#what an arduous journey just to post two pictures

[bittiblakebelladonna]

Fingers crossed this actually posts, I've been trying to share my cosplay here for ages and it never seems to actually post correctly :/ anyway, hello it's me as Blake

You can find me on places like TikTok or Instagram or Twitter if that sparks joy in your heart

[skzoologist]

Meeting Bae at a fansign event

request: meeting Bae and interacting with him by @thightswideforhanin

word count: ~1.6k

warnings: none

genre: crack

a/n: As I mentioned earlier, I really don't know how exactly a fansign works, so I could only go off on things the internet provided me with. This is the result, I hope you're happy with it! I think you will be, dear, considering you just caused Bae to malfunction lol

Please let me know if I left a warning or anything out, I will add it in! Reblogs, likes and feedback are greatly appreciated!

!I don't condone anyone stealing my work and posting it anywhere without my permission, or feeding it to AI!

!This is just fiction, my interpretation of Stray Kids. By no means is this how they are and how they behave in real life!

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

They’d had their latest comeback a week ago, STAY still recoiling from its mind-breaking effects. The feedback on it was overwhelming, giving immense glee to the boys who took great pride in their work. Nothing made them happier than their fans’ joy, caused by something they all worked extremely hard for. Shaking the musical industry was their goal, and they’d succeeded.

Of course, with every new comeback came the time for a fansign, something that was always exciting, for both participating sides. For the fans, because they could finally meet their beloved idols, and for the members, who were happy to personally chat with the people who’d supported them through their arduous journey so far. Bae was no exception to this rule, no matter what anyone would think. He loved his fans dearly, despite his cold appearance and hard to approach aura.

But god, did he wish they would fluster him at least a bit less.

On stage, in comments under every picture or video, in their own edits, it didn’t matter, never did. There was bound to be at least one person saying a cheesy pickup line, something they all knew worked on Bae like a charm. The man loved cheesy and bad puns, which was the exact reason why he’d been dragged to Chan’s lives several times, just for the elder to read some comments out loud and cause Bae’s skin to flare up on camera. It was an endless cat and mouse game, one Chan enjoyed tremendously.

So imagine when these people could say those things to Bae’s face directly. He slightly dreaded it already to be quite honest, even though the event hadn’t even started yet.

“How’re ya holdin’ up?” - it was Chan’s voice, a sweet melody calming to his anxious mind. “It feels like there’s more than usual.” - that was Bae’s only reply, his dominant hand disappearing behind the veil of his hair, no doubt to lightly tug on his earlobe hidden there.

The leader just grabbed onto Bae’s shoulder, giving it a few gentle squeezes, reassuring the younger successfully. Bae couldn’t help feeling like this, he never did exceptionally well in social settings. Maybe that was why he naturally gravitated towards Jisung, the two too similar in that sense for their own good.

An unexpected force threw Bae almost off-balance, his own legs and a strong pair of arms immediately compensating for the sudden added weight to his back.

“I’m soooooooo excited! Aren’t you, Bae hyung?” - it was their little sunshine, his energy off the charts.

Bae and Chan just chuckled at him, the latter ruffling his hair with fond eyes. The tallest member took the young one’s legs into his hold, shifting the boy properly up onto his back and giving him a piggyback ride. Felix naturally didn’t complain, happiness practically radiating from him thanks to the surprise affection Bae was giving him. This caused Chan to loudly laugh, his phone already in his hands and taking a video to show the others later. Bae’s cheeks slightly dusted, but he was used to this already a bit, thankfully.

“Oh wow, Hyung’s favouritism is showing again.” “Seungmin, what are you– Oh my god, you’re right. Dal hyuung!” - Jeongin’s voice whined after he rounded the corner, eyes watching the scene in mock disbelief.

Bae merely looked back at them with a raised eyebrow, as if to ask them both if they wanted to take Felix’s place. The two immediately shook their heads, dropping the act before they activated their hyung’s overbearingly affectionate side and doomed themselves to be coddled to death.

The others trickled into the same room as well, their eyes instantly latching onto Bae and teasing him, asking where their own piggyback rides were. Changbin was the most vocal about it, only calming down once he was promised to be the next to get one. The otter’s ears were already red, even though he hadn’t even met a single STAY yet. He had to do something about it and quickly, lest they were called to go out like this. But no matter what he wanted, Felix had a plan of his own, not releasing Bae even when the man stopped holding him up.

“Lixie…” “What? You started it, now you’re stuck with me!”

What had he done to deserve this…?

“Hyung’s gonna have to go out like this and I’m already loving it.” - it was Jisung, eyes twinkling in evil delight. “Oh absolutely, me too. You record and I take photos?” - Hyunjin replied, the two sharing a brofist before laughing at the glare Bae sent them.

True to his words, Felix didn’t let the older go, causing Bae to start holding him again in fear of any accidents happening otherwise, injuring one of them.

They were soon called to go out and take their places at their respective booths a few minutes later. The mere thought made Bae hesitate, something that Minho took the opportunity of, stealing a butt smack from both him and the koala clinging to his back. Felix was merely surprised for a split second, while Bae yelped quietly, glaring at the running form of his cat-like hyung with no real heat behind his gaze.

Knowing he had to get it over with either way, he followed Minho, bumping into the man playfully before letting the younger get down from his back. There was cheering from their audience, no doubt enjoying their silly interactions that were hard to come by when it involved the Glacial Prince.

Bae took his seat, being the sixth in line, sitting right between Hyunjin and Minho. The fans were absolutely ecstatic, excited chatter barely contained for the sake of their idols. Everyone was holding something, either an accessory for the members to put on, or a plushie to cuddle and play with. The first fan was taken to the first member, the beloved maknae of the group. A minute or two later they were ushered over to Seungmin’s booth, the next fan taking their place.

It went like this for a while, nothing major happening. Thankfully the first few fans decided to have mercy on Bae, merely chatting with him about their latest comeback happily and not giving him anything too embarrassing to put on yet.

This soon changed, the next fan looking entirely too thrilled to take a seat in front of him at last. Bae recognised them, remembering how they usually held a sign with a pickup line about him or Jisung in their concerts, shouting their names and overpowering the speakers’ high volume. He mentioned this to them with a gentle smile while he signed the page their album was marked at, causing them to gasp and nearly shout in excitement and disbelief.

“Of course I remember, I have good memory.” - he chuckled out, pushing back the album into their awaiting hands with another smile. “Ohmygod I love you Bae oppa, I have the biggest crush on you!” - the words stumbled out of their mouth, surprising not just Bae, but themselves as well.

The idol blinked back at them, pale cheeks rapidly tinting red with each passing second. No words that formed in his mind could successfully leave his mouth, giving ample time for the STAY in front of him to recover. They quickly placed some clip-on cat ears onto the table, seemingly high quality and fluffy. Pleading eyes stared into Bae’s own, their request clear and unmistakable.

With a quiet, well-hidden sigh and closed eyes, Bae gathered his inner strength, knowing fully well his members would not let him live this down for a while. It was only a matter of time before one of these somehow got onto his head, he knew that well.

So, his hands gently took the accessories, swiftly attaching them onto his long hair that was dyed a deep violet. The reaction was immediate, a poorly concealed squeal leaving the fan’s lips as they complimented him over and over, the gushing merely strengthening the rising colour on his cheeks.

For their last minute they simply talked, the fan grateful for having been able to meet him this close and expressing their gratitude. Bae gently smiled at that, thanking them for supporting the band so much through thick and thin. 

When the pair's time was up, the eager fan promised to attend the next concert as well, not wanting to let their crush down. His skin that was slightly faring better heated up once again, his attention stolen by the next fan and the album he had to sign. Bae tried his best to focus solely on the new fan in front of him, despite feeling the stares on the sides of his face from his members, no doubt lured by his flustered state that was pointed out by the shy girl sitting at his booth.

“YO, BAE HYUNG, THOSE LOOK GOOD ON YOU! WANT ME TO BUY YOU SOME?” - Jisung’s voice cut through the shushed chatter, pulling in everyone’s attention. “Don’t worry Sungie, I already got it covered.” - Minho replied calmly, that smug expression already sitting on his face as he watched Bae.

The male in question could only hide behind his hands, his walls of defence completely crushed and crumbled down, clearly hearing everyone’s chuckles and the fans cheering as he only hid deeper into the palms of his hands. He couldn’t look into anyone’s eyes, not even the poor fan who was right in front of him, obviously enjoying the show, if her giggles were anything to go by.

Flustered, Bae could only hope his fans would have mercy on him for the remainder of the event, knowing fully well that it was naive thinking.

[leggerefiore]

Home Again

cw: fluff, post-cyrus in hisui, epilogue of sorts to this fic

pairing: Cyrus/Reader

You crashed against the couch, nearly exhausted from the day. Cyrus had followed in closely behind you, careful to lock the door and take a look around the apartment. How long had it been since you last felt the familiar comfort of this home? You were suddenly taken one night in your sleep by Arceus, and everything was almost exactly as you had left it.

It had been even longer since the blue-haired man had been home. All the food in the fridge that was not some kind of preserved was a horrifying abomination to peer in at, while a load of laundry still rested in the dryer, the air was still OK summer temperatures despite the drop down to autumn climate outside, and the bed was still made on one side.

Cleaning would come, yes, but not right now. Not after having fallen from a portal yet again to a different place in both time and space and the stress of a certain red-headed woman crying about the return of the Galactic Boss. She literally began to call the other two commanders, to which Cyrus had to stop her by stating he would like to do it himself. You were just standing there in your Galaxy Team uniform, trying not to wonder why she was bringing flowers up to the top of Mt. Coronet. Thankfully, you both soon managed to depart and make the arduous journey home from the middle of Sinnoh to Veilstone.

You watched as he found his laptop from where you had hidden it away. He took a seat at the table and instantly found himself buried in whatever he had saved to it. You lifted your head with a slight curious glance at him. Well, you suppose he did suffer the most out of the two of you when forced away from technology. Hisui had next to none. You were thankfully for the random Rotom catalogue pieces that fell through the portals, as those at least kept him entertained (as did the Rotom you captured for him).

But, now, it hit you.

You really were back home.

What must have been a year spent away in Hisui going through what felt trial after trial after trial, then to be given your boyfriend by pure chance and have to help him adapt to the strange world you were both stuck in was now centuries into the past. You were back in modern Sinnoh. A train had been ridden home. You both had stopped in a convenience store for a ready-made meal. Gazing out the window, you could see the twinkling of electric lights. Your clothing suddenly felt odd. Cyrus had already changed while he searched for the laptop.

You pulled a picture out from your jacket and gazed at it. Before you had departed back to the modern era, you had demanded a picture be taken of you, Cyllene and Cyrus. A memento to not forget the time you had spent together. It was strange to think she was gone now. You could never speak to her again or witness her funny little quirks or how she would secretly dote on her Abra and subordinates. Her legacy was all that remained.

And it sat at your table, hopefully not trying to pick up where it left its plans off.

You brought the picture to him and broke his attention from the screen. “Hey, do you think you could scan this, just in case we somehow lose it?” you asked him. Cyrus stared at it for a moment, clearly at a loss for words. Perhaps it was difficult for him to truly view himself as her descendant within the same era as her, but now it was plainly obvious. Where his parents had failed to show him the love of a family, she had succeeded. Not once had she made the same harsh rejection he had come to expect from his parents.

“Of course,” he agreed, “It is a precious artefact.” You smiled at him and decided to sit with him at the table. The picture now safely in his possession. You frowned at the emblem printed on the back of his laptop. Team Galactic… You had no idea what had become of it. It had already been falling apart after Charon had tried taking it over, but you knew it would almost certainly come back together with the Cyrus back at the helm.

“… Mmm, we'll need to groceries… Do you think your bank account still works?” you asked, breaking the silence between his ceaseless typing.

“It's as I left it,” he replied, “I did leave Saturn in charge of everything. It appears he barely touched anything.” Food was secured at the very least. Where would he go from here? He technically still had companies that he was in charge of if Saturn had taken care of what Cyrus had left to him. “… I am not planning to attempt my plans with the Red Chain again, please calm down,” he suddenly closed the laptop to look at you, “My goals to complete spirit must be possible… I will have to search elsewhere for it, but you may be rest easy that I have moved away from my previous plans.”

You felt your shoulders drop in relief. His eyes reflected the genuineness in his words. It seemed like everything was truly over with that spoken. Maybe you could dare even let your guard drop again and live a normal life. “Arceus – I was terrified you were going to end up like Volo,” you sighed. Cyrus's face grew dark.

“… Even when that child stood opposed to me, I never intended to harm her,” his gaze met yours, “Furthermore, I would never harm you specifically. I know that I would have to deal with you being an obstruction should I try again, too. And seeing as you are willing to risk your life…” Cyrus's gaze broke from yours. You felt a laugh nearly leave you. Oh, so the line was drawn when you might end up dying. That was certainly interesting.

“Yeah, yeah, I don't want you to die either, Cy,” you smiled and brought your hand to hold his, “… Well, as long as you know that if you try to pull anything insane again, I will stop you, let's just forget it. I'd rather figure out what's going to happen now.” He nodded. The world may not forgive him, but he was at least aware that he could work to change himself.

“Then, tomorrow, let's go grocery shopping,” Cyrus gave a rare soft smile, “We have countless things to get caught up on…” His eyes darted back to his laptop.

Yes, there were many, many things for you two to follow what happened in your absence.

Not to mention that laundry really needed to be folded.

You began to get up to do just that when you heard a loud banging on your door and sobbing. Cyrus seemed to ignore it as he opened the laptop again. You stepped towards the apartment door and peered out the peephole.

“Maaasterrrrr Cyyyyyyruuussss,” a familiar dark-blue haired man cried on the other side, clawing at the door like an upset Meowth.

“Saturn's here!”

“Don't let him in.”

[29pageshomestuckeveryday]

Homestuck, page 7,928

[S][A6A6I5] ====>

And there it is.

The greatest reunion in Homestuck history. Neigh, the greatest MOMENT. It does not get better than this. It WILL NOT get better than this. At some point, possibly during the 5th or 6th loop of the above animation which you can't seem to stop watching and listening to, a thought occurs to you. You think with a sense of relief, this is it. We made it. This one-page triumph has just retroactively vindicated the long and arduous journey behind it. After every bump in the road, every setback, every nagging doubt about the story's direction, every FUCKING time your waifu got the shaft, all of that just got wiped away in the blink of a tearful eye by the single greatest piece of media you have ever experienced.

You can finally say with absolute conviction that it's all been worth it. It has all paid off. All roads no matter how treacherous brought you to this glory. Every obscure plot thread, every batshit twist, all that retcon stuff, the sprite squared shit, every bit of dubious narrative legerdemain, ALL of it you now realize was designed with excruciating precision to achieve this singular, magnificent result. You'd be blown away in hindsight by these shocking feats of multi-threaded plot prestidigitation if you weren't still transfixed by the looping animation. And your jaw would be hitting the floor by now if not for the leagues-deep sense of tranquility welling inside your bosom now that you know Homestuck's audacious promise has been utterly fulfilled forever.

You're now into your… what is it? 11th, maybe 12th loop of the animation? You've lost track, and it doesn't matter. What's the hurry, you wonder. What's the harm in camping on this page for a while longer. What else do you have going on? Maybe it's time we faced the facts. This is truly all you have. This is your LIFE. Without breaking eye contact with your monitor, you find yourself reaching for your smartphone. Wait, why exactly am I doing this, you wonder? Why am I going for my phone. You are going for your phone because it's time to take a fucking PICTURE, numbnuts. You decide that digital photography is the best way to make this shit last forever.

You nod and go, oh that makes sense, yeah. I'll definitely take a picture of this animation which has looped at least 20 times by now. Make sure you get yourself in the picture too, to prove you were there. You mumble, what? A selfie. Take a god damn selfie of yourself, posing next to page 9828 of MS Paint Adventures dot com. As you contort your body to pose next to your screen and flip your camera to selfie mode, I continue my unhinged diatribe to instruct all other readers to do the same. I want to see SELFIES, people. I need to see your ridiculous mugs next to these two gently bobbing freaks posted publicly on all of your social media channels by the THOUSANDS. Not just a few thousand either. Oh no. Like an old and wise meme once foretold, we're gonna need to clear nine big ones here. In fact I'm gonna need your selfies jacked up so far over 9000, scientists will have to start inventing new numbers to keep track.

Choke the internet with your selfies, or with a horse as my witness, I will delete this fucking website. If I don't see enough selfies out there, I will scrub Homestuck from the Akashic Servers and never speak its name again. I will then dedicate every shred of ingenuity, political influence and worldly resources I have to releasing darkness on this planet. So post your selfies early. Post them often. Post them to save a modern literary MASTERPIECE. Post them to save the lives of BILLIONS. But most of all, post them because you really want to, and were PROBABLY going to do it anyway even if I didn't say all this bullshit.

Song used: Horsecatska by James Roach

[kindaoptimisticsquirrel]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol12 Part1

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2 | Vol10 Part1 | Vol10 Part2 | Vol10 Part3 | Vol10 Part4 | Vol11 Part 1 | Vol11 Part2 | Vol12 Part1

Let's get to the start of vol12! Trigger warnings for suicide mention/ideas within the analysis. Chapters 1-3 of vol12. Geez, 9 chapters? That's gonna take 3 parts again.

Oddly enough, the later the volume the less I know what to say (though this might be a misconception, I don't think my posts are getting shorter), or hmm it's more like...the later the volume, especially now past 10...I feel like...there's so much I want to express, the pages and chapters are feeling so full of ideas, ideals, hopes, and stuff to analyze that it's hard to know where to start? EDIT from later: yeah that's a misconception I'm already starting to ramble not too far down. I think that when I just looked at the first images of Vash standing there, it felt like the end of a journey to me as the reader as well...this manga is giving me emotions I cannot quite trace.

Chapter 1:

On my first two reads I kinda rushed these parts with Chronica and Domina (to quickly get back to Vash) but it's good taking my time reading this again, because there's so much cool valuable information here! They have already encountered similiar cases of Independants running amok, or fusing, as it seems, although this might be the worst case. How is life living as an independant on earth? How are the plants treated, any differently maybe? And are they seen more as living beings? There's so many questions and stuff for speculation here. Had Knives and Vash been born on earth, who knows, they might have just lived their lives normally under humans (though probably working in some way for the facilities or smth).

His hair looks almost all black now...this is one of my fav Vash pages (there are a lot, but it's pretty high). When you look at him like that and you have lived with him through these last volumes and seen what he had to endure...my heart is full of love and my body full of pain for him.

First, he thinks back to the damage they have caused the humans. Not voluntarily, but the desasters happened. It's darkening his expression for a short moment here.

But then...he thinks back to all the people who, after his long and arduous journey, welcomed him in their midst. Their have been bad encounters as well as good ones, but he lived among them.

I'm a sucker for wrap ups like this. And, again, Vash is in this chapter the perfect example to show how Trigun doesn't need lots of text to convey the message and the emotions. These pages are so silent but you could hear their laughter and voices in Vash's head if you listened.

(I'm just spamming the whole chapter in this post but I want to have this as reference when I come back to my reviews to look smth up)

You probably read the post by @annaofaza about Vash picturing Wolfwood's grave and not his face, cause it's too painful, and there are no tomorrows anymore...and there was this other post by @anxiety-elemental-kay how Vash is just speeding up his death voluntarily after Wolfwood's death. Yeah, those posts have ruined me now, thank you. For some reason I didn't read it this way the first two times, but, I also didn't think so much about Vash's inner thoughts. Now? Now every face of Vash showing his resolution, every instance where he gets up again, it's so much more devastating. Cause these pages are a flashback to all the memories he made...and they're also a goodbye. That panel here where he opens his eye again...oh it looks so empty and old.

Isn't that such a beautiful sentence, though?

I want to write about it but there's nothing that I could add to that.

Oh Knives, my dear (genocidal) boy. There's almost nothing left of your anymore...

Chapter 2:

This explosion here reads a bit like electric impulses spreading out from the impact side. They said it's an anti-plant cannon so I imagine it's a tiny bit different than normal lasers, so that would make sense!

Aaah Knives sccary jumpscare. If this were to be animated this could be SO damn creepy and cool.

They are running over military! Stampedes in training!

Of course the humans start shooting at the arc once it's appeared above them. For real though, it really is understandable? After the 7 months of terror, and considering that they probably don't even know that Plants are alive...

There's no longer a really single "Knives" out there, so I like to imagine this is all the plants, this fused being, talking here. Or, especially the first lines sound like they could be coming more from the plants, and then the last sentence that is directed, that could be the Knives-consciousness talking.

Angel Horror Trigun! It's so...uaaaah but sooo cool looking.

Epic Knives panel! Is he talking to Domina and Chronica? Could be the only ones he means by "slaves of humans"

Chapter 3:

This is so sad, cause it looks like the humans play the role of making plants kill each other :(

On the other hand we're still getting funny little moments like these here, hehe.

Also Luida being desceptive! I love her!

Va va va va Vash to the rescue! *waving my pompoms and doing a little dance for him in the distance*

Continuation in the next post!

[sweetingseva]

The Prince of Hearts/Jacks + Ironic Twist 💔

"How far would you go for Happily Ever After?"

The answer? Until there's no turning back.

As much as I think Jacks tries to deny it, he is looking for a Happily Ever After just like Evangeline. It might not be the perfect picture that Evangeline envisions her Happily Ever After, but it still concerns requited and unconditional love.

The Prince of Hearts represents broken hearts and unrequited love for other people. But to Jacks himself it also means he's doomed to suffer the same fate.

I want to go further into his characterization because I think he as a character who has a lot of subtleties to unpack. I'll start in the rough order of the timeline of all three books (two of the Caraval trilogy, and OUABH)

Spoilers to Legendary, Finale, and Once Upon A Broken Heart.

When His Heart Stopped Beating...

It just occurred to me that Jacks once had a beating heart. Initially I thought his heart never beat once since the Fallen Star created the Fates. (This is why I don't think he was ever born but created instead).

In Once Upon A Broken Heart, Evangeline goes over the lore of the Prince of Hearts:

According to the myths, the Prince of Hearts was not capable of love because his heart had stopped beating long ago. Only one person could make it work again: his one true love. They said his kiss was fatal to all but her—his only weakness—and as he'd sought her, he'd left a trail of corpses.

I highlighted the ones that I think are integral to Jacks's backstory and desire. First, why did his heart stop beat in the first place? Second, who was it who made his heart stop beating? And third, could the same person who made his heart stop also be his true love?

I'm so dam curious about this that I feel a theory slowly form as I'm writing this. Heck, I write it right now.

The Princess with the Pink Hair

(Headcanon Alert!) Could it be possible that the princess with the pink hair briefly mentioned in the book really is Evangeline? If she was, then it would mean that Evangeline is reincarnated.

Jacks meets Evangeline in the past. She somehow stops his heart. He forgets her. He leaves the North and starts his arduous search for his True Love. Every girl he kisses dies as per his curse. Years past and his hope weakens.

At this point in his journey, Jacks has had it with not having any success with his search. And yet he cannot stop. This is Jacks's urge. The urges that LaLa explained to Evangeline.

"Fates aren't like humans, you know. We don't all share the same emotions, and some humans think we are entirely unfeeling. But it's the opposite. When we feel, it's intense and consuming. It devours us and drives us. And the strongest of our feelings is always the urge to be that which we were made to be."

LaLa concludes that it was the same for Jacks. Evangeline figures his is to kill any potential love with his kiss. I can't help but think she's somewhat wrong about this. Jacks's drive is not to kill any potential love but to find it and keep it.

The same drive that Evangeline feels.

Jacks might not even remember why his heart had stopped beating but he always makes a point of it to Evangeline. Anyway, LaLa has a lot of important things to say to Evangeline about Jacks. That all he needed was a hint of attraction and he would be drawn to their person in hopes of that she's the girl his kiss won't kill.

And yet his hopes are always in vain. Jacks wants love, even if it turns him human. I'll come back to this!!!

Jacks goes to Chaos for a favor a 100 years ago...

I've discussed this before in another post so I won't go into detail, but I will add the possible context of this favor. Jacks wants something from the Valory, the mythical prison that the Valory Arch leads to.

However, the Valory Arch is locked by a prophecy. Fortunately for Jacks, he knows it and bets on the girl with the pink hair. After she opens it, Jacks will toss her to Chaos and get what he desires inside the Valory.

Because of Phaedra's name and connection in Greek mythology, I have a feeling that the Valory is reminiscent of Pandora's Box.

When Pandora opened the box, pain, greed, death, and hatred escaped. At the bottom of the box was Hope. Now Pandora's Box serves as a metaphor to leave things untouched for it would only bring endless complications.

I imagine the Valory is holding an abomination that the Valors kept. This is the first version of the story that Prince Apollo tells Evangeline.

Nothing good will come out from the Valory Arch. But I do believe Jacks will find what he wants there. Because at the back of the Valory is Love as Hope was in Pandora's Box.

After Jacks Escapes the Deck

By the time Legendary comes along, time has passed since his deal with Chaos. Jacks is indifferent to love. Until he meets Tella. He doesn't fall for her right away until Tella makes his heart finally beat. Jacks believes in love again, this hope that it exists for him. Because his urge is to find this potential love, Jacks is not threatened by Tella's existence.

Which is very curious to me 👀

In Finale, the Fallen Star kills the only woman who has ever made him close to being human (because of his love for her). (I mention this warning here when I speak about True Love not being the case for Jacks and Tella). Fates were immortals and only love can make them human. If they feel threatened by the source of love, they immediately kill it.

After his desperate cry for Tella, it hit me that Jacks could possibly want to be human. I know he made a big of deal of wanting his full powers in the Caraval trilogy and twisted Legend's hand to get it back, but Jacks didn't care about it. He only wanted Tella back.

No matter if Love turns him human.

Jacks had loved Tella so much it was an obsession. She was all he thought of, and he promised he wouldn't kill her after they "divorced." To me, that proves how much he meant what he said to Tella, how much he wanted her to be his True Love.

After Tella chose Legend, showing him that Love is powerful enough to break spells, Jacks is even more invigorated about his main plan to find that Love for himself.

The Valory Arch is his only hope.

Jacks Meets Evangeline

Jacks meets her at his church a few weeks after Caraval (events after Legendary) and meets her again a couple of months later (after the events of Finale/Week of Terror) at the Magnificent North. He had not forgotten about Evangeline after his deal with her.

The deal that pertains to Jacks's overall plan and deal with Chaos.

Returning to the headcanon that Evangeline is the reincarnated princess, the same girl who stopped Jacks's heart, and apparently the only girl who could restart it, I detect an irony here.

Even if Evangeline isn't the reincarnated princess, Jacks had bet on his True Love. Without even knowing it. This mythical girl with the pink hair that he had used for his gain is his True Love.

HOW WILD IS THAT?!?!?!?! He's surely going to regret it!

After Evangeline Makes His Heart Beat...Again

Jacks has to know that Evangeline is the direct cause of his heart beating again. She was the only one there when it happened. The only one who touched his chest at the right moment.

I'm not sure what Jacks's thought process could be in the beginning of The Ballad of Never After. But it could go two ways:

He remains the same, meaning he's not aware of Evangeline making his heart beat.

Or he does know and something innate awakens inside of him. The need to protect her and raise if any such harm comes her way.

I'm going with option #2 because of the snippet that Stephanie Garber had shared.

If this snippet refers to Jacks, then Jacks should already be aware of his heart beating. Meaning he should have an inkling that Evangeline may be his True Love. Jacks already has a "hint of attraction" for Evangeline.

Kerri Maniscalco made a lot of comments of wanting Jacks to kill someone and it's in the first 100 pages. Jacks may not yet be ready to become vulnerable with Evangeline. He doesn't want to get hurt. Or disappointed to know she doesn't feel the same way for him.

But I have a feeling that Jacks will do anything to protect Evangeline because he had before even when Evangeline was only a pawn for him. Now that he realizes that his heart finally beat again and it was because of Evangeline, I fear for anyone's life who threatens his True Love.

Jacks is going to regret betting on Evangeline's life to open the Valory Arch. Evangeline is cursed and she's going to meet her end. I'm certainly excited to see how Jacks's heart will turn, even if it doesn't turn out like this or any of the other theories.

Because one thing is positive, Jacks is going to annihilate someone in Evangeline's presence. To protect her or eliminate obstacles, I don't know, but I'm hoping it's the former.

[blaiddydbrokeit]

allan posting topics? I'm eternally soft for good Allan and Dimitri relations (and maybe Lambert as an Uncle, too!), with a pinch of Rufus slander? Is there much difference between Houses and Hopes between Allan and Dimitri? And do the negative side effects of the two crests (like the malnourishment and such!) take longer to even out in Hopes?

Back when everything was actually kind of fine, Lambert sometimes has Rufus join him and Dimitri for family events in Fhirdiad. Rufus comes, and he does bring Allan along.

At this time, you could almost mistake Allan and Dimitri for twins, except that their demeanours are incredibly different - Rufus is extremely strict with Allan about etiquette and the such, and so he is stiffly formal, polite and soft-spoken. This is something that isn't enforced so strictly on Dimitri at such a young age, so Dimitri is actually a little more casual and childish. The etiquette-heavy facade seen in the academy phase has yet to develop.

However, due to the subsequent trauma of the Tragedy, Dimitri actually hardly remembers Allan, since many of those memories are at family parties - memories he has repressed in the wake of the trauma. That's why Dimitri is mostly unaware until Allan's identity is explicitly revealed at Remire.

(Puts a readmore because it's long, but I promise it's good stuff)

Lambert actually was very fond of Allan, and often treated him as if he was his own child, but Allan being so stiffly formal hits him in the heart everytime because even getting him to call him "Uncle Lambert" is hard. It's always a quiet "Your Majesty" or "Sir". It's like hoping a cat will rub its head against you, but it just sniffs it. Lambert does sometimes invite them more just because he wants to see Allan, but Rufus starts turning down invites more and more, much to his disappointment.

Rufus actually showed up less and less as time went on - Cornelia's headdress often gave him terrible headaches, and at some point, even in his own estate, he begins to neglect Allan. The staff would take care of them separately, and the two rarely saw each other, except on occasion when Rufus summons Allan to his bed chambers and has him report on political affairs of the north, while criticizing Allan's every minute mistake. Nothing like learning on the job, but while it did eventually serve Allan well, the rigor of such strict manners and practices is still to excess and is a factor in why his eventual response to trauma is to freeze and withdraw rather than to edge towards ferocious violence like Dimitri does.

As for the differences between Hopes and Houses - in Hopes, Rufus plans to make his move early, and so Allan's storyline also changes slightly. Though he finds his way back to Fhirdiad after his arduous journey from Ailell, Rufus already has new use for him, to sabotage Dimitri, so he treats Allan suspiciously well to try and secure his loyalty - so his malnutrition is actually partially mitigated prior to the story, and that most of his weaknesses come in the form of his other in-battle skills.

Using his skill from political negotiations, he actually convinces Rhea to make an exception for Allan to enrol as the vice-leader of the Blue Lions, under various pretexts of a safety net for the Kingdom. He actually intends to remove Dimitri from the picture entirely and then install Allan as a puppet king, so that he would have a meat shield for the people who were already threatening revolt against his regency.

This also means that he never hides his identity. However, even spending a sparse two or so months at Garreg Mach is enough to convince Allan that something was shady about Rufus' insistence that he enrol as the vice-leader, because Rufus doesn't compromise. If Rufus really wanted to elevate him for what he claimed, he would have demanded that they share the title of House Leader. He doesn't mind his position, but Rufus behaving so oddly nags at him. Being able to develop a trust with Dimitri, being reintroduced into each other's lives and having a certain background with Rodrigue meant that he eventually sides against Rufus when Rufus actually makes his move on House Fraldarius.

Allan rides ahead of the Blue Lions to Fhirdiad to confront him privately, and finding Rufus has torn up Dimitri's missive is the final nail in the coffin - he regroups with the others to assist with reclaiming Fhirdiad, the interrogation (Dimitri finds out at this time the nature of Allan's two crests, but does not disclose this to the others) and finally Rufus' execution. After Dimitri's coronation, he inherits the title of Grand Duke. Both official ceremonies for Felix and Allan were carried out in Fhirdiad at the same time.

During the two year timeskip, due to inheriting early and gaining access to more resources in addition to his frequent travels to Fhirdiad (where he tends to be extremely well treated as a guest), he is able to even out the malnutrition and shoot up in height in just the two years skipped, as opposed to the 5 year skip of Houses. Interestingly, this iteration of Allan is the biggest eater of all the iterations. He is also a lot closer with Dimitri, and the two can often be seen discussing paperwork and politics over chamomile tea and cheese on crackers, or even taking quick naps in the study together. With the fur collars being so standard for them, it actually gets slightly pushed against their faces when they're slumped over on the desk having a snooze. A pair of sleeping lions. (Dedue sometimes wakes them, but the fact that Dimitri doesn't seem to be struggling as badly in such company makes him reluctant. Alas, the lions sleep tonight.)

As for trivia: Allan's personal skill in Hopes would be Gleaming Frost, to match with Dimitri's Azure Lightning. Because... Azure Lightning and Gleaming Frost? Azure... Gleam? I am a genius.

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Anacapa’s Own: Get to Know The Mer on Everyone’s Minds

Posted 6/5/20XX by Mandy Tempkin

PORT HUENEME, CA - Visitors who arrive at Anacapa Island’s three islets for a day spent exploring its sea cliffs, caves, and natural bridges have been reporting another eye-catching sight entirely - that of a young male mer, seemingly separated from his family pod.

Sightings have been reported regularly since March 5th, when hiker James William Dodger and his fiance Mary Benson first mentioned that they had come across a strange seal-like creature sunning on a rock while eating one of the seabirds that Anacapa’s islets are famous for. 

“At first, we thought maybe it was a kid, like a teenager had fallen into the ocean and managed to climb out,” Dodger said in an interview with local TV station ABC7 shortly after the original sighting. “You know, you see what looks like just some guy from the waist up, and then we realized, you know, kind of all at once that he had a tail and also that he was just tearing into this bird, feathers and all.”

“It was pretty startling,” Benson added in the interview. “He was eating this bird raw, and that’s kind of when it sunk in that what we were looking at wasn’t even a little bit a human.”

At the time, Dodger and Benson contacted park staff on the island, sharing many photos, unfortunately blurred, they took of the mer, who appeared unaware of them and focused on his meal. By the time staff reached the location the two had described, the mer was gone, but some feathers and a few shed scales that were confirmed to belong to a species of mer known to routinely migrate past the California coast, helped support their story.

Tourists and locals both have continued to spot the mer, who has been known to greet boats as they ferry visitors between Anacapa’s three islets by popping up out of the water and appearing to wave in greeting. The website A Cryptid All Our Own, run by local cryptozoologist Anders Kirsse, catalogs sighting reports, maintains a photo gallery that is consistently updated, and states that the mer is sure to become “the new Loch Ness, only this one is real.”

The SoCal Daily Skim would like to include a disclaimer here that Kirsse’s comments as to the existence of Scotland’s beloved Nessie do not represent those of this website in general or the writer of this article specifically. 

The gallery is extensive, and the mer looks from the waist up like an adolescent male, with short pale hair and skin, dark freckles that seem designed to help him camouflage in the shallower waters, flat slit-style nostrils that can breathe air, and gills along each side of his neck. He has fins at his ears, near his elbows, and along his long scaled tail with a large flared fin at the end. His eyes contain no iris or pupil, only a pure solid green, and pictures taken at dusk or night show them glowing.

Marine biologists who study the mer have noted that it is likely he was separated from his family pod during their annual migration and is hoping to link back up with them upon their return. The mer is mammalian, with family-centered pods that can number up to one hundred individuals, and they primarily live in the colder Arctic waters, migrating south once per year and then returning after their known mating season. They communicate underwater with a series of clicks and calls that many find similar to whalesong, and are primarily obligate carnivores with some additional need for vegetation like seaweed. 

Biologists who have studied the mer say he appears to be in the middle of his adolescence. Mer are capable of instinctive geographical knowledge that far outpaces mankind, and biologists are confident his pod will return to retrieve him when they head back for their usual home in the Arctic with new calves in tow.

The mer are famously shy and reticent to interact with humans, and the young mer’s behavior confuses biologists, who have never seen a mer seek any kind of direct contact with humans before. It is believed that the mer calf’s youth is responsible for his unusual openness to contact. Nonetheless, attempts to lure and capture him temporarily for tagging have not been successful.

Park staff and visitors alike seem to harbor affection for the young mer, and a private individual’s attempt to capture him ended in a hostile standoff that required mediation by the Coast Guard. The capture, ownership, or even private attempt to contact a mer is illegal in the United States of America, due to their being listed as critically endangered thanks to increased human activity and environmental change significantly damaging their natural habitats.

Park staff has stated that the mer seems to understand that he was in danger during the standoff, and began leaving small shells on the rock where one park staff member spends some time drinking coffee each morning.

“If you didn’t know better,” Park Ranger Stephanie Blackhouse said in a short phone call with the writer, “You’d swear he was human. I think maybe we don’t know as much about the mer as we think we do.”

His family pod should return within the next three months, and Anacapa’s staff and visitors will miss him - and be happy to see him reunite with his pod and make the arduous journey north. But maybe, until then, he’ll leave a few more shells on rocks for all of us to enjoy.

Ed. note: As of 9/03/20XX, the mer has vanished. His family pod, who are being tracked by biologists, is still hundred of miles away. Park staff believes that he was lured to a boat and may have come into the possession of a private owner or owners. 

“Mer don’t do well in captivity,” Marine biologist and mer specialist Dr. Rachel Lachlan was quoted as saying in the initial announcement as to the mer’s disappearance. “They don’t last long. We are hopeful he will be returned in time to meet with his pod.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to come forward to park staff or local police and share what they know. A local business owner has offered a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the recovery of the mer.

 ---

@astrobly @burtlederp @finder-of-rings @slaintetowhump @moose-teeth @wildfaewhump @that-one-thespian

[darklydeliciousdesires]

From the Ashes - A Geralt of Rivia/Original Character (Arelle) Story.

So then, guys. I’ve decided I’m happy enough with it to begin posting! This story is the continuation of my Huntress two part (Part One, Part Two) story. I claim no credit for the beautiful Anime picture below, but this is the closest thing I can find to convey how I imagine Arelle to look, or at least a cartoon rendering of that appreance.

Summary: Geralt returns to Arelle much sooner than he anticipated, his arrival the beginning in a chain of events to change their lives forever. Usual disclaimer applies. 

And now I will sit and let my anxiety slowly wash over me, on tenterhooks as I await feedback from you all! I absolutely love reading your comments so please, do leave me one if you enjoy what you read! I haven’t written a full length story in a long time, so I hope I haven’t lost my touch. Posting will be twice weekly, on Sunday and Wednesday. 

Tag list -  @cinnabearice @breakmeaswitchson @madbaddic7ed @ruelf-emedam @brexfrix @ xxphoenixflyerxx  @ur-royal-thighness @geekyweed @holyhumorliteraturelight @jinaaaannnnn @alliyjane @notso-fetch @zoe-rachel-crisp @glowien @tranquility-or-chaos @bucky-did-nothing-wrong @shileen91 @boiled-onionrings @helloitsmeaime203 @cheritzie @hm-fck @mary-ann84 @skylarmorgan1899 @alwayshave-faith @alliyjane @shyen18 @shadesofarrogance @justjulie1105 @soulmatelove96

Chapter One. 

After seeing Geralt out, Arelle quickly tossed another log onto the fire and ran back to her bed. Winters in her home of the Grey Mountains, a location out on a North Western point of The Continent were always harsh, even to those as well accustomed to them as she was.  

Watching from her window she saw the snow begin to fall outside, the flakes coming down in an immediate furious descent from the sky, thickly carpeting the trees and forest floor. 

What other places could receive in an entire day of heavy snowfall, the Grey Mountains would be covered in after just one morning. As Arelle dozed in her bed, this fact was discovered only too well by another a time later, a few miles away as he rode toward the edge of the forest.

“Fuck.” Geralt cursed, seeing the already deep snow he’d ridden through become completely impassable once out of the shelter of the trees. He wouldn’t risk trying to ride Roach over such terrain. She’d stumbled a couple of times as they negotiated their way through the forest.  

Out there in the open, it would be perilous before he could find them shelter again, he wagered. He had but one choice.  

“Come on. Back to the sprite.” Turning her around he rode her carefully back beneath the canopy, the trees bucketing snow down onto the forest floor as they became too heavily laden at the top. 

He’d heard about the conditions out here in the Grey Mountains during winter, but never before experienced them first hand. He’d only ever visited the area when the conditions had been much milder.  

He didn’t care for having to return from whence he came, mainly because he now had to rely on the charity of another since he was stuck and unable to continue his journey. Such aggrieved him. 

Then again, until weather conditions improved it did mean he got to enjoy the sprite again, he supposed. “Every dark cloud, Roach.” He told his mare, smirking as he remembered just how delicious that particular silver lining was.  

Even with the protection of the trees, the snow got so deep and tasking to negotiate by the halfway point that he dismounted and lead his mare on foot, wanting to make the arduous journey as easy for her as possible. Astonishingly, the snow was now close to her knees, at least two feet deep and showing no signs of slowing.  

He had to use his sharpened senses to find his way back, not able to follow the hoof prints laid on his way out, long since covered with a blanket of snow. He mapped the trail via scent, being able to smell his way back to the cottage, Arelle’s scent becoming stronger until her home finally came into the view.  

“I did wonder,” she greeted him with, looking utterly mouth-watering with her tousled hair, her nakedness wrapped in a wolf pelt.  

“It’s too hazardous out there to even leave the fucking forest. Apologies, but can I impose until it clears?” He asked, shaking snow from his hair and ruffling Roach’s mane to tidy her in the same manner.  

“You’ll be here a while. Go put your mare in the stable with the cow and the calf. There’s plenty of warm straw and hay. They like horses so she’ll be fine.” Jerking her head in the direction of the out buildings he’d only noticed on his way back, she retreated back into the cottage while Geralt led Roach around.  

The stable was large and a little ramshackle looking, but sturdily built. There were a few other out buildings dotted around, more small stores than anything else, plus a little chicken coop. 

He opened up the door and led her in, being greeted by a calf around five months old, spritely and friendly as he nudged his leg curiously. He took Roach’s tack from her and bolted the door behind him, smiling as he watched her take a greedy mouthful of hay and swish her tail happily.  

“Look at you, becoming a spoilt, pampered mare.” He told her, turning and heading to the cottage. He placed her saddle down by the door, her bridle across it before removing his boots, seeing Arelle sitting by the fire with a large mug of pungent smelling tea. “Does it taste better than it smells?”

“Much,” she began, handing him another large, copper mug that warmed his freezing hands immediately. “I half expected to see you back, you know. Outsiders often struggle with our winters. Even large, hardy ones such as yourself.”  

He made one of his trademark, non-committal ‘hmmm’ noises in reply, sipping the tea and discovering that indeed, it was gladly a lot easier on the taste buds than it was the nose. “So, when you stated I’d be here a while, how long do you envisage?”  

“A month, maybe two,” she replied, pulling the wolf pelt up when it slipped from her delicate shoulder.

“Two fucking months?” He asked sceptically.

“It could even be three. This? This is absolutely nothing! Just you wait a week, see how deep it is then. It reaches halfway up the cottage windows, luckily the canopy of the trees saves me from being further deluged by it. Those out in the villages often have snow to their roofs though.” Although he had no dislike of his current surroundings, these were words Geralt absolutely was not fond of hearing.  

Not for a while had he stayed in the same place for any extended period of time, preferring a nomadic existence to anything that resembled staying still or putting down even the most tentative of roots. 

He was a witcher, he hunted monsters and he travelled to facilitate such. He found his work in the back roads and outskirts of villages and towns. “What have you had in the way of monsters out here recently?”  

“It’s a little scarce up here because we’re not densely populated. It’s mostly mountain trolls, which we can usually deal with easily enough. Well, the smaller ones, at least,” she began.

“And the larger?” He inquired.

“Take them down as a team if enough of us sprite folk spot it. If not, we run and hide or appease it. I’ve gone through an alarming amount of livestock thanks to the big fuckers. If you want monsters other than that, you need to head to Rhinegaff and Fenris Morr. You’ll likely find work there,” she told him, the former a large town at the foot of the mountains and the latter a village about eight miles away.  

“Then I at least have a purpose if I am to be confined to this immediate area for a while.” He felt happier about his isolation at learning this, knowing that boredom wouldn’t set in. He was, after all, a man who was never and would never easily be satisfied.  

“After I’ve actually slept a few hours, I’d like to resume one of the chief purposes I had in mind for you.” Finishing her tea she then stood, uncovering herself from within the wolf pelt and taking it back to the bed with her.  

Climbing in, she got comfortable as she heard her guest undress, joining her under the blankets shortly afterwards. She had every intention of sleeping, just as he did too as he lay on his back, resting his arms on the pillow above his head, his magnetic amber eyes fluttering shut.  

“What?” He asked gruffly, opening them again after sensing he was being watched.

“I’m so tired, sore too,” she began.

“Same.”

“And I really, really need to sleep…”

“Same.”  

“But you drive my senses so wild that I need you again before I do.” He took a deep breath in through his nose, grumbling slightly as he exhaled it slowly. “Same.” With that they reached for one another, mouths locking together in a consuming, heated kiss.  

Of course, there had been women in his past who he’d craved insatiably, the last notable woman to him very much fitted that category. With Arelle though, it was vastly different. It wasn’t so much her – how could it be when he didn’t even know her – but how he felt when he was with her intimately. She was different somehow, but for the life of him he didn’t know why.  

She was like a heady intoxicant, an ensnarer of his senses. He knew as he rode away a few hours ago that he would have to go back, to feel such divinity again. He just didn’t expect it to be so quickly.  

Arelle’s verbal exclamation in response to him slipping his fingers inside her jolted him from his train of thought, frustrated at himself for a few moments. What was it with him and seeming to have an uncanny habit of discovering women who stirred such within his mind? No, not again. It wouldn’t happen a second time.  

They rolled around the bed in heated union, hands and mouths travelling all over the other, their fervid exploration culminating in Geralt running his tongue slowly up Arelle’s spine as she lay flat on the bed, pushing her legs open a little wider before sinking into her heat.  

She mewled softly at feeling him fill her to the hilt, his fingers combing through her hair to reveal the nape of her neck to his mouth, kissing and swirling his tongue across her skin as he moved slowly and deeply inside of her.  

Everything in the early hours had been urgent and frenzied, but this by contract was slow burning, more careful and every bit as hot. She trembled against the fingers that danced over her ribcage, a breathy sigh leaving her mouth as his hands came to rest on her bum, gripping each cheek hard as he watched himself entering and retreating her molten, wet core.  

He backed off a little when he could feel she was tensing out of pain, each shallower thrust making her cry out softly, her little hands gripping the pillow in front of her as she moved in a beautiful, serpentine motion in response to him. Sometimes, a very sizeable manhood the likes of his did have its pitfalls, notable sexual soreness for women he fucked as vigorously as he had Arelle the night before being one of them.

Turning her onto her side he then moved to lie behind her, lifting her leg up and then burying his hardness inside her again. He then remembered and backed off again, Arelle turning her head back and licking his cheek.

“No. I need all of you in me.” She purred sensually, making him burn with arousal. With that he obliged, thrusting back into her fully, hearing her cry out as her hand tangled in his hair and their mouths locked together.  

The angle and the depth made her feel like she was absolutely alight within, closing her eyes as she felt him stroking her breasts, never wanting him to withdraw from her again, he felt so good. She had never felt anything as incredible as him inside of her.

“You have such a beautiful, tight little cunt,” he groaned, his lips gently tickling her ear. She was so hot and wet it was all he could do not to cum right there and then as he ran his tongue in circles around her neck, his hands trailing up and down the sensitive skin on the inside of her leg, making her shake.

“Mmmm, please fuck me harder, Geralt!” she panted incoherently, feeling him do as she asked and begin to slam his cock aggressively into her pussy, his fingers sliding down her leg and starting to rub at her hardened clit as she wailed loudly.

Both began to moan uncontrollably in total abandon as their sweaty bodies rocked in perfect unison, hands stroking each other, mouths crushing together in heated, urgent kisses, their pleasure swelling so strongly it consumed them both entirely.  

Arelle felt immediately heavy with sleep in the aftermath of her release, just about having the energy to climb under the soft blankets and pelts, falling asleep with Geralt’s warmth behind her. In bed, they worked amazing well, but not knowing each other at all, well, such would definitely throw up some issues for them in the days to follow.

[chronic-ghost]

because @sandalaris asked so nicely, here’s a snippet from a zutara fic I’ve been working on. I’m trying to get at least halfway done before posting so I have some time before updates to finish writing. Thanks for any feedback y’all want to give!

Brief summary: Ozai finally cracks and reveals his mother’s home village. The same town where reports of strange bending and riots have come from. Zuko suspects bloodbending as the foremost expert in bloodbending, he asks for his old childhood friend Katara for help. What they find is a cult-like village with too many secrets, unexpected family, and maybe a rekindling of a childhood flame? (of course a rekindling this is a fanfiction after all). 

*~*~*

His feet were taking him somewhere while his brain was still processing the truth he had uncovered.

Hyra. A city. A village. Somewhere there people knew his mother. Maybe knew her long before she was ever wife to the Fire Lord. Somewhere she was just Ursa and somewhere —

As though someone had whispered in his ear, Zuko suddenly made the connection. How could have he missed it before? Why didn’t he see it when his father first uttered the word?

Hyra was not only the name of his mother’s home town, but also the name of the city he had pledged to heal from riots. The same city he had announced without question he was leaving for in a day’s time.

He stopped and looked up. He was in his mother’s garden. The one bit of palace his father’s cruelty hadn’t touched. There was the pond of the turtle ducks, the great willow tree, the green grass that was as soft as cotton.

The stars seemed to twinkle brighter, as if pleased he had finally gotten the cosmic joke. Perhaps, for once, the spirits were on his side. The quilt of diamonds glittered, unfiltered and raw. Raw. That was the best way to describe the way he felt like claws had split open his chest and nicked his ribs from his skin one by one.

Zuko fell to his knees, elated and exhausted, and then rolled onto his back, limbs outstretched in the cool grass. On instinct, his eyes fell on the same speckle of stars his mother had once shown him, right in this very spot.

You know it’s stupid to see pictures in the stars, right? Said a voice from his memory a long time ago. They’re just balls of gas. Superheated light passing through our galaxy at speeds of, like, a gazillion.

In spite of himself, and in spite of the arduous journey ahead of him, he smiled, just as he had when he was sixteen and still a banished prince and surrounded by children, some of whom became the most powerful benders of a generation.

Zuko felt a twinge of guilt as he realized he hadn’t thought about his friends in a very long time.

How did the rest of that night go?

Toph’s right, the Avatar said in a moment of rare seriousness, by the time the light gets to us, the star is probably dead and has been for millions of years.

Wow, thanks for that depressing lesson, Mr and Ms. Bummer.

Sorry, Sokka. The monks took their science very seriously. We preferred to have our fun with fruit pies!

Zuko tucked his forearms beneath his head, as he had those years ago, a connection point in the circle their bodies made around the fire as they all stared up into the silky, shiny blackness.

Well, now thanks to you, the story of how the Jackalope got its tail will always remind me of swirling, crushing, cosmic death.

Oh, whatever, Sokka. You just like that story because Gran Gran would tell it to us while we ate tiger seal burgers.

Mhmm, burgers . . .

His memory included two eyes, the color and brightness of a full moon, suddenly rising in the corner of his vision. Zuko glanced over his shoulder to Katara as she sat up on one elbow, looking at him seriously.

Do you have any stories about the stars, Zuko? Ones your family told you?

Zuko smiled again. That night, while not entirely unique to the hundreds others filled with bickering and squabbling and something that he hadn’t experienced since he took the throne and would forever associate with his friends, had been the warmest he felt in years.

He hadn’t thought about Katara and her big eyes in a while but when he did, something inside him always wavered.

He tried to think of the story he told them that night and tried to imagine they were all somewhere happy.

*~*~*

[theundercovermarvelfan]

(Trying to get back in to writing by catching up with the Whumptober Challenge for @whumptober2019!)

Day Twenty-Four - Secret Injury

The sound of the roof access door slamming open had Clint whirling around, snapping off two arrows at the intruders before they had any time at all to react to him. Two dead hostiles filled the doorway, but unfortunately in the time that it took Clint to load a third arrow three more have dove through the opening and taken cover behind nearby HVAC units. 

“Shit,” Clint hissed as gunshots rang out. He rolled away from the gunfire, desperately seeking some shelter of his own before talking into his comm. “Eyes off the field. Watch your backs.”

Clint loathed having to take his eyes off the field for any reason. He was the team’s eyes, he saw the big picture and had the entire team’s back while they concentrated on just what existed in their own small world in the moment. 

He needed to take care of this quickly and get the hell back to his post. 

It was that thought that had him lunging out from behind his meager cover and moving toward the gunfire instead of away from it. He fired arrows as he moved, doing his best to provide his own cover while he went for a better vantage point. Keeping one bad guy in check was easy. Two was doable. But three? That was a little much, even for Hawkeye. 

The point was underlined by a burning across Clint’s chest. He ignored it as he continued forward. As he approached the HVAC system, he drew three arrows, dove around the system and fired them in rapid succession, easily taking out all three hostiles. 

He wasted no time getting back to his post at the edge of the roof. He did a frantic headcount, letting out a relieved breath to see that everyone was still accounted for. 

“Eyes back on the field,” Clint announced into his comm. 

“You okay, Hawk?” Steve asked. 

“Yeah, fine, Cap,” Clint assured. “A few hostiles made my position, had to take them on. Back on mission now. You’ve got another group inbound from the northeast.” 

Clint reached for another arrow… and winced. He looked down at the long, wet stain across his uniform, belatedly linking it to the burning sensation he had felt before. He reached down and probed the wound. The bullet hadn’t hit him, but rather had skimmed across his lower ribs, leaving a pretty good sized crease. 

“Barton, can I get an assist?”

Clint’s gaze shot back to the field at the sound of Natasha’s voice. She was surrounded by a group of hostiles, holding her own but even she had her limits. Ignoring the biting pain in his chest, Clint drew an arrow, nocked it, drew back his bow and fired. 

It was his job to watch over the team. It was his job to have everyone’s backs. As he continued to fire arrows, sending more and more blood dripping down his torso to the ground underneath him, he barely registered the pain. His entire focus was on keeping his team safe. 

“I think we’ve earned a vacation,” Tony announced as they finally secured the village that the invading drug army had been trying to take over. “Seriously, someplace nice. And warm. Thoughts?”

“Maybe save the brainstorming for later,” Steve said, a little breathless. “Everyone okay?” 

“Came through surprisingly well intact,” Tony said proudly. 

“The victory came too easily!” Thor boasted. 

“Still in one piece,” Natasha said. 

Clint placed a hand to the crease across his chest wincing. 

“Barton?” Steve prompted, a hint of concern in his tone. 

“Got nicked,” Clint admitted. “I’m okay though.” He didn’t need to be taking up resources, they still had civilians that needed to be seen to.

“Do you need help?”

“No, it’s not bad,” Clint assured him. And it wasn’t really. A few stitches and he’d be good as new.

“Okay, let’s start a headcount and see if any civilians need medical attention,” Steve said briskly. “Let’s start a sweep, Thor and Stark, start from the north, Romanoff, Barton and I will start from the south and we’ll meet at the center.”

“Clint, are you okay for cleanup?” Natasha asked. She sounded vaguely suspicious. 

As much as he wanted help, he knew there would be no downplaying the blood. Not that it was a lot, but he knew that the team tended to worry. 

“I think I’ll leave cleanup to you guys,” Clint said reluctantly. “I’ll head to the Quinjet and get Bruce to look at this nick.”

“Clint,” Natasha said warningly. 

“I’m fine,” Clint insisted firmly. He turned back to the roof access and started limping toward it. “You guys focus on the civilians. I’m heading for the jet now.”

“Bruce, if you don’t see Clint in fifteen minutes, tell me immediately,” Natasha said. 

“Copy that, Natasha,” Bruce said as Clint rolled his eyes. 

Clint entered the stairwell and leaned over the railing to look down the ten flights of stairs he needed to descend. He sighed heavily. Damnit. Why was there never an elevator when he needed one? 

He took a steadying breath, and then started the arduous journey down the ten stories. He braced himself heavily on the railing as he limped down each step. One story. He was feeling short of breath. Two, three stories. He had to pause in order to catch his breath, but pushed one, knowing that he was going to cut it close to his fifteen minute deadline as it was. Four, five, six stories. The hand pressed against his wound was starting to shake and he was beginning to feel unsteady. Seven, eight, nine stories and his vision was beginning to blur.

It seemed like an eternity, but his foot finally hit the ground floor. He leaned heavily against the wall, trying to catch his breath and willing the world around him to steady. 

“Clint?”

“Just… needa… minute,” Clint panted. Slowly, he felt himself sliding down the wall to slump against it, his eyes sliding shut. “Just gonna rest…”

XxXxX

“I ought to smack the shit out of you.”

Clint felt a smirk pulling at his lips even before he regained full consciousness. He blinked once… twice. Damnit it was bright. And there was a low hum that filled his ears. 

“Yeah, you better wake up. You’ve got a hell of a lecture coming your way.”

Clint snorted a small laugh as his eyes finally adjusted to the light and he took in his surroundings. He was lying on a low cot in the back of the Quinjet, Natasha kneeling next to him and Steve hovering behind her. He looked up and saw a blood bag hanging over his head, the tubing winding down and connected to an IV in his arm. 

“Wha’ happened?” Clint asked. 

“What happened is that you should have told us how bad it was so we didn’t have to track you down when you passed out in that stairwell,” Natasha snapped. 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Clint insisted. 

“The wound itself wasn’t bad,” Bruce said, drawing Clint’s gaze to where he stood at the foot of the bed, looking over a Starkpad. “The problem was how much you bled. Had you just requested an evac all you would have needed was a few stitches. Instead you pushed yourself into hemostatic shock.”

“Yeah, no need to be so dramatic, Barton,” Tony spoke up from somewhere beyond Clint’s line of sight. “I could have delivered you to the jet and still have been back for sweeps in under five minutes.” His tone was his usual joking lilt, but there was a note of actual concern in his voice. 

“Sorry,” Clint mumbled. 

“Damn right, your sorry,” Natasha said, but a small smile was playing at her lips. “And you’re got going to try and pull anything like that again. Right.”

Clint sent a glance around at the concerned faces of his teammates surrounding his cot. He smiled. “Right.”

[yikesola]

thoughts on moving theories?

anon my path on moving hill is well tread 🥰🙌 i’m fully there, they’ve already spent more than two years at a place that they described from the get go as ‘not a forever home’ and honestly the longer the hiatus goes on, the more firmly my conviction sets✌️ moving, especially when involving buying a place as opposed to simply renting, is an arduous process. things can take longer than you expect (seems like a good reason for an open-ended hiatus huh🤔🤔) and i said a few month back (y’know, a lifetime ago when we thought a post-coming out universe was a pipe dream✨) that dnp being in the processes of moving was context which for me made a lot of their choices this year (dapg hiatus, phil’s background change, stopping the liveshows, ect) make a lot of sense. now, knowing what we know about their journeys and intentions of coming out, of course those things also make a hell of a lot of sense on that front, but i don’t think their plans for moving and their plans for coming out are mutually exclusive.

for example, bedroom discourse is a long standing phandom tradition— filled with very valid points about long term partners desiring their own space, and the reality that being closeted (esp to dan’s family which is something that still makes me heartsore, but that’s not the topic at hand!) necessitates two distinct bedrooms, and others— but picture this: they’re out and happy and free, and this forever home has a master bedroom. not just a moon room which for all intents and purposes is Their room while the amazingphil room was inarguably a set. but a master bedroom where dan and phil, best friends and soulmates and homeowners, lay their heads at night :’) moving theories are pretty fuckin sweet 💞✨

[infjtarot]

10 pf Pentacles ~ Wildwood Tarot.

10 of Stones ~ Home ~ Wildwood Tarot.

The Ten of Stones – Home, from the Wildwood Tarot made me immediately think of the title of this post. It does sound a little bit cheesy but nobody can deny  there is truth in this saying. But then perhaps it also means we have to “move” a lot in life. J

In the days when people lived in houses as depicted in this card (Iron Age) life was fairly simple. It was a society where everybody knew his place and did what was expected. The house was a refuge for cold and danger. There was a fire, food and a place to sleep. But the most important thing, what made this house a home was family. The togetherness of people who loved each other. A family gives care and emotional shelter; stability and traditions.

Nowadays life is much more complicated. Families are smaller and widespread and sometimes extended with or replaced by friends. Families are left behind to make place for new families More and more people are living alone and make a home for themselves. Security and stability have to be worked hard for. Sometimes it seems the home is literally where your heart is. In YOU. When you feel at home with yourself you can carry your fire and shelter anywhere you go. You can even invite and warm others by your crackling fire. It can be as simple as an idea of security within yourself or as detailed as a visualization of a house with everything you need to feel good and at peace or… everything in between. Does this mean I think the value of family is overrated? Not at all, but I’ve learned sadly enough that it is wise to have more irons in the fire: the cosy hearth in the middle of the longhouse where the family gathers and your own heart, where you are always warm and safe.

http://greyladyshearth.blogspot.com/2014/01/ten-of-stones-home-is-where-heart-is.html

10 of Stones ~ Home ~ Wildwood Tarot.

This is always a good one to me. Given how many of the recent cards have urged seeking intuition and accepting new challenges, I feel this card is asking for balance. Don’t forget the importance of the energy in your home and community as you work toward new things.

Meaning: The inner and outer community that sustains and supports the individual, not necessarily blood family but the trusted friends, comrades, and lovers who offer security and affection.

Reading points: The traditional concept of home and family has evoked and changed over the last few decades, but certain basic notions remain unchanged. In the traditional British family home, where the father went to work and the mother stayed home to manage the house and the children, home was the place we always came back to, where stability and a well-founded set of traditions and social rules applied. It was both guarded and guided by love, respect, and loyalty as children, we see home as a place of security and caring. As young adults exploring the world, it can be wherever you lay your hat or guitar case. In later life, it may become your own heart’s stronghold and sanctuary. For some, the concept of home is just that: an idea, a hope, a dream, not merely a shelter from the elements or an investment in bricks and plaster. For some, it truly is where love resides and is the final destination after a colourful or arduous life journey.

Description: A great arch made up of ten weathered stones frames the picture. Through this gate, we glimpse an Iron Age round house with a path leading to it. From the thatched roof of the house rises a mighty apple tree. Carved into the two lowest stones of the great arch are rough-hewn male and female figures.

https://partingthemists.com/2019/08/12/card-of-the-day-ten-of-stones-home-2/

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Bear Symbolism - Master Post

Good morning! So a few weeks ago, @wdway found a bunch of bear stuff to add to the Bear Symbolism Theory. Click on that link to go read the one I posted last season. I knew I wanted to post what she found, but as I read through everything, I knew I’d have to make a master post and include all the bear instances we’ve seen before. Here are all the instances we’ve noticed of the bear symbolism. (As always, if I’m missing any, feel free to let me know and I’ll add them. ;D)

1. 4x03 – When Carl and Hershel leave the prison to gather berries for Hershel’s tea to help the sick, they see a female walker with her leg in a bear trap.

Remember this is the same episode where we see the picture behind Hershel that says, “Smooth seas do not make good sailors.”

This is also important because TD-ers discovered years ago that there was supposed to be a Beth figurine sold with a bear trap accessory. The figurine was never sold that way, and I don’t think we know why, but it was considered as an idea and then scrapped.

(Creds to the original reporters of this. BGIHU, I believe. Unfortunately the account is locked and I cannot reference a URL to the original post.)

I also think it’s important to note that the small game trap Beth stepped on in Alone is very similar to a bear trap. It’s obviously much smaller, and didn’t do nearly as much damage, but the concept is the same, as though it may foreshadow something bigger in the future.

2. 5x03 - Gareth, talking to Bob at the school in 5x03, gives a speech about bears. He says, ““You know, bears…when they start to starve, they eat their young. If the bear dies, the cub dies anyway. But if the bear lives, it can always have another cub.”

It’s the Termites’ way of justifying cannibalism and ties the bear symbolism to Terminus. I can’t help but notice it’s also about children (the cub).

3. You could argue we saw some oblique bear symbolism in S4. Beth’s D.C. spoon could represent the Little Dipper, which is part of Ursa Minor (“the small bear”). And of course she steps in the small game trap in Alone.

4.  5x06 - We catch the barest glimpse of a bear in the domestic abuse shelter Daryl and Carol stay in. 

There is plenty of other interesting symbolism in this room, including a quote about apple trees, pink lamp shades, etc, We also see a stuffed animal tiger. The tiger foreshadows Shiva, and is therefore meant for Carol’s arc. She sleeps on the top bunk where the tiger lays. That would suggest, by default, that the brown bear is about Daryl.

5. 6x10 - Carl tells Judith about the North Star and using it to find one’s way home. (North star is part of the Great Bear constellation.) The Great Bear and Small Bear constellations also have ties to owls, the horse theory, and possibly the deer symbol.

6. Also in S6, the Skybound account posted a modified poster from the film, Revenant with Norman’s face on it. Not only is this film about a man left for dead who then survives and, after a long arduous journey returns to his family, but his “death” or near death was caused by a grizzly bear attack.

7. In season 7, we have the bear Rachel and Cyndie find at Oceanside. It’s been washed in on the tide (much like Tara) and survived a stormy sea. It washes in with the sunrise.

8. 7x12 - We see bears hanging at the carnival Richonne go to.

9.The picture on Judith’s wall. We all spent a lot of last season trying to figure out what it was. It kinda looks like a bear, kinda like a dog, kinda like a horse or pig. Well, any of those would work for our purposes, since they’ve all been used as symbols in the show. There is a breed of dog in Russia that’s often called a Dog Bear. That’s because its face looks like a bear cub but it has the body of a dog. It really is a breed of dog, though. Anyway, that’s what we’re guessing this picture is of. It would combine the bear symbolism with the recurring symbolism of Sirius, the dog star.

10.   Finally, @wdway noticed this in S8. Right before Michonne heads out in this scene, she gives Judith a kiss. 

There are other Beth symbols in this scene, but notice what Judith is playing with. It’s a bear with blond hair. She’s playing with a little Beth bear! (And sitting next to some water, I might add.)

11.   While this isn’t specifically seen in the show, we should also consider the Goldilocks and the Three Bears template. It’s a perfect rule of threes template, and then there are bears and a girl with blond hair. Just saying.

So what does all this mean? What’s up with the bear symbolism? Well, in short, I do believe the bear = Beth. But let’s do a little bit deeper analysis than that. @wdway pointed out that bears hibernate. They disappear, sleep for months at a time, and then wake up again. It really is a great symbol for Beth because of that, and might be the reason the writers chose it to begin with. I’ve even used the word “hibernation” a lot to describe Beth being shot and her vitals becoming unreadable.

The walker in 4×03 had a bear trap around its leg. AMC nearly put out a Beth figurine that included bear trap. That's pretty good proof that the walker in this scene represents Beth.

I've said many times that, where Carl is concerned, this scene foreshadows his death by walker bite. That's mostly because we see a Jim walker in the scene, and Jim in S1, also died from walker bite. So my biggest take away from this has always been that Beth (the walker with the bear trap on its leg) will show up only after Carl dies from the walker bite. That should be any episode now, and the bear symbolism, whatever it means, should show up with her.

Gareth talking about the bear ties bear symbolism to terminus. We’ve thought for a long time that Beth would end up at Terminus. There’s a lot of evidence she will: cop cars at Terminus (Grady symbol), signature items that TF carried left there (Daryl’s poncho, the riot gear), and Beth got a Terminus poster in 4B (why give her a poster if she was never going to end up there?) So this is yet more evidence that Beth will be tied to Terminus somehow. If the bear symbolism = Beth and the bear is tied to Terminus, then Beth must also be tied to Terminus.

I don’t have a whole lot more to say about the S4 symbolism, except that it's all tied together. The small game trap could foreshadow the bigger bear trap later on. The D.C. spoon obviously represents her finding her way to D.C. If she navigates by the stars, as Carl suggests, and the stars are part of a constellation called the greater or lesser bear, it suggests the bear symbolism will also have something to do with how she gets to D.C. I'll come back to that.

Consumed, was two episodes before Coda, where Beth was shot. So the bear might show that we’re about to see the beginning of the arc the bear is linked to. After all, Carol and Daryl were searching for Beth in this episode.

The Revenant poster may be the most interesting example. Let's go over the plot of the movie again. Hugh Glass is attacked by a bear and then left for dead. I know in the real life account (just search Wikipedia for Hugh Glass) his buddies left him before he died. He was hurt so badly, they assumed he'd be dead in a few hours, and were going to stay with him, hold his hand until he passed, and then bury him. But then they were attacked by enemies and had to run or die. Later, Glass woke up and dragged himself over 200 miles to get back to his camp.

If you think about it, this matches what we think happened with Beth. Glass’s friends were gonna wait for him to die and then bury him. TF thought Beth was dead. We believe they probably tried to bury her. We think they ran into a horde of walkers (enemies). They had to leave her and run or else they would've died too. So the parallels are very strong there.

If we look at the role the bear played in the film, it would seem the bear symbolism has something to do with why Beth was shot and subsequently left behind. The bear in the film is the thing that inflicted Glass’s wounds, which is what made everyone think he was dead. We still don’t know where the bullet came from, but it wasn't from Dawn's gun.

Another thing to consider about this poster is that Daryl, not Beth, is on it. That could be because Beth was already supposedly dead in S6 and putting her on a poster about things coming back from the dead would be way too obvious. There's a few ways we can look at this.

1)    Daryl represents Beth. Because they couldn't put her on the poster, they put him on it. It might represent Beth, or both of them, since the arcs are so entwined.

2)    Daryl represents himself. While Beth seems to have died physically, Daryl died emotionally. I remember this poster came out right around 6x06. It was part of the reason we thought maybe Beth would return in 6x06. (I did a whole post about it.)

In my group, we’ve discussed that the reason 6x06 is so full Beth symbolism is it's the episode where Daryl completely lost the faith Beth instilled in him. Daryl did die emotionally when he lost her in S5, but we saw him recruiting with Aaron in 5B and trying to convince Rick that they still needed to look for good people in 6x01. He was trying to honor her and live the truth that she taught him. 

In 6x06, while he was trying to help “good people,” Sherry and Dwight screwed him over. It was the final straw that made him let go of what Beth taught him.That would explain a lot of the symbolism in the episode, including the Cherokee Rose. So this poster may have been to show that this was the final nail in Daryl's emotional coffin, but eventually he would return from that emotional death. Well, as of S8, we haven’t seen him return from it. If this is what they were going for, it has yet to happen.

Next, we have the bear in 7x06 with Cyndie and Rachel. This is one of the main reasons I believe the bear = Beth. It was washed in from the ocean and given all the water symbolism around Beth, it’s pretty compelling. I think Tara was 100% a proxy and foreshadow Beth and this episode, and she was washed on the tide. This could be literal (Beth will wash in with the tide as Tara did) or more symbolic. She will come in with the tide (symbolically Oceanside) right at dawn (the beginning of the new arc).

Cyndie suggests they use Sage and Lavender on the bear to improve its condition. @wdway points out those things are used for spiritual healing and have antiseptic, preservative properties.

Then there are the bears in 7x12 with Richonne. The biggest Beth symbolism in this episode is Rick’s death fake out. It looked like the walkers got him, but he escaped. There was yellow involved. There is also a deer in this episode. The deer died, so Rick lived. Given the dead deer we saw in 5x10, that's obviously a Beth thing. So the interesting thing about these carnival bears is:

1. On the foot of this one we see two entwined hearts. I totally think that could represent Richonne, as this episode was totally about two people becoming one (there was plenty of talk about their symbolic marriage in this episode). But I also think that it represents all the soul mate relationships on the show, including Bethyl.

2. The bears are shown right before the death fake out scene. Like, we literally see Richonne running toward the Ferris wheel and past these bears, and in the NEXT scene, Rick’s death fake out happens. So these two things (bears and death fake outs) are definitely related.

And how about Judith? The fact that we have her playing with the bear and there's been a lot of child symbolism around Beth, and she sitting next to water are all very interesting. These are all symbols we seen a lot. @wdway even pointed out there's a tunnel with a water outlet right next to her (Tunnel symbolism).

So what's my wacky theory? It’s more like a series of wacky thoughts. If the bear symbolism represents something that has to do with why Beth was left behind, and it has ties to Terminus, and maybe something about Terminus and its ties to Grady have to do with how Beth got shot.

Gareth talking about a bear and its cub was especially intriguing to me. A cub is the offspring of the bear, so we have child symbolism in that and there's been a lot of child and baby symbolism around Beth. Many people have theorized since S6 that perhaps at some point Judith will be in trouble and Beth will have to save her. As time goes on, especially this season, we’ve wondered if it won’t be Judith, but rather Gracie.

Either way, Gareth’s story justified the parent eating a child to stay alive, because the parent can always have another child. So I'm wondering if Beth will be at Terminus and will end up saving a child that maybe they were going to eat? Could that be Gracie? I don't know.

All the star and constellation stuff suggests that something about the bear symbolism will help Beth get to D.C. I said before that I think she's arriving with the Wolves. I've also said the Wolves could be the people who take down Grady. Remember Gimple also confirmed that Crazy Tattoo Guy (one of the people who took over Terminus) would be tied to a bigger group of bad guys. That could be the Saviors, but it could also be the Wolves. I could put this together one of fifty ways, but it’s all conjecture until we know more.

What it comes down to is that Beth, Terminus, possibly the Wolves, and the bear symbolism all part of one circle of events. These events stretch back to S5. Because of the Sasha/Tyreese theory, I think whatever Sasha and Gabriel were talking about in 5x16, goes back not just back to Coda and the missing 17 days, but probably back to Terminus. I think there were a lot of things we didn't see in S5.

Bottom line: Whatever the bear symbolism represents, it should be arriving with Beth any episode now. I’m excited to see how it all pans out and I’ll be on the look for more bear symbolism as we go along.

P.S. Minor Spoilers: In episode 8x11, Dr. Carson supposedly gets caught in a bear trap. Hmmm.

Can anyone think of any bear symbolism I missed?

[dailynewswebsite]

What a distanced holiday season means for people with disabilities and chronic health conditions

Individuals who already expertise social limitations and poorer psychological well being standing are particularly weak throughout a socially distant vacation season. (Shutterstock)

For a lot of, the vacation season is synonymous with household gatherings, usually requiring arduous and aggravating journey. That is a lot part of our tradition that attending to a spot to be with family members has been the plot of many vacation motion pictures — from Planes, Trains and Cars to the numerous Hallmark Channel Christmas motion pictures now out there all yr lengthy.

In a time when many individuals are feeling lonely and remoted, celebrations with household and associates can really feel like a lifeline. That is maybe why many Canadians and Individuals ignored really useful social distancing measures over their current Thanksgiving holidays. In Canada, gatherings associated to the October vacation resulted in a spike of COVID-19 circumstances. The post-Thanksgiving COVID-19 spike in the USA is now being felt within the weeks main as much as Christmas.

Lots of those that travelled and held household gatherings for these holidays could have finished so as a result of they noticed themselves as being at low danger for COVID-19 issues. They put their want for contact above contracting and spreading the virus. Such gatherings had been probably necessary for limiting among the detrimental psychological well being results associated to weathering this pandemic. Certainly, half of all Canadians have reported worsening psychological well being because the onset of social distancing measures.

People in high-risk teams are already extra prone to be experiencing detrimental psychological well being results introduced on by protecting measures. What would possibly this imply as the vacation season continues to unfold?

In our current research, we surveyed and interviewed Canadians with disabilities and persistent well being situations to see how they’re managing underneath COVID-19. We requested respondents quite a lot of questions on their backgrounds, their particular disabilities and well being situations, their considerations about COVID-19, their monetary and employment conditions, and their psychological well being throughout COVID-19.

2020 COVID-19 Response Survey of Folks with Disabilities and Well being Situations, N = 1,027 adults. Writer supplied

In accordance with our survey carried out in June 2020 — collected when case counts had been truly declining and provinces had been starting to open up and finish their shutdowns — 78 per cent of respondents reported caring about contracting COVID-19. Heightened considerations had been additionally related to poorer psychological well being outcomes, as proven within the graph above. Amongst respondents who reported being very involved about contracting COVID-19, 49 per cent reported elevated nervousness, 50 per cent reported extra stress and 28 per cent reported will increase in despair.

Respondents advised us that they’ve been feeling lonelier throughout the pandemic and lots of additionally felt like their ranges of belonging have declined. Thirty per cent reported will increase in emotions of loneliness and 15 per cent reported decreases in emotions of belonging. Will increase in loneliness and reduces in belonging had been additionally correlated with detrimental psychological well being outcomes together with elevated stress, nervousness and despair, which is highlighted within the graph under.

2020 COVID-19 Response Survey of Folks with Disabilities and Well being Situations, N = 1,027 adults. Writer supplied

Our interview knowledge, collected from August by means of October 2020, helps our survey findings. One respondent advised us:

“Can’t go on dates, can’t meet up for associates, really feel fairly lonely, really feel fairly depressed. It’s fairly troublesome. The one interplay I’ve is on Fb and that will get me by means of the day for probably the most half, speaking to individuals on Fb. Apart from that, not having a hug or any human interplay in addition to my dad and mom, it’s sort of unhappy. It’s fairly miserable for probably the most half.”

Referring particularly to holidays, one other respondent stated:

“The start of the pandemic, the primary two or three months had been OK.… I don’t see family members practically as a lot. We might have gotten collectively as a household for Easter and Thanksgiving. And I’m positive Christmas can be cancelled. So, I’m sort of feeling disenfranchised and never linked to anyone, anymore.”

Everyone seems to be affected in a technique or one other by the virus and the measures taken to fight it. Many individuals are feeling the emotional and psychological toll of weathering this pandemic. It has been an extended and arduous journey by means of the storm and, regardless that we are able to now see the sunshine on the finish of the tunnel, the journey just isn’t over but.

Nevertheless, we aren’t all feeling the consequences of this journey equally. Many who already expertise social limitations and poorer psychological well being standing are particularly weak throughout a time when in all places we glance, we’re reminded of a season related to giant gatherings of family and friends. Some we see usually, others we solely see throughout this time of yr. Doing with out these interactions over the vacation season will probably be arduous for everybody. It’s necessary to keep in mind that for some individuals, it’ll be particularly arduous.

David Pettinicchio receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Analysis Council of Canada and Ontario Ministry of Analysis, Innovation and Science.

Michelle Maroto receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Analysis Council of Canada.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/what-a-distanced-holiday-season-means-for-people-with-disabilities-and-chronic-health-conditions/ via https://growthnews.in

[coolturalworld]

One night on vacation (Horror Story)

This story will only be my redemption, I do not know if this is an illusion or an aberrant reality in which I am immersed. I am in the basement of a cabin, this place is wet, it is sweltering and the night still present. I am miles away in a field, about five hours from the nearest town, I record this so you can know the details of why I am here.

I am a nurse, I work at night, in the mornings I rest, and sometimes in the afternoons, I give first aid classes. I have an ex-militant husband, he is a little lame and blind, since the war he undergoes from this, he works the whole day in a factory and barely has time to say hello, it is as if he does not live in the house. We have a son, a few months ago he turned four. Since my son was born, he has had behavioral problems, and he has a deformity on his face as though he had been put in heated water, consequently, so it has been arduous to integrate socially. Owing to all this hustle routine, my husband and I decided to go on vacation to a cabin far from the city, wishing that our son would have his first trip and could connect with nature.

We arrived at the cabin, and everything seemed perfect, in this house, there are three big bedrooms, a big swimming pool which is in the garden and a living room as big as the patio, here, the weather is sunny and wet, a perfect place to unwind. My son had never been in sunny weather, and his first impression was that it seemed like the purgatory to him, I did not know where those words came from, but I rebuked him.

In the evening, we began playing an unusual board game that was in the cottage. The aim was to answer to random questions, on aleatory topics, the rare thing was that their designs were wicked drawings, that is, they had mouths with big spikes, with bird's mouth and elf ears. I did not pay heed to the drawings, so we continued the game.  It was my turn to take a card and ask, the interrogation that was on the card with a picture of a man dying was: what was your saddest death, In a muffled voice, I said it a little perplexed, though my husband and my son could hear. Unexpectedly, my son with a diabolical voice said: my eventual death was in a car accident, I was very high and I hit a lamppost, that same day my wife also died. Astonished by what he had said, I looked at my husband, and he carried a dull face, later I promptly asked my son, where he got that from, disturbed about what he had pronounced. He, in turn, replied that that was his last death, and requested me what mine was. The air felt heavy, I evaded with dread what he had said, and abruptly I said it was enough for today, we were tired from a long journey, it was better to rest.

We went to the rooms in silence, I was frightened and my husband without saying a single word was blank-faced, something was not right with everything, my husband, the game, and the words of my son. We didn't exchange a single word in the room, my husband went to bed right away, and I was a little fearful and thought about what my son had said, it wasn't the first time he had said something similar, it was as if he had lived before. Everything was so dark that not even the moon was shining, then I heard a noise, they were opening the door, I felt the emptiness of the bed, my husband wasn't there, I don't know at what moment he stood up, I assumed it was him, I wondered what he was doing out there. However, I didn't bug because he always goes out when he has nightmares, suffers from post-traumatic war stress, and therefore usually wakes up at night to check that everything is in order. 

I fell asleep for an hour, and my husband didn't come back, I wondered if he had fallen asleep outside, I left the room, but the door was locked, I yelled at him, and he didn't answer me.

I awoke again, and this time I was in the living room, I don't remember anything since I found the door locked, I ran to the rooms, and there was nobody there, I shouted my husband and son's name, and nobody responded. My voice was weak, I could barely run, my head was whirling, my vision was distorted as if my eyes were stuck in a kaleidoscope, abruptly I hit the glass door that led into the courtyard. I didn't exactly fall on the ground, it was something abysmal because I felt that I kept on falling. With the strength I had left, I was able to get up, I saw two silhouettes at the bottom of the courtyard, behind the pool, they were my son and my husband, I rubbed my eyes and I couldn't see them anymore, what was all this, I wondered with astonishment and confusion.

Thereafter, my hands were bleeding, two bodies were standing in front of the pool, motionless, this time they looked clear, they were my son and my husband and they were carrying a red lantern. They were heading towards the living room with slow steps when I saw them coming towards me, I ran away, I felt that it wasn't them, it was something more infernal; to my bewilderment, I didn't run at all, my body movements didn't match what I request to my mind, I didn't have control of my body. Therefore I waited for them sitting down. They opened the door, came and sat down, my tears were running, and I was sobbing because I didn't understand anything. Then my son began to speak, he gave me a warning, his voice was thicker, and his face had become even more deformed, my husband's eyes turned red, and his mouth was wicked with sharpened teeth, I felt that this was not a dream, it was real, I was sitting in front of two insane beings that I did not know.

I asked disturbed, what this was, his answer was today is the day of the sacrifice, come and behold, he took me by the arm and escorted me to the courtyard where more houses with red lanterns could be seen behind. You are part of this, you are one of us, that is why you brought us here, my son was telling me, my father is not your husband, he is me, just a little older, I came from far away a long time ago to help you in the sacrifice. I didn't understand a single word, what sacrifice he was talking about, he kept on telling me that the sacrifice was going to redeem us from our sins, that we were going to go to Paradise.

The night was eternal, I had lapses of time, appeared in another place a little more exhausted, at one point I thought there was another person inside my body, as an alter ego, that somebody gave orders and was a member of that diabolic band, what I did not understand was the identity of my husband, as that might have been my son.

That's how I got here to this basement where I'm telling you about this horrible night, I record it so that someone knows the facts, and I want to make it clear that they will be a little distorted because I disappear and appear.

I hear footsteps coming into the room, my husband enters and says what are you doing here, it's time for the sacrifice, unconsciously I stand up and go after him, in the trouser pocket I had kept a knife, so I didn't wait a moment when I take it out quietly, and with all my strength, as we go into the courtyard I stick the knife in the neck of that demon that is in front of me in a couple of seconds he falls to the ground, lamenting I saw how he was bleeding on the floor, later, he told me with a muffled voice, why you did it, I am your husband, the one who loves you. When he says those words I discover that it is him, it is my husband, he doesn't have red eyes, I bend down and without believing it was him but I don't trust myself.

At the end of the corridor, I hear my son's voice, he yells at me, why did you kill Dad, I ran out to him in a fury, it's all your fault, I stabbed the knife in his chest, I knocked him down, and he kept sticking the knife in a rage. After this terrible act, I enter the basement, there my head spins around a lot without stopping, I don't feel the body anymore, I fall slowly.

The next morning, a policeman found me fainted in the basement, woke me up, told me I was under arrest for double homicide, astonished I shouted no, it wasn't me, I wasn't conscious, they had to check the tapes I had made. When they took me out of the basement, I saw that they were picking up the bodies of my son and my husband. I got into the police car, and they took me to the city, there they were going to interrogate me, and I was going to know my fate, I knew that my husband and my son were alive, I was going to find them.

                                                     The end