#went harder on the effects than the animation on this one but. a cool learning experience!

[saracastically]

disco ain’t dead 🪩

putting it out there that i would v much like to do more music videos this year 👀

[capricorn-the-goat]

As a mage, you were never into the flashy stuff. It wasn’t like you could pull it off, either. Your reserves were massive, more than double that of your peers. But it turned out that your condition caused seizures whenever using higher level spells. And besides that, it wasn’t like you could output a crazy amount of lower level magic at once either.

but where you struggled in some aspects, in others you thrived. You quickly learned your “refresh limit”, a magical principal which determines how fast it takes you to recover mana. You set this limit, and learned how to overcome it- self-enchantments. Magic placed around yourself, acting as an enchantment but centering around yourself and not a preset object. With your refresh limit, as long as you stayed just below it, you could keep certain enchantments activated constantly.

your mentor, plus your other studies, had taught you something: magic wasn’t about war or combat, shifting reality, discovering secrets that no one needed to know. But it was about making life fun, easier, beautiful.

the first enchantment you made for yourself was a simple, slightly strange one: a cloak of leaves that would constantly form and reform from leaves around you. You lived in the autumn kingdoms, so the leaves were brilliant shades of orange and red, a cape billowing behind you.

the next few enchantments coated on you were just as trivial. The second was that, unless locked or magically protected, any nearby door would open if you stepped within 5 feet of it. The third? Your tea, drinks, food, whatever would constantly be the perfect temperature you wanted it to be. This was a little difficult to keep active constantly, but it was a simple detection spell that had an activation coded into it. The fourth? Leaves would part around your feet in tiny whirlwinds. The fifth, that lighting would always appear perfect around you.

it was always trivial things like that. As you aged, your “refresh rate” kept increasing with it. You made even more trivial enchantments around yourself, until any visitor who came to borrow ancient books and notes or to seek guidance would describe your home as an assortment of oddities. Your research into wards and if-then spells became revolutionary, even if you couldn’t maintain them yourself, and you became famous for it.

the day you died, you were experimenting with one more spell. It was a little harder to pull off, an attempt at updating the system you had relied on for so long, being the refresh rate enchantments. The spell you cast was simple, yet it would be effective: “If my enchantments need energy and I cannot or will not provide it, then draw energy from the surrounding world.” The intended target for the last line was everything. There was energy in everything- the sun, plants, animals, even the movement of wind and water. You theorized that, as long as it was contained, you could create infinite energy.

unfortunately, after you went to sleep that night, you died in your sleep of a heart attack. The next adventurers who came by found you, honored you and buried you, and set out on a quest to fulfill the terms of your will (who to give what to, certain businesses you needed fulfilled, etc.). They even followed one wish of yours, which was to empty the stores of food into the forest and let the wildlife feast.

When they returned though, the adventurers found something odd. Doors would open randomly. Food and drinks would remain certain temperatures forever, never warming or never cooling. Light would shine weirdly through windows. Swirling patches of leaves would appear and disappear. The strangest occurrence was when a cloak of leaves travelled across the estate. Researchers and magic users travelled from across the world to watch everything happen.

Eventually, upon reading your final journal entry about your self fulfilling spells, the secret was discovered. the self fulfilling enchantment should have disappeared with you, but because the logic and function of it was circular, all of the spells placed on your person were preserved after your death, even if the mind which made them had disappeared.

this opened up many more possibilities. It was realized that, because such a spell was centered on your being and not your body, then how was such a magic floating around as such? Your death, your research on self enchantments and the after effects of such a decision, would spark a whole new branch of magic and magical science focused around spirits, essence, and beings. Eventually, hundreds of years later, one curious magic user decided to paint your “ghost” using a spell which colored the energy it consisted of. The ghost couldn’t think or even process anything because it was pure energy, but it sure did appreciate the gesture

[inmyhorrorsera]

S5E7 "Hybrid Creatures" thoughts

That's it. Those are my thoughts.

.

.

.

Kinda...

I'm kinda used to the writers putting Nadja in situations and see what it sticks, but (un)holy shit its so obvious that they don't know what to do with her character. What we do in the shadows learn how to write women challenge.

I don't know if the Guide even appeared. My stream stopped a couple times and I have to refresh so maybe I missed her (if not see previous point because it also applies to her).

LOVED Nadja's kitty hair buns, love to see that at least the hair and costume department still cares about her.

The line about burning the school made me roll my eyes, not only because that story doesn't make sense with what we learned about her childhood, but also because I can FEEL when tv shows throw lines with the specific expectations of them being gifed, become memes, etc.

I know it's stupid to discuss about the ethics of Laszlo's experiments on the dick and balls show but in this episode I was all 😬😬😬 about it. Like, I don't give a shit if it was done with comedy purposes, animal experimentation is one of the subjects I will never find remotely funny or make jokes with, specially if we start thinking... How much consent Guillermo gave for Laszlo to straight up play with his DNA in this way? He has nothing to say about it except for a confused frown or looking panicky at the sight of the creatures?? More important, if Nandor did this exact same thing the past season and created the hybrids with a Djinn wish or whatever, how would the fandom have reacted??? (spoiler: waaay more angered than when everybody's fave Laszlo does it).

The work of puppetry and digital effects was good as always, nothing bad to say about the team behind the cameras that puts all their hard work and craft on this, sadly, mid storyline.

Despite how little I care about mAd ScIenTiSt Lazslo plot, the moment when Guillermo believes he won't help him anymore was truly heartbreaking just by looking at his face. You can see he really has all his hopes in Laszlo finding a 'cure'.

I wish the whole thing about Guillermo being incapable of killing the hybrids hit me harder (as if we didn't saw him luring innocent teenagers so they can get killed in the literal pilot).

Sorry but that lady character didn't work for me and the "Helen the Magic Johnson" joke was unfunny and kinda old :/ i wonder if half of the wwdits fandom even got the reference (also lmao shameless product placement, you can tell they needed the money to pay for the cgi used on the creatures).

Colin was like his season 1 self. I bet the wwdits reddit ate up that shit.

See also: Laszlo calling Guillermo 'Gizmo' again. Hated it.

Colin becoming the stereotypical 'cool' white liberal teacher was hilarious specially when he said the cliché "history is written by the oppressors" line because that's where the parody becomes too obvious. This is the guy whose dna results on s1 were "100% white" after all. AND YET some people here are still celebrating and repeating it as this 'so true bestie 😔✊' moment without realizing the show's laughing at you, not with you. But hey, this is the we don't get satire even if it bites on our ass site. Imagine fans celebrating when Kendall Succession shouted "fuck the patriarchy!" in front of the paparazzi for being a #feminist. That's how wooosh the moment went over some of y'alls heads.

Nandor and Colin at the museum felt a little tackled on, but at least Nandor annoyance at his personal items being displayed was fun.

And Colin being friendly (dare I say…sweet?) with him at the end again gave me a happy smile. I'll never guessed this season was all about the Colin and Nandor (Condor??) era but I'm all for it.

Biggest Mild laugh of the night: Nandor mannequin having male and female lovers on the display, the dude is wearing Calvin Kleins!

I can't say much about Guillermo leaving the hybrids at the senior home because it's a overused ending for wwdits at this point. Seriously, when this show doesn't know how to end an episode they always do the same shit: Leave the characters that are a problem in a different place. It happened with: Topher at the zombie sweatshop, Jim the vampire as the volleyball coach in Tucson, familiar Benji in a different city/state (forgot where), The Baron and the Sire in the countryside, Derek working at Sean's MLM, Freddie!Marwa in the Uk. They have done this ending 👏🏼lots 👏🏼 of 👏🏼 times👏🏼already!!

Having a wank?! The setup and payoff for this joke really worked.

Next episode seems interesting.

Anyway, I am once again asking for the Djinn...

[the-assignment]

Blog 5 - District 9 & Bad Afrofuturism

Learning about Afrofuturism has been fascinating. What it is, what it isn’t, the themes – even why it was first created. I’ve also been exposed to a lot of different ways that Afrofuturism is done – and done well. And in many different forums or avenues of art – like music, music videos, novels, short stories, short movies, and full-length feature films. So, I’ve seen a lot of good types of Afrofuturism. But now that I know what good Afrofuturism is – I also can spot the bad. I can now see when movie miss their – I’m assuming intended – mark. And this is evident in the movie District 9.

While it may appear to be Afrofuturism in the sense that it is science fiction, deals with aliens, set in South Africa and has – absolutely minimal – Black characters – I wouldn’t classify it as such. Or not a good one at least. For starters, the main characters are white (which, okay, the movie being set in South Africa shoulda been my first clue) but even the characters that are Black are either downplayed and belittled or just downright written to be animals. (It makes sense why the depiction of Nigerians in this film was heavily contested).

But it had a lot going for it. It had great action scenes and CGI, and the visuals were super cool and realistic – which actually makes the movie harder to watch. And this is a good thing because it gets people invested in what’s happening! It was also based in a real identifiable place. It was even inspired or based (sorta) by real life places and events. District Six was a real place in South Africa where the effects of apartheid was visible – forcibly removing 60,000 people from their land that was then deemed a white area. The obvious ode to this not only in the name – but in the context of the movie – is absolutely apparent. It was also shot in a really interesting way – meant to be a found footage / documentary styled film and not just a typical, linear, story-telling way. So that was super creative and helped aid the story.

So, what went wrong? It can’t simply be that it had a white director – as there are many films directed / created by white allies in Afrofuturism and in other genres in general. I wouldn’t even say that having minimal Black characters is what makes it bad – as other films like Children of Men have little diversity as well (though, inarguably, the role of the Black character in that film definitely had more weight and merit than any in District 9). But I think the problem with these types of movies where they try to make political or social commentary is that they are done in the limited scope and experiences of the Very White Director™. The story is told through a white lens and – I think – ultimately created for white people. (It reminds me of White Man’s Burden, in this regard).

The main guy starts turning into a lobster – okay not really – he starts developing a claw as he was infected with Alien matter. But he is white. He is human. So, in the beginning, he has privilege, he is the one evicting the aliens – but the second the fellow White Humans notice this, they start to experiment on him. His whiteness does not protect him, and his privilege is gone. He has to escape… and you guessed it – flee to the Aliens he was terrorizing and evicting! And then, ultimately becomes accepted by the Alien community and becomes a white savior.

One of the things – to an extent – that the movie does well is the act of ‘Othering’, but the problem is that it does it for Whiteness and not the othering of Blackness. This is not a Afrofuturism movie or faux documentary about social justice and the effects of apartheid, segregation, or racism, but a film that plays on stereotypes, refuses to have the difficult conversations, refuses to take a stand, and instead plays it safe, comfortable, and far too white.

[kosmo-mckogane]

Hi! Regarding your lovely post on ableism towards Shiro~

I loved it! Very well articulated points about example of real life ableism in Voltron! These are my thoughts regarding the same topic as a chronically ill person!

(note: I personally only deal with physical illnesses, but most of this can be applied to mental illnesses as well.)

When I first watched season 7 and learned that Shiro had (for all intensive purposes) an invisible illness(please let me know if I’m wrong, I haven’t rewatched the show in months) I was super excited as I also deal with two invisible illnesses and I love Shiro! (Not to mention that most representation regarding disabilities take place in a slice of life scenario. Like no, I wanna be a chronically ill Jujustu Sorcerer, Demon Slayer, Voltron Paliden, Super Hero, Spy, Detective, all the cool stuff!)

I hoped there would be more discussion (in the show not your amazing post) about how Shiro feels obligated to hide it as to not burden Keith or those around him, or even so he can keep his job(going to space)

Not only that, but when Shiro is faced with the option to decide on his own what he is and isn’t capable of doing, Adam threatens to leave him if he chooses to go on the mission. Punishing him for deciding to push past his illness. Shiro is also shown as the bad guy for making this decision.

While I know that being a chronically ill person’s loved one can be very hard and emotionally taxing, this is not a valid reason to gaslight them and punish them for making their own decisions.

I’ve seen some people say “it’s a kids show, they shouldn’t have to tackle heavy topics like those.” However, I find this idea to be ableist in itself and let me explain why.

Saying that a topic like chronic illnesses is too “dark” for children implies that people who struggle with them should hide it. This idea is really just people wanting the minority to be silenced, as in “your problems are too sad or uncommon, so let’s not bring them up.” But this only makes it harder for them to get things like accommodations or accessibility. It also creates a generation of children who don’t understand that some people have different needs than most.

Children can and will have Chronic Illnesses. When season 7 came out, I had just turned 14 and had been dealing with my illnesses for at least 2 years at that point. I loved shows like Avatar:the last air-bender, and a multitude of animes that had good characters who happened to have either disabilities or illnesses, and were children, going to school, and trying to do normal things like all their friends. The lack of this representation is what makes people like me grow up thinking that we should hide who we are or that we are abnormal. And we are abnormal, as in the minority. But! and listen to this, Almost half of the population has at least one chronic illness. However, most children do not, as most illnesses developed later in life, or at least past puberty. Therefore, good representation for this group could be the difference in a child’s self esteem and self-worth.

Let me also talk about how Shiro’s illness was completely taken away… twice.

When Shiro’s arm is replaced by a robotic one pre season 1, it just so happens to be the same arm that is effected by his illness. His illness was only revealed in season 7, leading me to believe it was thrown in there as a plot device to create conflict between Shiro and Adam to explain why he never talked about him during his time in space.

Any notion that the illness could appear in another part of his body is completely wiped out as his body is replaced by the body of his clone. So he is completely “cured” by…well dying… but ok!

This kinda says to me that people who have chronic illness should get better or die LMAO. Shiro did not struggle at all with this, he still went on the mission and then was virtually cured.

Anyway, I love Shiro as a character, I just can’t help but feel his illness was thrown in for brownie points similar to how his queerness was thrown in there with little regard to audience members who are actually apart of those communities. Like yes, you have a character that is technically gay, and disabled, and of color, and chronically ill, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t actually talk about it.

I try not to comment too much on the Shiro Queer-Baiting Situation because I’m not apart of the queer community so it doesn’t feel like my place. But, I felt it had some similarities to this one, so I made note of it!

Sorry if this made no sense, I’m writing this at 2am. All love! (｡´ ‿｀♡)

Voltron Writers to Minorities:

!!!! thank you so much for this!! the ableism in voltron in particular is something i rarely see talked about, so it's really great to hear what you as a chronically ill person have to say on the subject! u put this across rlly well and literally everything u said was perfect and so right, fuck vld <3

[demonslayedher]

Dream Analysis of Mugen Ressha

Spoilers for the movie, while it does not depart from the plot of the manga, they made adaptational choices which I may refer to within.

While Enmu has control over what kind of dream his victims see, ultimately, he would have no way of knowing all of the details of his victims' lives, so we can assume that he is prompting his victims to fill in a lot of the details themselves. These are the worlds they surround themselves with consciously, but their untouchable unconscious spaces say just as much.

I've said some of this before, but these dream sequences give us so much to say about Inosuke, Zenitsu, Kyojuro, and Tanjiro.

Into the dream: Did that "Rengoku-aniki" thing really happen???? It's animated like a fever dream (or drawn like a typical Gotouge-being-Gotouge panel), but both the movie and the manga leave this inconclusive. It can be interpreted two ways: 1. The two other demons were there all along as decoys, set to appear only when Enmu's blood technique slowly started to take effect so that they'd let their guard down. In this way, we'd know that the boys had a true way of witnessing Kyojuro's prowess and a true bonding moment, thereby making his death hit all the harder later. This would also mean that one of the cars was totally unusable for passengers, and many of the passengers were already thoroughly spooked before falling into sleep. It would also imply that they were all super excited, thoroughly relieved, returned to their seats, and then just passed out.

2. The moment the tickets were clipped, Enmu's very, very, very realistic dreams took immediate effect, but he still needed time before it took effect enough that their guards would go down. If this is the case, then it implies the following: 1. Enmu's illusions can be shared 2. Everyone syncs extremely well together to have all been sucked in by the same illusion (it's possible it was only Tanjiro's, but since we get in everyone's heads a little in this part, I believe they all experienced the same thing). Reacting in ways so true to how they would in waking like, they learned as much about each other as truthfully as they would have if they were fighting while awake. 3. The "Rengoku-aniki" thing is the moment they're falling into a deeper stage of sleep, when any bizarre thing will make sense. They've lost any sense of holding back and are embracing the emotions as they hit them. Even if that was all a dream, the bond formed was very real. But then, as they fall deep, they fall into their own headspaces. Inosuke: I love how bombastic this dream is. It moves at a very fast pace, and everything revolves around Inosuke. He is physically much larger than Ponjiro, Chuuitsu, and Pyonko, who clearly follow him as their leader, the most powerful person in this cave exploring world full of wonder and excitement. True to life, these underlings can at times be frustrating or stupid, but there is no one else Inosuke would rather have at his side to take on a hugely impressive foe. It's a relatively simplistic world, what Inosuke really cares about is his place in it, and who is there.

Taking it a step deeper, he should not be able to manifest in his self-conscious space, but Gotouge attributes his and Zenitsu's ability to do this and protect their cores from intruders to their strong senses of self. What's telling is that his subconscious space is practically identical to his conscious dream space; like there is no breakage between one stage of reality and the next. In its Zen-like simplicity Inosuke's mind is never at odds with itself, its interpretation of reality is fluid and seamless. However, being at this deeper state brings us to a deeper state of self actualization, with Inosuke manifesting closer to the ideal beast he views himself as.

Now, with Inosuke being so fully invested in what he sees as reality, he's still got a carry-over effect from dream after waking up, which one could interpret as not having fully shaken the effects of Enmu's blood technique. After all, Zenitsu simply never broke out of it, Tanjiro had to kill himself in his dreams each time to fully snap out of it, and Kyojuro was the only one powerful enough to have broken through its effects through his own willpower. When Tanjiro says the train is a demon, he buzzes with "I was right!" (a conviction that only got stronger in his dream), and Inosuke's declarations of being the boss and Tanjiro being his underling are indignantly plentiful and he fully believes what he is saying every time he brings it up, even if he's aware that he's no longer in the cave exploring dream. But, given that Inosuke is so at peace with his own version of reality, it's also just as likely that his conviction of being The Boss was also only compounded by the dream, and all that dream did was give him a more fun setting in which to play around in. But, what was so fun about the dream, what made him sleep-giggle with pleasure, was that everyone else was finally getting with the program and recognizing him as the boss, as they should. Finally. It's so frustrating in real life that he has to keep reminding them to get it right. Get it, Santaro?? GOOD. Zenitsu: What I love here is the contrast between subconscious and conscious space. Both of them have the same theme melody, but played in very, very different ways. They also both play with the same core desire in very different ways as well. Is it so much to ask that he can just spend some time alone with the girl he loves?? If we jump straight to the pitch black unconscious space, he specifies to the intruder that only Nezuko is allowed there. Not just girls in general, not a close friend like Tanjiro, only the one girl he loves, and even then, you'd have to love someone a lot to invite them into the deepest, darkest corners of your soul. And it is a very, very, very, very dark corner. Zenitsu's spent most of his life building that dark, pessimistic personality, compounded by the treatment he's always received throughout his life and what he believes about himself at his core. He's ugly and depraved there, and very defensive. Because he holds himself in such darkness, that makes him desire the bright, happy, completely idealistic world of his conscious dream world. It's rich with detail and warm and he knows it well, that places is the first place he ever felt someone have hope for him; it's Jiichan's home, that sunny place with delicious peaches and full of clovers and lush greenery and a charming stream. Of course he'd want to show it all to Nezuko, she deserves to see such a happy, pretty place! And, while the world is idealized and happy, Nezuko is e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y cute and actually wants to hang out with him too. She's willing no hold his hand, none of the girls who dated (read: used) Zenitsu in the past were ever willing to hold his hand. He even gets to show her that he can be cool, and she likes it!! She looks him in the eyes and is totally honest about enjoying his company!!

He just wants someone to want him back. He wants to belong in the sunshine too. So, even if he had it in him to wake up from Enmu's blood technique, who can blame him for staying there? (You know, besides Tanjiro, who has been desperately screaming for them all to wake up and help him protect the passengers. Zzzzz, five more minutes, Tanjiro, zzzzzzz----) Kyojuro: This... isn't really a happy dream. Kyojuro has accepted a lot of sad parts of his reality so wholeheartedly that he doesn't seek the comfort of a dream in which his mother is still alive, or a dream in which his father is proud of him. Instead, what Kyojuro was looking for was the chance to go back and say more to Senjuro. This implies that on the real day he knelt in that room, while his father faced away and read the book* while Kyojuro told him all about how he defeated Lower Moon Two and became a Pillar, and was met with his father's heartbreakingly unenthusiastic reply, he later went outside and...

...didn't say any words of comfort to Senjuro.

This regret, that he didn't do more for his brother whom he knew was hurting in his own silent ways this whole time, was what sat most bothersomely in Kyojuro's otherwise peacefully self-assured psyche (or fired-up psyche, if you go by his subconscious space) . It makes sense that in his dying wishes, the first thing he requests is that Tanjiro do this in his stead. *Speaking of that book, Kyojuro had forgotten about it until his memories pulled together to create the details of the dream, which was why he thought to mention it to Tanjiro later. This shows that Enmu is not an architect of people's dreams, he only sets them in motion. How believable they are depends on each victim. (Totally unrelated, I love the design of the Rengoku estate's garden??? It's primarily evergreen and unflowering trees, meaning it stays relatively steadfast throughout the year, a garden designed in samurai villa taste. Plus the details of the house also fit really well, I think??? Would need to review research of buke-yashiki architecture to say more.) Tanjiro: ...*deep breath* This boy really, really wants to go home. Like, the climax of the movie is amazing and all, but it's the scenes with Tanjiro's family that make me cry. Ugh, where do I start. Enmu probably just grabs on to whatever thread of a desire a person has, and then he just tugs on it and says "this way, let's go really far in this direction, show me where it goes, hmm, okay, nice, lovely. Have fun here, I've now seen enough to write my own angsty version for later." So... so I'm just going to work backwards a moment. Enmu screwed up here, thinking he could really read the depth of Tanjiro's family and his feelings for them. He thought he could make a convincing version of these "characters" cry and shove Tanjiro around and speak meanly to him and make him feel shame. And the cut to that dream, OH MY GOSH, truly horrific sound and color change. But Tanjiro's sees through it so fast that he wakes up immediately and uses that anger at how Enmu wrote them to cut off his "head." You screwed up, Enmu, you blew it, maybe other people would very so blown down by the shock that they wouldn't question how unreal that dream sequence is, but Tanjiro has honed his fighting spirit so much that it's been nagging him even throughout his happy dream. And he really, really, really wants to stay in that happy dream. Like, even though he's on guard at the beginning, so much so that he only focuses on the familiar feeling of a demon being around and does not notice the familiar landscape AT ALL. But the moment Hanako and Shigeru step in, convincingly made from Tanjiro's memories and unedited by Enmu, Tanjiro throws that all away in an instant. As he says when he's trying, after trying and trying and trying to rip himself away from the dream, he was never even supposed to had left this world. He was never supposed to had touched anything like a sword, they were all supposed to stay there together, living their simple life. If things hadn't gone wrong that one night. Tanjiro cares deeply about his mission, he's adopted his training deeply, he has serious desire to improve, which is why his subconsciously keeps trying to call himself back to reality, but it's so hard, because this is where he wants to be, and it's even harder because it feels so real. It's a little peeve of mine when families with lots of little siblings are written to be too angelic and idealistic, and there is some of that with the "let's make sembei, yaaaay" scene, but... but that's actually pretty true. I'm giving myself away with how close this hits to home, but it's a dynamic in a lot of large families, especially large families pretty happy to stay to themselves and people who live the same sort of conservative, traditional lifestyle, to foster in the older siblings some pride in taking care of the little ones and helping create that happy world for them, even if taking care of little kids can be rough. It's not to say that things are always happy and fluffy, they're not, and that's not to say even

happy kids don't resent being in a large family sometimes. But there's plenty of moments in daily life, especially in the presence of small children, that you get swept up into a sillier, happy, caretaker side of yourself, and since you all grow up with these silly moments together, you're going to naturally fall into into some silly, scripted-feeling moments of "then I'll be in charge of eating the sembei!" "no faaaaair!". So, I'll give the sembei scene a pass because that IS a moment that happens in years of moments with the same posse of kiddos around you all the time. But it's also so striking to me how each of Tanjiro's siblings, however idealized, has their own personality. The traits are so subtle but consistent and Tanjiro knows all of them. They pick up on things about each other, they grow realistically annoyed and surprised and concerned and scared like they would if they were real instead of only Tanjiro's memories of them. Those kids feel so real to me, even if they are annoyingly overidealized in some parts as Tanjiro is letting himself get swept away. And just when he's managing to part from it to go face reality, Enmu makes more attack: he brings in Nezuko, trying to make it feel like there's no point in Tanjiro running at all. She's fine. There's nothing left for him to fight for. Everything's fine. And all over again, Tanjiro just stops. He KNOWS it's not real, but he's hurting so much to hear her voice again that he just sto-o-o-o-ps. And his desire to stay with the others catches up to him all over again, and he's tempted all over again to stay, EVEN KNOWING IT'S NOT REAL and there are very, very, very pressing matters to attend to. Even if it was all a little happy and idealized, more than anything, it felt like life always did. It's telling that when Tanjiro finally, FINALLY pulls away from that that time, he doesn't look back, and the family stops chasing him. This is Tanjiro accepting reality, however much it hurts. He's already had a couple years to accept this, but it was all overwhelming to get such a vivid taste of it again.

Tanjiro wants to do well to his organization and honor Urokodaki's training and avenge the fallen and prevent anyone else from being hurt and see an end to Kibutsuji Muzan and make Nezuko human again, but more than anything, he wants that simple life. And it's so, so heartwarming that at the end of the manga, he gets it.

It's not the same. It'll never be the same.

He never wanted a life with a sword, but he's been working so hard at it anyway.

[idreamofthemeparks]

Thoughts on Convergence Station

Okay, obviously this place is incredible, beautiful, very well done. I don't have a huge amount to add on that front. I did the whole Qpass story experience and found it really enjoyable. That's what makes Convergence the best Meow Wolf installation IMO-- the story is very much involved but you can still have a great time, and get a sense of what the world is like and what's going on, even without a card.

I have just 1 (one) complaint: the main Qpass story was really obviously idiot-proof. The extent of my involvement in the main storyline was just scanning my card in various places. There were some moments that would pop up in my memory bank that could've been good quests that made me feel more involved, but then they would just... Get done for me. At one point I saw a clue about a robot, so I headed to scan my card at the robot, but by the time I got there, the robot's clue was already in my inbox. That was a really straightforward clue, too! At another point, I was actually told to go to a specific location, but I got a message less than 2 min later saying "never mind, just go to any ATM". I'm not saying that there needs to be complex puzzles at every step, but I kinda wish they'd trust us to do something like finding a major landmark to scan. I only complain because the lack of participation made the ending feel a bit less impactful.

That said, I can definitely see why involving puzzles and specific stops would create serious crowd control issues. In the long run, they probably did the right thing by making the puzzles largely optional and varying in difficulty. Those were fun to discover, and the employees were super helpful with the harder ones. I only got one optional "fetch quest" that involved scanning my card, and that was really fun. I wish I could've found (or they could've added) more of those.

Just as I've heard from visitors to all the locations, talking to the employees was a real highlight. Here's some of the fun interactions I had:

A lady in Numina told me how all is Numina, and Numina is all. She's one with Numina and all its creatures, and Numina may take over the universe one day. She said that the Convergence event felt like "the worst migraine you've ever had times ten", followed by 12 seconds of non-existence. I met a guide later who told me a lot about the cool 6th dimensional animals, and how the ones that weren't moving were just outside of what we can perceive.

A sketchy hooded guy in Ossuary took my memory of bungee jumping and made a profit off it on the black market. Thanks dude.

An Eemian priest told me about how, contrary to the popular narrative, she didn't want to go back to the home world because it was cold and miserable. When she told me about how Navigators form bonds with people and let them travel through space, I felt pretty special piloting it. Also, sick Dune reference.

A guy on C Street solved a Rubik's cube in 30 seconds and when I was done watching he gave me a pin!

Some of the QDot employees were big fans of Oleander, but one guy wasnt so sure. He would yell "yeah, the Final Stop is a great idea! Whatever Oleander wants is awesome!" and then pull it aside to whisper how it would be a disaster and would pull the Convergence apart by the molecule.

I got a psychic reading and learned that I need my aura cleansed, and I have an affiliation with whales. Why yes, I do.

A security guy did what I wanted to do, which was absolutely breaking it down in the middle of the music room.

A couple of tips if you're going to visit:

I went early on a weekday and was blessed with very small crowds. I didn't even have to buy advance tickets. I recommend doing the same.

Buy the pass even if you're not planning on doing the story! It'll help you activate effects and do puzzles. You can also watch your collected memories at home if you keep your card, so theoretically you can just boop your card a ton of times and then just watch all the videos later.

Bring 3 or 4 quarters, if only to give to the C Street people in exchange for info.

I saw pretty much every detail of pretty much everything in 5.5 hours, but then again I was very fast and energized.

I knew that this and the Meow Wolf ride at Elitch Gardens were in the same city, but I didn't know how close they were. They're one train stop apart. You could make a day of it.

I might add more to this later, but in general, wow!! This place surpasses the hype. I'm so happy I went!

[giantroboticplatypusbutt218]

I finished watching Loonatics Unleashed and I have Some Thoughts. I guess this is like a part 2 to the other post I made about the show so yeah.

I swear I don’t intend for everything I write to be an essay but whatever. It’s all under the cut. No massive story spoilers, but I will talk about episodes and will warn accordingly. (But who actually cares about being spoiled on the plot of Loonatics Unleashed?)

Alright so I finally figured out why Ace has laser vision. ...It’s kinda dumb but it’s because rabbits eat carrots(in cartoons). It’s... a reason at least. Still kinda sucks that it’s his only power when everyone else got 2 and some change. Kickass swords don’t count, even if they are magic. Seriously; Transformation. Duplication. Imitation. Tons of other “ation”s. They could’ve leaned into his trickster side but no. He eats carrots... so he got laser vision. Also he only ate carrots like three times in the show so wtf...

Okay so the pacing... improved somewhat in season 2. Don’t get me wrong there were still problems in some episodes but at least they learned how to build the stakes until the climax. They still sometimes went from zero to eighty after the opening credits, but at least it wasn’t zero to a hundred. Much less whiplash was had is what I’m saying. 

I don’t think I really mentioned the villains before but they’re uh... generally not very good. They’ve got cool gimmicks but most of the time they’re just two stereotypes and a cliche in a trench coat. Season 2 brought back classic anthro characters to be villains a few times, and while they still weren’t well written and just referenced old bits half the time... at least they weren’t dehumanized humans. 

I also don’t think I mentioned the animation so... it’s fine. It’s got cut corners but all cartoons do. Sometimes fight scenes look cool, sometimes they’re stiff. Sometimes the slapstick is well timed, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes the facial expressions match the voice acting, sometimes they don’t. Speaking of voice acting, it’s good. There’s not really anything stand out to perform in the first place but everyone does a good job with what they have. 

Okay random note before getting deeper into things... the intro themes were... not good. I swear the first song ended on a note that it wasn’t supposed to. The second song fixed that but added people announcing the characters which... is just worse to me. Not much else to say because I skipped them after the first few times. 

(Very mild spoilers for the general plots of episodes past this point.)

Ace and Lexi improved a little in the second season, but I still find them kinda bland. Ace still just feels like zero calorie Bugs Bunny. His wit is confined to being the leader, snarky comebacks, and some decent sleuthing skills... and that’s really it. He doesn’t really play around with the villains the way Bugs would. Ace was also supposed to have an arc learning to use his magic sword which... didn’t really happen. Lexi’s defining trait outside of her powers is still that she’s “the girl” which... sucks... Uh... she upgraded to Gamer Girl in the second season which while neat, amounted to nothing outside that one episode. At the very least she was never kidnapped for more than 5 seconds?(That “honor” goes to Zadavia) They also never really brought up their backstories in a meaningful way again, which sucks. 

I still like the rest of the team. Slam got an episode about wrestling that built on his backstory and was fun to watch. Duck discovered that his egg powers work differently in water which was neat and matched him being a waterfowl.(Lexi’s powers work differently in water too but it’s never brought up again). Rev is still Rev and I still love him. He got an episode about his family and struggle to impress them(specifically his parents) despite his career choice which was also neat, but I will be coming back to this episode later. Tech is also still Tech and I also still love him. But uh, every character and also me wanted to see him get out of the lab more, and then he got like a nibble of an episode to get out of the lab, and then the show was over. Oof.

Speaking of Tech, it might be for the best he hardly ever left the lab because his powers are... possibly way too effective against all the robots and machines the team fights. Now, him being “overpowered” could’ve been used as a fun writing challenge. Robot goons aren’t a good option for villains anymore. Fighting against him in a city filled with metal is harder. Villains can’t rely on simply killing him thanks to his regeneration. Fight scenes including Tech would have to be handled in a fun and interesting way. But... no. In a team with two tech guys, the one with super speed and flight comes with while the one who can control metal and literally can’t die stays behind. Oh well. Doubt they could’ve added him into more fights without accidentally dumbing him down anyway. 

Oh crap I forgot to talk about Zadavia! Uh... she exists. She’s the team’s boss who sends them out on missions. Uh... I can’t talk too much about her without spoiling what little overarching plot this show has, but just know that she’s neat, but affected by the usual sexism going on in the show’s writing.

(Character and episode spoilers past this point.)

You know, for being The Loonatics the main cast wasn’t very loony. You know who were though? Basically all the villains. Yeah I don’t wanna go there but oops here I go anyway. It’s pretty messed up that all the main characters’ zany traits were dialed down, while the defining feature of practically every villain (besides their stereotypes)is that they’re insane. I mean, if you’re looking for good mental illness rep in The Looney Tunes you’re gonna be disappointed, but at least in the shorts almost every character was a little unhinged and a bit of an asshole, making none of them stand out for those traits specifically. 

Also messed up is that a lot of the villains are disfigured and made fun of for it by the main cast. Hot take of the century, but I think making fun of people for having a big head or only one eye is... bad. Oh and if they’re a woman then they’re also judged on how hot they are. Actually all women in the show are subjected to sexist writing. I remember like one episode where women were treated with a sliver of respect for a split second and that was in the obligatory “the cast comes across an island of amazon women” episode. However since most of the time was spent painting them as villains until the “actually sexism is bad” ending, there was hardly a moment of reprieve from the bullshit if a woman was on screen. 

I’m not the best person to speak on this but uh... it’s fucked up that since literally every notable human is a villain, all the people of color are bad guys, right? Like, obviously it’s not as bad as some of the shit the old shorts pulled, but that’s like saying getting punched is not as bad as getting stabbed. It’s true... but I’m sure most people would prefer neither. 

And here’s where I bring up that Rev episode I mentioned earlier. Rev’s parents are racist against coyotes (cartoons sure love to make carnivores allegories for black people don’t they?) and obviously with Tech E. Coyote being his close friend, that causes trouble. ...Right? Uh, no. They say some racist crap to Tech, and that’s it. There is not even an attempt to correct their behavior from anyone. It’s just treated as some unfortunate quirk. In fact the episode’s conflict actually revolves around Rev’s brother, Rip. Honestly, I doubt that they could’ve handled a decent “racism is bad” episode anyway. But they could’ve also... just not brought up racism if they couldn’t handle it? I’m sure having no racism topic at all would be better than having Tech just take the parents’ racist bull crap lying down and then help Rev impress them with an invention he doesn’t get credit for. Also at one point Rev says if Tech wasn’t a coyote and a guy he’d kiss him, which has two uncomfortable implications, but this section is already too long. 

(Spoilers end here.)

Overall... yeah the show’s not very good. Of course it wasn’t. It was always going to be a little garbage. And no not because of the darker style or strange setting or any of that superficial crap. Team dynamic shows are popular and with Teen Titans doing so well WB probably thought they might as well shove out a 2 season Looney Tunes version to grab a little more cash, probably minimizing the budget to squeeze out as much profit as possible. If anyone working on the show was passionate about it, I doubt they had the budget or time to act on most their ideas. 

Still, there were things to like. There are some funny jokes throughout the show, a few of which even managed to come out of Ace’s mouth. Danger Duck was literally just Daffy and he’s always great. Ironically, Rev and Tech were the most fun to listen to, and also to watch interacting in general. Slam didn’t do much but was a sweetheart who deserves success. There managed to be some decently twisty twist villains, if only because Disney ruined my brain with their ceaseless and lazy attempts at them, and I wasn’t looking out for them in this show. And, while almost nothing was properly developed, at least the concepts and characters are fun to think about?

I can’t say I’d recommend this show to everybody, but uh... if you’re a Furry with low standards and too much free time like me, maybe you’ll like it? Just go in with low expectations so when nice things happen you’re decently surprised. 

[theassthatquits]

Blupjeans Week Day 2 - Ghost

Lup Taaco founded the premier science camp for teens - Camp Rocks! - this side of Faerun almost a decade ago. She did it by herself (mostly) and has the awards, articles, and accolades to prove that it’s a success.

So where does Davenport, her investor, get off going behind her back and hiring someone new without consulting her? Sure, enrollment has plateaued in the last couple of years, the main complaint being that they needed to shake up their staffing and curriculum, but she had it handled. She could take care of it herself, this was just a bump in the road. She didn’t need the help of some fancy doctor, this ‘Dr. Hallwinter’ that Davenport worked with at the university.

Lup scoffed while thumbing through his resume and cover letter. Top of his undergrad at Neverwinter U, a triple major in chemistry, astronomy, and physics. A brief stint working at a funeral home - a little weird, but everyone goes through a quarter life crisis, right? Returning to school a couple years later to get his masters and PhD and now taught at the same university while simultaneously doing interplanar research with Davenport. At the bottom of his resume with “related skills” he put ‘huge nerd’, as if that wasn’t obvious enough.

“Well, at least he knows what he’s talking about,” she muttered to herself as she threw the papers aside. There was no use fighting it now, she had spent weeks arguing and it wasn’t getting her anywhere. And it wasn’t like this was a bad idea, it just wasn’t her idea. This was her camp, after all.

---

Okay, maybe this Dr. Hallwinter guy wasn’t such a bad fit. They got off on the wrong foot, having a couple of heated discussions (fights) about things that she could barely remember. But now, she was standing in the corner of the pavilion, watching him give a very animated lecture on stars and planets. Angus McDonald, one of their first campers and the only one who came every single year, kept raising his hand to ask new questions and Hallwinter loved it. The two of them could go back and forth for hours, talking about theories and experiments and life itself. Angus had signed himself up for all of Dr. Hallwinter’s classes for the summer and loved every minute.

And he wasn’t so bad to look at, she supposed.

Lup was snapped out of her reverie by the class laughing very loudly at some Fortnite reference he made. Without realizing it, she smiled too. Dr. Hallwinter looked up at that moment to see her and his grin grew even bigger. With their eyes locked together, he dabbed and the class lost it all over again. When she giggled at that, she could have sworn he was blushing.

---

Every year towards the end of the summer the staff throws a “spooky soiree” to celebrate the end of camp. Everyone dresses up in a science-themed costume, they use the different things they have learned to create gruesome and cool decorations and effects, and they end the night with a ghost story bonfire. It’s easily Lup’s favorite night of camp. She loves amazing all of the younger kids with the cauldrons of “witches brew” (just dry ice in some punch) and grossing them out with the “eyeballs” (peeled grapes). This year she sewed some LEDs into her black vest, creating stars and constellations. Lup glowed in the dark and she fucking loved it.

She was in the middle of a (spooky) explanation of the witch's brew when she caught sight of Dr. Hallwinter walking up to the party. He was wearing a white shirt with lines drawn across it like a measuring cup and a long red robe over it. She was pretty sure he was wearing a graduation cap, too, which would mean…

“Holy shit you’re a graduated cylinder!” Lup shouted at him from across the way.

Immediately squeals of “language, Miss Lup!” began in front of her and she apologized to them as Dr. Hallwinter walked over with a smile on his face.

“Sure, am! This is pretty much my only Halloween costume, but I do love it.”

“Well, it certainly works for you, Dr. Hallwinter.”

He blushed before saying, “Lup, please just call me Barry. We’ve been having this discussion all summer. The only other person who calls me Dr. Hallwinter is Angus.”

As if to prove his point, Taako swooped in at that moment in a chef’s costume with the letters “FE” written on his shirt and yelled, “Excellent costume, Barold! You look even more like a nerd than usual and that’s saying something.”

Barry laughed. “Thank you, Taako, or should I say Iron Chef?”

Taako bowed deeply. “At your service, sir.”

“Dr. Hallwinter, sir!” They saw smoke before they saw Angus and Lup was a little alarmed before she realized that it was part of his costume. The boy had dressed up like a volcano with fake lava and smoke coming out of the top of it. “Look, it works!”

“All right, buddy!” The pair high fived and a weird fuzzy feeling struck Lup while watching the two of them.

“I think they’re about to start the scary stories over by the bonfire, are you coming, sir?”

“Pshh am I coming? Miss Lup asked me if I could host the festivities. Now you go get a good seat and I’ll be right over to start us off.”

Angus saluted him and ran off, eager for the frights ahead.

“Hosting the ghost stories, that’s a big deal Barold. Lup has hosted the bonfire herself for the last - oh, I don’t know, 2 decades?”

Barry turned to Lup, confused. “Is that true? I don’t want to impose or ruin any traditions.”

She waved him off. “Nah, it’s fine. We got off on the wrong foot, think of it as a peace offering.” Stepping closer to him and putting a hand on his shoulder, her voice got quiet. “You’re a member of this family, Barry.”

It was a good thing it was so dark, otherwise she would have seen his face turn a deep red. “You said my name.”

“Yeah, yeah, go get ready to spook some kids, Bluejeans.”

“Bluejeans?”

“You’ve worn the same blue jeans every single day since you started, even when we do activities by the lake. I’m absolutely convinced that you only packed that one pair for the entire summer.”

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, you’re not entirely wrong.”

“Barold. My dude. You only packed one pair of jeans, no shorts, no swim trunks, for an entire summer at a camp?”

“There might have been a slight mishap on the way here in which I lost my shorts, swim trunks, and half of my underwear.”

No one moved or said anything for a second before Taako finally said, “Barry, you know we go into town once a week to get food for the camp, right?”

Barry just stared into space, regretting all of his life choices that led up to this moment. Lup busted up laughing, harder than anyone had seen her laugh all summer. As she wiped a tear from her eye, she patted his shoulder and said, “Well, I guess you know for next year, right?”

He raised an eyebrow playfully. “Next year, huh?”

“Well, I guess I shouldn’t make any promises until I see how well you do at our bonfire fright fest. Speaking of which, we should definitely be heading over there. I am a little nervous to see how Magnus has been keeping the kids occupied.”

---

Lup stood in the back of the crowd, letting Barry take over the hosting responsibilities of the bonfire. It was one of her favorite parts of camp, but it felt right to let him do it. He was doing really well, enhancing his performance with shadow puppets from the fire and interspersing the scary parts with science puns to ease the nerves of the younger kids. She found it absolutely adorable.

“I think Barold is giving you a run for your money, Lulu.”

“He’s better than I expected, that’s for sure.”

“I’m glad you gave the guy a chance. He’s a good dude.”

She smiled. “He is, isn’t he?”

Taako took a moment, watching his sister watch Barry. “You have the hots for him, don’t you? Jeezy creezy, I should have seen this coming. Those arguments you two had at the beginning were spicy.”

“What?!” Lup said, a little too loudly, face flushing. “I do not have the hots for Dr. Bluejeans. He’s just funny and good with the kids and very smart and looks good in jeans and oh my god I have the hots for Dr. Bluejeans.” Her eyes got wide and she clutched Taako’s arms. “Taako what the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“Lulu, I say this with all the love in my heart: don’t follow your instincts. Right now, your instincts are telling you to let him walk away tomorrow and not say anything, and they are dead wrong.”

“Ughhh but what if he doesn’t feel the same? It ruins the professional relationship we have and then I have to ban him from the camp and then Angus will hate me and we will lose our best customer.”

“Something tells me he also feels the same way.”

“But how do you know that?”

30 minutes earlier

Lup went ahead before the boys to make sure that Magnus hadn’t started a revolution of sorts and that left Barry and Taako to quickly clean up the food before following. Barry’s eyes lingered a little too long on Lup as she was walking away.

“Barold. Are you checking out my sister?”

“What?! No, what makes you think that?”

“I rolled a Nat 20 on perception, Barold. Legally you cannot lie to me. Now tell me: do you have the hots for my sister?”

Barry covered his face with his hands. “Maybe? Yes. Absolutely. Completely. As soon as she called me a poorly-dressed poser on my first day I was done for.”

“Rad. You should do something about that.” Taako started walking towards the bonfire, witch’s brew in hand.

“What, like tell her?”

“Tell her, kiss her, fight her, just something so I get to stop looking at you two making eyes at one another,” Taako yelled back without stopping.

“What - we don’t make eyes at one another, that’s not…she makes eyes at me?”

“Yeah, I think you’re good, my dude.”

The kids started clapping, signaling the end of the story that Magnus was telling.

“All right, thank you Magnus. Very scary, that story about zombie dogs. I think next up we have everyone’s favorite camp director, Miss Lup!”

The kids cheered and Lup had to pull herself together to nail this story that she was definitely going to pull out of her ass because she most certainly hadn't prepared anything.

“Are you kids ready to get the pants scared off of you?”

They screamed enthusiastically.

“All right, this story is about our very own Lake Igneous here at Camp Rocks. Legend has it that there was a woman who used to live in these woods by herself, not letting anyone else get near her. She refused help from anyone that came by, wanting to do everything alone and remain independent. The campers nearby could hear her blowing shit up in the woods and they knew to steer clear. One day, a man stumbled into her home, lost and confused. She lit off several explosions in an attempt to scare him off but he didn’t want to leave.”

As she talked, her eyes found Barry’s.

“He saw how lonely she was and helped her blow shit up. Eventually she grew to really like the man and really enjoyed blowing things up with him.” Barry laughed at that. Lup, suddenly remembering that this was supposed to be a scary story, abruptly tore her eyes away from his.

“They thought it would be a good idea to light some fireworks on the lake, so they took a boat out to the center and created the biggest and most beautiful explosion known to man, taking both of them out. They sacrificed their lives for the dopest light show, and sometimes, on a very clear and quiet night, you can see them in the lake, hand in hand.”

Lup bowed to signal that the story was over and she took her place back next to Taako.

“Lup, that was...pretty rough, not going to lie. Not your best work, that’s for sure.”

“I just got so distracted looking at his dumb face.”

“Yeah, that whole story was glaringly obvious.” She glared at him.

“I just need to get through this night without further making an ass of myself.”

He snorted. “Good luck.”

--

After the bonfire had wrapped up and all the kids were sent to bed, Lup sat at her favorite spot down by the lake to stare at the stars. She always sat here on the final night, reminiscing over the summer.

“Mind if I join you?” Barry’s voice came out of nowhere, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t expect it. Lup didn’t respond, just patted on the ground next to her. “So, your story was -”

“It’s okay, you can say it was shit, because it was. I definitely did not prepare this year like I usually do.”

“-good. I really liked it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Especially the part where they die a fiery but beautiful death.”

She snorted and he took the opportunity to move closer to her, their shoulders touching.

“Thank you for letting me join the team this summer.”

“I would say you’re welcome, but I honestly didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

“I know. Thank you for giving me a shot.”

“Again, not much choice in the matter.” He laughed. “You turned out alright. Better than I was expecting.”

“High praise from Miss Camp Director.”

“Would you be interested in coming back next year?”

“Absolutely. Pretty sure Angus would boycott if I didn’t show up.”

“He would just show up on your doorstep. Expect a lot of emails this year. So I’ll see you next summer, then?” He hesitated. “Unless you already have other commitments, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“Lup, I’ll definitely be here next summer. I was just hoping that maybe we could see each other a little sooner than that. Like maybe this Saturday, dinner?”

She smirked. “A little forward, aren’t we, Dr. Bluejeans?” His face dropped.

“Oh, God. Did I totally misread this situation? Fuck, I am so sorry, I am going to just walk into this lake and never come back -” Barry started to get up, mortified.

“Barry, stop.” He looked at her, eyes wide in embarrassment. She shifted so her face was directly in front of his. “You didn’t misread this situation.” And then she kissed him.

@blupjeansweek2021

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #367

“i should warn you that you may fuck me, but chances are i’m gonna fuck you over”

Where was the last place you went for vacation? The beach. When was the last time you wore makeup? Halloween. Do you watch soaps or drama series? If so, which ones? Not currently. What’s your favourite tomato variety? I hate tomatoes. What was your very first pet like? Dad had a dog named Trigger when I was born, but I have no memory of her, so I'm excluding her. I consider our first family pet to be Chance, a cat my mom took in after finding her literally in the trash. She was... god, incredible. She was a loyal friend, and I can imagine no greater mother than she was (she legit fought off a rottweiler head-on to protect her kittens). She was so smart, so gentle, and just simply amazing. I'll always miss her. What was the best school project you remember doing? Looking back, despite the fact it TERRIFIED me before, that would be my senior project presentation. It was about snake misconceptions and fallacies, so I made a slideshow to present to the special ed class. I made drawings for them to color, word searches, all that kind of stuff. They were just the sweetest and seemed really into it. What’s your favourite type of fish to eat? None. What kind of an old person do you think you’ll become? I really... don't like thinking about this. Like I'm weak enough now at 25, I can't imagine how my, say, 60s would be. I hope and just about pray that my physical health will improve, but I'm just going to exclude that part entirely from this answer. Personality-wise and such, I have a feeling I'll be the quiet and sweet kind, the one that loves her (hopeful) spouse like crazy, and comes most alive on Halloween if I live in a place where children come trick-or-treating. I imagine I would LOVE that. I'd love to be the type that goes on morning jogs to help stay spry. Which well-known person’s death shocked you the most, if any? Steve Irwin and Chester Bennington might be tied. Both were so, so sudden. Steve was like, invincible to my childhood eyes, and when I heard about Chester's death, I thought it was just a sick rumor. Two amazing people that died way too soon. What’s the craziest colour you’d dye your hair? That would depend on personal opinions. I want to dye my hair LOTS of colors though, if that tells you anything. What’s the coolest hobby one of your friends has? Uhhhh. Idk. Name a video game you can play over and over again: Shadow of the Colossus. It's a pretty short game if you know what you're doing, and it's super relaxing to me and just so goddamn pretty to look at. Every time I've played it has just been a pleasant experience. Do you like meatloaf? Yeah, it's fine. How about Meatloaf? I know who he is, but I've never really listened to his music. Do you take time to do charitable work? If so, what do you do? No. ;_; Especially with all the free time I have, I really should... What is something that will make you laugh instantly? Okay, don't ask, but if I for a SECOND see that commercial of Mr. Clean dancing while he's cleaning, I will die because of memories. What is something you hope you will never inherit from a specific relative? Diabetes. It runs heavily in my family. Name a movie you wouldn’t watch solely based on its name: The Human Centipede. No. Thank you. Have you ever played in a stack of hay bales? No. What’s your dearest souvenir? The stuffed moose I got at Cabela's during a visit to Ohio. I named him Brownie, and he was my "childhood plushie" we all have. Is there a lot of graffiti around your neighbourhood? Not in the actual area I live in, but there are DEFINITELY places where it's a pigsty of distasteful shit. Have you ever made your own soda? (Soda Stream doesn’t count!) No. Do you have a hobby that forces you out of the house? If so, what is it? Nature photography. Have you ever been part of a theater group? No, that stuff doesn't interest me. What’s the most ecological thing you do? We recycle, and I also use metal straws. Would you stop eating meat, if you had to raise and slaughter it yourself? Absolutely. There is no fucking way I could do it. What’s your favourite board game? Why do you like it best? I like Clue just because of the mystery-solving factor, and I think it's kinda cool how you can think ahead and use other's findings to your own advantage to win the game pretty early. Besides English, what other languages can you speak? Some German. It's gotten pretty weak with neglect, though. Besides English, what other languages can you read? I can read German well. What thing/person/happening has made you the happiest you’ve been? This is a complicated answer that I just don't feel like elaborating on. What’s the most freeing thing you’ve ever done? Letting Jason go. Have you ever had a restaurant dish that was made with bugs? If not, would you even want to try one? No, and I'm not interested. Have you ever tasted birch sap? No. How about the young buds/shoots of spruce trees? No. Which edible flowers have you tasted? Honeysuckles. What has been your worst restaurant experience? Well, it's a fast food restaurant, but lemme tell you about my vegetarian encounter with Burger King. I ordered their veggie burger. Which they have. It's not a secret. These idiots gave me a bun with tomato and lettuce, and I think mayo on it, after sounding confused when Mom was ordering for me. Mom went back in there of course to tell them, and oh god was the manager pissed, lol. I got my veggie burger in the end. What’s the most immature, adolescent thing that still makes you laugh? Some sexually inappropriate jokes can still get me sadly, lol. Have you ever had a life-threatening condition? If so, what was it? Not literally, but boy do I think depression counts. Do you ever compare your life to somebody else’s? If so, why? Y E P. I can't tell you why, I just... do it. I look at other's successes and am just like, "Why aren't I there yet?", and beat myself up about being a failure. What is a food item or a dish you absolutely cannot stand? Brussel sprouts, asparagus, runny eggs, many other things because I'm just mega picky. Have you ever had a custom print done on a shirt? If so, what was it? Just the spray paint kind that vendors like to do at the beach and stuff. I don't remember any I got, though. What does your favourite mug look like? It's black with a Markiplier quote on it, given to me by Sara. :') Do you ever read other people’s survey answers? Yeah! Friends', anyway. I love learning all the obscure things about them. Do you like daytime or night time better? Why? Daytime, specifically early morning, because it's better for my depression. Are you more comfortable as a leader or a follower? A follower that isn't afraid to speak up when I'm really against something. What is your favourite song right now at this very moment? I've been really into "7empest" by Tool lately, and the synthwave edit of "Voices" by Motionless In White. If you watched The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, who was your favourite character? I don't remember it well, but I think I liked the butler. Was there even a butler? Who was your first online friend? Emma. :') Do you have any plants in your home? No. If you wear makeup, what’s the most outrageous colour you use? I only ever use black. What was the last photograph you took? My cat being adorable while sleeping. <3 Have you ever submitted a video to Funniest Home Videos? No. What was the first sport you learned how to play? I want to say soccer? I absolutely hated it. Do you have a headache at the moment? Yes, actually. I've really been attacked by the Covid shot side effects. Are your parents still together? No, thank god. What was the last hot food you ate? I made a chicken and I think pesto (some Italian noodles, idk) Healthy Choice bowl for dinner last night. Have you ever seen a meteor shower? No. :( Do you ever feel afraid people will question your sanity? I'm sure people have before, and back then? Rightfully so. Which X Factor audition(s) was/were your favorite? Never watched it. Were you a straight A student in spelling and grammar? Always. It's so weird how it's gotten worse with time since leaving school, even though I write... Were you a straight A student in math? Yeah, no. I usually got Bs or Cs. What is your favorite shade of yellow? Pastel. I don't really like yellow. What is something you want to accomplish before you turn 30? Have a stable job. Are you afraid of getting yelled at? YES. Do you feel a connection to the moon? It's not something I think about, so not really, but I do believe all things in the universe are connected in some way. We are simply a part of nature, as all else is. What does your heart long for? Contentment in who I am and where I am in life. I know I also miss being in love. Do you know what your purpose in life is? We have no innate purpose; we make our own, and I want mine to be to show others that there is always hope for yourself in yourself, and also to spread the message of love of all animals. Did you decorate a pumpkin this year? Last year I didn't. I really should change that this go around. Have you ever seen a fox? Yes! They're a kind of rare sight here sadly, so when I had the opportunity to photograph a fox tragically as roadkill, it was a photographic experience I won't forget. God, I wanted to pet it (I obviously didn't), but I did talk to it about how beautiful (s)he was as I got some shots. I never had a harder time leaving one of those angels I've taken pictures of. Do you find Halloween fun or scary? FUN!!!!!! Is there anything about Halloween you find offensive? Not at all. What do the trees look like where you live? I mean, there's a variety, but the staple that you see literally everywhere are pine trees. What is your dream vacation? Somewhere with mountains, clear lakes, cool weather, beautiful and various wildlife... What was the best vacation you’ve been on so far? Disney World as a kid. What is the best class trip you’ve been on? The zoo in the 5th grade. It was the one occasion I got to see meerkats. Did you like field trips when you were a kid? I lived for them. Do you find museums boring or interesting? I find science museums to be very, very fascinating. Art ones are great, too. What are three issues you are passionate about? LGBT rights, the pro-choice movement, and wildlife conservation, to name a few. Would you ever wear a shirt with your country’s flag on it? No. I'm not patriotic enough at all. What size is your bed? Queen. What’s a medicine that makes you sleepy? When we were experimenting with my Klonopin dosage, I learned that 3mg was enough to knock me on my ASS. Do you like bath bombs? I mean they're pretty, but I wouldn't waste money on 'em. Who are your favorite small YouTubers? Yikes, a looooooot. But this also depends on what you think qualifies as "small." Most of my favorite "small" YTers are tarantula keepers or sub-1M let's players. Who are your favorite big YouTubers? Markiplier obviously, Snake Discovery, Good Mythical Morning (even if I don't watch them anymore, they are veeery dear to my heart and I will always support them), Sam & Colby... Again, there's a lot. When you don't watch TV and YT instead, you really get attached to a lot of them. What was your favorite girl group when you were growing up? Would you believe me if I said Pussycat Dolls? haha Do you like Disney movies? Um, DUH. Were you ever in the popular crowd? No. Have you ever used an outhouse? UGH, at like childhood sports games, yes. I could NEVER nowadays, oh my god. Could you possibly write a successful novel? I think I have the creativity to, but not the dedication. Are there any foods that make you gag? Beans, for one. I just canNOT with them. It's a completely involuntary reaction. Have you ever had blonde highlights in your hair? I think I did? Who was the last person you video-chatted with? The lady who was seeing if I qualified for TMS therapy. Do you think sleeve tattoos look trashy? Definitely not, I love those. If you had to get a portrait tattoo, who would it be of? I don't actually want one, but if I did, I'd go to a serious professional to get THE Darkiplier smile. :') If u know u know. Do you have any stickers on any of your electronic devices? No. Do you think half blonde/half dark brown hair is attractive? It looks great on some people, but it's not my favorite combo.

[gusu-emilu]

Cantatio: Chapter Ten

Ship: Lan Zhan / Wei Ying

Summary: Lan Wangji learns what really happened last night—regarding more people than he expected.

Cloud Recesses AU, Rated T - read on AO3

“But you, Lan Zhan? Letting a girl from the Wen Clan sneak in through your window, then tiptoeing around the Cloud Recesses after curfew with her, and then sword fighting without permission?

All of that is much, much more deplorable, Lan Zhan.”

< Ch. 9 | Ch. 11 > | chapter list

It was as if Lan Wangji had swallowed an entire bottle of vinegar.

His stomach lurched. His face burned. His throat blazed with the acrid taste, itching to cough up the single question that singed the fabric of his thoughts.

Wei Ying, who is in your bed?!

But Lan Wangji had well earned the title of Twin Jade. Like his brother, he was serene. Cool. Composed. Nothing could penetrate the fortress of his mind. Nothing could get under his skin.

Do not act impulsively. Harmony is the value. Speak meagerly, for too many words only bring harm. Train your body and your mind.

Coming back to center with the Gusu Lan Clan rules—which he had been ignoring too much lately—was his priority. Not whatever frivolous things his roommate did.

And yet.

A man was in Wei Ying’s bed.

A man who did not belong in their room.

But these emotions were irrational. Why should Lan Wangji care? The biggest problem here was that sleeping in another disciple’s dormitory was prohibited. That was why he cared..

“I hope you don’t mind, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian looked over at Lan Wangji as they stood in the doorway. “I had a guest over. But, well, you had a guest in your bed too, so it shouldn’t be that big of a problem.”

A lump formed in Lan Wangji’s throat.

He knew. He knew that Wen Qing had snuck into their room. Had he been awake the entire time, watching them and smirking from beneath his blankets, while a handsome man slept beside him?

“I did not. Invite her.”

“Okay, Lan Zhan. Whatever you say. You’ll be glad to know that I, at least, am maintaining our duplex as a place of hospitality. I did invite my guest in. Very willingly.”

Lan Wangji’s fists trembled.

Was Wei Ying purposely trying to aggravate him? Purposely trying to rouse a reaction from him? Purposely trying to make him feel jeal—

No. If this was his intention, the attempt had failed. He didn’t feel that unspeakable emotion at all. There was no reason to.

Wei Wuxian pranced into the room. The unknown man still slumbered in bed, snoring lightly. Lan Wangji remained fixed in the doorway, trapped in place as if the moonlight tied around him like a rope, pulling him away from this disturbing sight.

How had he not seen two people in the bed? How had Wei Ying snuck outside to buy wine in Caiyi Town without alerting him or Wen Qing?

Earlier, Lan Wangji had felt the slightest bit amused—horrified, yes, but still a touch humored—that he was blatantly violating Gusu Lan Clan rules on his side of the room while Wei Wuxian, the biggest troublemaker in the Cloud Recesses, was fast asleep, completely oblivious.

Well, maybe not that amused. It was shameful behavior.

But had the situation actually been the reverse? Had Lan Wangji been so absorbed in his stubborn guest that he hadn’t even noticed what was occurring across from him?

Finally, he croaked out the question.

“Who. Is that.”

Wei Wuxian rubbed the back of his neck and flashed a sheepish grin. “Haha. About that. There’s something else I need to tell you, Lan Zhan. Please don’t be mad at me.”

Lan Wangji’s only answer was to twitch his lower lip.

“He’s…uh…under a sleeping potion.”

“What?”

“It’s not anything weird, I swear! He did it to himself! Well, at least, sort of. It was a dare. He lost a bet to Huaisang. I think it cost him a little too much, though. I, uh…I might’ve used the opportunity to slip two or three of his coins from his pockets to buy some stuff.”

What kind of wicked games had Wei Ying been playing with this man? And Nie Huaisang had been involved too?

Wei Wuxian waved his hands in front of himself. “He’s fine! Really! He just went sleep. Really soundly.”

Despite their raucous voices, the man had not stirred from the bed. His leg still hung off its edge.

“What was. It.”

“Remember in Madam Yu’s class when some of my ingredients went missing? I mean, I know you were ignoring me, but we were sitting at the same table, and she, like, slapped me. You must’ve noticed.

“Anyway, turns out that when you make an insomnia remedy without jujube seeds, it gets way stronger. Makes you pass out within a minute. Wen Qing told me that after class. She said she would pour it down my throat if I didn’t stop trying to talk to her. I’m best buddies with her little brother though, how could she say something so rude to me? She’s really quite terrifying. And that needle she stuck in me? Such a scary woman. I can’t believe you let her in our dorm.”

Lan Wangji’s jaw tightened.

“But I’m getting off track. Since it was his”—he pointed at the sleeping man—“fault for getting my grade lowered, Huaisang and I decided that it was only fair he drank the mess that his selfishness had created. We bet him that if he couldn’t do a quadruple backflip after spinning in a circle for five minutes, he’d have to drink it. We didn’t think he’d actually agree to it.”

He paced the room as he continued the story, his hand gestures becoming more and more exaggerated. “And well, after he lost, Huaisang started teasing him. You know how Huaisang is, fan over his face, voice all singsong and provocative. But then Huaisang had to run away, because he got so mad, he was about to punch Huaisang! Still, he kept his word and drank the whole vial. Then he passed out. I didn’t want to carry him back to the dorm courtyard, because what if Nie Mingjue or Lan Xichen saw us? It was way past curfew, and it’s not exactly easy to hide when there’s a person draped over your shoulder. So I dragged him to our cozy little home and plopped him on my bed. You had been sound asleep. Didn’t even notice.”

As Lan Wangji listened, realization dawned on him. In Alchemy & Medicine class, a certain grumpy disciple had refused to give his jujube seeds to Wei Wuxian.

The man in the bed was Jiang Cheng.

Wei Ying’s brother.

Then he remembered another detail—Wei Wuxian had left an hour before curfew to play outside with Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang. Lan Wangji noted bitterly that he hadn’t been invited.

As if Lan Wangji cared about any of this in the first place. He stomped over to his own bed and slid inside, shutting the blankets over himself with a violent sweep.

“Hahahaha, what kind of person do you think I am, Lan Zhan? Did I worry you? I was only doing a kind deed by letting my shidi rest in my bed until the potion’s effects wore off. And the Emperor’s Smile I bought was an apology gift for him when he woke up! At least, one jar of it was. It was his money, so it was only fair I let him have some.”

Wei Wuxian rubbed his hands together, like he was kneading dough he was about to roast in the oven. “But you, Lan Zhan? Letting a girl from the Wen Clan sneak in through your window, then tiptoeing around the Cloud Recesses after curfew with her, and then sword fighting without permission? And you destroyed my apology gift for Jiang Cheng! All of that is much, much, much more deplorable, Lan Zhan. I should take lessons from you. And you know, you really have to fill me in on this closet of yours. Maybe then, I’ll finally tell you how I animated the pixiu.”

Lan Wangji clenched his eyes shut and clamped the blankets over his ears, his face burning redder by the minute, a headache clawing at his temples, his mind trudging through a recitation of the Gusu Lan Clan’s core philosophies and not thoughts of his roommate.

They went to sleep without exchanging another word.

* * *

The next morning, Lan Wangji’s face was sticky with sweat. He dabbed it off with a warm washcloth, hoping to also wipe away the events of last night. But when he looked down, the coarse fabric only contained his salty perspiration. Not the fourteen rules he broke, not the frenzied twang of the guqin, not the sunken cadaver eyes he saw in the mingshi, not the buzz he felt while sparring with Wei Wuxian, not the inexplicable spite that gripped him at the thought of his roommate sharing a bed with a strange man, not the embarrassment that buried him afterward.

He felt…

Felt…

Haunted.

Who was the girl whose corpse hung in the mingshi? How did the guqin play itself? Why did Lan Wangji’s closet lead him to the tower that held them both?

How did Wei Ying affect him so much?

And why did he feel like with every step he took, he lost more and more of his dignity?

He sighed into the towel.

He needed time to process. Even the Second Young Master of the Lan Clan had a limit to the mayhem he could endure before longing to retreat into his shell. He still needed to discipline himself for his misconduct. No, he needed to report himself to his uncle. It was time. He had broken enough Lan Clan rules to last a year.

And now there were two mysteries to solve—the closet, and the mingshi.

Yet this morning, there was nothing left to do but meditate, meditate, and then meditate a little harder. He stood in the grass outside his dorm in the most challenging meditation posture. He deserved the pain, after all. It was nothing compared to what he’d receive after reporting his infractions to his uncle.

It was not a fruitful meditation session.

Once Jiang Cheng woke up in the dormitory, he wobbled around and sputtered incoherent nonsense for several minutes. Then he regained his senses and began hollering at Wei Wuxian, slugging punches at him, throwing hard objects at him. Lan Wangji was grateful for the silence after his roommate fled out of the duplex with the attacker at his heels and did not return.

At least there were classes to look forward to.

But apparently, even the pleasure of academics was to be robbed of him today.

When Lan Wangji arrived in the central courtyard of the Cloud Recesses, ready to enter his uncle’s classroom and nourish himself with more knowledge of Trans-Himalayan poetry, he was blocked by a clamoring crowd of disciples. The clan leaders stood gravely outside the Main Hall, murmuring to each other with obvious distress. Jin Guangshan looked the most outraged of all, floating from leader to leader with shaking fists and a running mouth like a hot air balloon that kept getting blown around.

Morning classes were cancelled.

A guardian lion statue outside the mingshi had come to life and escaped.

A guardian lion.

Would the chaos never end? This was not the peaceful Cloud Recesses Academy that he had heard about from Lan Xichen.

At that thought, he decided to search for his brother.. He slinked between chattering disciples until he spotted the sapphire robes, silken black hair, and white cloud-patterned headband that only looked that way on the elder Twin Jade.

“Brother.”

“Good morning, Wangji,” Lan Xichen said. He had been speaking to Jiang Yanli, whose eyes were puffy and red.

Lan Wangji glanced with concern at Jiang Yanli, scanned the commotion surrounding them, then stared at his brother with an expression that asked, What is going on?

“Have you heard? Last night the guardian lion from the mingshi captured a disciple and dragged him into the forest. A search team is hunting for them as we speak.”

"Whom?”

Lan Xichen’s eyes wandered to Jiang Yanli.

“…Jin Zixuan,” she said.

Jin Zixuan had been out at around the same time last night as Lan Wangji to scold the Lan Clan servant. At least, that was what the conversation of Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Jin Guangyao had seemed to indicate.

When Lan Wangji and Wen Qing had exited the mingshi, both of its guardian lion statues were intact and in place. Did the lion come to life and attack Jin Zixuan shortly after they had left? By how many minutes had they missed it? Who even had enough spiritual energy to animate it?

“Serves him right, too,” said Nie Mingjue, who had just marched over from the group of clan leaders. “Little snot-robed bastard had it coming, spitting backwash on his honor like that.”

Lan Xichen braced at the word ‘honor’ and gave a cautious glance at Jiang Yanli, as if afraid his friend’s words would draw fresh tears from her eyes. “Mingjue, no disciple deserves such a fate. And Young Master Jin is quite proficient. He will easily be able to keep himself safe and will return shortly.”

“Pah. I have no sympathy for a coward who would disrespect a lady like that. The lion can have him.”

This time it was Jiang Yanli who flinched at his words. Her lips paled, but she pinched them together and stood a bit taller.

Nie Mingjue did not realize that the woman Jin Zixuan had slighted was actually standing before him. His careless words only drove the nuptial dagger deeper into her wound.

Having never been in love himself—and not supposing he would be anytime soon—Lan Wangji did not know what it felt like to harbor unrequited affections for someone. But somehow, this day, he was able to imagine it more clearly than ever.

It was almost...real.

“Clan Leader Nie should not speak such words given his current company,” Lan Wangji said with a respectful bow of his head.

Nie Mingjue raised his eyebrows, but he did not seem offended. “As you deem fit, Second Young Master Lan. Anyway, where’s Huaisang?” he said with a bite in his tone.

“Just listen for my didi or A-Xian. You will find him nearby,” Jiang Yanli said.

“Hmph. Those two would be wise to find a more useful friend. He still hasn’t picked up a saber since he got here,” Nie Mingjue grumbled before stomping away. Baxia shivered atop the rippling muscles of his back, as if it, too, thought that Nie Huaisang’s lack of saber practice was the disgrace of the century.

Lan Xichen’s eyes twinkled. “Wangji, I did not know you were aware of the true nature of the…gift incident that occurred yesterday evening.”

Lan Wangji blinked. “Nor was I aware you knew.”

“Young Master Wei informed me just minutes ago. I immediately came to speak to Lady Jiang.”

Jiang Yanli smiled at them. “Thank you, both of you. But Young Master Jin is the one who needs our prayers. Don’t worry yourselves over me. It had been my choice. Young Master Jin’s reception of the gesture was not mine to control. I only wish he had known it was me. Not because I long for the credit, but because then he would not have sought out the Lan Clan servant and been seized by the guardian lion.” She sighed. “I truly hope he is safe.”

Lan Wangji’s chest tightened at these words. Jiang Yanli’s selflessness reminded him of the care his own brother bestowed upon him, and everyone else they met.

He decided that he needed to divulge last night’s events. For Jin Zixuan’s sake, which by extension, meant Jiang Yanli’s sake.

“Is it known at what time Young Master Jin was captured?”

“Only an estimate,” Lan Xichen said.

“I had been outside the mingshi minutes before you left the dormitory path with Clan Leader Nie and Young Master Jin Guangyao. At the time, both guardian lions were stationary. This information may help locate them faster.”

“Thank you, Wangji. This is very helpful. I’ll inform the clan leaders.” He paused, then tilted his head and said, “What were you doing outside last night?”

Lan Wangji looked to the side. “With company,” he said, intentionally vague.

“Young Master Wei?”

Of course his brother saw right through him.

He nodded.

“Young Master Wei has had quite an influence on you recently.”

Lan Wangji bit the inside of his mouth, hoping the pinch would fight back the rosy blush blanketing his cheeks. At least Lan Xichen would never guess that Wen Qing had been there too.

“He carried liquor. I apprehended him,” Lan Wangji said. “I accept punishment for my transgressions. I will report myself to Uncle.”

Lan Xichen’s eyes sparkled like the wine Wei Wuxian had carried. “Why not have a drink with Young Master Wei instead?”

Lan Wangji gaped at his brother in horror.

These were the same words Wei Wuxian had spoken to him so shamelessly while flaunting the jars of Emperor’s Smile. Lan Wangji had never tasted alcohol, but he imagined that the tingle he felt at this thought couldn’t be that different from drunkenness.

Lan Xichen only met Lan Wangji’s offended gaze and laughed.

At least this conversation seemed to brighten Jiang Yanli. “A-Xian can come on strong, but he has a good heart. I’m glad you two are roommates. He’ll be a good friend.”

Lan Wangji nodded.

“Try to keep him from self-sabotaging too much.”

“I shall.”

Lan Wangji had said it. So he would do it. Somehow, a part of him desperately wanted to.

As the events of the day unfolded, it turned out that Wei Wuxian would need his help much sooner than he expected.

* * *

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, you can be a supportive sibling like Jiang Yanli by liking, reblogging, and visiting me on AO3! New chapters posted every Monday on AO3 and Tuesday on Tumblr.

Ch. 11 > | chapter list

[ghost-ghost-baby]

Scales pt. 3 //yan!bakusquad fantasy au//

uuugh i hate writing filler You were on bed rest for two days, Katsuki had almost exploded when he saw the damage you’d sustained, Kiri’s patch up job… hadn’t been the best. Katsuki seemed to be the leader, and able to do anything he set his mind to, which included keeping you in the middle bed, piled in with at least two of them at any given time. You’d… learned a lot about them! Mina and Denki had been teaching you more about magic, Hanta had taken over teaching you about healing, and Katsuki and Kiri would just… try to feed you? That god Katsuki was an amazing cook, honestly. 

Denki and Sero were passed out next to you, and you finally saw an opportunity to explore. Soft snores echoed in your ears as you padded over to the weapons, grabbing yourself a dagger to slice through the back of the tent. As long as you had the intent to come back, it shouldn’t alert the bond, or Kiri, that you’d left. The tent backed into a forest, and your eyes lit up when you saw mulberry trees, running into the brush without a second thought. 

Mina was livid when she came back to find you gone, and Denki and Hanta still sleeping soundly.

“Where’s Y/n?” Her voice was harsh enough to have them spluttering awake, panic clear on their faces when they noticed you weren’t anywhere to be seen. 

“Okay, they haven’t gone far, we’d all feel that, I’ll go track them with Hanta, Denki can stay here to tell Katsuki and Kiri Y/n was feeling restless so we took them on a walk, can you handle that?” It was clear how irritated she was, neither man wanted to argue, merely nodding alone and doing exactly as she asked. 

You were having the time of your life! You’d found a stream with plenty of nice rocks to sit on, and you amused yourself drawing on the stone or watching the animals. You felt…. weirdly at peace with everything. There was a slight feeling of unease in the back of your mind, but you easily blocked it out. Maybe you should go for a swim? You did tend to overheat and pass out… you didn’t want to get too hot. Loose shirt and pants placed in a neat pile,you tried not to feel too exposed in your underwear. Nobody was around, you’d hear them. 

“Oh thank god!” A cry startled you, the shock making you lose your footing and fall into the water. It was only cool, thank god, a nice refreshing change from the growing heat outside. You only had a moment to enjoy it before you were being scooped up and pulled back to the surface, your face getting smothered in kisses as voices vied for your attention. 

“Are you guys good?” You spluttered, wiping your eyes and stepping back so you could see which one of them it actually was. Hanta and Mina stared back at you with incredulous eyes, as if you were missing some huge part of something awful. “Well?”

“You just ran off!” 

“We thought something happened!” 

“Or worse, what if you’d tried to run away!” Their voices melted together as they checked you over, and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“I was bored is all, and the tent is right there!” A whine made its way into your words, and the pair of them stepped back. You weren’t wrong. 

“Just, tell one of us next time, okay?” Mina flashed you a smile, and a sigh of relief left you. Huh, you hadn’t noticed you’d been stressing. 

“Of course, I didn’t mean to worry you.” 

You ended up convincing them you were well enough to stay in the water, and Hanta yelled for Denki to come out before Mina had finished asking him to. The blonde only took a second, seeming to predict what was happening, and wasted no time doing a cannonball and splashing the three of you. Laughter filled the air as you played around in the water, dunking and splashing each other without a care in the world. Even Katsuki couldn’t be mad when he and Eijiro finally got back, the four of you just looked so happy. 

“Are you sure they’re well enough for this?” The redhead was stripping nonetheless, wading into the water to check you over.

“I feel great Red, promise.” You reached your arms out expectantly, wrapping around Eijiro as soon as he was close enough. 

“What were the two of you doing anyway?” Hanta asked Katsuki, who was somehow already in the water with everyone else. 

“Deku called a meeting, apparently Shigaraki fully lost it and went on a rampage because someone stole his ‘pet’ or something.” His tone was nonchalant but you couldn’t help but flinch, pushing thoughts to the back of your mind even though it made the tattoo itch uncomfortably. 

It’d finally gotten too cold to continue in the water, and Hanta had to carry you back after Eijiro went on about how ‘you’d done enough for today’ and ‘were still meant to be resting’. Anxiety had ruined your good mood, the resulting restlessness was going to drive you crazy. You were safe here, nobody knew anything. And nobody from Shigaraki’s could possibly know you were here of all places. You’d assumed a kind of… panicked calm, but luckily it confused the bond enough that nothing seemed off. It was easier than you thought to trick it, that didn’t mean you liked doing it. 

“Y/n, you okay?” Mina cupped your cheek, effectively bringing you out of your thoughts. 

“Yeah, I’m just kinda tired.” You regretted the words as soon as they left your mouth, Eijiro rushing over as if he’d been listening the whole time. He probably had been. 

“Let’s get you back to bed.” You batted his hands away when he tried to pick you up, you could still walk. “You’re still healing from everything, you know it takes longer after you burn yourself out.” He didn’t persist, settling to boop your nose instead. He was right, you both knew it. It could take twice as long for you to get back to full strength, and you’d… kinda overdone it in the water, so you settled down on his lap once the two of you were back in the bed. 

“Where’d Denki and Katsuki go?” You only just noticed they were missing, you really needed to be more observant. 

“They’re just getting diner ready, don’t worry love.”

 Waking up alone was certainly a change, and panic shot through you as you sat up to look around. Denki and Mina were still there, and a relieved sigh made its way out of you at the sight. 

“Good afternoon sleepy head, what do you feel like doin’ today?” Denki came over when he realised you were awake, carrying a tray laden with food. You picked at the fruit and bread as you thought, an idea coming to you within a couple of minutes.

“Well… there’s a healing spell I’ve always wanted to try… but I couldn’t even attempt it with just me, it should get me back to full strength.” You snuggled up to Denki, doing your best to get him to agree to your idea. 

“Magic? Is that safe?” He cast a look at Mina, who bit her bottom lip as she thought.

“I suppose, if its spread between three people there won't be any noticeable drain on Y/n, I can’t really see a problem with it.” She shrugged, grabbing her bag from the tale. “Get dressed then, I’m assuming there are more ingredients we need to get.” 

“There’s fresh mint over here!” You called, leaning down by the plant to pick a few stems. This forest had everything, it was amazing! You waited for the others to join you, you didn’t really have the desire to go off on your own, it didn’t feel safe. Luckily they were close behind, Denki unable to stop himself jumping on you as soon as you were in range. You didn’t know why he was so affectionate, worse than any of the others, but it’d grown on you. 

“Okay, the only thing we need now is some mugwort, but there’s heaps of that around here.” Mina folded up the list you’d given her, gently placing it in a pocket of her bag. 

“You guys really are the best!” You cooed, practically glowing as you hugged the two of them. A twig snapping had Mina and Denki on red alert, making sure you were between them as they looked around. You spotted the pair first, familiar figures that made your heart sink into your gut. 

“There you are Y/n! We’ve been looking all over this forest for you!” Toga clapped her hands together as she spoke, a blush already covering her cheeks.

“Yeah, you didn’t make it easy.” Dabi was less enthusiastic, he just wanted to get the whole thing over with. “Shigaraki threw his biggest tantrum yet after your little stunt, you’re lucky you weren’t there.” Energy flowed into your hands on instinct, crackling and glowing, ready to fry anyone who made a wrong move. Thoughts raced through your mind as you tried to figure out what was happening and how you could stop them. If they said too much it’d be over for you, nobody could want you after that. 

“I don't know who you are, but Y/n isn’t going anywhere with you.” Mina’s voice was downright terrifying, you almost flinched at the ice saturating it. Denki slid his arm around you waist, and when you looked down to his free hand you saw electricity crackling around his fingers. The air was so tense you couldn’t breathe, waiting for someone to just say something. 

“Look, we’ve had a rough journey, don’t make this harder than it has to be.” Dabi was smirking as he spoke, bright blue eyes fixed on your form. You hated how cocky the bastard was, something wasn’t right. You turned too late, Denki’s eyes wide as his fingers reached up to brush the dart jutting out of his shoulder and your heart stopped. 

“Mina-!” 

“I know.” She was already firing something at the pair, and you caught Denki just as he crumbled to the ground. Somehow you dragged him to a tree, leaning him up against it and making sure he was just unconscious before you went to help Mina. 

Toga dodged the blast you sent her way, lunging at you and almost knocking you off your feet as you ducked out of the way. You were still weaker than usual and it was sickeningly obvious, you could only hope they didn’t know you well enough to pick up on it. She wasn’t giving you a moment to rest, repeatedly attacking you until you were backed up against Denki and the tree. A shield flared up around you, giving you the chance to see how Mina was doing. It wasn’t going well, none of you were prepared to fight, and she was already bleeding from multiple wounds. She needed to get out of here, but she’d never leave the two of you, you didn’t have enough energy to teleport more than one person. She knew where the others were, she could warn them, right? And you could take care of Denki from the inside, they’d never been good at locking you up. Light flared around Mina’s form and her horrified eyes met yours, the colour draining from her face as she realised what you were doing. 

“Y/n, no-!” Her voice was cut out before she could finish the sentence, her body disappearing in a flash moments later. Your shoulders slumped, the rest of your body following until you were crumpled on top of Denki, and boots coming towards you were the last thing you saw before your eyes closed.

taglist under the cut lmao i rlly hope i got it right

@wolfygecko@baby-snart@frostfox328@ssnaketongue@that-one-piece-oftrash@emilysimaginesblog@generousdigitalartartghost@slowly-gently@toffee1812@izzys-complete-insanity@sexisquid@icecreamguru03@tessamarie22@peculiar-faerie@lunaralpha270@max7500@graduatedmelon@everstrange1@saltytocrusade@dark-side-blog2@tinyspacesaurus@shimyshimyagustd@teacaku@shinethesensational@yooalicee@radnickeltoadbat@superrllama@trinshappyplaces@kai-iaa@mini-kunoichi-universe@estellegladiolus@kirapholia@lemonmaim@skylerstorm2@phantomfunguschild@naked-canadians@meaper112@cute-cotton-tail@xxnatashahicksxx

[thatoneraven]

I finished all the info on my boy, so I'm just gonna drop it because I'm an impatient motherfucker. I put a lot of effort into him to try and make him as realistic to the game as possible.

The Taxidermist Rian ‘Kazugra’ O’Byrne Gender: Male Born: June 20, 1997 Age: 24 Nationality: Irish American Realm: Hangman’s Forest Power: Frankenstein’s cure Weapon: Walking stick Movement speed: 115% Power speed: 130% Terror radius: 32 meters Height: Tall DLC: Beauty in Death Special ability Frankenstein’s Cure “A powerful concoction containing poisonous plants such as nightshade and hemlock. It disables the body, but the mind remains awake. For a disease as destructive as humanity, paralyzation is the only cure.” Start the trial with 4 vials. To cure a survivor, press and hold the power button to prepare the syringe. Release the power button to increase movement speed for 10 seconds and rush at the survivor to initiate injection. A successful injection will trigger a timer for the survivor. At the end of the timer, the survivor is immediately put in the dying state and killer instinct reveals their location for 5 seconds. Before the timer ends, survivors can find and inject the remedy at cabinets scattered throughout the map. These cabinets are highlighted in white to the killer and affected survivors. To replenish your stock of vials, interact with a cabinet. Cured survivors suffer from the following afflictions: - Hindered effect - Exhaustion effect - Illusionary terror radius Perks Shadow kin You feel a sense of kinship with the crows of the realm. In your time of need, they offer you their eyes. All survivors within 5/8/12 meters of a crow will have their aura revealed for 5 seconds. Shadow kin has a cool down of 1 minute. Stirred Mulch The lessons of the forest stick with you. Listen to nature, and she will guide you. Disturbances in the environment are significantly more noticeable. Scratch marks made by survivors last 1/3/5 seconds longer. Sounds made by running survivors are amplified. Formaldehyde You crave the perfect specimen. You become obsessed with one survivor. Every time your obsession is healed within a 48 meter radius of you, you gain a token. You can gain up to 4 tokens. Each token decreases your terror radius by 3/5/8 meters. If the obsession is sacrificed or killed, all tokens are lost. Lore Rian O’Byrne was born in Ireland in 1997. At the age of 3, his family moved to America in the hopes of achieving a better life. They started a new life in Detroit, Michigan, but quickly fell into poverty after the chaos of 9/11. Growing up poor in a world where he had to live in constant fear deeply scarred his psyche. He was labeled as an old soul, always isolating himself from his peers and opting to read a book rather than play. With his childish innocence ripped away too soon, he watched with bare eyes as humans destroyed the world. He learned hatred, rage, and vengeance as those around him began treating him differently, separate from the rest of the population. He fell to self harm, finding comfort in the punishment of his human body. As if taking pity on him, nature left a gift in his path. Rian, at the age of 12, found an injured crow on the back steps of his house. He had a soft spot for animals, so he took the crow in and attempted to heal it. The crow lasted a few minutes, but ended up taking its last breath in his hands. He handled it the way he handled everything that upset him, he turned to his creativity to right the situation. He made it his mission to keep the bird’s beauty alive in death. With the help of the internet, he learned how to take apart the bird and salvage its parts. He took its skull and painted it to represent the night sky. In the basement closet, he set up a small shrine for the bird. Its skull rested in a bed of black feathers, surrounded by a crown of smaller bones and dried flowers. As if nature had appointed him a purpose, Rian started finding dead animals wherever he went. They started off small: birds and rodents. He would take them home and perform the same ritual of taking their bones and painting them. Eventually, the animals started getting larger, harder to hide. He managed to salvage a roadkill cat at one point, almost getting caught by his parents who arrived home sooner than expected. He’d started taking walks in the forest nearby, occasionally finding shed antlers to add to his work. After returning from one of his night walks, he found his parents in the basement inspecting a sickly sweet smell. In a panic, Rian ran upstairs and packed a bag with his things and ran away from home at the age of 16. With what little money he had, he managed to make it to a small town in the upper peninsula. A local farmer found him dehydrated and starving on the side of the road, and decided to take him in. They arranged a deal. Rian would work for them, and they would help him get back on his feet. He would wake up early everyday to work tirelessly on the farm, and would turn in early at night to work on preserving animals he found nearby. Out of fear, he kept these shrines out in the forest. He would often come back to find them ruined. This frustrated him, so when he managed to save up enough, he got a small apartment in the heart of the town. He continued to work on the farm in his free time, but with his own space, he was able to keep a safe workspace. He managed to get a job as a vet technician, giving him a better source of income. With this money, he was able to get better supplies for his work. He learned how to preserve flesh and make leather from leftover skin. Bigger subjects became easier to deal with now that he actually had the tools for working with them. His home became a graveyard of sorts, a place to remember the unfortunate victims of humanity. He lived in peace for 2 years, but as he already knew, good things don’t last. A man broke into his house late one night while he was working on a deer skull, holding him at knife point while he threatened him. Rian, strengthened by years of work on the farm, overpowered the man and turned his knife on him. All the rage and hatred he had held over the years came spilling out when the man insulted his work. Rian slit his throat, watching with disinterest as the life faded from his eyes. It was similar to the animals he worked with, but this time, he felt no sympathy, no urge to preserve him. He wanted to tear him apart and put him back together to represent the monster he really was. Rian locked himself away in his room for weeks on end, feigning sickness so he could work on his new project. After 4 weeks of work, Rian took the complete work and hung it in a tree in the surrounding forest where he knew someone would find it. The man was completely unrecognizable. His skin had been removed, dried muscles exposed and decorated with shards of glass. His limbs had been amputated and sewn back on with wire; his wrists ended in stumps, hands relocated to cover his empty eye sockets. His jaw hung low, black tongue flopping uselessly in the tooth empty mouth. His teeth stood out in a crown around his exposed brain, accompanied by shards of glass. His genitals had been burned off, and his gut had been ripped open and emptied, leaving only a dried heart hanging in the empty space. A week later, his work hit the newspapers. People began panicking; there had never been a killer in that town, let alone one that gruesome. Rian reveled in the fame, the power, the fact that he had finally gotten rid of one of the things ruining the world. He grew addicted to the feeling, and started watching people to find his next victim. With the leather he harvested from his last victim, he made a mask roughly resembling a crow. He became obsessed with the idea of plague doctors; he wanted to embody an inhuman doctor, here to cure humanity of its filth. From this sparked his new identity: Kazugra. He was no longer human, he was a vengeful spirit come back from the dead to enact vengeance. His next victim was a pedophile who he managed to drag into the forest. He ended up tied to the trunk of a tree along a hiking trail. He made headlines all month. After his third victim, Rian realized it was too dangerous to stay in the heart of the town. With what he had saved up, he moved to a cabin in the woods nearby. When he would go into town for work and other tasks, he would keep an eye out for future victims. Mangled bodies began to show up more frequently in the trees. People dubbed him “the modern Frankenstein” for his monstrous creations. The surrounding forest became the “Hangman’s forest.” To make matters easier for himself, Rian started learning how to create mixtures of deadly plants to take out his victims. He started a small garden of nightshade and hemlock, favoring those plants for their ability to paralyze his victims. At first, the mixture was too strong, resulting in his victims dying swiftly. Though, with some adjustments, he was able to get the perfect solution, capable of disabling them while leaving them awake. The police were struggling to identify the killer, as Rian was meticulous in his care to leave no clues. The bodies continued to pile up, and news of his work began to spread throughout the U.S. With the leather he had harvested from his victims, he made a new mask. One to represent his true self. During a particularly rough kill one night, a person managed to capture a picture of him with his mask on. The picture spread like wildfire, and he became a controversial subject online. At the age of 24, the police finally caught a trace of the man behind the murders. They found a single strand of red hair crusted to her dried flesh. Immediately, they tracked him down and pinpointed his location. As soon as Rian heard the vehicles outside his home, he fled into the forest. The forest seemed to whisper to him, telling him how to get away. A crow descended from the trees, staring at him with burning orange eyes. The whispers told him to follow it, so he did. The forest grew foggier and darker, until Rian was swallowed into the night. The modern Frankenstein was never found.

[laureviewer]

Persona 5 Royal: A Review

It’s finally time to review one of my all-time favourite games.

I first played Persona 5 around 3 years ago, and I’ve really grown since then in a few ways. A few thoughts before I begin: a) since my first playthrough, JRPGs have cemented themselves as one of my favourite types of games; b) I don’t hate all turn-based RPGs except Pokémon anymore!; c) after my first playthrough I went to Japan, and as Persona 5 is set in Tokyo, playing Royal was a lot of fun as I knew a lot of the locations, which meant I could dive into the setting deeper than the first time; and d) my 250 hours of playtime in total across both playthroughs can most likely be attributed to the incredible writing and masterful character development.

Warning: HEAVY story spoilers

I’m not trying to sell you a game. I want to give you an in-depth analysis of the story, characters, gameplay and all other aspects of this brilliant game, spoilers and all. I want a discussion. So, dive in and see what I really thought, no holds barred.

The Silence is Deafening

‘…’ – a direct quote from our protagonist, there. Our silent hero, codename Joker, is a victim of circumstance. Wrongfully accused of assault by a mysterious man who is angered that a kid prevented him from forcing a woman into his car et al., he must move away from his hometown to wait out his probation period and live a normal student life. Why must he live above a failing café under the guardianship of the cranky owner? Not to mention: why is he banished to Tokyo of all places, somewhere very likely much more exciting than wherever his hometown is?

Either way, Joker isn’t going to tell you. He’s quiet and lets the other many, many other characters do the talking for him—a usual trope of JRPGs, but it is still an issue as he is also put on a pedestal as an incredibly special, talented, empathetic and all-round great guy. He’s the only one capable of saving the world, as he has abilities no-one else has, for some reason.

But this isn’t as bad as I’m making it out to be. Sure, it doesn’t really make sense why you have such a huge following when you don’t have much of a personality, but that’s the beauty of the silent protagonist. You, the player, are the protagonist. The fact that you can even put your own name in as his name is telling. You make the decisions, you make the friends, and you carve out your own destiny from the choices you make. It’s always these kinds of games that, when I talk to my friends, I say ‘I messed up with Sojiro’ or ‘I went to the arcade today’—and it is me. Because even though I’m not a woefully silent Japanese male teenager with glasses, for the time I’m playing Persona 5, I am.

So, you are the protagonist. You learn that there are mental shutdowns all over Tokyo, making people go crazy and kill lots of people, such as a conductor crashing his train, or simply killing people on the spot. It’s weird, but what can you do? You’re just a student with his own problems: not only do many of the students avoid you because you are a delinquent, but the volleyball coach, Kamoshida, seems to be harassing students, from the ones on his team who seem terrified of him, to girls that are being hit on. When a strange app appears on your phone, you accidentally find yourself in the metaverse, along with Ryuji, who also has a good reason to get revenge on Kamoshida.

I Am Thou, Thou Art I

What teenager doesn’t have a rebellious self hidden deep within their subconscious? Well, these teens can utilise that hidden self past its usual constraints to overcome the crappy adults that suppress them and make detrimental decisions for them. Once Joker and Ryuji, and later many other young adults, realise this potential and recognise that these adults need to be stopped, they are awakened to their Personas. A Persona is a manifestation of a persona user’s personality, which the individual can use to face hardship and overcome injustice, even if just in the Metaverse, the collective unconscious world.

But, really, there’s no ‘just’ about it. Here in this world, which take the form of Palaces, the Phantom Thieves (you and your friends) can defeat the ruler of the Palace (the adult with a distorted desire) to convince them to change their heart. In this way, the ‘real’ them in the real world will atone for their actions and justice can be served. So, really, your actions are vital to solving crimes, dealing justice and, eventually, saving the world.

These Personas are like Pokémon for adults. You are special, as you can catch and wield multiple Personas, allowing you to have a whole array of powers, but your friends have one that they train and evolve throughout the course of the story. Catching them is a skill: you have to learn their weakness, and use a skill that takes advantage of it to ‘down’ the Persona. This gives you a chance to either: perform an ‘all out’ attack which sees all your allies fight them at once for increased damage; ask them for money or an item; or negotiate with them to convince them to become a part of you (and thus catch them for use later). This gets harder when there are multiple different Personas to battle at once, all with different weaknesses and strengths that means you must time your combat precisely to ‘down’ them at the same time.

Personas are one of the best parts of the game, as you can see.

Not happy with a persona’s moves, or you want to create stronger ones? Go to the Velvet Room, where Igor and the Twin Wardens Justine and Caroline will fuse two or more Personas together to create new ones.

This is where the Pokémon element is better and worse. You can get completely new and stronger Personas immediately, which is cool, but if you are particularly drawn to one it doesn’t make sense to keep using them as they will level up far quicker if you fuse them than if you keep them. I struggled with this at first, as Arsene is your first ‘official’ Persona, and I couldn’t quite believe you are only meant to have him for the first few hours. It’s like Ash giving up Pikachu after defeating Brock!

Also, have you seen how you have to fuse them? It’s so dark and unnecessarily vivid! You have to guillotine, electric chair or hang them in order to create these new Personas, which is so different to Persona 4 where the Personas are cards, making it less gruesome to get rid of your companions. It definitely made me feel bad for fusing them, but that didn’t stop me!

Essentially, the Persona franchise wouldn’t be the same without all the incredible Personas you fight and capture along the way. It really encapsulates what the games are like: stylized and deeply considered, exuding character and imagination throughout.

Take Over, It’s Time to Put You Down

Using these Personas are a lot of fun, too. The moves are elemental as well as physical, they can inflict ailments such as ‘sleep’ and ‘fear’, and evolve as you and your Personas level up. Personas all have strengths and weaknesses, and by fusing them, you can create Personas with stronger moves and resistances that, as you get towards the end of the game, means that you can fuse some incredibly powerful Personas that can fight any and all enemies, if you’re smart with the moves you inherit.

This all sounds very similar to Pokémon, right? Well, there are other more showy, fantastically fun elements that integrate beautifully with the stunning graphics to make every battle (which have the potential to become very repetitive) exciting and challenging. When a character manages to ‘down’ an enemy by using a move that is strong against it, they can either do another attack or choose to Baton Pass to an ally, chaining super-effective attacks to down multiple enemies in one round, which is useful if there are a lot of different enemies with different affinities and weaknesses. Then, once all enemies are downed, all allies can come together for an All Out Attack for an extra boost of damage.

As much as this is useful for the player, if the enemy downs one of your allies, they can also do a secondary attack, which means that they have the potential to wipe out your team very quickly. Plus, some moves are one hit kills, which may have low accuracy but is still extremely frustrating sometimes, particularly in regular 5 where I found the combat more challenging. The worst boss fight was Haru’s dad, where I actually had to change difficulty for the only time throughout the game—who decided it was a good idea to revive the robot shadows if you didn’t kill them in three moves?!

The Showtime moves, new for Royal, bring a fresh new element to the game. As you progress through the story, your allies start forming bonds, which will then be reflected in combat. At seemingly random times, they can join up with fantastic new animations (such as Yusuke cooking Ryuji some yummy food at a bar, who get interrupted by a shadow coming in the door, and they both take it out) and inflict massive damage. I was sad that Joker doesn’t get one, until the Royal section where baes Akechi and Sumire both team up with you respectively for new Showtimes. It made me wonder whether Joker just wasn’t as close to the rest of the team as he becomes to Akechi and Sumire, which actually also made me glad that I focused on both of them heavily in my playthrough!

Every song that plays throughout the game, including combat, is a banger, so even though my husband got annoyed hearing it coming out of my TV for 120 hours, this soundtrack will remain one of my favourites to date. Overall, the combat is great, and thankfully not too repetitive after so many hours of gameplay.

Adulting is Hard

The story of Persona 5 is deeply gripping, and keeps you invested and interested the whole way through. It didn’t absolutely destroy me like other JRPGs have done (see: Final Fantasy XV), but fun, emotive and has huge repercussions if you don’t succeed in your mission, including people dying and the world ending. No pressure, then.

Your actions, then, are crucial to making the world a better place: and the villains that you encounter are integral to succeeding. In true revolution fashion, it’s the kids that need to stand up to the adults to rid them of their distorted desires—but it’s not all random. The adults are truly abhorrent (the first one, Kamoshida, sexually assaults female students and physically abuses members of his volleyball team) and they continue a running thread from first to last—that is, the ones who you think aren’t connected at all seem to be connected to the final villain by the end. It’s very clever, and kept me gripped the whole way through—something that’s needed with 80+ hours of gameplay.

The writing is absolutely fantastic. All characters have their own distinct mannerisms, personalities and stories, which you get to explore with the Confidant mechanic (see below). The voice acting is great, and as I progressed through the Confidants, I really started to feel like they were becoming my friends, and that every time I turned on my PS4 I was hanging out with my pals again. It’s the way games should make you feel—like you actually care about what will happen to them.

This does make the game quite stressful (in a good way), as what you do has actual repercussions. It’s a bit frustrating sometimes that some of your dialogue doesn’t affect the game at large, as well as your romance choices. None of the characters acknowledge you have a girlfriend, and if you date Ann, for example, she won’t act any differently than if you decide to not even become her friend. While that’s disappointing, other dialogue choices can completely affect your game so that you always have to be very careful with your decisions. Will you get the ‘bad’ ending, where you fail to stop the final villain; the ‘good bad’ ending, where you accept his distorted view of the world; or the ‘true’ canon ending, where you revert the world to normal? A lot of choices throughout this lengthy game affect what ultimately happens, so you do feel like you’re affecting the story a lot more than, say, Pokémon. In fact, in Royal, you can even miss out on a whole section of the game…

Ascending to Royalty

As long as you max your Confidant links with Akechi (the renegade teen detective), Kasumi (the new gymnast freshman at your school) and Maruki (the school counsellor), you get to experience the 30+ hours that Royal adds to Persona 5. And—major spoilers here—once you’ve defeated the God of Control and exposed Akechi for the unhinged betrayer that he is, you should go to juvenile detention and your ability to use Personas should be gone for good, as Momentos has been destroyed.

However, in Royal, Maruki has figured out how to use cognitive psience—and you’re the reason why. His sessions with you has helped with his research, and so now he can make the world a better place by granting everyone’s desires in the collective unconsciousness.

As you can see by his actions, he’s not your typical antagonist. His heart is completely in the right place: he wants to make everyone happy by granting their desires for them, such as bringing back Futaba’s dead mother and helping Ryuji recover so he can get back on the track team. I resonated with that, and actually wondered whether it would be worse for certain characters, particularly Futaba and Haru who get to spend time with their respective dead parents, to reject the “blissful ignorance” reality that Maruki had created for them in favour of the truth.

By this point, I had grown rather fond of the deranged but entertaining firework that Akechi has revealed himself to be, and once I learned that Akechi would die (as he did in regular 5) if Maruki’s reality were to be revoked, I almost chose to accept it. But Akechi being adamant that he was going to stop Maruki no matter what as he didn’t want to live under anyone else’s rule helped make that choice for me. It was difficult, though. Akechi’s is a motive that is simultaneously selfish and noble: selfish as he doesn’t want anyone else to control him, even if that means other people are happy, but noble because he values the truth above all else. Plus, the fact that he was one of the main villains throughout the story up until this point made me question whether we should continue to trust him, even though he had decided to help us, even if it were primarily for his own gain. I think my fondness for him (perhaps because he is a fully-fledged Confidant in this game, unlike regular 5) and the wildcard elements he brought to the game made me feel a certain brand of loyalty towards him, and so I chose to honour his “dying wish”. And, of course, this path led to the ‘true’ ending!

This indecision is shown most clearly in Maruki’s palace, where you have to deduce what decisions in certain situations Maruki would think is the ‘right’ one. It really helps you understand where he’s coming from. For example, his question ‘if your friend is being attacked, and you don’t have much time before they get seriously hurt, would you a) run to get help but you might not make it back in time, or b) join the fight to help but you might get hurt yourself?’ Neither answer is necessarily wrong, but b) is correct as Maruki simply wants you to look out for yourself over others. The crux of his viewpoint is that you should endeavour to make yourself happy or safe, even if that means others may not be. It’s a very interesting conundrum, and one I enjoyed debating philosophically whilst playing.

The concept of right and wrong and mental health was also tackled in this game through Kasumi/Sumire. Ultimately, even though Maruki wanted to help her by allowing Sumire to pretend to be her dead sister, as she blames herself for her death, he ultimately did her more harm than good. With the support of Joker and the others Sumire was able to overcome her delusions and grow into a strong, confident young woman. This cemented for me how backwards Maruki was and that reality is the most important thing, even if it’s not always what we want, because that’s life. In this way, I feel that Royal added something to 5. Even though going into someone’s mind palace was about mental health, I never really considered it until Royal dealt with an innocent traumatised girl and a misguided man attempting to heal her. I applaud Atlas for tackling something so difficult pretty well.

Confident in my Confidants

It’s a good thing the player can really get into the story, because it’s heavily dependent on personal decisions and making friends.

In order to get stronger within the Metaverse, Igor, the man inside the Velvet Room, tells Joker that he needs to strengthen the relationship with his friends first. This is absolutely true—not just with your teammates, but with other individuals who live in Tokyo too, in the form of the Confidant mechanic. For example, while your teammates all get skills such as curing afflictions and taking fatal hits for Joker, others give just as much if not more valuable perks, such as Kawakami giving you more free time or Mishima allowing all teammates to gain experience even if they don’t contribute to the battle once you max them out.

The way you level them up is through socialising. This passes time, but is also incredibly interesting, as each Confidant has a gripping story (except Ohya!). You can’t downgrade a Confidant, but picking the right dialogue choices can make leveling them up much quicker in a game where time is everything. It’s also necessary to level up your stats, such as knowledge, kindness and charm, to allow you to progress with some Confidants and be empathetic or charming enough to deal with the situations thrown at you. I loved the dual play style of dungeon battles and social simulation—in a lengthy game, it broke up gameplay and kept it fresh.

As this was my second playthrough, I already knew that maxing certain Confidants would yield the best results, such as Kawakami and Yoshida who eventually allows you to negotiate with and catch shadows of a higher level than you. But in Royal, the new additions of Counselor, Faith & Justice—Maruki, Kasumi & Akechi—freshened things up. Technically, Justice isn’t new, but you can now hang out with him instead of his progress being facilitated purely by story.

Time to rate my friends from worst to best!

21: Ichiko Ohya Devil Arcana

I found this alcoholic journalist very annoying. Her story isn’t that interesting, she isn’t very nice, and the skills that she gives you to allow you to sneak around Palaces easier aren’t worth it either. I only maxed out her story near the end as I had time, but honestly, she shouldn’t be a priority.

20: Iwai Munehisa Hanged Man Arcana

Didn’t think anything of him until Royal, where I had more time to learn about his time in the Yakusa and his son. Useful for guns (which aren’t even an integral part of combat, really), but other than that I barely used his shop—plus you have to have high Guts in order to progress. Definitely better Confidants out there.

19: Tae Takemi Death Arcana

The fact that this doctor is a sexy goth is probably the best thing about her. You can level her up quite early on, so she is quite exciting at the beginning as she’s one of the only adults you can turn into a Confidant at that point, but after a while she stopped being interesting to me. In my Royal playthrough I found I didn’t need many healing items—SP was far more important!—and in the end I didn’t max her out. A fun outfit, but can leave her.

18: Shinya Oda Tower Arcana

Definitely annoying (but what little brother isn’t?) but there’s a sad reason for that—his mum is emotionally abusive, even if she doesn’t mean to be. In the end I wanted to max him out to save him from that life, but I never quite got that far. At least I managed to change his mum’s heart before I finished the game.

He’s also quite useful in buffing gun attacks and bonuses for downing and negotiating, so definitely useful for combat. I just ended up feeling bad for him, but he was also a bit of a shit, being a bully to his classmates; his big bro Joker helped with that!

17: Hifumi Togo Star Arcana

I never got to know her in my first playthrough, and I didn’t realise how useful she is for battles. She eventually allows you to swap players in combat, hastens escapes, improves money hauls, and allows back-up members to do follow up attacks. I’d definitely give her a shot for just those bonuses, even if you don’t want to romance her—but she is sweet, if very detached from the rest of the story.

16: Chihaya Mifune Fortune Arcana

I maxed her out pretty quickly so I could get the fortune readings; affinity was especially useful, as you can level up Confidants a tiny bit quicker, for a price. And, after she takes 100,000 from you near the beginning (!) and eventually gives it back, she’s lovely. Nothing special, and definitely not one to romance, but nice.

15: Twin Wardens Justine & Caroline Strength Arcana

Their Confidant path was slightly different: you have to show them Personas with specific moves, and they will level up. This was very interesting, and also put a natural brake on their relationship, as some Personas can’t be made until you are a certain level. They are also very useful as you eventually unlock group Persona fusions and can fuse Personas of a higher level than you, for a price. Always fun to get the ridiculous Personas a bit earlier on! Also, their story was super interesting, due to the mystery that surrounds their identities…

Also also, Royal gives a new element to your relationship with them. You can now take them out of the Velvet Room to show them ‘human things’, like aquariums and cinemas. I didn’t utilise this much as you only get skill cards, and no actual level progress, but I wish I had more time, as the dialogue in these sequences is hilarious as they try to understand why humans would do certain things. The fact that I’ve ranked them so low is telling—there are so many fun and useful Confidants that mean they rank this low. 

14: Yuuki Mishima Moon Arcana

I actually think you’re a bit mean to him—he’s definitely your friend, but every time you are asked to clarify this the dialogue choices make you seem like a dickhead when you say he’s only ‘sort of’ your friend! He’s helped you so much, stop being such a dick, player. Plus he helps increase EXP, as well as allows EXP to be given to back-up members so it’s definitely a good thing to max him earlier. Plus, he’s sweet, and gives you Momentos requests. Justice for Mishima!

13: Takuto Maruki Councillor Arcana

Lovely. What a gent. Shame he turned out to be distorted by deciding to change people’s realities by interpreting their vague wants instead of actually asking people if they’d WANT their realities changed or not. Sounds a bit like Thanos to me, but with a better reason to be evil.

The bonuses of Maruki though are: he’s interesting; he’s lovely; and his bonuses are mainly SP based, which is always hard to recover in Persona, especially in the early stages of the games. He raises your SP, gives you a chance to instantly recover ailments, gives you a chance to become focused and therefore raises your attack, and gives you a chance to recover your SP when low. Very useful, and you can’t play the Royal storyline without maxing him out before November 18th anyway.

12: Haru Okumura Empress Arcana

Again, I wasn’t too much of a fan of Haru on my first playthrough (perhaps because she’s quite a late addition to the team), but this time round, I had more time to get to know her. I really wanted to save her from her awful fiancé, and hoped I’d be able to say ‘don’t marry him, marry me!’ if I chose to romance her, but alas. I was also quite surprised with how business-orientated she is, which was a surprise. However, she was just too prim and proper for me, and even after her story showed her to be evolving into a confident woman, she didn’t evolve quite enough for me to be interested.

She’s useful, though, as all the Confidants are who are your team members, so leveling her up is a must, for help in combat and to evolve her Persona.

11: Morgana Magician Arcana

Morgana was the most useful as the support hero—I always wanted him in my party, particularly in hard battles, just to keep me and my allies alive. Plus, who doesn’t love a talking cat? Though, at one point, he does get moody and very annoying. While Morgana as a character was never that exciting past being the initial reason they can become Phantom Thieves and the mystery surrounding where he comes from, Royal switched that up by turning him into a dreamboat with piercing blue eyes when Maruki made his dream of being a human come true. They kept saying throughout this sequence how beautiful he was, which was amusing. A nice twist on the original game.

10: Toranosuke Yoshida Sun Arcana

I learnt to level this fallen-from-grace politician up quickly from my first playthrough as, once you max him out, you can negotiate easier with shadows of your own level, and negotiate with higher level shadows and add them to the compendium—absolutely necessary. Also, he’s basically a massive socialist leftie, so he rocks.

9: Yusuke Kitagawa Emperor Arcana

I didn’t like him much in my first playthrough, but now I appreciate him far more—he’s flamboyant, artistic and, best of all, happy to be in his own mind and be himself, no matter what people think of him. He’s a bit stuck up sometimes, but all in all he’s an outsider who fits in better than he really should. And he provides funny dialogue, particularly when interacting with Futaba. I also love his Showtime moves with Ryuji and Ann.

8: Ann Takamaki Lovers Arcana

I’m quite surprised she’s this low down for me, but even though she’s the first girl you befriend and she’s hopelessly beautiful to everyone who meets her, she doesn’t quite push past the ‘ditzy girl’ trope. The story does try to make her more nuanced, and to an extent it works—she’s also fun, thoughtful and empathetic—but there’s just too many misogynistic and ditsy jokes that even only a few years later don’t land anymore. Saying that, she literally uses her sexuality to break free of the misogyny that surrounds her body and the sexual abuse and prejudice she experiences, at the most from the volleyball teacher, and at the least from everyone around her. It’s a steep hill to climb, but she’s doing it.

I drew the picture below!

7: Sadayo Kawakami Temperance Arcana

Kawakami’s your teacher—what could possibly go wrong? Well, she’s also a sexy maid who comes over to clean up, though she won’t go any further as you’re her high school student. Yet. It’s a bit dodgy, especially as she acts like your mum, but even so, the forbidden fruit angle is fun. Her story is also compelling. Not only is she an interesting Confidant, but one of the most useful ones for the amount of extra time she gives you when you level her up. Why on both my playthroughs did I not level her up immediately?

6: Sojiro Sakura Hierophant Arcana

He’s your guardian who takes you in when you have to move from your hometown after your alleged assault to live out your probation. He starts out cranky, but has an absolute heart of gold. He ended up being one of my favourite Confidants—plus, he’s one of the most useful, as he is one of the only ways to get SP in the early game by making coffee and curry. You need to understand the pride I got from making coffee that met his expectations!

5: Futaba Sakura Hermit Arcana

Sojiro’s adopted daughter is so much fun that I romanced her in the first game. While some may think she’s more like a little sister, she’s just a bit more immature because of her hermit lifestyle and Arcana. She’s funny, loves games, and has great references; she is one of the only instances of a game that has a young girl who doesn’t sound like 40-year-olds trying to sound like teenagers. She has a heartbreaking story, but her personality keeps it light. She says it how it is, no matter what anyone else thinks. She’s great.

4: Kasumi/Sumire Yoshizawa Faith Arcana

I chose to romance the gymnast honour student in Royal, because how can you not romance the new girl? Though I wasn’t sure at first, as I found her quite twee at the beginning. However, she became a lot more nuance when she became Sumire, which is to be expected. Plus, she is really well integrated into the story and really makes you feel she cares about you. She has an amazing costume when she is Codename: Violet, and gives you some truly useful abilities, such as ambushing from a distance and avoiding being surrounded by shadows. She’s a great addition to an already great game.

3: Makoto Niijima Priestess Confidant

She’s bestgirl in terms of smarts, badassery, and simple relatability. She is Student Council President, an honour student, and has been manipulated by evil adults for their own distorted desires. Her parents have died, which instils her with deep guilt for being a burden on her sister. She’s also the only one whose Confidant story doesn’t actively revolve around herself: she changes, but it’s through helping her friend who may be a victim of trafficking rather than her own self-interests. She’s sharp, poised and even more badass when she awakens to her Persona, Johanna—it’s a freaking motorcycle!

2: Ryuji Sakamoto Chariot Confidant

Your best buddy. I’m always drawn towards these ones, who are treated a bit dumb but are loyal to the end. He’s also hilarious, like when he complains the Phantom Thieves are in the shadows and not getting any credit, and I chose the option ‘I like the shade’, he says ‘what are you, moss?!’ I really do wish I could romance him, because I can see a lovely storyline where he’s unsure at first but the fact that they’re soulmates transcends gender.

1: Goro Akechi Justice Confidant

I’m almost hesitant to admit I find him the most fascinating and fun. Not only is he dangerous, exciting and unhinged, he's at the centre of an incredible twist. He’s one of the most interesting characters, and you never know what he’s going to do next. I would definitely date him if Japanese games let gay relationships happen; he has all the best attributes for a crazy romantic relationship. Not IRL, but in a game, why not?

I love that he didn’t die and teams up with you in Royal, and that . He’s also the first character that Joker gets a Showtime move with, which made it quite special. When it is revealed just how evil and crazy he is, his whole character changes, including his Persona, his Phantom Thieves outfit, and his demeanor—it’s scary how excited he is by killing, but at the same time, he is absolutely certain of his viewpoints and won’t compromise for anyone. Many of these points would be a reason why he shouldn’t be my number one, but I can’t help it.

Honourable Mentions: Igor (Fool Arcana), Sae Niijima (Judgement Arcana) & Jose

Igor is the ruler of the Velvet Room, and the person who facilitates your rehabilitation in changing peoples’ hearts. However, ‘person’ isn’t quite right for Igor: he’s the God of Control, born from the desires of the collective masses who want to be controlled and be told what to do rather than make difficult decisions. It was a cool twist to realise that the God of Control had been impersonating the real Igor; I don’t know if Igor was lovely in the previous games, but he certainly is once you restore him at the end of 5. Despite him being interesting, I never felt like I had a connection with him, as you level up his Arcana automatically throughout the story, and he never tried to have a personal relationship with Joker.

Sae has her own palace and Arcana, but she’s not quite the same as the others. Like Igor, you level up automatically throughout the game when you confess to her the whole Phantom Thieves story, and while she does have a Palace, she doesn’t through any huge transformation other than realising that learning the truth is better than trying to win at any cost. She’s cool, and her outfit in her Palace is sexy, but you can’t romance her and can’t change much of what you say to her. I wish in Royal she could have been a fully fledged Confidant instead.

Jose counts even less. A new addition to Royal, he helps you change the cognition of Momentos by collecting stamps as you go further down, and he gives you items in exchange for flowers, so he definitely makes Momentos better. However, his addition is nothing world-shaking, and he only shows up randomly, which makes him quite annoying. I could have done without him, but at least he made Momentos more interesting than in the base game, which, compared to Palaces, was quite boring.

All in all, my main issue with the Confidant system as that you still can’t date boys. We’ve been saying for years ‘that’s just the Japanese way’, but considering the crazy hentai they bring out (still with only very little amounts of yaoi/gay hentai) it may be time to stop excusing them for not being with the times. Catherine: Full Body aimed to dispel that somewhat—perhaps Persona should too.

A Momentous Game

Overall, this is one of my favourite games of all time. The gameplay keeps me entertained for 100+ hours (though, to be fair, I do love long games) and the characters and writing makes me emotionally connect with the story they are telling. I’d suggest playing for at least 8 hours, as it’s a slow burn, but once that hurdle is jumped the real obsession begins.

Time to go and play Persona 4 Golden, as I’m not quite ready for the fun to be over yet.

[jusauria]

Hotcattale (basic storyline)

Like every Story we have to start from the beginning of all.

Long time ago. In an AU of undertale there were monsters and humans. Both creatures needed the same kind of food to survive. The soul powers of the monsters scared The humans. The monsters were afraid of the soul energy of the humans. The fear turned into hate and a war began. In this war many lost their lives and both sides capitulated. The monsters were aware of the humans hate and so they moved out of all human villages to start a new life in peace. The only problem for the monsters in the mountains is the lacking source of food. Some of the best guards are hunting animals. The others are going to the cities to get other needed food supplies.

In these awful times of hate and rebuilding the life story of Sans and Papyrus begin. When the little skeleton opened his eyes he saw two taller skeletons in front of him. A huge smile were on their faces. They pick up the little skeleton and tell him: “My child. You made it. Of all the dead children's bodies, you made it to become a skeleton. We are so proud of you.” The surprised child looked around and saw something moving in the ashes. He started to move uncontrollable in the arms of the huge skeleton, only to tell them there was something. The female looking adult stuck her hand in the ashes and got out another little skeleton. The ashes made his bones look black and he sneezed a few times. The adults looked pleased. They grabbed their stuff and went to the forest where all the skeletons live.

Both kids grew up there and learned many new things. Even so they learned that skeletons can’t make kids like other monsters can. They need dead children in the age between 5-10 and have to put soulpower in them. Unfortunately not all kids become skeletons. That’s why the population of skeletons is looked over very careful. The two young skeletons knew they were from now on brothers and so they treated each other like. The smaller one got the name Sans, in the meaning of a calmness of the Ocean and the Sand. While the other one got the name Papyrus, in the meaning for the Power and Kindness from his soul. Sans was always the weaker skeleton of the both. He almost died of an unknown sickness and so his Heal Points (HP) went down to 1.

Papyrus and Sans often went outside to see others of their kind. But they never felt welcomed near them. When both got 15 they moved out. On that day all the skeletons in their villages said to them goodbye and wished them a ‘skeleton’ of luck. The brothers left the villages and walked many days to finally see the mountain they wanted to start a new life. They tardy walked in the entrance and asked other monsters where the king and queen were. On their way they met ,a bit younger as them, Asriel who showed them his parents. The royal family allowed the skelebrothers to live in the Underground. Toriel asked them kindly with a caring voice where they both want to live. Sans said: “I don’t mind any place. My bro should choose. He is the coolest in this stuff” Papyrus looked at the huge map on the walls of the gigantic room and pointed at Snowdin. He yelled: “There! This place should be as calm as Sans and as cool as me. Nyahaha.” Toriel looked at Asgore and both agreed. In snowdin was an old house where nobody lived. So the brother took this opportunity and made it their own.

Many years passed and the brothers grew in knowledge and happiness. While Sans found a job as scientist assistant in the labor from hotland. Papyrus made his hobby of cooking to his job in “Grillby’s”. But Papyrus' dream is to become a part of the royal guards. He wants to go outside and buy food for the monsters who need it. Sans and Papyrus are the only skeletons in the Underground. They always get from the town people rotten or spoiled food to eat and to cook with. They give this to the brothers not because they hate them. Generally because they don’t want to waste food. Even so skeletons can eat all kinds of food without getting sick.

One day the brother's knowledge about human and monster relationships broke apart.

Sans was in his room. All dressed in black and in front of his door was Papyrus in black too. He stared at the door wanting to knock but couldn't make him do it. He broke into tears.

Both had come home from the funeral of Asriel and his best human friend Chara. The brothers, Asriel and the twin sibling Chara and Frisk always have been very close to each other. One day when they were in a restaurant of all kinds Asriel and Chara got poisoned by the golden flower poison. The brothers ate the same dish. But because they are skeletons it had no effect on them. If Frisk had been there too, he would have gotten poisoned like his sister and the prince.

Sans was sitting in his room corner thinking why they couldn’t save them. Why they didn’t notice something was wrong. Papyrus otherwise was thinking how sad Frisk must be. Lost his twin sister and wasn’t able to be at the funeral because he is still ill.

A month later Sans and Papyrus are fine again. Of course they are still sad about the lost, but they need to work to earn money. Else they will lose the house and that’s what both don’t want to happen.

Sans walks nervous around in the labor and Dr. Gaster looks at him and asks kindly: “Sans. Do you think a maschine could produce all kinds of food, with water and the key atoms?” Sans stopped walking. He thinks about all possibilities and replies with yes. Gaster smiles and shows him a room which was always locked up. On the walls were plans for a food making maschine to solve the hunger of the monsters. The sketches and files amaze Sans . The doctor put his hand on his shoulder and whispered to him: “This will be your work from now on. Work on this machine and save the monsters. I will work on the core power machine in the meanwhile.” This is a huge job opportunity for Sans. After work he takes a shortcut to his home door and jumps into Papyrus arms. Both brothers walk inside the house. Walk to the kitchen, make tea and sit down on the table to talk about what happened on this day. They have no secrets from each other and speak open to each other. Papyrus tells Sans that people like the food he makes. The royal guard Undyne wants to teach him more cooking tricks. She was very impressed by his skills. Sans is happy for his brother and lets him talk for a while more until he tells him his news. At the moment Papyrus finished talking he tells him his whole day in detail. What a huge responsibility he has now. Even so he informs him that he will stay at the labor for a while. Papyrus stands up and hugs his brother.

The next day Sans walks to Papyrus and says: “Listen. I know you can stay alone for a while. Please be safe bro. I will be gone for about 2 or 3 months.” Papyrus looks at Sans and replies: “You don’t have to worry at all. The brilliant Papyrus will make sure everything is ok and safe! Be careful of your heavy bones”. With a last hug their paths split.

Stress is for Sans a foreigner word. He has never known stress until he sees the deadline for the machine to work and be ready to use. Sans calculations have to be all correct. Every mistake will take too much time to fix. So he worked fast but meticulous. Skeletons don’t necessari need sleep, so he had only 2 hours of sleep everyday. Gaster looks like a skeleton but isn’t so every night Sans is working alone in the labor. Often he gets scared that something will pop up out of the darkness. But this wasn’t a reason for him to stop working.

Day after day was hard work on his plan but 2 months later he finished the first machine of his kind.

In the 2 months Gaster hired a new assistant named Alphys. She is shy but it isn’t that bad to work with her. Sans invites Gaster for seeing and testing the prototype. Gaster sets up the maschine and pour the special liquid in the maschine. He starts the maschine and walks a few steps away from it. First all looks good but then Sans notices that the machine starts to form some cracks. He yelled at Gaster to walk farther away. But he was too late. A huge explosion is the result and Sans gets smashed to the wall behind him. He hits his head on the wall and his whole body gets covered in a strange hot liquid. He stands up and some of the liquid gets inside of his skull. The pain of the heat, how it burns through his skull and cracks it makes him faint.

When he opens his eyes he sees Papyrus and Alphys talking. He sits up and asks: “How long was I out.” Papyrus' face shows that he was sleeping for longer than 1 day. His brother jumps on his bed and gives him a strong hug. He cries in relief and Alphys goes outside to let both of them have some time for themselves. As soon as Papyrus finished crying himself out, Sans stands up. He sees in a mirror two cracks on each cheek and the almost full healed hole in the back of his skull. They go outside the room and Alphys asks Sans to do some task.

All monster kinds can use magic. Not all the same kind of magic, Skeleton uses bone magic.

She asked him to spawn some bones. Sans focuses and sees the bone in front of his spiritual eye. But at the moment he releases the power he spawns a hotdog which looks more cat-like. A hotcat? Sans tries again to make a bone but all he does is make hotcats. All in the living room are in shock. Sans runs upstairs in his room to do some more tests by himself. Papyrus walked behind him but he couldn’t enter the room in time. The still hurt skeleton tries harder than usual to make a bone but it doesn’t work. Only hotcats. He takes one and bite a piece off. It doesn’t look spoiled or anything. Warm is it too. All a sudden his back skull hole starts to heal up. Only a crack left. But cracks on his cheeks are still there. Sans calmed down and continued to test his other abilities. He still can do shortcuts and the telekinetic stuff. He can’t make bones and he is able to spawn two gaster blasters at the same time. To Sans' surprise the blasters can turn into Skelecats. He opens the door and Papyrus gets scared by the skelecats running out of Sans room. Alphys is already gone and both brothers walk downstairs in the living room to talk. Papyrus tells Sans that Gaster must have died. Not long ago a talking flower appeared after this bad event. Sans tells him that he not being able to make bowns isn’t as bad as he first thought. He can make food for other monsters and make them less starving and that he is more happier to be alive than dust.

A few weeks later Sans and Papyrus start to work together for Grillby and have a nice time. But then Sans got the idea to make his own little restaurant with papyrus. Papyrus agrees. With the help of their friends they build a little eating place which can move around hassle-free. The skeleton brother wants to become a travel food bistro. When they both are about to leave the underground, the royal family give them both a little present. A red scarf for papyrus and Sans gets a book full of jokes, to make them both laugh hard. This is a heartbreaking moment but the two boys know that this isn’t a goodbye forever. They walk away with the little bistro. Sans uses his telekinetic powers to move it around while papyrus is looking at the map where to go first. They decide fast where a good spot is to begin to earn money and a reputation. Sans walks around the small town offering humans and some monsters his hotcats. First they didn’t know what to think about this but soon everyone fell in love with these. It looks like the taste of hotcats varies from person to person. Some say it tastes sweet, some spicy and some salty. It depends on the person's preferences. The two make good money from them. Papyrus buys some food to cook healthy and taste food. Many humans and monsters love the taste of his dishes. The skeleton’s little restaurant becomes downright famous overnight. A few days later they closed the shop for the first time to get a small break. They walk around the town and talk a lot about what to improve and fix. In an alley Papyrus notices the talking flower he saw once in Snowdin and walks to him. The flower monster looks confused and a bit scared. Papyrus sits down in front of him and says in a kindly voice:”Hello little golden flower, why are you here in town? Are you following us?” He gets more confidence and replies to him:”Maybe. But I am here to see if you and the potato are doing fine.” The eye sockets from the huge skeleton become bigger and you can see sparkles in it. He hugs the flower and offers him to go on his shoulder so they can walk together around. The golden flower agrees and introduces himself to them as Flowey. Flowey tells them how he came to life and how confused he was first. Sans notices that the soul of the flower is awful similar to Asriel’s and asks him if he knew him. The bright yellow color from his blooms turns minor darker and he replies with a sad face: “ Yes and no. I somehow have his soul and heard his voice a few times. He told me one day that I am my own person and since then I haven’t heard of him.” Papyrus puts his hand on his head to make him feel a bit more comfortable. Sans starts to think and comes to the conclusion that the flower must be a by-product of the explosion he caused.

The sky went from a light blue to a red, violet color. The brothers arrive at their restaurant. Papyrus makes a movement to flowey to say that he can stay with them as long as he wants to. In Flowey’s face is happiness. Flowey became the mascot of the shop and is the first waiter too.

The next day the shop is booming. Many customers want to eat the special hotcat from Sans. Others some fresh made dishes from Papyrus. A human with brown hair and a yellowish skin comes to Sans and asks for the manager of this shop. He responds that he and his brother are the owner of this all. The human asks kindly if he can work there. Sans walks to Papyrus in the kitchen and asks if they should hire the human. Papyrus goes with Sans to the front and looks at the human diligent. He gasps and says that the human is Frisk. Frisk smiles and says: “Hehe. Long time not see you two. Sans to be honest, what happened to you? Did you fight with a dog and lost? hehe.” Sans explains all and both skeletons decide to hire Frisk in their small business. The not so tall human is already 19 and so he can legal work for them. At the end of the day all 3 monsters and Frisk help to clean the shop and set up a sleep area for Frisk.

They stayed 2 months in the small town and then continued their journey to another town.

After a year Flowey and Frisk discovered the other AUs. They told the skelebrothers about this. Since that day they are known as AU travel Restaurant “Hotcattale”. Which stays in every AU at least 1 week.

The end.

(I know. The story is not good. but it gives a good view about this AU and what makes it unique ^^)

[chaoswillfallrpg]

FENRIR GREYBACK is THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OLD and a SOLDIER in THE DARK LORD’S ARMY at THE DEATH EATER HEADQUARTERS. He looks remarkably like PETER GADIOT and considers himself aligned with THE DEATH EATERS. He is currently TAKEN.

→ OVERVIEW:

tw: death, murder

CALDER GREYBACK and KESARA GREYBACK were overjoyed when they had their first child, Fenrir. Named after a monstrous giant wolf from Norse mythology, a favourite subject of Calder’s, Fenrir was destined to become the monster he was. Fenrir was raised in a loving home, both parents making time for their child and showering him with affection. They lived in a small cottage in a wizarding village just outside of the Cotswolds. During his early childhood, he was a very timid child, barely speaking to anyone but his parents. Due to his shyness, Calder and Kesara constantly attempted to put Fenrir in social situations that often led to Fenrir being awkward around new people or simply asking to go home early due to his social anxiety. When Fenrir was five years old, his parents gave birth to HELLA GREYBACK, a beautiful baby girl. Fenrir became obsessed with his little sister, rarely leaving her side, even as they grew older together. His parents were surprised at how loving he was towards her and how she caused him to come out of his shell, especially around people who had come to see Hella. Fenrir was extremely protective over her and vowed that he’d rather die than let anything happen to her. The two of them would spend their days running through the fields, splashing in the rivers and talking to other wizarding children, in which Hella took the lead of course. The two siblings were happy with their lives and their parents were elated that the two got along well despite their age difference. 

When Fenrir was ten years old, a year before Hogwarts, their family went on a camping trip. It had been a sweltering summer but the campsite was now cool and beautiful as leaves began to turn yellow and orange. Fenrir and Hella would spend their days playing by the lake, Kesara keeping a close eye on them whilst Calder disappeared upstream to go fishing. It was the last day of their holiday when Hella and Fenrir decided to sneak away from their mother and attempt to follow their father upstream. It wasn’t long before the two became bored of tracking their father went off exploring, not taking note of where they were going or how to get back to their parents. A game of king and queen began and before they knew it, the sun was setting and they were lost. Scared, the two decided it was best to find the river and stay put until their father found them. As night stretched on and a full moon shone above them, the shivering siblings took refuge amongst some rocks, trying to keep each other warm. What first started out as distant howls, soon became a low growling noise. Hella and Fenrir hadn’t heard the wolf throughout their trip until that night and tried to make themselves as small as possible. It wasn’t long until the werewolf found them and Hella let out a blood curdling scream as the werewolf leapt at her. Fenrir, being the brother he was, jumped in front of the werewolf right before it could plant it’s jaws on his sister and the werewolf's teeth sank deep into Fenrir’s shoulder. A few moments later and their father appeared, casting curses at the werewolf and chasing it away, saving his children from a gory demise. 

Fenrir did not die from the bite to his parents' relief, but to their embarrassment, he had been infected with lycanthropy. His parents decided not to register him and keep it a secret. They did their best to help Fenrir every month, but their best method was to lock Fenrir in the basement with chains. This of course, upset Fenrir, causing him to feel like a wild animal, which he was during a full moon. Fenrir would always wake up with no memory of his transformation or the night before, leaving him to think that it could never have been that bad. A year later and Fenrir’s letter from Hogwarts arrived. He was excited to go and had been looking forward to it since he was eight. His parents however, were reluctant, worried what their son might do during a full moon. As a compromise, Calder and Kesara ordered a large batch of wolfsbane and instructed Fenrir to always find his way to the forbidden forest during a full moon or the consequences would be dire. Due to his parents' fear of his lycanthropy, Fenrir began to fear it himself, thinking that he was cursed. This of course, didn’t help his self esteem and once reaching Hogwarts and being sorted into Slytherin, he was quickly labeled as the weird and awkward kid. The bullying started immediately and Fenrir hated it. DOLORES UMBRIDGE was one of his biggest adversaries, she had managed to discover his wolfsbane stash and outed him as a werewolf to all the students, which only sent him deeper into self hatred. The disrespect and utter discrimination he received due to his lycanthropy was crippling to say the least. 

Whilst there were those that stood against him, he had a special select few who told him to stand up for himself. ADARIA LINWOOD would always show him tough love, teaching him to grow a thicker skin. His sister was always there for him at home and even more present when she found her place at Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw. She would always tell him that it wasn’t a curse, it was a blessing. His lycanthropy turned him into someone powerful, a chance for him to break out of his shell forever and become the leader she imagined him to be. With support from his friends and as he grew older he became more confident, more in control and more vicious towards those that stood against him. He began to spend countless hours learning about lycanthropy and how it affected other creatures and how one could infect others, effectively creating their own pack. A pack of other werewolves just like him, others that understood what it was like, others that would always have his back against those like Dolores Umbridge. The appeal of being in a pack didn’t only affect Fenrir, but seemed to persuade another younger student named STEPHEN WILCOX to come to Fenrir, asking if he could be turned, if he could be gifted with lycanthropy. Fenrir’s first reaction was that Stephen was crazy, why would he think it was a gift when it would only make his life harder, but the idea of having his own pack and the determination for revenge against those that shunned him changed his mind. On the next full moon, Fenrir bit Stephen in an attempt to turn him. It was Hella, who had gone off a feeling and had followed the two into the woods, that found Stephen’s dead body with Fenrir nowhere in sight.

The next day Fenrir was expelled from Hogwarts. He was distraught at the fact that he had killed someone and when he looked to his parents for support, they turned him away, telling him that he was no longer part of their family. His parents no longer saw him as an embarrassment, but rather as an endangerment to the rest of the world. Without his consent, they contacted the Ministry and reported him as a werewolf. It was how Hella reacted that really broke him. Hella, the light of his world and his rock had gone dark. She had officially turned her back on him. He was a monster that she could no longer love. At first he was destroyed, torn to shreds, unable to comprehend that his whole world has been unravelled in a matter of days due to a stupid mistake. He spent almost half a year wondering forests and making his way towards London, working on Muggle farms and stealing from campsites. It was during this all time low that rage began to fill him. Nightmares of his sister removing him from family pictures would wake him up in a sweat. If she really thought he was such a monster, he’d become exactly what she thought he was. It was at this murderous phase in his life that he met SELENA PETROSYAN. The two of them instantly clicked and she became his right-hand women as they began to build their own underground pack of werewolves, a pack that would one day rise to power against those that oppressed them. Fenrir began to attempt to turn sorcerers into werewolves, getting close to the families and attempting to turn them on the full moon. It was during this rampage that two Muggle murders, failed turnings, caught the attention of the Ministry and Fenrir was captured and brought in for questioning. 

It was during this questioning that Fenrir grasped just how much the Ministry and the wizarding community hated werewolves, LYALL LUPIN stating that all werewolves simply deserved to die. Due to his appearance and lack of wand during the trial, as well as the ill-managed werewolf registry not being updated to include his name, Fenrir was released and instantly sought out revenge. On the next full moon, he attacked the Lupin Family, biting REMUS LUPIN. Now Lyall would realise that werewolves were as equal as everyone else. Deciding that best option was to stay low for a while, he sent his pack underground whilst he spent his time attempting to satisfy his craving for more power. He began to look into dark magic, spells that would allow him to extract and retract his claws at will and potential transformation potions that would allow him to keep his fangs and turn others at any time, not just during a full moon. It was along this dark path that he met The Dark Lord. There was a discussion and a mutual understanding between the two. If Fenrir helped The Dark Lord convince werewolves to join his cause, the Dark Lord would creature a space for werewolves in his new regime. Whilst Fenrir knew that the pureblood would never accept his pack, he planned to go along with it before going rouge after they had won the war. It wasn’t long until he was introduced to BELLATRIX BLACK. Whilst other members of his pack such as Selena continued their mission, Fenrir’s attention was brought to another werewolf by the name of SILAS CRUMP who had begun to stir the wizarding world by being accused of killing the Minister for Magic’s son BOOKER BAGNOLD. With everyone keeping their eyes out for the fugitive Silas, Fenrir felt as if his whole plan was in danger and whilst Bellatrix and RABASTAN LESTRANGE continued to use Silas as a scapegoat, could Fenrir find a way to keep his pack out of the spotlight or would he need to find a way to handle the Silas problem himself?

→ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status → Pure-Blood (Werewolf)

Pronouns → He/Him

Identification → Cis Male 

Sexuality  → Up to Roleplayer

Relationship Status → Single 

Previous Education → Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Slytherin)

Societies → The Greyback Wolves

Family → Calder Greyback (father), Kesara Greyback (mother), Hella Greyback (sister)

Connections  → Selena Petrosyan (best friend/potential love interest), Dolores Umbridge (adversary), Adaria Linwood (former friend/adversary), Remus Lupin (victim/adversary), Lyall Lupin (adversary), Silas Crump (adversary), Bellatrix Black (colleague) 

Future Information → N/A

FENRIR GREYBACK IS A LEVEL 7 WIZARD/WEREWOLF.