these books is that almost no one is innocent and almost no one is completely a villain. There are a lot of realistic characters in these books who just happen to do really dumb things. These books can be fun one second and deadly serious the next, it’s a good mix. There is a lot of history built into this series. I think the original series had 100 issues, I can see the omnibus from where I sit but I’m too lazy to get up and get it. The good news is that you don’t have to have read all of those books to get into this series but, you know, it wouldn’t hurt and that was a hell of a series so…. These books center around crime but they are mainly character pieces about crappy people. Lapham is great at building character and dialogue, sort of like a comic book version of Quentin Tarantino without all of the foot fetish stuff. If you haven’t read any Stray Bullets I suggest you correct that. I hope Lapham keeps doing this series for a while, it’s what he’s best at.

Buy. Go get the omnibus! It may be a bit expensive but it’s worth it! Then start on this series.

Star Wars Forces of Destiny (Rey) One-Shot Jody Houser/ Writer Arianna Florean/Artist IDW/Disney

This book was not as good as the Leia one. I guess these are tie-ins with some new Star Wars merchandise? Like Disney Princesses in space? I don’t know and I really don’t care to find out. I won’t spend a lot of time talking about this because it’s not worth it. Nice art, irritating story. Do you want to know what happened to Rey and BB8 between the time she found him and the time she took him into town? No? Me either but Disney seems to think we do. This books ends with a deus ex machina rescue that will just make you wonder why you read the whole book.

Pass. Unless you’re ten or younger I guess.

Star Wars Darth Vader Issue 10 Charles Soule/Writer Giuseppe Camuncoli/Artist Marvel

Why do I keep reading these Star Wars comics? That is all.

Pass. Only for Star Wars fans with low expectations.

That’s all folks. I’ll read The Vision and get back to you!

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