#they don't sound like their old sound despite having all original members again

[terryfuckingturniptruck]

While the Blink 182 album was disappointing, the Green Day one is gonna be baller!

[doiefy]

mad city // nct series

GENRE: sci fi, biopunk, dystopian, thriller PAIRINGS: features both x reader and mxm fics MEMBERS: johnny, doyoung, jaehyun, jungwoo, mark, possibly more to come!

note: if this series looks somewhat familiar, it's because it is! this is a massive rework of my old 'fight or flight' fic for doyoung, which I posted almost two years ago (pls don't read it, like 69% of it isn't canon anymore and I kinda hate it anyways). it's been a real struggle turning it into something I actually want to write for again (which involved changing the original plotline from x reader to dojae, for which I am VERY unapologetic, don't fucking touch me), but after a year or so of on-and-off planning, here it is. I can't guarantee that I’ll get these fics out super speedily, as I also want them to be very visual and will be spending a shit ton of time on graphics; but if you're interested in a tag list for any of these fics, let me know!

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE REFERRED TO AS THE SPLIT: the fracturing of life as it once was, the steady decline of the natural world, all perpetuating political tensions and rampant crime in two rival cities. 

To the north lies Iameh, an urban paradise of impressive art and culture, resulting from centuries of mining and exploitation—a pristine exterior built upon the hardship of their southern neighbours. In one of their forgotten limestone quarries lies Siacia: Iameh’s shadow, their forsaken history, but a thriving metropolis nonetheless. 

Siacia is all the blinding colours and deafening sound that Iameh is not, boasting citizens with supernatural powers and the most sinister advancements in biotech. From their empty mineshafts and grotesque lifeforms in the quarry lake arises Burner: the Siacians’ fuel, their weaponry, and their only chance against the genetic mutations that plagued them for generations.

But like all things that come out of the ground, Burner is exploited. It is quickly monopolized, used as a drug, turned into a bargaining chip by the Assembly, a loose organization of businessmen and mutants claiming to be Siacia’s ruling government. Those on the streets of the Quarry and its four cardinal faces know very well: what the Assembly demands from them must be given, lest they face their wrath. 

So the fissure spreads and opens wider between the two cities, between all people—only a matter of time before one finds themselves dangling off the edge. 

VOLUME 1: FIGHT OR FLIGHT

pairing: doyoung x jaehyun dark comedy with a side of angst, gay shenanigans and way too many dirty jokes.

KIM DOYOUNG HAS SPENT THE LAST THREE YEARS surviving the Quarry streets alone: hunting bounties for the Coffee Cow (a ruthless contract killing agency despite their name), making poor decisions at drinking establishments, and searching for his missing brother. 

It’s on one trip to the bar that he runs into Jay: a charming, well-mannered businessman from the East Lanes, with a dimpled smile and particular taste for aged whiskey. One occasion turns into two into multiple—the two seeing each other more frequently with slowly-changing intentions, until the truth comes out. Jay, Jung Jaehyun to his close colleagues, is one of the Assembly’s founding members. Which, unfortunately, means he might have something to do with Doyoung’s missing brother, and makes him one hell of an enticing target.

The resultant cat-and-mouse chase across the city is as frustrating as it is exhilarating. But in a shocking turn of events, it reveals a destructive force beyond the both of them, one that needs their immediate attention and collaboration—regardless of who they are to each other. 

anticipated release: summer/fall 2024

VOLUME 2: VIOLET CRAZY

pairing: kim jungwoo x f!reader, johnny seo x reader angst wrapped in drama, tumultuous relationships, a slow but sure descent into madness.

In the aftermath of Johnny Seo’s return, the city of Siacia is not as it once was. Tensions with Iameh are on a steady incline, Assembly politics remain a treacherous game, all while a new strain of Burner spreads through the streets like wildfire. You and Kim Jungwoo are most apathetic to the recent chaos—the two of you like two sides of the same coin, both endlessly spiteful, now embroiled in a feud of your own. For as long as you could remember, your relationship with Jungwoo was one purely of grudge and petty revenge. 

But when Johnny begins his reign of terror, perhaps the two of you are in no position to be idle bystanders. Tragedy strikes Jungwoo’s family, and he has a reluctant change of heart. On the other hand, you remain by Johnny’s side, simply watching his flames burn hotter and rise higher. Merely overnight, your long-standing rivalry with Jungwoo has turned into a struggle for the future of the undercity. The inevitable resurfacing of your past, your forgotten history with Jungwoo, and Johnny’s inexplicable grip on you—it won’t be long before it all reaches a boiling point in the crucible. 

And certainly not long before you’re forced to face the repercussions. 

anticipated release: summer 2025

VOLUME 3: RIDE OR DIE

pairing: mark lee x gn!reader from meet-cute to heated romance. ride or die. madly in love to the bittersweet end.

Breakfast tea with magazines and tabloids. Clay-stained aprons and paint-smeared jeans. Afternoon tea with so-and-so, then back to the kiln and canvases. Dinner party with your fellow curators, handling flawless plates and dainty dessert spoons and immaculate champagne glasses—rinse and repeat, again and again, the routine of an Iamehan artist and socialite. 

Quickly growing tired of all the glitter and glamour of topside, you take a trip back to your roots: the north faces of Siacia, where you can shed all the silk and cashmere in exchange for the nightlife you grew up with. Dancing wildly to rediscover yourself and inspire your art, that’s when you find your muse: Mark Lee, a VIP at the Obelisk Nightclub, blue-haired and bright-eyed, immersed in the stories you tell him. 

You could stay with him forever, seeking thrills and adventure until you reach the ends of the earth. And yet, there is still much more awaiting: the unpleasant and the unideal, and the thwarting of your course by the stars above. 

anticipated release: TBD

VOLUME 4: WHEN THE SUN SETS

pairing: johnny seo x gn!reader psychological horror turned body horror. toxic romance and a tragic end. (!!) mature content, including manipulative, toxic relationships and darker themes some readers may find disturbing.

Johnny Seo is a reasonable man. A patient man, certainly, never reckless, never cruel. Johnny is loving, the perfect lover. Devoted, and devoted wholeheartedly to you. 

In the days and months after the Assembly’s establishment, he keeps you with him at every turn of the road: arm around your waist, head in the crook of your neck, always whispering and promising you better days. A sovereign Siacia is coming, he says. She will be free from the clutches of your northern neighbours, free to do as she pleases. You believe him—until one night, when he comes home bloody and beat-up, furious and unrecognizable. 

Johnny Seo is a meticulous man. A calculated mastermind, certainly, never reckless until he’s perfectly sure, never cruel unless he has to be. Johnny is cunning, the perfect trickster. Obsessive, and obsessed with keeping your memory alive. Obsessed with keeping you with him, an eternal part of him.

anticipated release: TBD

[bluwavez]

DeepDive began their journey originally in 2014 under the publicly known money laundering flop company Stormedia with an original five-member lineup. The group was in the pits of nugudom, only having four releases and a consistently rotating lineup. Son Jinhwa, the former Angelico CEO, would buy the rights to the group in late 2015. Nothing is ever simple with Jinhwa. DeepDive would go under an intense rebranding, where not only all the content and music they made under Stormedia was wiped from the internet and is now considered lost media but would also put the group through a survival show where the lineup would be remade.

Many fans believe that the official start of DeepDive was in 2016, excluding the ones who have been following the group for almost 10 years. They consider the true original lineup to consist of Han, Jisung, Blue, Noah, Woojin, Kiwoo, and Finn. Unfortunately, the group faced some difficulties when Woojin left the lineup in 2019, and he was quickly replaced by Jacob Lee, a former member of Wanna One. The last lineup change occurred in 2023 when Han exited the group due to their contract being acquired by Flowerbank Entertainment.

Though the group's history is a complete mess, there is one undoubtable fact: The music goes hard.

THE SOUND OF DEEPDIVE cannot be described as one sound but as cohesive noise that is regarded as one of the best and most diverse boy group discographies in Kpop.

2016 — WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ENERGY ?!

Debuting three months after their survival show concluded, the now seven-member piece would come out the gate with the physical single "Energy," which, despite being a banger, was overlooked by most of the general public.

While not having a strong debut like they planned to, DeepDive would come back with their first mini-album, "Happiness," promoting the title track "Get Around" relentlessly just to end up with the same disappointing results. The mini album would perform better than their debut, but that's not saying much since Energy didn't chart anywhere, and Get Around only managed to hit 103 on the Goan digital chart.

Their last release of 2016 would still stick to the sweet and fun concept, dropping the once nugu beloved hit "Daisy Dayz, " the title track from their second mini album of the same name. Daisy Dayz would manage to break into the top 100 but would only hit #89 once again not meeting expectations.

2017 — OH...THEY'RE TRYING SO HARD...

The boys stayed on a consistent release schedule shockingly enough. Ushering 2017 in with the floppiest single, "Sweat," which fans don't even remember, nor do they rarely bring up when discussions of their discography arise. It seems the hundreds of fans they did have were over their sweet concept despite most of the boys being teenagers at the time. Listening to fans, their first full album, Our Ocean, would have a more "mature" concept.

It became clear with this shift in sound and concept that the problem with DeepDive's lack of success hadn't to do with their music quality but with the fact the oldest member at this time would be barely 20 years old and the youngest, turning 16 that year. To put it bluntly, they looked silly singing these grown ass songs with their baby faces, and everyone saw it! Still, this didn't deter Angelico, and DeepDive would release another classic in their discography, "Bounce," which would gain traction amongst K-pop fans.

It's worth noting that the boys, primarily Noah and Finn, began producing the group's music during this time despite their young ages. Noah was just seventeen around the time of Bounce's release, while Finn was still 15.

Bling Bling would not receive the same amount of love Bounce did. In fact, Twitter would tear this song to shreds. Though hated at its release, it has become a beloved song in DeepDive's discography, notably being one of their most hyped songs to hear live. Fans blame Bling Bling for Angelico shipping DeepDive off to Japan the next year.

2018 — JAPANESE DEBUT (THE NUGU DEATH SENTENCE)

Desperate to make some money off this group, Angelico would give DeepDive a killer Japanese debut. "Ride or Die," would be a massive hit in Japan, securing DeepDive a strong and dedicated fandom in the country. This success would result in the group practically living in Japan for the rest of 2018. They were so famous in Japan, guys. Ride or Die was literally everywhere, they were on every variety show, they were performing concerts practically monthly at that point. They were finally reaching the success Angelico wanted with just one album.

So, of course, they released another banging album. "Burning Up" would be more successful than "Ride or Die," getting an English and Korean release due to its online success amongst international audiences. Becoming the face of K-pop in Japan, Sirens began to fear the boys would never come back to Korea which, honestly, a valid fear because they would release another Japanese album that year.

"Reaction" was a more controversial release but successful nonetheless. Nothing notable happened with this release.

The boys returned to Korea in December after spending 11 months in Japan. They released their second full Korean album, "Click Play," with the title track "Click." Due to their massive success in Japan, this release actually broke into the Top 50 on the Goan chart, a first for their career. Click would be a notable turning point for their career, seemingly starting their rise in Korea.

2019 — WE'RE PICKING UP STEAM NOW ...

Okay, so, Click's success wasn't enough to keep them in Korea long because the boys were back in Japan with an EP within two months. "Love Fire," is a deeply beloved title track by fans but nothing notable would occur during this promotional period except that fans feared they really were staying Japan for the rest of their career.

The last Japanese release would be "Your Love," another beloved song by Sirens. The song is one of their softer and cuter ones, as well as being the last release with member Woojin before he was removed from the group.

Desperate to come back with a bang, adding newest member Jacob Lee to the line up, the boys would touch down in South Korea and release "FIRE" a single that would grab the attention of the general public. FIRE is notable due to it selling 65,000 copies, the highest amount of sales they've ever reached as a group. DeepDive was becoming known at this point, being called "up and coming" or "on the rise" despite being well into their career at this point.

No Pressure would be released to much fanfare, finally fully catching the attention of international audiences, specifically those in America and Brazil. They say that once you're famous in Brazil, you're famous for life, and DeepDive was famous in Brazil! Still, they were just under the mark of making it in Korea, but just barely.

Then...

2020 — DASHI RUN, RUN, RUN OUT OF NUGUDOM !

NUGUDOM IS FINALLY OVER! THE BOYS MADE IT! RUN would be the song to break the glass ceiling, truly. Topped every chart, won them their first music show award, and won them a MAMA award––Baby, they were everywhere and the standard. DeepDive became the poster child of "Rags to Riches" and was soaking up every second of fame they could.

Refusing to be one-hit wonders, the boys came back swinging. "New Things" would become a viral hit as well, with every idol and their mother doing the choreography, which was created by Jisung. Another point that made DeepDive so unique is that they created everything they ever put out. Music, album designs, choreography, they used to edit their vlogs––They are those boys! Always have been! They were working their asses off for this type of success.

Call Out My Name was a moment. Everyone was talking about it. It was on the radio, it was on your timeline, it was winning awards, and covers of it were everywhere. You could not escape this song, but it's not like you wanted to because it's a banger through and through. It was clear these boys were going no where.

2021 — DAMN...THAT'S LOUD AS FU—

So, this era is interesting! Finn and Noah would take a break as the producers of DeepDive, leaving Jacob in charge for the first time.

Then...Sticker was born.

Sticker, as you can imagine, was highly controversial and is still being discussed to this day by K-pop stans. Due to it's controversy, yet success it was literally super successful, Finn would return as DeepDive's producer.

Still, the music from this time would be notably noisy and divisive, but they were from at a point in their career where it didn't matter what kind of music they released; they were topping the charts.

2022 — THEY'RE THOSE BOYS !

You'd brag, too, if you were in DeepDive! There's not much to say here except they were still topping charts, selling out arenas, hit over 50 million albums sold overall. They, again, could've released Finn banging spoons together and it would've been a hit but they weren't! At least not this year! They released hot girl music and went on their first worldwide tour with 120 dates! Great year for DeepDive!

2023 — GIRL, WTF JUST HAPPENED ?!

Then the storm hit! Flowerbank Entertainment scooped these boys up and basically tried to ruin their careers! They only had two releases this year and barely any promotions because Flowerbank sucks at their job and was sabotaging them.

Notably, Han would leave the group this year, and Woojin rejoined the group. Which is literally the only good thing to come out of this year.

2024 — OKAY, BACK ON TRACK !

And we're at the current day and they're killing it again!

MOST RECENT RELEASE :: TAX WRITEOFF

[archiveikemen]

"Mobius Chord" Main Story Prologue: Chapter 8

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belong to +ONE by Ikemen Series and KansaiTV. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games.

Read this before interacting

Shina: We got exposed… I see. So it’s our physiques that gave us out… 

Shina: We should be a little more careful about how we show our silhouettes next time. 

Koto: I met you by coincidence last week… I had a sense of déjà vu when watching videos, so I did a little bit of research. 

Koto: Had I not run into those two today, I probably wouldn't have been so certain. 

… That’s right. Shina-san, Kakihara-san, Kuga-san, and Sui-kun are the four members of the “mysterious streaming band” Sublime. 

I heard Shina-san mention Sui-kun’s name last week, and hearing Sui-kun’s voice again kept lingering on my mind. 

So I went to look through old videos and finally realised what exactly felt off. 

Koto: Of course, you don't need to worry because I have no intention of making this known to the public. 

Shina: But… why? This is a once in a lifetime exclusive scoop, Koto-chan. 

Shina: It could be your one chance to secure a permanent column in fortessimo, you know? 

Koto: Hmm. But I don’t think that clawing my way up through underhanded means can produce quality work. 

Koto: Besides, any fan who knew Sui-kun from his Lit days would realise it's him anyway. 

Shina: … Well. Actually, we do also have fans who realised it but chose to pretend they didn't. 

Shina: We… especially Sui, he seems to want to avoid showing his face. 

Sui: … But it’s not that I hate my face or anything. 

Koto: Sui-kun!

Sui: Minato, keep a close eye on Kakihara and Kuga. I don’t want them drawing too much attention. 

Shina: Okay. … Sorry, Koto-chan. Those guys are just so excited to listen to Sui’s speech. 

Koto: Usually, only alumni are allowed in… but some family members are here too, so I think they’ll overlook it. 

Shina: Thanks! I’ve already found them a safe spot. We’ll head over now. 

I watched Shina-san walk off with his usual long strides, and turned to bow my head at Sui-kun.

Koto: Sorry, Sui-kun. I didn’t mean to be distrustful. 

Sui: It's fine. Besides, I already figured that you’d find out eventually while broadening your knowledge as a writer. 

Sui: … All I want is to sing… and pursue music. 

Sui: I left Lit because it made me feel almost as if my looks were all that mattered. 

His straightforward reasoning was very in-character of him. 

Sui: … I passed by Miyamoto-san backstage earlier on. 

Sui: I thought he’d have forgotten about me by now… but he found out about me being a part of Sublime. 

Koto: What?

Sui: In that case, I’ll rise to the top with Sublime’s sound  alone, no matter what it takes. 

Sui: Today, I had you and Miyamoto-san figuring it out… as expected, I shouldn't show my face in public.

With that, Sui-kun, who was more talkative than usual, swiftly turned on his heel and headed towards the venue. 

Koto: Miyamoto-san… 

Even with countless aspiring artists knocking on his agency’s door, along with industry insiders, he still remembers Sui-kun… 

(Sublime is trending on social media, but it's impressive how he could identify him like that.) 

Miyamoto-san had an overwhelmingly strong aura and a regal presence that was almost intimidating. Despite that, he was a proudly independent person who was difficult to dislike. 

At around the time I distanced myself from band activities due to health issues, a video on social media became a hot topic and Lit grew popular as a five-man group. 

Back then, it was Miyamoto-san who noticed Lit’s potential early on and nurtured them as artists. 

He specifically warned me not to join Lit. 

I think he was only looking out for me from the perspective of an older brother, especially since I had already secured a job then. 

(I’m sure he’ll also understand Sui-kun’s feelings about not wanting to be marketed for his good looks.) 

While my mind was occupied with that, 

Shina: Oh. Did I miss him…? Koto-chan, have you seen Sui?

Koto: Shina-san. He just headed towards the venue. 

Shina: Ugh. I have to run again. 

Apparently, Shina-san had been running all over the place looking for Sui-kun. After catching his breath… 

Shina: I’m really no match for you, Great Detective Koto-chan. I appreciate that you’re helping us keep this a secret. Thanks.

He suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder with a serious expression. 

[balanceoflightanddark]

Avatar the Last Airbender Netflix Episode 1- "Aang"

Well...the time has come.

My biggest question going into this series is asking why it needs to exist. I mean, from a business standpoint it makes sense. ATLA exploded in popularity overnight during the pandemic and Netflix wanted to cash in while the iron was still hot. Moreover, it's one of those "safe bet" projects. The name recognition alone is going to attract some viewers, even if just to compare it to the original. Doesn't matter if you don't like it, you still saw it. And if it boosts their numbers, it'll be a success regardless of critical reception.

No, my question stems from a creative standpoint: what are they going to do in order to make this remake seem like a necessary thing? What was so important that they needed to retell the story over again?

That's my thoughts going into the first episode. My first complaint is the structuring. It would not be a stretch to say that this episode had THREE introductions (arguably five if you count Aang and the water siblings being introduced): one by Kyoshi that gave an overview of the setting, one that set up that the Fire Nation was going to attack the Southern Air Temple during Sozin's Comet, and yet another by Gran Gran where she basically recited the original series opening. It just feels clunky, that we're being told the same information over and over again with exposition dumps.

And yeah, there's quite a few of them. Sure, some exposition is necessary to quickly relay the state of the world. But then we have stuff like Katara explaining that the Earth Kingdom is holding out in Ba Sing Se even though that's not exactly relevant to the current story? Stuff like that seems too much to throw at the viewer in too short a span of time. I'd hate to compare it to the original series where stuff like this was introduced more organically within the context of the story (Ba Sing Se was first mentioned in Iroh's siege of it, right?).

Last thing is that the acting was...hit or miss. Which to be fair I think was more direction and writing than any fault on the actors. Katara was...she was just kind of there for the most part I felt, not having any of the pent up anger of the original. And Gran Gran...yeah, her acting was bad. Really bad. Again, I'm blaming more on the writing since she felt stiff and didn't have any of the loving qualities despite her weariness of the original (didn't get a scene of her saying goodbye to Katara and Sokka for example).

Now, stuff I liked, and there was quite a few that I did like. I liked the actor who played Aang, he was a great choice. Really nailed down the balance between goofball and needing to take things more seriously. Some of the comedy beats were pretty good, like the one Southern Water Tribe member saying "He looks dead" about Aang, Sokka screaming his head off while riding on Appa, or one of the Fire Nation sailors grumbling about Zuko dragging their asses all over the place (first swear in the franchise and Zuko caused it).

There are two things I want to address here. The first change of Aang being more duty-oriented and wanting to clear his head instead of running away. I get the backlash...but I also think it's addressed here. In the original, Aang learned out in the worst way possible with nobody there to ease him into it. Which resulted in him running away. Here, Monk Gyatso broke it to him as gently as he could. It was still a bad situation, but I think a father figure being there to sort of steer him in the right path would've toned down his reaction in the original if that was allowed to happen. Plus it would've given Aang more incentive to take his duties seriously if Gyatso guided and vouched for him. Like he's doing it for his old mentor. I'd be interested to see where this goes.

Last thing: the scene between Aang and Iroh. It's simple, but effective. Aang asks why Iroh why the Fire Nation is waging the war, and the old man just gives off what sounds like Fire Nation propaganda. Aang shuts him down and Iroh...silently nods and agrees with him. It's actually pretty powerful. Aside from him realizing the implications that he just advocated the imperialistic rhetoric to a survivor of said rhetoric, it also sort of humanizes the Fire Nation a bit where an old veteran like Iroh admits that no, sometimes he and his people weren't always in the right. It's just he can't do much about it.

There. I complimented an Iroh scene and admitted he got one of the best scenes in the episode. Happy now?

All in all, it was...a solid start. I think I'm a bit more forgiving in terms of Aang's changed character since...well, I wasn't asking for a one-to-one remake of the original. There were a few things that bothered me, but I'm willing to hold the benefit of the doubt until they start becoming bigger problems down the line.

At the start of my watch, I asked whether or not a remake like this was necessary. What I got from this episode was..."maybe?" It's clear they want to do something different in terms of character, which is fine. It's just how clunky some of the dialogue and structuring choices were that holds it down a little. A shaky start, but there's room for potential.

[cervicrazed]

walt + all the other named members of his species

GAH this one took so long whoops

Haven't technically introduced other members of The Jek just yet, but I'll throw in one lil guy I've been rotating in my mind

OC Lore under the cut! (body horror cw)

^ Walt's "Human" form ^ 'Standard' Jek form

✨- How did you come up with the OC’s name?

Walt-> a year or so after I made Wilton, I made Walt(on) - they weren't originally gonna be in the same story so I didn't notice there was only a vowel difference between them🤦🏽 I fixed this by having Walt choose his name to be similar on purpose, unknowingly bonding the two forever afterwards

Iniko -> originally heard it from an amazing artist of the same name! Really liked how it sounded so I looked more into the etymology & started crafting the story from there (working backwards this time around)

🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

The Jek as a species are as old as fear itself - but Walt is around 80 or 90 years old by the start of the Dead Wood plotline

Iniko is about 15 years older than Bambi

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

Walt -> There've been a few, but Wilton is the only one he would die for. Since emotions are all he can see/smell, he often forgets that others can't tell what he's feeling just by looking

Iniko -> Not yet. They're a bit too preoccupied plotting revenge to think about anything else

🍕 - What is their favorite food?

All Jek feed on Nightmares, but as an individual, Walt's favorite are ones that involve the dreamer being chased by A Creature™ (Adrenaline is particularly sweet)

Iniko enjoys the taste of paranoia the most - it's not as filling as a full on nightmare, but it's in a much richer supply

💼 - What do they do for a living?

Walt -> Fulfills the role of a Boogeyman-esque urban legend to keep potential trespassers away from his family. Not to say he doesn't enjoy it, as the fear he inspires is it's own reward.

Iniko -> political subterfuge/espionage; despite having no interest in whatever politics are going on. Their services can be bought, but not with money; they'll only take the job if you agree to do something for them first (you may live to regret it).

🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?

Walt -> Painting! He can't actually see the final product, but part of the fun is hearing Bambi and Wil try and guess what the art depicts

Iniko -> Enjoys studying and growing plants since they're the only living thing they can't mimic very well

🎯 -What do they do best?

Walt -> he's a skilled strategist! Prides himself on staying at least two steps ahead of everyone else; unfortunately doesn't mean he's never wrong

Iniko -> Mimicry! They've perfected their shapeshifting into an art - even being able to seemlessly mimic the voices & cadence of others

🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?

Walt -> Loves spending time with his family! Wil and Bambi are his entire world. Holds nothing but righteous rage towards Casters (magic users) - he blames their greed for driving The Jek to (near) extinction

Iniko -> Loves the feeling of 'getting away with it' & gossiping. It's a valuable way to get information, but they easily + inadvertently get too involved with local affairs. Hates everything about the Rader family, especially Bambi.

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

Walt -> Dutifully watching and waiting for his daughter to grow. It took her a year and a half before she was ready to pluck out of the ground

Iniko -> Finding out they had a sister this whole time!

✂️ - What is one of your OC’s worst memories?

Walt -> Watching Wilton waste away to disease. While happy there was a way to revive him, Walt's not sure he can survive losing him again

Iniko -> Finding out they had a sister this whole time.

🧊 - Is their current design the first one?

Walt -> kinda? His 'human disguise' hasn't really changed that much, but his 'true form' has changed at least 3 times

Iniko -> as of rn they don't have a design yet 💀 I'm workin on it!!

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?

Walt -> i wanted to make an OC based off supernatural's leviathans + that balerina girl from Cabin in the Woods (2011) bc I really liked the idea of a person's head/face being nothing but teeth

Iniko -> Getting this ask & watching Boy Kills World (2024). I haven't made another Jek character since Bambi, kinda wanted to change that thanks to this ask!

🌂 - What genre do they belong in?

Walt -> Animated Dark Comedy, but bonus points if the hypothetical director can pull off the live action practical effects

Iniko -> Dark Fantasy Revenge Thriller....like The Prestige (2006) if there were monsters as well as magicians

💚 - What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?

Walt -> Masc but not exclusively + Demisexual

Iniko -> Agender + Asexual

🙌 - How many siblings does your OC have?

Walt -> one, but he suspects they're long dead by now

Iniko -> one, and they hate her

🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like?

Walt -> Was stolen from his family shortly after sprouting; still aches for that lost connection but tries to make up for it with his new family

Iniko -> Relentlessly hateful towards their parents. Doesn't want to kill them, but not out of mercy; they want to take everything away from them first.

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?

Walt -> teef. They make drawing him take foreverr but it's always worth it to me. Pincushion of a creature

Iniko -> their antagonist status. Dead Wood's been desperately needing one for a while now and they're a very fun fit

✏️ - How often do you draw/write about the OC?

Walt -> admittedly haven't drawn him in a while ...gotta change that

Iniko -> been drawing them a lot trying to figure out what they even look like. Haven't settled on a design I like yet

💎 - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

Walt -> nah. He'll live forever, which is much more tragic

Iniko -> maybe? They're too new for me to want to do that

💀 - Does your OC have any phobias?

Walt -> I guess technically he has all of them?

Iniko -> the only fear they have is of failure

🍩 -Who is your OC’s arch-nemesis or rival?

Walt -> his father in-law, an ancient forest demon

Iniko -> their sister, a moody teenager

🎓 - How long have you had the OC?

Walt -> Easter, 2015...9 years...

Iniko -> as I'm writing this... a month or so?

🍥 - What age were you when you created the OC?

Walt -> 14...

Iniko -> 22 💪🏽

[the-infinite-dungeon]

The Infinite Dungeon Session 3

"So... the only time it resets... is... when we restart."

The group finishes their little rest, but notices that neither spells nor health feel much restored. But at least they have had some time to talk and chat. "You guys are maybe the most interesting people I've ever met", a statement which Guthrie makes in a casual manner, but it sure makes all of the group aware of the unintended bond they currently share. "What do you want to do when you get out of here?" The question somehow comes up in conversation, and each of the group's members answers them to the best of their knowledge.

Damien would just really like to take a big fat nap in his own bed. Not in a prison, not in a cell. Not surrounded by monsters and not caged in a place he does not know.

Beyond that, he has not given it much thought.

Lorem wants to keep exploring the Prime Material Plane. She hasn't spent much time in her home dimension, so she is hoping for a chill year travelling in that plane. Guthrie admits, that he kind of wants to keep in touch with the other people on the group. Despite all the hardships and the dire situation they are in, he tells them, that they all might be some of the most interesting people he has ever met. @abstractbabble (jack)"Is there like a phone for like the universe?!" on the subject on how to keep in touch with things. "I think Lorem would be able to track you guys down. That sounds like a threat... but it's not.", Sierra "It is a threat of FRIENDSHIP!", jack

The group makes their way up the stairs, once again, each of them standing on a different plattform lane. One of which is empty. They explore the plattforms carefully, and eventually they figure out, that by touch the glowing rocks close to them, they can make bridges appear for the people on other lanes. A puzzle race begins, in which each member of the group does their best to activate the bridges, so that each of them will reach the end. The empty fifth lane, at times rocks begin glowing and sparkling, causing other bridges to exist.

The group manages to make their way across the room safely, each of them decide to take the next flight of stairs. Only to be reunited in a peaceful, almost village like, space. Some shops and booths of the small market don't quite fit together. Seashells are sold next to weapons on the same stall, interior decor does not quite fit together, but it seems as if a market is supposed to take place here. Even more important! People! There are people standing around, but none of them seem to genuinely react to our adventurers. The group combats them with questions, but the strangers keep repeating the same lines, as if they are stuck on a script. A trading quest ensues, as a fish is acquired. After trading items with a variety of the odd strangers, the group is handed a key to the "inn's room". With that they are taken to the next level. A gigantic skull bug with a gnarly jaw and massive teeth awaits them. The surroundings look like an old overgrown temple. The skullbugs around the big creature take their turns to attack. Lorem fends off skullbugs from Lyr with her magic, making sure to keep a magic ward to create a circle of protection. As Guthrie observes the situation, Damien finally gets close to the enormous giant monster. It's time to get this over and done with. His patience has been running thin ever since he woke up the first time in this place. His jacket has been ruined, his nerves lie bare. He extends his right hand and casts Color Spray. Paint splatters rip into the creature with a velocity none of the other three have every seen before. They see Damien cast a spell, eventually the paint takes over the scene and neither Lyr or Lorem, nor Guthrie can see their companion anymore. The creature looks worse for wear, but before the crew can catch on to new hope, they hear a monstrous roar, that does not originate from their known enemy. Damien is gone.

Instead - a giant white wyrm-like creature with no eyes, but 6 legs and massive sharp teeth emerges next to the Skullbug Queen.

[felines-recoded]

Okay so I have a few concerns. I'll list them down below. 1. The font on the application is difficult to read, even when I have my glasses on. The custom font just isn't doin it even if it 'aesthetically' matches the rp. This is a blatant accessibility issue. 2. Why is the age restriction not prominent anywhere EXCEPT the application? And why are you so loose about it? 'A few months of turning 17' is still 16--even then, what 'heavy topics'? Death? You gotta be more specific, man. That should be explicitly stated on the blog's pinned, and it shouldn't be so loose. This isn't even mentioning how the server is open to join, but the application form is put up like it's the only way in. It should really focus on the character at least a bit, so you can gauge it. 3. I'm worried high ranks will be controlled exclusively by moderators despite this rp being apparently 'years old'. Apologies for being so cynical and skeptical, this just blares many many red flags.

First of all, thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to inquire with us! I'll take the time to answer these to the best of my ability. 1. We have two different methods in which you can apply, should you be having any issues ! It sounds like you're currently trying to apply through our google form. I hear that the font is hard for you to read; we'll send a message to our staff team to have that fixed. In the meantime, however, we do have in-server applications. If you check out our pinned post, there's a link directly to the server, where you can apply within. Hope this helps! 2. The age restriction is posted on our disboard, on the application, and within the server in our rules. Our mature topics include things like death, politics, gore, betrayal, and other emotional or mentally taxing events or encounters. We don't host any 'sexual' topics, in or out of roleplay, so while we do have an age requirement of 17 [with a wave of 3 months should other parts of your application go through accordingly], this is just to ensure that we're all at about the same maturity. For context on that, we require social medias and a roleplay sample upon applying- this is for us to scope out the applicant [ensure there's no hatespeech, or signs of hate in any way, and/or ensure there's no support of anything we don't want brought into the server, etc]. Our age requirement is less for anything legal, and more for the comfort of our older members and our peace of mind. As most of us are 18 or older, it's a common agreeance that it would just feel strange to associate with, say, 14-15 year olds on a regular basis- not because we're outwardly inappropriate. Again referring to the answer on our first question for the latter portion of #2- you *are* able to apply from within; we have multiple ways of applying!! If you look at our pinned post, it's almost easier to go directly into the server to apply than through our google docs. We just like to provide multiple forms for everyone's comfort levels, since not everyone might want to join a server and apply with the chances of being turned away. 3. This is a great concern and something that we actively try to avoid! In RECODED, we have some pretty original lore, which allows for about 4 healers [formerly known as medicine cats, which we have changed the title of as we felt it was cultural appropriation to keep it that way] per faction, and also opens up some new positions such as something called a 'matchmaker' in Empyrean Ichor. We currently have slots for 20 high positions including full healers and their apprentices, and currently only stand at having 8 staff total. We actually just introduced a matchmaker and their apprentice to the ranks, the only role of its kind, neither of which being staff. We also have two deputies out of the three factions also not being staff. While three leaders are currently staff, only two began as staff when the server began- the third only becoming staff later after great involvement and activity. There are a few things to note such as those being in high positions very likely being the ones to either apply or be scouted for staff, when they originally did not attain their positions while staff. So while a good chunk [but not all] of our staff members have a high position, or what we refer to as POPS [positions of power] in RECODED, it's not due to us actively only choosing staff for these positions. Anyone at any time is allowed to apply for an open position of power, and have been urged to at many separate occasions. As for your last comment, no worries! I appreciate that you took the time to ask for clarification rather than just writing us off! I hope these replies smooth out any worries you had and that you feel comfortable to come to us again if need be!

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

92. "Cutting their hair for them" with Ingo & Akari?

(101 ways to say i love you with actions) (still taking!)

(why have we talked so much about. these twos hair in particular. whats that about. i mean i guess it was only once or twice each but still weird that it happened once or twice)

Akari had stopped bothering with the hairclips she'd arrived with a while ago. And she'd certainly never given much thought to style or cutting. Which weren't things that anyone had paid much attention to originally, but watching her struggle with the comb for the third week in a row, it now seemed rather relevant.

Finally she gave up on a particularly difficult knot, and looked over to Ingo, holding the comb out. "Help?"

He moved over and took it from her, and started working on the detangling process. He hoped he wouldn't have to get the scissors out again.

"This would likely not be so difficult if you performed more regular maintenance," he pointed out. She rarely bothered attacking it more than once a week, if that.

"I know, but it—ow—it's such a pain," she groused.

"Yes, well, again. If you did it more regularly..."

She hissed and did her best to twist away when he yanked at the knot again, one or two of the comb's teeth now firmly stuck.

"If having long hair is truly so arduous," he suggested, not really seriously, "you could always have it cut short."

"Huh," Akari said, sounding genuinely thoughtful. "I guess I could."

After some more very careful plying, he managed to get the comb out and the knot mostly undone. She tilted her head back to stare up at him. "You could do that, right?"

Oh, no. He withdrew his hands and held them up, somewhat defensively. "I was thinking more along the lines of, on our next visit to Jubilife–"

"Yeah, they probably won't do it because I'm not a member," she dismissed. Which, that was fair, that was how things typically went with most of Jubilife. "And that'll be like weeks. I wanna do it now."

"This is a very sudden decision," he tried to reason. "I do not believe I am entirely qualified–"

"You cut your own hair! And shave! All the time!" she pointed out, indignant.

"That- that is vastly different," he argued back. For one thing, Akari's hair was much thicker, and probably wouldn't take nearly as kindly to just being lopped off in one big chunk. Especially considering she typically wore it down, rather than tucked underneath a hat like his was.

But then she leaned on his arm, and headbutted his shoulder, and stared up at him and said "Please?" and he realized that he was never going to win this argument.

"Warden Arezu is proficient at cutting hair, I believe," he proposed instead.

"Yeah, but I don't trust her."

"And you trust me?"

The response was immediate. "Yup."

He sighed. "That seems rather like a mistake."

---

They did it the next day, outside, behind the stand of trees that made for some shelter from the wind. Akari sat on the ground, legs folded and with an old blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and Ingo sat behind her, still feeling wholly uncertain about the whole thing.

He'd recovered the clips she'd abandoned. He wasn't yet entirely sure what his plan for them was, but they couldn't hurt to have on hand.

"If this turns out poorly," he said again.

"Who's gonna care? We're all the way out here, it's not like I see that many people," she pointed out.

"Warden Melli will be very upset with me, I imagine."

She stuck her tongue out. "Who cares. He's always mad about something."

So he started cutting.

At one point, several months ago, she'd had bangs, and now those had grown out into the uneven bits that were constantly falling in her face. For the sake of consistency, he chose to standardize closer to them, aiming for around chin length. The rest of her hair was, despite both of their best efforts, still a tangled mess, which tamped down most of the reservations he'd had about cutting it all off.

The first part was easy—just one or two big arcing cuts that took a good foot or two with them. Then it was a matter of cleaning that up, which was significantly harder, and cost several more inches in compromises. Akari was a very good model, at least—she leaned into his hands, but mostly sat still, just happy to have an excuse to hang out so close.

Once her hair looked somewhat passable, he set the scissors aside, and picked up the clips and comb instead. Any knots that had survived his aggressive cutting were now much easier to tease apart, and he actually got it all hanging mostly flat again. Then the formerly-bangs were picked up in even halves and pulled to the sides, pinned far back enough that her ears were uncovered and the hair tucked just behind them framed her face.

"There," he said, trying to sound decisive when he pulled away.

She squirmed and looked back. "Oh, you're done already?"

Well, head-on, it was inarguable that she did look significantly better than she had this morning. That was a low bar, but at least he'd managed to clear it. He nodded back. "Go see what you think."

They had one small mirror that he'd also taken outside for this task. She retrieved it, and then spent several seconds just... staring. Then she tilted her head, and he heard her make a small oh! sound, and watched her reach up to run her fingers through the framing part.

She set the mirror down, and when she looked back at him, she had tufts of black hair curling around her neck, and that grin on her face that could outshine the sun.

"I love it!" she declared.

He let out a breath of relief.

[maguro13-2]

Shattered Hero ~ Origins of the Ink Demon : Episode Maka Epilogue (2/2)

"3 Years later..."

Shinra (Devil Chaos Chao) : Three years passed. It's been three years since the battle with Dark Nebula and Dulk Fakis. But still, I heard troubles that those pesky Gorgon Witches were responsible for the outcomes on bringing heartless to destroy the legacy. But I guaranteed that you went through all age progressin coming along your then Maki. So how's the age progession of 19-year old girl coming along, Maki?

Maki Oze : Not yet, Shinra. Although, I did get into age progression that I was given protein of a hot muscular being. So I took the power of God's fitness and gave the body of a 19-year muscle girl. So it's best the Kusakabe legacy that you created was about to be overthrown. So can it explain that it wants to be overthrown. Luckily, before the 2010s begins and right before the winter olympics Canada, there is one explanation about one thing. Are you willing to reunite Tamaki after she went back into her past of being a kid again? She did got into age progression when she took the body of a 17-year old as well. I believe it was called the God of Fitness. The God of Fitness, It's the title of an individual who is skillful talented, and muscular that is being they call it a God, it's what people worshipped over the muscular bodies.

Shinra (Devil Chaos Chao) : Really? That's a weird fact about crazy mad stories like that. God of Fitness you say? Are you telling me, that I have been stuck as a worthless lifeform from a video game world and you talking into that all of that age progress would make you a God of fitness! That sounded like Tamaki would say? But who's going to be the next God of Fitness? Even though, there is Fire God of Fitness that is very fitting for a person to become like one, who is going to be.

Maki Oze : Check it out. (shows a photo of Tamaki as a 17-year old girl) This is her, during age progression. It turns out that Tamaki has chosen the body of a God that brings fitness to her 17-year old body. But there one teensy-weensy problem. Despite this, Tamaki Kotatsu may have the body of a 17-girl, but she's only still a kid.

Shinra (Devil Chaos Chao) : What the hell? How did age progression from the 06 happened?

Maki Oze : I believe this might be the work of the Time Eater, we don't know why it made Tamaki Kotatsu returning to her 17-year old body, but we do know is that the Time Eater returning from 1000 years after your death. It's because it's searching for the child that Drawcia created.

Shinra (Devil Chaos Chao) : (in horror) ...No way.

"Meanwhile..."

[Unrest - Hidenori Shoji]

Drawcia : Can't believe it. Are you sure that the Time Eater is making it's return to bring vengeance on Shinra Kusakabe, the same boy who created Soul World 1000 years ago? He was reincarnated into a Devil Chaos Chao, but he's still an old man that is trapped within worthless body of his!

Drawcia Family Scientist : Yes, I do beg your pardon. The Time Eater effects on Shinra and his people has lost their effect on Real World AU, the age progression that occurred in 06 were members of Special Fire Force Company 8. Apparently, Shinra, who the devil that lost his body, has finally discovered a disturbance between Soul World and the Real World. It means that Soul World is not set in one universe, but was set in the same one as Shinra's old world. So it's basically that the universe that Shinra was destroyed about 50% of it. That's because the Time Eater was such a menacing threat the Ohkuboverse is definitely a facade to the Shadow Realm.

Drawicia : The Shadow Realm? That concept made up by 4Kids Entertainment? That is so lame. It could be Japan's fault that the hero Maka Albarn, who saved the world in the 06, has been frustrated saying that she was not the hero to Soul World, therefore being the only hero of her true story in the real world, she has been a part of that Phantom's story, a love story she and the masked boy named Makoto created it. It was around 12 years since she destroyed 80% of Japan's population in an event known as the Shattering. What's the analysis on the sample that we got Medusa Gorgon's so-called Black Blood research?

Drawcia Family Scientist : Our analysis has been completed we have found out that the Ink originated from from race dark demons made of ink called Ink Demons, and they were responsible for the cause of all the destruction about 70 years ago. We did capture Inky Albarn that was long time and had to be imprisoned inside the abandoned that was located in Brookyln New York. Joey Drew Studios, a workshop that originally came from the 20th century. It was once a workshop full of animation and famous cartoonist before the incident of a man named Sammy Lawrence, an unknown employee living in Brooklyn, that is responsible for the studio's shut down. This Giant Blooper squid that was defeated by Mario during the Isle Delfino incident. The real criminal Bowser Jr, son of the Koopa King, created that was made out of ink. But turns out, it was just a regular squid and it was spewing ink all over the harbor. this son of a Koopa leader has falsely led to Mario into believing that he was the villain of Isle Delfino.

Drawcia : Heh. Professor E.Gadd, that impudent fool! What was he thinking of making a paintbrus that to his son that vandalized an entire island and made a fool out Mario and Peach. I can't believe that spiked-shell turtle is an imbecile for bringing terrorism on an island, and the inhabitants of Isle Delfino are always arrogant species like the humans does.

*SA2 SFX : Alarm/Intruder Alert*

Drawcia : Great! Now what!?

[No Way Out - Yutaka Minobe]

Drawcia Family Scientist: I'm not so sure, madam! There's seem to be a situation going on!

*BEEPING*

Para Sorceress : Lady Drawcia! We have latest on Com Sectors A1 an B3 reporting that all of Dark Nebula's clutches have been finally wiped out! The Phantos finally required that their kinsman, Maka and Moirai, are making a peace to all Humans and witches from their people that are Phanto and same goes to the defeat of Dulk Fakis! We just discovered that the Demon Queen, Inky Albarn we imprisoned years ago, has finally making it's return.

Drawcia : That's good, ma'am. Since all casualties of Shinra Kusakabe's recklessness of spreading influence all over the real world, (drinks her cup of tea) what's the status reports of the Ink Demons' whereabouts.

Para Sorceress : Well ever since the awakening of the Mobian demon Dark Gaia caused Dr. Ivo Robotnik's mess, we have confirmed that there are some planets that appeared after Dark Gaia's defeat, Dr. Robotnik has captured four planets to create a new amusement park that would be another incident and would easily lead to the Time Eater's return in just about 2 years!

Drawcia : Is that so! Alert all field commanders of sectors A and B. I'm launching an authorized use of full tactical units! I want all heartless to be stopped and destroyed, further to do, I want Inky Albarn to be encapsulated back into her imprisonment! And make sure warn everyone that the Time Eater will never forget that it wants to see it's "creation" fully awakened with it's true potential.

Para Sorceress : But, Homura Akemi, she's not ready to see her full potential! But it'll be wisely to find out where did she went off to!

Drawcia : Don't be ridiculous, as head of Drawcia Family Headquarters, we have already secured Homura Akemi after we caught her dealing with the events of the 06's plot, eventually, the plot for the 06 was retconned as a failure for her mission. So we captured her and had secured! By the way, we do needed to wake her up in prepared for the threats of our universe! Make sure, she's with us.

Para Sorceress : Yes, my lady! I will go check if Homura Akemi is able to willing to her freedom! (leaves the room)

Drawcia : little to be never too late, I've plans on saving Real World from the likes of Shinra and demons like you, Inky Albarn. You and your bloodline of the Ink Demons will be cherished with the loss of your beloved consort, the King of Ink Demons himself. You will be exposed and eradicate that you are. Especially your own son. This time, I will make full use out of you!

(scene later transits to King Boo at the mansion)

[Hidden Memories - Yutaka Minobe]

King Boo : Dracula's servant Death...When I leashed and destroys the powers of the Dark Moon, you, Shinra Kusakabe's son, and every human being on the planet...will pay for the transgressions that you'll ever caused! I will capture Inky Albarn and then I will avenge my brothers that have fallen before you! This will be the end for the Ink Demon bloodline and the Kusakabe Legacy, just for your son! (the two fires are shown in his eyes rising up) VENGEANCE...SHALL BE MINE! SAME GOES TO YOU, GREEN MUSTACHE MAN!

(King Boo laughs evilly)

"THE DAKRNESS SHALL BE REBORN!"

Maka : Thanks for sharing the adventure with all of us, everyone...!

All : [together] You're welcome!

Sonic : That's all folks!

Porky (from his POV) : Hey! That's my line! Whatever, now, umm, hold still while take your picture! Oh, what's the worse thing that could ever happened?

Dark Nebula : Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late for the--*CAMERA FLASH*

[Game Over (NSMB WII Ver.) - Koji Kondo]

~ EPISODE MAKA : END ~

[echoghost1]

Crossover Danuary - DC Day! ~ Batman ~

Chapter 1: The Ol' Switcheroo

Summary: It was just an average Saturday morning when a group of strangers come with news that changes everything the Fenton's thought they knew about their family.

Word Count: 3,238

Characters: Danny Fenton, Jack Fenton, Maddie Fenton, Jazz Fenton, Original Fenton Characters, Bruce Wayne (mentioned)

You can read this, really long for me, first chapter below the cut as well

Danny awoke to the sound of the doorbell being rung so many times the rings started to overlap.

Groggy and annoyed by the noise, Danny grumbled as he made his way down to the front door. What could possibly be so important this early on a Saturday?

Whatever sarcastic remark Danny had planned for the uninvited guests on his doorstep died the second he saw who was there.

A group of tall, dark-haired, and broad-shouldered people, who all looked very annoyed, were crammed together on his family’s front stoop.

The strangers also looked oddly familiar.

The closest, and potential oldest of the group, spoke first, “Is this Jack Fenton’s house?”

Danny couldn’t help but glance up at the very large, neon sign above them that confirmed that this was the Fenton house. “Who wants to know?”

“Look, kid, we’ve just traveled a long way after finding something very important and we really need to talk to the guy,” interrupted a lady on the right.

Danny didn’t really enjoy being talked down to, but also couldn’t think of a reason to tell them to leave either.

He shrugged and led away from the door to shout into the house, “Dad! There’s some people here to see you!”

“We have guests?” Jack asked, poking his head out from the kitchen.

Danny didn't have time to question why his dad didn't get the door before he saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes and immediately got out of the way.

Once he saw his Dad right in front of the group of strangers, Danny finally realized why they looked so familiar.

They all looked just like his dad.

Apparently, his dad saw the resemblance too because he was happily inviting them all into the house, no questions asked.

The group seemed just as confused as Danny felt.

Were these some cousins he hadn’t met before?

“Maddie, come down here! The greatest thing just happened!” Jack called upstairs with nothing but glee.

“Well, this isn’t going how I thought,” One of the shorter members of the group muttered to themselves.

Maddie stopped on the stairs and just stared at the group before she relaxed her shoulders and came down fully. “Jack dear, who are these people?”

“That’s just it, Mads, I didn’t know either! Isn’t it great?” he said with the biggest smile, despite how not great that sounded. “But man, they look like family, don't they?”

“What do you mean you don’t know them?” Danny asked, still amazed that these people looked so much like his dad.

They looked more like him than he did.

Weird.

“You’re right! I should introduce myself!” He turned to the group again with an outstretched hand and a smile he just couldn’t seem to get rid of, “Hi! I’m Jack Fenton!”

“The name’s Robert,” the one Danny assumed was the oldest step forward and shook his hand, “and it’s the family resemblance that we came to talk to you about.”

“Oh?”

“It just recently came to our attention that there was an,” Robert paused, “error made in the past that we thought you should know about.”

“Error is putting it lightly,” the woman from earlier muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Although, now that she was inside, maybe she wasn’t as old as he thought she was. Maybe she was actually closer to Jazz’s age? It was hard to tell.

Then again, maybe Danny was just really bad at guessing ages.

Robert took a moment to compose himself, “I guess I’ll just get to the point then,” he muttered before tugging on the bottom of his shirt and straightening his posture. “Apparently the company that our mothers used to have us, were lied to, and the person who they thought they were getting the samples from was not who they thought.”

“Aren’t those supposed to be anonymous?” Maddie asked as she crossed her arms.

“They are if you’re poor,” came a rude remark from the back of the group.

Robert spun around to address the speaker, “Veronica!”

“What?” Veronica responded, “it’s not like I’m wrong.”

Robert turned away from her and rubbed his temples, “I should have left you all at the hotel.”

“At the Holiday Inn Express?!” Veronica and what Danny assumed was her sibling both dramatically gagged in unison.

“What’s wrong with the Holiday Inn?” Danny asked, curious as to what could be wrong with the nicest hotel in town.

The two, probably siblings, shared a look that not only confirmed they were siblings, but also made Danny feel like an idiot.

The pair were on either side of Danny and he had a fleeting moment of wondering if this is what swimming in shark-infested waters felt like.

“Oh honey,” Veronica smiled with false sincerity, “clearly you never been to the Ritz.”

“I highly doubt he’s even seen it in person,” her sibling responded with a matching condescending attitude.

“Would you two cut it out!” the older girl snapped, “we have way more important things going on right now than asserting playground dominance!"

“Playground dominance?!” Veronica and her sister argued in unison.

“Hey,” a new voice interrupted.

Danny joined the others as they looked to the speaker.

The guy was huge both in height and in the type of bulk that most guys could only dream of achieving.

“You’re upsetting Theo,” he grunted more than said.

Danny and the siblings looked over to where he had nodded and found the youngest, but not the smallest much to Danny’s dismay, member of the group.

The kid, Theo, was just staring at them. He didn’t look upset, but maybe he just showed it differently than Danny was used to.

“Apologize.” Theo’s defender demanded.

“Sorry?” Danny apologized automatically.

“Not you. Them.”

“Sorry.” the siblings said quickly in Theo’s general direction.

The big guy sighed and shook his head, “not to him.”

The siblings shared a look and then turned to Danny. The one that wasn’t Veronica spoke first, “Sorry for making fun of you.”

Then Veronica added, “even if you did make it super easy.”

“Brody it’s fine,” Robert interrupted before this conversation could derail any further. “Just take the twins and your brother and sit on the couch while I try to explain the reason we’re here.”

Brody gave a single nod before corralling the twins and Theo over to the couch.

“I’m sorry, where was I?” Robert asked as he turned his attention back to Jack and Maddie.

“You mentioned our mothers were scammed but didn’t get to the part that involves them.”

“Thank you, Jacqueline.”

Danny looked to his parents to see if they were as confused as he was, but his mom looked worried.

Wait, were these people actually making sense right now?

Danny realized he may be missing some vital information.

“Put simply,” Robert started, “the sample our mothers received was from a single different donor.”

Maddie gasped and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder, “You don’t mean what I think you mean do you?”

“Yeah. I do.”

Whatever he meant, his mom didn’t take it well at all.

“But that’s not possible! It was supposed to be in storage! I made sure the form was filled out correctly! When did this happen?!” She shouted as she jumped between her husband and Robert.

As if Robert was a threat.

“Mads, it’s okay.” Jack tried to comfort Maddie but all it did was manage to redirect her anger.

“How is this okay?! That stupid clinic didn’t do what we asked them, what we paid them to do! They sold your-! Don’t you understand what this means? Who they are to you?”

Jack placed his hands on his wife’s shoulders and gently held her, “I know. And it’s okay.”

“But Jack?”

Before she could protest more, he smiled and added, “It just means that our family is a little bigger than we thought.”

“Mom?” Danny asked.

He really didn’t want to be this confused. Especially not with something that sounded this important.

His mom turned in surprise as if she had forgotten he was there. Then she got a look as some idea was forming in her mind. She spun in place to face Robert again, “How long has this been going on?” she asked in a rush.

“I’m 18.” he sighed, “and as far as I can tell, I’m the oldest.”

Danny was surprised that Robert was only 18.

Maybe he was bad at guessing ages.

“And how many times-?” his mom started to ask but Robert quickly answered.

“You’re looking at us.”

“You’re sure.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know how it happened?” Maddie asked as she slipped her arms around Jack for support.

“Not yet, but our families are putting a lawsuit together, you’re welcome to join us,” Robert offered.

“Money isn’t going to fix this.” Maddie snapped back but then sighed, “there is no fixing this, is there?”

Jack gave Maddie a reassuring squeeze and then addressed Danny, “Could you go fetch your sister? It’s only fair she knows what’s going on too.”

“Let her know what’s going on?! I don’t even know what’s happening right now!” Danny felt stupid for letting his frustration get to him, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t like seeing his mom so upset.

Maddie came over to Danny and took his hands in hers, “Sweetie I know this is a lot but I promise I’ll explain everything.”

“Promise?”

“Just find your sister first.”

Danny sighed but relented, “is she still home, or is she at the library already?”

“Oh you’re right,” Maddie looked towards the door as she tried to think, “maybe I should just go.”

“No, it’s fine!” Danny interrupted, “I’ll go get her!”

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” he smiled and was actually looking forward to the excuse to be out of the house for a bit. “I’m sure I could use the fresh air anyway.”

Maddie kissed his forehead, “thank you.”

Danny was about to just leave but he remembered he was still in his pajamas and had been this entire time.

Well, that was embarrassing.

================================================

Danny, now fully dressed, was off to the library to find his sister.

He planned on telling her what happened before they got home, one because it was fair, and two, maybe she knew what the heck everyone was talking about.

He really didn’t want to end up asking something dumb.

Luckily, Jazz is very reliable when it comes to following routines, so finding her was no trouble at all.

Unfortunately, Danny didn’t do a very good job at informing his sister of the current situation.

“Hey, Mom and Dad want you to come home now because they have something to tell us.”

“Oh? What is it?” Jazz asked as she finished placing the book she was holding back on the bookshelf.

“I’m not really sure, but whatever it is it has something to do with the six randos in our house and it’s made mom really upset.”

Long story short, it became very apparent who gave Jazz her driving lessons.

Before the car was even at a full stop Danny phased out of the car and blocked Jazz from getting into the house.

“Before you try and kick the door down, you need to know nobody is in danger!”

“But you said there were strangers in the house?!” Jazz reminded him, still very much ready to fight.

“Yes, but they were invited in. They aren’t threatening anyone.”

“Then why is mom upset?”

“They didn’t come with great news?” Danny shrugged.

Jazz finally relaxed her shoulders, “news about what?”

“That’s just it! I have no idea! I was hoping maybe you did?”

Jazz smiled and took a seat on the stoop and patted the spot next to her, “alright we’ve got a few minutes before they should be expecting us. Tell me what happened, from the beginning this time.”

================================================

Once Danny had told Jazz everything, she was quiet.

“So? Do you know, or were they talking in some kind of code?”

“I have a hunch, but I’m not sure.”

“Why not?”

“It’s just not something Mom should be upset about if it’s what I’m thinking of. Unless I’m missing something.”

“Are you going to tell me your hunch, or do I actually have to ask?”

“No, no, I don’t want to get the wrong idea in your head.”

Danny rolled his eyes in annoyance. Of course, he goes out of his way to make sure she knows just as much as he does and she doesn't do the same for him.

“Look Danny, this probably is something we should just let Mom and Dad tell us themselves.”

“Easy for you to say, Ms. I-have-a-hunch,” he mumbled back.

“Danny,” Jazz pleaded as he got up to go inside, “I’m not trying to keep you in the dark.”

At the last second, he stopped himself from snapping at her. He took a breath to compose himself and tried again, “I really don’t want to go in there mad. Can we just drop this and get it over with?”

She nodded and waited with him to get himself in the right mindset of learning something about his family that may or may not be completely life-altering.

Oh great, now he was nervous.

Since it wasn’t anger he guessed that meant he was ready to go inside.

Everyone was still in the living room but now they all had a place to sit. There weren’t normally enough places to sit to accommodate ten people, so chairs from other parts of the house had been relocated.

Their guests took up the entire couch, both armchairs, and a pair of chairs from the kitchen. Maddie was sitting on a stool that was normally in the lab, and Jack had a folding camp chair that might have been in the shed or something.

Two more kitchen chairs were waiting for Jazz and Danny.

The siblings both took a seat once Jazz had been introduced to the group.

“Danny, were you able to tell Jazz about what we were discussing earlier?”

“I mean I tried too, but I’m not entirely sure I understood it well enough,” he admitted while doing his best to ignore the twins' snicker.

“What part was confusing?” his mom asked.

“I guess the sample bit? You guys kept saying it was supposed to belong to somebody but then it was someone else’s or something? And no one said what it was a sample of?”

“Alright, context.” Maddie took a deep breath to steady herself and began. “Back when your father and I were in college we decided we needed to think a little bit more about the future.”

Jazz nodded and had a look that made Danny think that this was exactly what she had been thinking this was about.

He decided to stop looking at his sisters' reactions so he wouldn’t get annoyed again.

“You see with our field being so new and very experimental at the time, even more so than it is now, there are a lot of potential dangers.”

“Like what happened to Vlad?”

“Well yes,” his mom admitted with a bit of a grimace, “that event certainly was an eye-opener for me.”

“It was after he stopped talking to us that you brought it up, right?” Jack added.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Maddie agreed. “You see sometimes advancing the scientific world leads to long-lasting health issues.”

“Like how Marie Curie died of radiation after studying it?” Danny asked.

“Yes, exactly.” His mom smiled.

He couldn’t help the small bit of pride for remembering that science fact correctly, so he rode that high and asked his next question without hesitation, “so what did you guys do?”

“We decided it would be best to freeze samples of our egg and sperm in case we wanted to have children later.”

“Were you guys a couple yet?” Jazz asked, and now that she did Danny was also very curious about that.

“We’d been on a few dates but we weren’t really a couple yet.”

“We weren’t?” Jack asked, “I thought that going on dates was dating?”

Maddie looked like a deer in the headlights as she tried to think of something to say, “okay let me rephrase that. I didn’t know Jack was the one for me until after we went to the clinic together. To see someone else, not only love science as much as me, but also be able to think about the future and look forward to having a family one day really sealed the deal for me.”

“Aw shucks, really?” Jack blushed with the goofiest grin on his face.

“Yeah, it did.”

“Man, you guys are lucky,” Jacqueline said wistfully, interrupting the cute lovey-dovey moment.

“How so?” Jazz asked.

“If my parents loved each other even half as much as yours are right now I’d, god I don’t know, I’d probably be a different person.”

The rest of the guests agreed that they were all in a similar situation, and how odd it was to see two married people act this way in real life.

Danny and his family really weren’t sure what to say to that. It certainly was sad to hear.

“Look it’s fine,” Jacqueline said as she tried to wave off the situation, “I was just thinking out loud, I shouldn’t have interrupted. Please continue.”

Maddie nodded and refocused on her story. “Once your father and I graduated and were married, we tried to start our family. It turned out that the only way I could seem to successfully get pregnant was to use in vitro fertilization. Which is what we used to get both of you.”

Jazz gasped at the news but Danny had a feeling he might not have all the pieces yet.

“Okay,” Danny said slowly as he tried to piece together what she had just told them and the conversation from earlier, “so how are they connected to that?”

“The clinic we used would either store your samples for later use or offer them for anonymous donation. The samples we were talking about were your father’s.”

“Hold on, let me see if I have this figured out right. Their mom, moms?” he asked the group of guests.

“Mom’s,” they clarified.

“Right, their mom’s got a sample from the same place you guys,” he pointed to his parents, “used to store your own samples and then later have me and Jazz?”

“Yes.”

“And because of a mix-up, they are all siblings but not in the way they intended?”

“Correct.”

“So the reason they look so much like dad is because they are directly related?”

“Yeah,” Maddie answered with an extended sigh.

“So the bad part is?” Danny finally asked despite feeling like everyone else in the room knew what was going on but him.

“The bad part is that it doesn't make them our siblings,” Jazz explained. “Because we don’t share a father with them.”

The reality of the situation crashed into him hard enough to render him speechless.

His dad wasn’t his dad? What did that mean for him? Or Jazz?

While Danny was busy feeling a crisis coming on, his sister asked the question he hadn’t even been able to even think of yet. “Do we have any idea who’s sample we did get?”

“We won’t know for sure until we do a DNA test,” Maddie started, “but the sample their mothers were expecting maybe the one we got.”

“And who would that be?”

“Bruce Wayne.”

[hungnitan]

Vivid Bad Squad "Bout for Beside You" Event Summary

First of all my condolences that this event VBS composer get sick and can't complete the song then we must wait for another 8 month for replacement... too bad I guess since I always wait for VBS unusual theme song (lol) aside 25 ji...if you ask me, I never dislike any of their original songs even Forward still at okay range so yeah too bad~

Okay into summary :

Character : ALL VBS Members (Meiko and Kaito just mention only while Luka still not appear at VBS sekai) + Kotaro + Arata + Taiga (ikemen old man's name)

For card : (Gacha) An + Touya + Miku VBS + (Event Reward) Len VBS + Akito

Summary (Twitter) : Kohane has gained her confidence and showed a glimpse of her talent. Despite being happy for Kohane, a hazy feeling is slowly growing deep inside An.On the other hand, the mysterious man who gave some advice to Kohane once again appears in front of the 4 members and...?

Summary (Mine) : Just as I thought, An really lost her confidence and that man identity as I stated here... That old man name is Kotaki Taiga, one of three member team alongside Kenn that shaken Rad Weekend. The other one is Nagi, Taiga's brother but it explicitly stated there's something happened to Nagi...I guess this gonna be explained at upcoming VBS event later~

so to put in simply way, this is all about An uneasiness of don't want to be left behind by Kohane. The story started from An keep reminded by Kohane amazing performance at Stay Gold at VBS previous event story then Taiga suddenly asked Kohane to train with him eventhough An never get one makes her feels uneasy... At almost end of chapter she know the uneasiness came from her fright of losing one and only partner if Kohane keep growing to the point won't consider An as same level anymore In the end An just got a half of answer (like to push onward but don't know the direction) and there's indication An might get a taste of Akito past while still at Bad Dogs Akito get underestimated and considered to be riding at Touya's tail

so I guess this problem still TBC at next VBS event focused on An again or Kohane again

PS : Funny enough we got An meet up with Akito Touya team up at first time flashback and saw Akito used his good boy face around An (lol)...

Important Card Time and Place :

This scene happened as Len asked Miku to hear his song. At first chapter Rin stated that she want to team up with Kohane. Miku then brought that conversation again and makes Len jealous (lol)

This scene happened right after Len one then they coincidentally meet with An Akito as Akito realized about An uneasiness and want to talk separately against VBS members after know something wrong with An, she asked her out of it

Miku : An want to become "the one that Kohane respect as partner", that's why you want to makes Kohane feels excited with your voice but... Akito : As Kohane keep growing like now, you think that day will ended someday right ?

To be honest, I dislike An or Akito like characters since start (I mean the one think they always right or high pride one). As stories progress Akito kinda understandable but An type really came from things I dislike like bully type characters so it's kinda ambiguous for me to understand her way of think Don't misjudge me, it doesn't change the part every VBS songs need An and/or Akito voice to sounds good...

After knowing (half of) the answers she started her solo street live with mixed feelings

Rarity, I guess they using Touya because he lately don't have *4 and too bad Touya don't do anything here... and the one contributed most part is just *2 (lol)

Street theme again, I kinda like the art while for costume men version looks good but woman version pretty weird for my taste

Miku after change kinda questionable since she get featured alongside Rin in balanced ways (makes me think just who's that card main character lol), different than Touya since Akito placed at darker side...

And as always, my 2x10 doesn't even near on getting Touya attention (lol)

PS : Is this just me or every I do multi live I always get Leo/Need and MMJ songs ? Like those two group songs rarely get played at single live (lol) I never get VBS or 25 ji, I got 1-3 times if I played 20 songs randomly...

[wulg]

insert utsushi headcanons list under read more

will probably add more to this list as I continue writing (or add ones that I forgot to add, oopsie)

- most pivotal point in his life was when he was abandoned by family (possible affair, haven't decided) by Kamura Village, expecting the dangerous wildlife to be enough to get rid of him. He survived it, despite it all, so a family member had sent someone to dispatch him... but the sound of his crying attracted a Magnamalo, which scared them off. The presence of the Magnamalo caught the attention of Fugen, who'd been hunting nearby, and he came across the young Utsushi and brought him back to the village

- a number of his scars are from when he was younger, and he's not the biggest fan of discussing them

- his leg was badly injured when he was younger, resulting in a long-term injury. He usually wears a custom leg brace (designed and helped created by Hamon), though also has to keep a close eye not to overstrain himself while working

- in his determination to become stronger and overcome his injury, he also ended up learning how to use every weapon. Both to prove himself and also to see if there was one he could wield better than others. (That was, of course the dual blades)

- necklace carved from a Magnamalo tail spike from the Magnamalo that saved him

- he would've been the one tasked to slaying the Magnamalo, but... realizing his attachment to it, Fugen decided otherwise. However, Utsushi understood the possible threat it was to the village, and instead took it to heart to help mentor a Hunter that would be worthy enough to face it in an honorable duel

- sometimes uses walking cane made of monster bones & wood

- a lot of Utsushi's peers and hunters his age left Kamura to hunt for the guild while he stayed behind (he found enjoyment from teaching and mentoring others, as well as helping to protect the village)

- raised by Fugen and Hamon, and while he's close to both, there has always been some distance (emotionally) between him and others

- the closest person to him is possibly the Hunter, although even then, he's not entirely open

- his interest in craftsmanship was inspired by Hamon's handiwork

- while it's not uncommon for unwanted or lost children to be found near Kamura and raised there, he was old enough to understand his situation when he was abandoned; this lead to developing a sense of never truly being wanted, and a fear of being left again. Perhaps tries a bit too hard working to contribute and be likeable as a result.

- originally developed the different styles of each weapon as an alternate method to fighting with them for himself (as a means to accommodate), though this later developed into something more unique

- extremely intelligent and clever, good at coming up with unique solutions to new problems. A reason why he was considered a master at a young age

- feels a lot of pressure to keep up a strong, brave front, and his confident remarks try to boost this image. He is one of the main protectors of the village, so he feels like he has to be someone the others can rely on and trust to protect them

- very overprotective of others. considering most of the younger residents and children don't have their parents around, he's often an older brother figure to them

- not uncommon for him to cover his face a lot to hide his expressions (especially when embarrassed or crying)

- sweets liking guy

- his cooking is about 50/50 (sometimes good, sometimes a miss. Nothing terrible, but sometimes overcooks, over seasons or under seasons food. If he has a recipe or instruction, he can cook a decent meal)

- inspired by the Hunter Arts he learned from traveling hunters who stopped by Kamura from time to time. He does know some of them himself (particularly Wolf's Maw and others)

- even though he's well loved by the other villagers, he can't help but feel a detachment from them

- tends not to partake in festivities that the village holds, finding them too overstimulating (and too much socializing)

- after the Magnamalo was slain, he often visited the Shrine Ruins where it last drew breath. A few people are aware of this habit of his, but don't comment on it

- originally, the Hunter never really talked at all; the person who was best at communicating and interacting with them was Utsushi, and gradually over time, he helped with getting them to talk a bit more, though they still tend to be on the quiet side

- the obligatory trans, autistic, adhd headcanons. also bi! (And ace because uh. hey ace.) (I'm ace)

- while figuring out his identity, he probably tried cutting his own hair and very timidly told Fugen that he was going by a new name. Of course, Fugen immediately told the rest of the village -much to his embarrassment-, but they were all really supportive :)

- the kind of guy who, while closed off about his personal history and whatnot, is quite open if he's in love with someone, and isn't really all that ashamed about bringing it up. lovely guy with lots of love to share :)

- he's got fangs like Fugen (: but he almost always wears a mask, so not a lot of people know, actually

- obviously a huge fan of Zinogres, but also numerous other monsters too, like Nargacuga and Magnamalo

- he's got a Zinogre plushie somewhere

- mastered the art of sleeping while standing

- his scarf has caught on more things than he'd like to admit

- seems like a pretty relaxed guy, but he takes his duties rather seriously

- a fan of hot springs, especially when old injuries act up

- his vocabulary is a combination from a lot of reading he did when he was younger, as well as some sayings he picked up from travelers and hunters who pass through the village

- definitely cool 100% yeah :)

- can come off as a worry wart... fusses over others and their well being all the time

[antipodeanpineapplelump]

WIP... Tuesday?

Just in case anyone was wondering what useless novelty project I’m spending my time on now, may I introduce:

Or more accurately: “Shisui Uchiha and the Saga of the Overly Complex Movie Poster that’s Taking Up all of the Author’s Writing Time.”

Or: “Shisui Uchiha and the One-off Story that Accidentally Turned Into a Trilogy, much to the Author’s Total Lack of Surprise.”

So anyway, I have 30,000 words (3/9 chapters of the first part) so far and as usual, no timeline for completing this story. But I’m definitely in too deep to back out now! My new approach to stories is to write the whole thing, then post week by week. So this one is still probably several months away at least...

But here’s a quick preview:

The list of things Shisui Uchiha regrets in his life is pretty small.

A handful of ill-considered one night stands, several embarrassing bets with members of his family, the summer he decided to turn emo, oh—and one particularly notable fuck-up early in his career that very nearly ended it prematurely. But, for the most part, it’s been smooth-sailing.

Sure, maybe the odd rival takes a pot shot at him here or there. Ancient booby traps try to kill him, or the local wildlife steps in where they’ve left off. He and spiders are categorically never going to get along. But he’s never had cause to regret his career itself. He loves everything about treasure hunting—the adventure, the danger, the intellectual challenge of it all. The way his heart races when he finds some ancient artifact supposedly lost for good.

So, all in all, his current position—perched twenty feet up a silk cotton tree in India, surrounded by about two-dozen armed thugs personally out for his blood—well, that’s just another day at the office.

Two of the men walk below Shisui’s hiding place and he holds his breath, watching. They’re thick-built meat-heads; improbable amalgams of every jackbooted thug to ever grace a movie screen, with jawlines Chuck Norris could break a fist on, and brows that would make a Neanderthal proud. Supressing the snicker that threatens to escape him at the thought, Shisui wonders where Gato keeps finding these idiots. Some sort of steroid-fuelled body building conference maybe…

Comfortable they’re far too stupid to realise he’s here, he swings his legs back and forward, checking his bag to make sure his prize is still undamaged. Thankfully, despite having beaten a hasty retreat through the crowded city streets, the jewel-encrusted golden elephant winks up at him like a winning lottery ticket. One that’s going to pay for fancy canapes, champagne and extra leg room on Shisui’s flight home. Then a lot more afterwards.

But karma, as they say, is a bitch.

And karma, for Shisui, makes itself known in the form of a fluffy grey creature that plops down onto the branch beside him, joined in short order by half a dozen other partners in crime. At first, the macaque just fixes its intelligent gaze on Shisui, as though assessing what to do with him. Then, one very pregnant pause later, after the apparent realisation that no food is immediately forthcoming, the ringleader opens its mouth and screams. Loudly.

Shit.

“No, shhh…” Shisui orders in a loud whisper. “Oh come on, don’t be an asshole.”

The screaming continues, soon swelling to a cacophony as the others join in.

“Shoo!” he pleads, waving his arms around to try and scare them off. “I’ll buy you bag of bananas or something when I get down from here, just please shut up…”

But the little bastards don’t stop and, if anything, Shisui’s heated objection only seems to be pissing them off more. Which is fantastic, because truly the last thing he needs today is to catch rabies or—

From the bottom of the tree, someone clears their throat. “Ahem.”

Or that.

It’s smug, officious, and quite frankly, about the last voice Shisui wants to hear right now. Every part of him sinks. On reflection, maybe it was a bit arrogant to think he wouldn’t have been followed to the temple. To think he was just going to walk in, pilfer a several-centuries old treasure, and walk out again, a comfortable five-figure sum the richer for it.

But then, it wouldn’t be the first time.

Sighing, he looks down to see his least-favourite human approximation of a turd. “Gato.”

“Well, well, if it isn’t my favourite globe-trotting Uchiha. Fancy seeing you here,” Gato says, appearing inordinately pleased. His trademark sunglasses sit awkwardly atop his bulbous nose, straddling a pencil moustache that looks like a worm met its unfortunate end on his face some years ago, and he never bothered to wipe it off.

For reasons he can’t currently articulate, it annoys the shit out of Shisui. Possibly because if there’s anything he hates more than someone getting the better of him, it’s someone who’s as much of a fucking waste of space as Gato getting the better of him.

“Yeah well, you know how it is,” he says, glancing around for a quick exit. “Ancient treasures to find, damsels in distress to rescue…”

But unfortunately, the crowd of highly armed men around Gato is growing by the second, and Shisui’s options are looking somewhat thin on the ground. At least, all the ones that don't end with him riddled in bullet holes. Damn macaques…

Gato grins. In the pre-monsoon heat, sweat rolls down his neck and spreads like an oily stain across his collar. “Oh, I’m well aware of how you operate... You’re a businessman, just like me. Always taking jobs for the highest bidder.” Before Shisui can open his mouth to disagree, Gato holds up a hand, adding, “I know, I know… you don’t see yourself that way. Moral code or whatever it is you like to call it. But in reality, the only difference between us is that you have the air of legitimacy that comes with an academic backing, whereas I’m willing to admit what I really want.”

“And what do you want, Gato?” Shisui asks flatly, already knowing the answer. The tired old game they’re playing here.

“That trinket you have in your bag.” Gato licks his lips, as though he can taste the champagne he’s going to be drinking once he returns the statue to whoever hired him, to disappear into some private collection, never to see the light of day again.

“What do I get in return?” Shisui asks, even though it’s obvious from Gato’s expression that he’s not going to like it, whatever it is.

A mirthless laugh assaults his ears. “I’ll let you live to cross paths with me another day.”

As offers go, it’s not very believable. But as much as Shisui hates to admit when his luck’s run out, even he can see the writing on the wall. Today really isn’t his day. Sure, he might trust Gato about as far as he could throw him, but even Gato isn’t stupid enough to shoot him on a main street, in broad daylight. Probably…

Retrieving the golden elephant from his bag, Shisui tosses it carefully down.

Turning the trinket over in his hands, Gato lets out a hum of appreciation. “Very nice. My client will be pleased.” He hands it off to one of his many thugs to box up, then peers back through the branches, looking more like a slug than Shisui would ever have thought possible. Reinforcing the impression, his lips twist with a slimy smile. “Well, as always, it’s been nice doing business with you Shisui. But I think, unfortunately, you’ve caused me trouble for the last time.”

Far too pleased for Shisui’s taste, Gato steps back, raising his hand in a gesture that looks awfully like it’s intended as a final farewell. Or a smug ‘fuck you.’ Either way, the message is perfectly clear.

Shisui rolls his eyes, mentally scratching off another predictable villainous turn on his treasure hunting bingo card. “All right,” he calls after Gato’s retreating back. “Nice doing business with you too! See you next time...” Under his breath he mutters, “Asshole…”

Truly, Gato doesn't have an original bone in his body. It's like he once read The Idiots Guide to Being a B-Grade Movie Villain, then internalised it on the spot to make up for a lack of anything remotely resembling a personality. But, pathetic imitation of a villain or not, his bullets are still effective.

The leaves around him shred beneath the pop, pop of gunfire as Shisui sucks in a rushed breath, bracing himself for what he’s about to do. The branch wobbles precariously beneath his feet as he races along it, pushing off into air that rushes past, disconcerting and empty. The slender gap to the building seems to widen to the span of a gaping abyss—

He hits the rail of the apartment with thud, clambering quickly over it to fall on his back on the balcony, winded, but mercifully unharmed. A macaque peers over the guttering at him, with a leering grin that clearly threatens more screaming.

“Don’t you start,” he warns, waggling a finger at it.

But there’s barely a moment to catch his breath before the sound of splintering wood below indicates another problem. Or an extension of the same one. Bounding to his feet, Shisui scoops up his hat, settles it back on his head, and checks over the railing. A bullet clips the plaster nearby—a pretty good indication that Gato’s men have every idea where he’s gone. That, combined with the way they’re currently pushing through the lower doors to the complex probably doesn’t mean anything good for him.

“Shit,” he announces to no one in particular. It’s times like these he really wishes he carried a gun…

Forcing his way into the mercifully empty apartment off the balcony, Shisui slips quickly through it. Cracking open the door on the far side, he checks the coast is clear. It is.

Of course, it doesn’t stay that way for long. Halfway along the open air corridor, there’s a cry of discovery from his pursuers, followed by more shooting. Seriously, why are the bad guys always bringing guns to Shisui’s knife fights?

Ducking, he runs faster, bursting into another apartment filled with hazy cigarette smoke and shocked faces before finally making it to an exterior stairwell on the far side. Looking at the next building over, it’s immediately apparent the gap is way too far for him to use the same trick he did before. But with Gato’s men advancing on him from below, maybe he can just make it to street level and bypass them altogether…

A thicket of power cables criss-crosses the span between the buildings, with one nearby running almost to the level of the shop awnings below. Sending a rash of silent prayers to whatever gods take care of Indian power line maintenance, Shisui detaches a length of rope from his belt and flings it over the wire, gripping each side like a makeshift zipline. Holding his breath, he pushes off into empty space. To his surprise and considerable delight, the line holds.

It sweeps him across the street, picking up more and more speed, until the side of the other building is rushing at him like—

Shit.

He impacts it with his shoulder, coming to an uncomfortable and jarring stop. Pain shoots down his arm and he lets go of the rope, crashing through a fabric awning and landing ungracefully in a huge stack of bagged flour. Dust floats down around him and Shisui groans, moving each of his limbs in turn. By some miracle, nothing seems broken. Not even his tantō in its leather holster at his back.

Oh well. Fall down seven times, stand up eight…

Apparently his exit was none too subtle though, because Gato’s men are leaning over the stairwell railing, yelling and pointing at the mess he’s made. Dragging himself to his feet, Shisui evades an angry store owner, brushes flour off of his clothes and resumes running for his life.

Never let anyone say archaeology is boring.

As he emerges back onto the main street, searching for quick and easy exit, the sound of screeching brakes and angry honking carries from the road. Cutting a wild path through traffic is an old open-top olive-drab Jeep with several gold charms dangling from its rear-view mirror. It jerks to a stop just before hitting Shisui, both side wheels riding up on the curb.

“Need a ride?” the female driver asks, grinning.

Her windswept hair hangs past the fashionable silk scarf tied at her neck. Unmanicured nails wrap around the slender metal of the steering wheel, like they couldn’t be more at home there. They’re a stark contrast with the cream suit linen she’s wearing, rolled up neatly to her elbows. Speckled with dirt, it looks like she’s probably travelled halfway across the country to be here, and been up to her elbows in the grease of the Jeep’s engine at some point to do it. She’s a walking contradiction—albeit one Shisui is delighted to see.

“Izumi!” he exclaims happily.

Eyes sparkling, she waves. “Hey.”

“I thought you were practicing on the course in Reno this weekend… What’re you doing here?”

A shot rings out, kicking up dust near one of the tyres. Glancing behind him, Izumi rolls her eyes, reaching across to throw open the door. “What am I always doing? Saving your ass, you idiot... Now get in before one of us gets shot, or I have to find out whether my rental insurance covers illegal firefight damage.”

[tv14pluscartoons]

BIRDGIRL EPISODE 1: "PILOT" (April 4th, 2021)

Review edited for me by Glenn Rolón

This show contains discussion of parental neglect, non-graphic death and a hidden severed foot in a bag.

So, funny story, 21 years ago I was 5 years old watching the beginnings of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. Was I too young for it? Absolutely. But also it was like, the least inappropriate thing on Adult Swim I actively watched all through its run until I was 12 years old, so it's held a special place in my heart ever since.

All of that is to say, having seen that show is kind of unnecessary to understanding this episode. Which I would hope, given this is a spinoff of a show that began 21 years ago, ended officially 14 years ago, and had its last one-off special 3 years ago.

Birdgirl starts us off with Judy Ken Sebben/Birdgirl finishing up her day job, ordering ramen takeout while venting through the call about how her passions are more with her other life as Birdgirl than with her normal life as Judy, which is the perfect set up for the ultimate point of the episode. It then rushes forward into Birdgirl's fast paced action and awkwardness-heavy night, showing how much more excited Judy feels to do that than her lawyer day job. Though it also shows how RECKLESS she is as Birdgirl.

Judy completely ignores the giant signs of her father's death, seemingly out of cluelessness to the audience as its presented.

But longtime watchers of Harvey Birdman will already know he's faked his death multiple times, a point that's brought up when Judy goes to work the next day and is called into the meeting for the CEO Replacement. In which its revealed that her father (who believes Birdgirl and Judy are different people) chose Birdgirl to be the CEO while giving Judy the majority stocks in the company, setting off the real point of the episode, and possibly series: Judy's entire mental disconnect with herself. She feels distraught that her father saw Birdgirl as CEO material and not her more personal, calmer self.

Because she can't bring herself to grieve over her father yet again after the previous times, she goes fully into denial spending more of her time as Birdgirl and neglecting her personal life.

Which brings the concern of the friend she makes with Meredith the Mindtaker, a green telepath played by Negin Farsad.

Meredith is very empathetic despite calling herself "bad at emotions", which might be a side effect of her powers. Speaking of, to make a mental note, I find it refreshing that her powers are treated very intentionally not-invasively as possible, only using them to give therapeutic advice to Judy or physically stopping her to get her to listen. The biggest "misuse" is just her joking to finish Judy's sentences, which while annoying, isn't the same as forcing her way deep into Judy's insecurities she won't admit to herself.

Birdgirl's humor is dry and not scored by music or heavy sounds, aside from the absurdity of Birdgirl's incompetence at fighting crime in denial of her father's death; which is still underplayed compared to other examples I've seen.

The character design feels fitting as a continuation to Harvey Birdman while just being pleasant to look at, while also animating probably better overall than the original or a show with a similar vibe and style like Archer.

I really like how Birdgirl's eyes go from superhero cartoon/comic book white to showing her eyes like a live action adaptation whenever she'll be speaking honestly from the heart while in the mask instead of in denial.

One thing that might become obvious the longer you watch the episode is that, unlike Harvey Birdman, Birdgirl seems like it's not allowed to use Hanna Barbera/MGM/Cartoon Network characters freely, which may explain the abscence of a few old key characters, not showing or mentioning Harvey Birdman, and the fact one of the board members is a cartoon dog that might've been Droopy had they been able to. I don't think this hinders the show at all, but it is noticeable considering the show it spun off from. Might be Warner wanting to keep some characters clean while they try to use them in kid appropriate material like Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Birdgirl is a very calm show, definitely meant for teenagers and older — With the exploration of Judy's personal, mental and emotional struggles brought on by her father's neglect of her when she wasn't being reckless as Birdgirl. However, everything else is very tame; there's fewer than 5 bleeped swears, fewer than 3 mentions of sex and despite there being a people eating machine in this episode, it shows no real gore unlike another show with the same TV-14 Rating.

Birdgirl is for adults not in the sense that it has content inappropriate for children, but in the sense that its story, which seems to be ongoing, deals with issues that are only really relatable to people who are old enough. Despite human waste (heh) being a part of the episode, it doesn't ever feel "immature" in the way that poster child shows like Family Guy or Rick and Morty can feel, or even Tuca and Bertie, which is very mature with an important story, but goes for more crass jokes.

If you're a fan of stories with a woman-centric cast and dry humor, I'd recommend it to you. If you're more into the superhero stuff, I can't say I'd recommend it to you until more episodes have come out for a better gauge of where the show's boundaries will be.

Overall, Birdgirl is an enjoyable superhero empathy ride I hope to see more of and I'm glad I checked out.

[c-grace]

Since there are loads of [unnecessary] opinions on how Aloy looks, which I, frankly have nothing to complain about. I still believe she is very beautiful and her looks makes sense, not to mention the original model is stunning.

So lemme just take some time to write out this scenario I thought of that I found very cute and emotional, idk 'bout everyone else but it did make me cry when I thought of it.

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POV: You and Aloy are both outsiders, but you were cast out from being a "defect", the both of you only got to know each other during the last few years before the proving.

A little something I wanna mention, this is sorta a Y/N fanfic but without the Y/N, so wherever you feel like you need to add your name in the dialogue, you can do that but I did it so that there would be no need for the name. I hope you enjoy~

T.W: Slight mention of death and injury.

Aloy × F.reader/G.N

Also this has song lyrics in here, if that's not to your taste, I'm sorry but I couldn't think of anything else

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"Oh! I found something!"

"What? What did you find?"

"Tada! Another audio file!"

I lifted the device and showed it to Aloy and waved it with satisfaction. "And here I thought you found something useful." Aloy grumbled.

"It's important to me, you know how I love to study the old ones' musical pieces, especially the singing, they all sound.....I don't even have words to describe them." I held tightly onto the device. Using Aloy's focus I scanned the device and played the audio, and without a doubt, it was a musical piece.

"You sure love music, huh?" Aloy smiled and eyed me for a moment, "Yes, all the pieces from the metal world have a certain, essence to them, it feels like it's calling out to me." But that joy was cut short once I remembered of the proving.

"But then, with the proving coming along, the matriarchs might not let me visit any ruins and I won't be able to study them anymore." I huffed and kicked a rock away.

"Who cares? I'll take you to see more of the ruins, they didn't care for us for so long. What is it to them that we see who the old ones really were?" Aloy never understood, nor took high regard to any of the tribal laws and I do agree with her but I have no one other than her to accompany me to explore all these new wonders.

I believe Aloy can do whatever it is that she wants, no one, not even the matriarchs will be able to stop her from going to where she wishes to go. I only have her and if she were to be cast out once again just because of me, I don't think I would like that all that much.

"Thank you Aloy, oh that reminds me, I learned this song, I want you to hear it."

"Can't wait to hear it then. I can't believe it's tomorrow, how are you taking to it?" She looked at me worried and I could get where it was coming from. I get anxious quite often, taking down a watcher, without any preparation, will make me sick to the stomach. "Yeah, I've given myself a 'pep-talk and I think it's working, I don't feel too worried about it now."

"Thats good, alright, I think it's time we leave, Rost said he needs to meet with me." She stretched her hand over to me and I held on firmly, it was calloused yet warm, I felt safe by her side.

The both of us went on our ways and I made it back to the little tent that I called my study and home, I have journaled all the music I have found and dated every one of them. So far, I have recorded 12, 5 of which were addressed to someone else, it was as though they had sung while they mourned for them, wishing they could be with them and the rest were of random order but interesting nonetheless.

I set the recordings aside and tried to make myself fall asleep, the proving was not too far from now. I didn't train my whole life for it but rather, I just wanted to belong somewhere. Aloy is.....different, to her, the tribe means nothing but a means to know more of the world, she said it herself, she wishes to know why she was cast out and never once thought of the tribe in good light.

I had no sense of conflict in me, unlike Aloy, I liked to keep to myself and I ran away at the sight of the tribe members because I was afraid. I was afraid of how they would treat me but that sense of fear became a threat to me.

I learnt how to live on my own, I knew why it was that I was an outcast. My parents didn't want me, said that I would often act strange and I never understood why, till one day the matriarchs marked me an outcast and left me on my own. It was a little over 3 or 4 years ago, where I met Aloy, we grew close.

I never told Aloy, why I was cast away, I didn't want her to be burdened. I kept to myself but this time, with these songs I wanna let her know, all these withheld emotions are making me feel like I could rot from the inside. I am in a way excited for the proving.

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"Aloy! Watch out!"

'I didn't think it would come to this, no, please, stop this.'

"Stay where you are, I'll come to you, alright?!" She shouted but the sound of blasts had muffled all the sound around me. The proving was going well, with Aloy and I being named braves but the celebration was cut short when all of a sudden, intruders had marched in and openly attacked everyone on sight.

"Kill all of them, don't let anyone of them come out alive!" The invaders sounded.

I frantically grabbed my arrows and shot at a few of them, two had missed and the rest 4 had all landed a hit, killing them on contact.

"We can't hold them!"

Aloy had been covering for all the braves and took a stand at holding them down, I decided to let myself all out and help Aloy and guided the remaining to the exit but not many made it.

"I'll hold them down, go! Make it to the slip-wire! Vala! You go too, I'll cover!" I directed all of them, Vala looked reluctant but went on ahead. "There's more of them!" I heard Bast shout and I whipped my head and shot my arrows, this time, all of them landed.

Vala and Bast had got caught between the shots, I watched their bodies hit the floor and a look of dread had washed over Aloy but I could feel the anger that brewed within. She shot them down, all of them.

But it wasn't long before a man had grabbed her by the neck, and something in me snapped, all I saw was that Aloy was in danger. My body moved on its own and I had grabbed my dagger and drove it into the man's side, he screamed but he lifted his arm and thrust it to my gut, sending me straight to the ground.

Before I had lost my senses, I caught a glance at Aloy who had laid on the ground, at least, no longer choked by that man.

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"A-Aloy! You're awake! You're awake...Aloy..." It hadn't been too long since the attack but my injuries are far from okay but at that moment, all that mattered to me now was Aloy. She awoke but her face was pale and her breath, uneasy.

"No, no, no......ugh, I—I have to get out of here..." She clutched on to the side of her head. "Aloy, I'll gather your armour and Focus, just wait here, I'll co—"

She grabbed onto my hand locked her fingers around mine, her hands were shivering. "Aloy?"

"You're alive, I...I thought I lost you..too...." She whimpered, I crouched down and held on to her hands softly, "You can't take me out that easy." Slowly caressing the side of her face, I smiled meekly.

"Rost...he saved me...but."

"He didn't make it Aloy. I don't know what happened either, you'll have to talk to Teersa."

"Where are we?" Her feeble voice asked, "We're inside the sacred mountain, I'm not sure why, I was nursed outside the mountain, they didn't say much when I asked if I could see you." She nodded and slouched down. I went on ahead and brought in her focus, there was another focus with it but I just handed them all to her without questions.

I quietly left the mountains and waited outside for Aloy. It took a while but she came out with Teersa.

The two walked to the rest of the matriarchs, they were talking amongst themselves and it was then I heard that Aloy had been bestowed the mark of a seeker, Lansra did not take to highly of this decision and made some unwanted remarks to Aloy.

I glared at her, hoping that it would do something but she huffed and grunted, walking on just fine.

The rain had poured on harder with time, it felt like it was meant to weep but was choking instead, an odd feeling but that was how I had felt.

"Aloy, of the Nora? Or would you rather prefer, Aloy, a seeker from the Nora?" I tried to put a little lightness to the heavy air around. "I don't think I like either of them." She made a face at my names.

"Alright, then....Aha! Aloy.....despite the Nora?"

"That sounds better." She smiles wide. "Listen...I need to go, I need to find out who those killers were and why they came here, which means that I need to leave the sacred lands." Her smile drops and she looks at me apologetically.

"No no, you have more to worry about than me, it's alright, I can hold my own." I reassured her but her look of response was doubting all of it.

"Aloy, go, I know how much this means to you. I would only be a burden if you were to worry about me. I want you to go out of this place, I know you've always been curious about the lands beyond." There was so much I that I wanted to convey.

So much that I wanted to ask but I pinched myself to not do that.

"Before I go, I wanted to hear that song you wanted to let me listen to, at least let me hold on to that." She pleaded and held on to my clothes. "I-I don't know Aloy, right now, if I did that, I would appear more—"

"Here, you can just record it on my focus."

She removed her focus and placed it in my palm, I looked at the device and glanced back at her. I heaved a sigh and excused myself from the area.

'Am I seriously doing this now? Yes, c'mon me! You can do this!'

There goes my heart beating

'Cause you are the reason

I'm losing my sleep

Please come back now

There goes my mind racing

And you are the reason

That I'm still breathing

I'm hopeless now

I'd climb every mountain

And swim every ocean

Just to be with you

And fix what I've broken

Oh, 'cause I need you to see

That you are the reason

I started to cry at thought of having to let go of Aloy, she would be far off and I would be here, possibly just waiting. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where she would be, but I would hold strong, not only for her but for myself.

I won't have any more music files for me to explore so this was the last of all of them. Before I stopped recording, I quietly whispered, "I...I...love you, I love you Aloy and I hope you will be safe. I may or may not be here when you come back but if it weren't for you giving me a reason to be here, I would have never bothered going on with that life I had..."

"And I would have lost myself if it weren't for you."

At the familiar voice, that was none other than Aloy's, I had lost all reason and the shock had gotten me wailing silently.

"I'll be back, you are all that I look forward to when I return." She grabbed my face and pressed our foreheads together. "You sang well, I didn't know I meant that...much to you..." She whispered.

"You are the reason I'm even here. Come back safe, Aloy-despite the Nora." I clutched on to her clothes.

She placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and went on her way, she didn't turn back and I looked at her back, fading off.

'I'll be here, Aloy.....my Aloy.'

•END•

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Alright! Phew, that was done. I have never written a one-shot ever, I don't even know the word count cause I was just writing without thinking too much.

Anyway, it was more emotional in my head so I did cry a little but it's pretty meh on paper ��

Aight, this distracted me from all the bs of the world, I hope it distracted some of y'all too.