#yes the timeline is only up to may 27th

[yanderespamton78]

holy shit guys??? on tumblr the timeline has only been updated up to april 27th on the word doc its up to may 27th jesus christ woaahh

[monstrous-fusion]

Legend of Zelda AU Gift Exchange Interest Check

Hullo everyone! We have a huge announcement we're like to make: We're hosting a Legend of Zelda AU Gift Exchange.

What is the Legend of Zelda AU Gift Exchange? It's a gift exchange meant to celebrate the vast amount of AUs within the Legend of Zelda fandom, hosted by the Monstrous Fusion AU discord server! All AUs are welcome; whether those are a general LoZ AU or a Links Meet! The only catch is that these AUs must be server appropriate, which means they do not contain explicit NSFW content.

This project is for people of every skill level, both in art and writing! Once you send in your registration, you're in!

Proposed Timeline;

Sign-Ups Open: May 11th Sign-Ups Close: May 23rd Gift Assignments Release: May 27-28th Gift Creation Begins: May 28th Dropout Deadline: June 7th First Check-Ins: June 7th Second Check-in: June 17th Third Check-in: June 27th Gift Drop Off Days: June 29-30th

( Note; this is a tentative timeline. This means it isn't final! It can change, but this is the general consensus for the timeline.)

If there's enough interest in the project, we would love to make this an annual thing! There's a treasure trove of brilliant ideas and creative talent behind the Legend of Zelda fandom, and this gift exchange hopes to bring that community together and brighten someone's day! If you don't have your own AU, never fear! You can still join! You can request General LOZ content, or content from your favourite LoZ AU!

You do not have to be in the discord server to participate, but the event is connected to the server. All Updates will be on the temporary server! But we encourage most of the chatting to be done on the main server. You can find the invite here! (I'll go on a personal whim to say that the server is very lovely and it's a nice small community <3 We would love to see you there)

Feel free to reblog to get to more people!

We hope to see you all there! <3

[storiesofsvu]

It's Bingo Time!!

I usually do some kind of bingo for my birthday/spring and I figured it'd be fun to do one again this year. Though the timeline may be different, we'll see lol.

Prompts are all spring/summer themed or smut. Any and all of them can be made as suggestive as you’d like, you don’t need to keep the smut fics to the smut prompts!

Submissions can be anything! A mood board, headcanons, drabbles, gif sets, a one shot, a mini series/collection including all the prompts, social media au’s, whatever you want!!

The rest of the rules are under the cut!

Prompts can be made into any genre, make it super spicy, super fluffy, or heartbreaking. Just make sure to include any and all appropriate warning at the top and in the tags!!

Fics can be a ship, reader insert, an OC, whatever you want! This is for you to have some fun and get creative!

Accepted Fandoms:

-Anything and Everything!! Yes!! I am always wide open to every fandom out there! It does not need to be something I write for, regularly read or even know what it is! It’s your choice!

Some examples:

Law and Order (svu, oc, og, ci),Criminal Minds, 911, MCU, One Chicago, NCIS, Grey’s Anatomy, OUAT, CAOS, Private Practice, Abbott Elementary and everything and anything in between!

Rules!

You must tag me @storiesofsvu and use the hastag #kbdaybingo2024 on each creation. There’s a chance I will put together a masterlist (and if I do I likely won’t until it’s all over)

Bingo begins May 1st and runs all the way to June 27th

Only post ONE creation PER DAY, and only one square per creation

No under age oc’s/yn’s

Tag all and every warning appropriately at the top of the fic

Anything over 1000 words MUST be under a readmore

Please appropriately tag your characters! I don’t want to see a list of side characters who have one line or are only mentioned when it’s a specific character x reader fic!

For each fic you write, you’ll earn a ballot and at the end I’ll do a draw and there will be a winner!! (don’t ask me what the prize is yet lol)

Everyone is welcome to participate! (anyone submitting or reading smut must be over 18!!)

If you have any questions feel free to message me!!

___________

tagging some people I think might be interested!

@whiteberryx @rustyzebra @iamnotoriginalphil @happenstnces @bullet-prooflove @hotchfiles @prentiss-theorem @scorpsik @thatesqcrush @witches-unruly-heart @polkadotpenguin16 @escapingrealtiylovinginsanity @waitingfortheendtocome @five-bi-five-mind @demonicbaby666 @baubeautyandthegeek @safficranger @valentinesfrog @milfandh0ney @asolitaryrose3 @alexblakegf @hotchs-big-hands @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @mxmmyprentiss @alexblakeisgay @jordanstark007 @chestnutninny @maximoffcarter @lizdonnelly @v3nusxsky

[fu-miruku]

so… for left and right, there is a discernible chronological order? like are you able to tell the exact order of chapters between both books? (also thank you for clarifying, i was always confused as to why Shindou had his xmas gift in Left. i thought they were two different universes lmao)

yes, there is! :) maybe it's not an exact order, but I've approximated events and took note of them after I read both books. you can probably try to make sense of the order as well. (eg. you can tell that y chapter is chronologically after x chapter because of the events that happened, or the details that were shown in x that is referenced in y)

Shindou's christmas gifts are a good example of this! Toshio gave him the scarf and gloves in chapter 3 of Right, but from the start of chapter 1 in Left, you can already see Shindou wearing them.

So Left ch.1 happens sometime after Right ch.3. We can only make assumptions that Left ch.1 happens before Right ch.4, since Emi has the time to play in the snow and hang around with Toshio, so this must be during winter break.

This is followed by Right ch.4, which shows them going to Hatsumoude (New Years' temple visit), and then Left ch.2, where you can see Emi going home from kindergarten with a demon mask (referencing setsubun, a festival that's celebrated in February 2nd in Japan).

Right ch.5 follows right after this, since this depicts the month of February leading up to February 27th, which is Shindou's birthday.

Then Left ch.3 follows as we can see from the March calendar at the beginning of the chapter.

What's very interesting is that this continuity actually connects back to Volume 2! Again, I'm going on a bit of a tangent, and we're going a biit back for this one, but hear me out:

Volume 2 starts around fall. When Shindou brings Toshio to his home from the facility, it's either winter already or close. Toshio gets a human arm presumably the next year around spring. Then the extra chapter happens in the peak of summer, which is around August. Then we proceed to the sequels, where chapter 1 of Right begins around September. This is where they go on a cute aquarium date for Toshio's bday :)

So yes, both Right and Left are in the same universe, but the two just highlight different parts of the story. What's genius about this is the framing, because you can read only one volume first and it still creates a perfectly understandable narrative. But once you know the details from the other volume, it enhances the story so much more and gives nuance and clarity to scenes that may seem simple at first. Both volumes fit right with each other and I'm trying to share that in the (clumsiest way possible) the best I can.

(This may all be a little confusing to read in text form, but once I'm done with everything, I might make a little graphic to show the timeline based on my understanding! (?))

[bearsinpotatosacks]

Thought I'd do a post about my top gun timeline. I say mine because I'm autistic and it took me almost a year to pick up on all the implied things about when and how certain things happened.

For example, I thought that Mav would just reapply for the Naval Academy, and didn't know you could join OCS straight out of high school. When I realised that Goose meant that Mav didn’t go to the Academy (that and no Academy ring), so made Mav go to Uni. I then switched the dates back a year until I finally searched whether you could join OCS immediately after high school and you can. This was a bit of a polarising realisation, I've written a lot of fics with my timeline, so I'm just going to have 2 timelines and specify which (on AO3 I'll make a separate series for the 'canon' timeline)

Onto the timeline! Dates in bold are canon ones, italics is my fics (with links to them on AO3!)

1943- Slider's grandma flees Germany with his mum and aunt

3rd October 1959- Nicholas "Goose" Bradshaw is born

27th November 1959- Carole Bradshaw, née Edwards (yes after Anthony Edwards) is born

11th December 1960- Tom "Iceman" Kazansky is born

6th March 1960- Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is born

21st April 1960- Ronald "Slider" Kerner is born

8th March 1965- US Officially enters the Vietnam War

5th November 1965- Duke Mitchell dies

28th January 1973- US part in Vietnam War ends

1973- Goose's dad dies

1978- Goose, Mav, Carole, Slider and Iceman graduate high school. Mav goes to University in Annapolis after not getting into the Naval Academy. Carole travels in the summer and settles in Annapolis.

1979- Goose and Carole start dating, Mav and Carole move in together

1981- Carole gets pregnant

1982- Bradley Nicholas "Rooster" Bradshaw is born, Only a Dad but the Best of Men and Bradley’s First Christmas take place

1983- Goose and Carole get married

1984- Carole's dad dies, Home is Where the Heart Is, Knight in Pearly White and Perfect Fit take place

June/July 1986- Events of Top Gun happen, Goose dies, A Ghost We'll Never Get to See and Soft Musk of Nighttime take place

1997- Carole gets diagnosed with Stage 4 Terminal Cancer and dies, Heaven Feels Closer than those Tears on Your Face, Halfway to Heaven and A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing take place

2000- Mav pulls Rooster's papers, Rooster's goes to University, A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing takes place

2004- Rooster graduates University and goes to the Naval Academy

2008- Rooster graduates the Naval Academy

2010- Iceman gets diagnosed with throat cancer

2017- Events of Top Gun: Maverick take place, An Old Friend Turned New and a Procession No One Can Follow After take place

That's it, for now I guess. I may update this with more fics. I'll also create a post for my interpretation of the 'canon' timeline, with Goose and Mav meeting in flight school, Bradley being born in 1984 (something I don't really agree with but it's nothing major) and TGM taking place before June/July 2016 (because Mav says "that was almost 30 years ago" when Cyclone mentions he was a top gun instructor showing that it isn't past 2016 but tell me if that's reading too much into it)

[yourfellowhuman07]

Where Do We Go Now?

A She-ra: Princess of Power 2018 fanfiction

The war is finally over. Prime is dead, the hive mind is broken, and everyone is reunited with their loved ones. However, there are some questions left unanswered. What will be the fate of Catra and Hordak? What are these new memories Wrong Hordak has? What is Etheria's place in the wider universe? Where do we go now?

___________________

Hello everyone! It is time for the 27th and final chapter of this fic. Thank you to everyone who has been reading this. Also, after this fic, there will be more installments to this timeline. I have a lot more ideas and need to write them. Thank you again for reading this, and I hope your day is great.

___________________

Chapter 27: Shooting Stars

Hordak carried the princess up to a small plateau near the Crypto Castle. Large, sturdy pine trees filled the ground, rustling in the warm breeze, and wildflowers peaked through the green, summer grass. Hordak carried her to a pink, gingham blanket on the edge of a cliff overlooking the purple mountain ranges of Dryl. The blanket was decorated with a large basket surrounded by cutlery, lanterns, and a large, glass vase. He sat her down on the ground, a stunned expression was frozen on her face.

“Oh, Hordak.”

“Is something wrong?” Entrapta broke out of her haze.

“No, of course nothing is wrong it’s just… no one has ever done something like this for me.”

“Well, then it is high time someone did.”

Entrapta dove for the woven basket, swiftly unpacking it while Hordak placed the bouquet into the clear vase.

She set out a spread of small sandwiches, small cupcakes, and cookies in her favorite colors, fruit platters, and strawberries covered in an array of chocolate flavors.

“How did you have time to do all of this?”

“I did not. I tasked Lonnie with coming out an hour before and setting this up.”

“So, that’s where she went.”

“I trust Imp was well-behaved while I was gone.”

“He’s always well-behaved.”

“Only for you.”

“That’s not true, he’s good for you.”

“Occasionally, yes.” Entrapta rolled her eyes, a small smile forming on her face. She took a bite off of a ripe strawberry covered in milk chocolate. “How was your visit with Scorpia?” 

“It was great. I found the files on the portal project, and already have a couple of ideas on how to improve it. As I said, we could use the parts we got from Prime’s ships, so we wouldn’t have to go searching for a massive amount of first one’s tech. We’re also going to have to alter many of our multidimensional mathematical equations to access the space in between Despondos and the wider universe.”

“That sounds wonderful, Starlight. I just hope I will be around for most of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, darling, I’ll be going to Salineus in approximately two months, and based on our time working on the original portal it will take a long time to make it viable. Also, with my trip to the doctor’s and dealing with the current political issues there will not be much time for me to help you. I am sorry.”

“It’s fine. I hoped with you back we would have all the time to work on whatever projects we wanted, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” Entrapta pulled her legs up to her chest, a melancholy expression clouding her face.

“Princess, you know I desire nothing more to be by your side. We will have plenty of time to explore whatever scientific experiments cross your brilliant mind once my community service is through with. Now, we may make the most of the time we have now.” Hordak took her hand in his, his thumb making small circles on the back of her hand. Entrapta rested her head on Hordak’s shoulder.

“I wished you didn’t have to go.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“I know; however, I must try to mend and take accountability for my mistakes. What I did was inexcusable and while helping rebuild Salineus will be a small action, I hope it will be the beginning of mending my relationship with the Etherian people and the wider universe as a whole.”

“I know,” she sighed, regaining her composure. “Speaking of your past, I also brought some of your things that weren’t destroyed from the Fright Zone, heh.”

“Thank you, Princess, I appreciate that. Aside from the portal, what other things would you like to build?” Hordak plucked a sandwich off of the tray, eating it in one bite.

“You know Beast Island, right.” Entrapta regained her mischievous glimmer in her eye. Hordak shallowed hardly.

“Entrapta while I am aware your will is your own, I strongly advise you to never get anywhere near Beast Island.”

“What! Of course, I’m never going back there, I still get nightmares about that place. What I wanted to do is design a bot that could withstand spending time there and safely bring back safe pieces of tech for us to repurpose.”

“I see.” He glowered. Despite how long ago it was, he still despised Catra for what she did to Entrapta. He wasn’t even mad about what she did to him. If anything, he thought he deserved it after believing her and subsequently leaving Entrapta to stay on Beast Island for two months. Still, she was the one to initially cast her aside, and he hated her for it.

“Are you ok, you seem upset?”

“I am fine. When you brought up Beast Island, it reminded me why I still despise Catra.”

“Understandable.”

“How did you ever forgive her, she could have killed you!”

“Well, I guess I just felt bad for her, and everyone else was forgiving her, and I don’t know it’s confusing!” She buried her face in the palms of her hands. “Why can’t I understand anything emotional!”

“It is a part of who you are, and did you not say to yourself ‘imperfection is beautiful’?”

“Hey, you’re not allowed to use my words against me!”

“Now where does it say that?” He tilted her face to meet his eyes.

“Nowhere it’s just…” Her giddy expression fell into one of confusion as she stared into his eyes.

“What is the matter?” panic started to bubble up in his chest.

“Your eyes are a different shade.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your eyes there a darker shade of green.” Entrapta took hold of his face, pulling back his eyelids to get a better look. “Do you know what is causing this?” She pulled out a small flashlight, shining it in his eyes. “Could it be a result of the darker lighting, or is that a sign you’re sick? Oh, I hope you aren’t sick.” For a moment he could not answer her question, he couldn’t recall what caused this strange occurrence. Then in a flash, he remembered.

“Ah yes,” he removed her hands from his face, “it is the result of Prime’s drugs leaving my system. The discoloration is just my eyes reverting to their original crimson.”

“Oh good, how long should it take for them to go back to normal?”

“About a week perhaps. That’s how long it took when I was first separated from Prime. This must also be happening to my brothers, so I must inform them about this soon.”

“What determines the colors of your eyes, is it genetic?”

“I assume it is the result of how the brain processes emotions and memories, which affects how the bone marrow produces the blood responsible for the coloration.”

“So it's based on your personality?”

“In simple terms, yes. Perhaps we could test that with my brothers and me.”

“Oh yes, I’ve wanted to learn more about your species’ biology. Perhaps this could be a step in the right direction.”

“Let us hope. Speaking of my species, how have my other brothers fared with their ‘rehabilitation’?”

“Surprisingly well, especially with dealing with Perfuma’s puzzling techniques. She says they’ve formed their groups, but still have refused to wear anything other than the uniforms Prime gave them.”

“I am surprised they are refusing. We were always taught to obey anything our captors say.” He took a bite of a slice of cantaloupe.

“Maybe Prime’s teachings aren’t as effective as you think.” Entrapta ate a purple cupcake topped with mini gear-shaped sprinkles.

“Perhaps. When will they be let out?”

“Perfuma says when they learn to be productive members of Etherian society and not resort to violent outbursts.”

“I see.” Anxiety started to rise in his heart. The whole point of this evening was to get her mind off all the problems he has gave her.

He shifted the conversation back to her scientific exploits, eating the delicacies the chefs prepared while watching the sky turn darker, making the stars in the endless void of space more prominent.

“It’s getting pretty late,” Entrapta looked at her beloved, “should we pack up?”

“Darling, you have not even seen the best part.”

“The best part?” Sparks of anticipation flew in her chest. What else could make this night better?

“Look.” Hordak took her gently by the jaw, turning her face towards the sky. She studied the pattern of stars, unable to grasp what her partner meant.

Then a tiny streak of white crossed the night sky, then another, then another, and then another.

“What?” was the only thing she could force out of her mouth, in awe at what she saw.

“Remember when I told you about the concept of meteor showers?” Entrapta didn’t answer his question. She rose from her seat, speechless. Her eyes grew wide reflecting the brightness of the sky. Tears filled the wells of her eyes. Dozens of white streaks flew across the violet and fuchsia sky. The lights would flare brightly before burning out in the blink of an eye. These streaks filled the sky, nearly turning it white.

Entrapta did not dare to rip her eyes away, transfixed on the wonder that enfolded above her. She did not blink. She did not breathe. She only watched. The last of the lights fizzled out, but Entrapta dared not to take her eyes off the night sky. She fell to her knees, her eyes still glued to the starry sky, and there she sat, astonished, for five minutes.

Hordak took a moment to breathe her in, permanently cementing this moment in his memory. His darling Entrapta, a woman who always had something to say, was rendered speechless by rocks burning up in the atmosphere. She was always so bright, so full of energy, and so beautifully destructive. She was like a Supernova.

Back when Hordak worked for his father he always took a moment to witness the rarity of a supernova. He would watch the star explode filling the window of the ship with a bright, white light. Then after a moment, things would become clear and he would see an enormous, colorful, sparkling cloud of whatever remained. It was no wonder Entrapta has transfixed him so much. A woman so beautiful, destructive, and full of energy. A beautiful enigma that he could not help but stare in awe of.

“Hordak?” Entrapta woke out of her daze, her voice breathy.

“Yes, my Supernova?”

“How did you know? How did you know this would happen?” She turned her body to face him, revealing wet streaks down the sides of her face.

“Prime had informed his army to look out for flying space debris that could cause a meteor shower. I thought you would enjoy seeing it, so I decided to take you out and surprise you.” Entrapta had no response, new tears began to form in her eyes. Hordak began to worry, had he done something wrong?

All worries left him when Entrapta jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck and settling into his lap.

“Thank you.” She whispered, tightening her hold on her beloved. “Thank you for taking me here. Thank you for showing me the stars.” The volume of her voice began to rise. “Thank you for saving me all those times. Thank you for believing in what I had to say. Thank you for understanding me. Thank you for being my friend!” She spoke all of this into his shoulder, soaking the fabric of his shirt in her tears of joy. Hordak pulled her from his shoulder, looking into her red eyes, puffy from her fountain of tears. He cradled her face with both his hands, wiping away her tears.

“I would do it all again.”

Before she could respond he pulled her face up to his, kissing her passionately. Her lips tasted of strawberries and sugar. Her eyes fluttered shut as she reciprocated the kiss, trying to match his rhythm. All the pain and rejection they ever felt in their lives was forgotten as they kissed under a sky of a thousand stars.

________________

Also, please vote on this poll, because it involves this fic.

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to the working week although, for those of you working in the NHS, welcome to just another day.

My weekend was very enjoyable! For a wide variety of reasons. Actually, I always enjoy my weekend. Whether I’m doing something or nothing, I enjoy my life. My life is good.

Friday was a very long day! I was up before 6.00, scheduled to teach from 9.30-12.30, then I had planned to help a student with his podcast from 1.00-2.00, but then the school asked me to cover another lesson from 4.30-7.30. So, when I eventually got home just before 9.00, I was cold, tired and hungry but, thankfully, my house was warm and there was Chinese food waiting for me.

I’m not well. I sound a bit like Barry White. Got a bit of a cough and a cold. More like Barry Green! Thankfully, the radio show went well. Many thanks to everyone that listened to the show live and those that will listen to it on MixCloud. The Letter M (Pt. 11) is this Saturday at 1.00 p.m.

On Saturday evening, The Trouble and I attended a 90th birthday party. The father of GaryColonel Henry. 90 years old? Crikey, if I make it to 70, we’re having a big fuck-off party! If I make it to 80, you are ALL invited! When I first met The Trouble in 1982, she was part of a lover’s rock called Prediction, which is also when I first met Gary. Because they were brilliant, I began managing the band soon after and, many years later, Gary and I wrote most of the songs on the second Dazzle album, so we’ve known each other 40 years and been through a lot together. It was a pleasure to catch-up with old friends and hear lots of them grown folks, old time reggae tunes. Delicious catering courtesy of Angie’s Kitchen, who gave me some take away boxes, which I will eat today!

On Sunday, The Trouble cooked-up a storm and we actually entertained Sunday lunch guests. Most Sundays, we do a huge fry-up but, this week, we got rice & peas, stewed chicken, macaroni cheese and BBQ ribs. Yes, yes, I know. I am spoilt rotten. During Sunday lunch with some of The Trouble’s cousins, we were talking about Caribbean people reaching 90-plus, and they agreed it was probably due to more ‘natural’ remedies (such a soursop and cerasee) being dispensed, as opposed to yet another drug prescribed by the local GP.

My diary has suddenly gone barmy but there is lots to look forward to. We are down in Hove this weekend, I am spinning tunes at a wedding on May 27th and joining the Bank Holiday party at The White Lion (Streatham) on May 28th. We have one dinner date on 31st and another dinner date on June 3rd, it’s The Trouble’s birthday on June 11th, ‘The A-Z Of Mi-Soul Music’ is coming live from Summer Soulstice on June 24th and then I’ll be doing the Mi-Soul ‘Concert At The Castle’ event in Windsor on July 9th. ‘Let The Music Play’ is back at Cinnabar (Stevenage) on August 27th and, at some point in September, we need to go to Jamaica for a family wedding!

Sad to hear about the death of Dave Brown, presenter of the soul show on BBC Radio Kent for many years. First met him in about 1982. Back in the day, before the internet, for the good folk of Kent, Dave was their essential guide to the newest soul, funk, jazz-funk and disco releases.

The only problem with the 90th function was that it was held in a five-a-side centre, with guys playing football long into the evening. Needless to say, the male toilets were disgusting! What is it with men and toilets? All three stalls were clogged with toilet paper. Parents: do the world a favour and teach your boys how to use a toilet! How hard is it to take responsibility for your waste? Flush two and three times, if necessary. It’s not complicated.

Probably the funniest thing on Sunday morning was people on my timeline going, “Eurovision was rubbish!” Erm … Eurovision always has been rubbish and always will be rubbish. It’s a flawed concept. It makes ‘Naked Attraction’ look like good television!

Have a marvellous and momentous Monday. I love you all.

[chibivesicle]

Golden Kamuy chapter 243: OgataOgataOgataOgataOgataOgataOgataOgataOgataOgata

Oh yes, finally some much awaited Ogata backstory!  Ah, I feel alive again - well that and I can finally work half days which is a vast improvement from working from home in a make-shift office in a spare room which includes my cat’s litter box.   This is a dense chapter, so I’m going to analyze it alone and also - Ogata.

Chatper 243 is titled “Superior Privates” and it clearly is setting up conflict between Usami and Ogata.  We have Usami’s face framed by Tsurumi and Ogata as the men tattooed on his face running but never able to meet.

I have to admit it took me a bit of staring at it to get the joke.  I also think there is a Captain Tsubasa reference in here as it looks like they are playing soccer, but that is a series that I know little about.

The title page also has a rifle and a hammer and a horse in the background implying the vastly different ways that Ogata and Usami have for killing other people or living things.

The chapter starts out with Usami using his *ahem* rather intimate method for trying to find the serial killer while Kikuta tries to make small talk with him.  He remarks on how Usami’s methods are odd and it leads him into mentioning Ogata.  He states how he thought that there was something wrong with the superior privates.  Kikuta says this calmly and his eyes are shaded a bit and his eyes are narrow.  I think Kikuta is trying to get a rise out of Usami or see how he really feels about Ogata.  Usami is not happy that Kikuta has put him in the same category of weird with Ogata, he doesn’t want to be lumped in the same category as Ogata.  Now keep in mind that we are reading an English translation so that is what I have to work with but Usami both refers to him as a bastard and I get the feeling that it is both a literal and a descriptive way that Usami feels about Ogata.  He even uses very interesting language of ‘snot-nosed spoiled little punk’ which in English implies that Ogata has much more in common with Koito as it reads to me that Usami sees him as a spoiled rich kid (something that we know Ogata certainly was not).

Kikuta seems to partially ignore Usami’s statement and continues to state that he was the best marksmen in the 27th and that Tsurumi gave him ‘special attention’.  Again, this statement seems to be baiting Usami and he quickly and angrily responds yelling that Ogata was just a glorified walking firearm, and he’s Tsurumi’s number one. 

This leads Usami to give Kikuta information to prove that he’s better than Ogata and that Ogata is not important.  I read this exchange to be an expression of Usami’s jealousy of Ogata and he is here to set the ‘record’ straight.  This is interesting as we know that Kikuta was working with Ogata for some time as they were the ‘Russian’ kidnappers of Koito in 1902 in Hakodate.  Usami must know that Kikuta and Ogata worked together, but we still don’t have a time when either of them joined the 27th.

Anyways, Usami brings up 2nd lt. Yuusaku Hanazawa and he reminds Kikuta that he died during the battle of the 203 Hill.  Which he then transitions to when Ogata was recovering in Otaru from being beaten up by Sugimoto and dumped into the river.  Ogata is in bed, he’s groaning and he says Yuusaku-sir which is one way to translate Yuusaku-dono.  So while in pain and potentially dreaming, Ogata has mentioned a very distant and respectful way to refer to Yuusaku.

This has such a strong callback to chapter 165 when Ogata has the fever dream and he links Yuusaku to Asirpa as being a pure idol for a cause. 

Now let’s stop and pause here - many readers of the manga have always thought that Ogata is a cold hearted bastard who feels no remorse for killing at all.  Ever since I read chapters 164 & 165, I have always felt for Ogata and I read it to be the glimpse into the fact that Ogata did have second thoughts about what he did and he had doubts and possible guilt.  I started writing meta because of how strongly I felt about Ogata and I have thought that he is a very complicated and fascinating character.   This scene here in 243, gives much more evidence to how Ogata feels about Yuusaku’s death, that he does feel guilty as he is haunted by Yuusaku and it makes chapter 164 and 165 make so much more sense.  Keep in mind when he has his melt down on the ice floe with Asirpa, he’s haunted by Yuusaku again there so more evidence of his feelings of confusion, anger, and guilt.  He wasn’t just haunted by Yuusaku in 164 and 165, he was haunted by him all the way back in the beginning of the manga’s current events timeline.

Okay, back to the flashback.  Ogata isn’t alone saying his half-brother’s name in a detached fashion, but Usami is watching over him and he mocks Ogata by repeating “Yuusaku-dono” and Ogata then stares at him, now awake.  It is a typical blank Ogata stare back at Usami.  It is clear that Usami wants to get a rise out of Ogata from the start with his aggressive body language.

Usami then drops the ‘bomb’ that Ogata said the name of his brother that he killed and he follows it up with Ogata being a weakling.  This implies that Usami sees this as an admission of guilt about Yuusaku’s death and that Usami doesn’t feel guilty about killing others.

Kikuta seems surprised that Ogata may have killed Yuusaku and Usami is certain based on the fact that Ogata is the only person who could snipe that accurately.  This implies that they actually performed an autopsy on Yuusaku which I do find curious as they were in the middle of a trench warfare situation.  But I am no expert on battlefield autopsies.  I would have thought that they didn’t pay much attention since, well they were in the middle of a battle but perhaps the fact that he was an officer they felt it was more important to at least note how he died.

This then leads to an interesting comment from Kikuta.  He makes it clear that Ogata would have no reason to kill him and he follows up with the fact that they seemed to get long well. The next panel is a flashback with Yuusaku trying to be friendly with Ogata and he’s literally trying to merge with the wall to escape his attention.  Now when I first saw the raws and read two rough translation from @goldenkamuyhunting​ and inori, I was like, seriously?  Come on Kikuta the body language is so obvious that Ogata wanted nothing to do with Yuusaku.

So I dug around to find a similar type of panel for a character’s expression in profile like Kikuta and I came back to this one here.  We have Ogata hallucinating Asirpa as Yuusaku as he looks stressed and a bit deadpan but he’s definitely surprised by what he’s seeing.

When I then look at Kikuta’s expression, I think he’s also surprised at the obvious fact that Ogata is not happy with Yuusaku.  Therefore, I think Kikuta is lying to Usami.  He knew that Ogata was uncomfortable with Yuusaku but plays it cool when talking to Usami at this moment.

There is also this helpful tweet from Sei Kobiyama:

He highlights that the fact that Ogata uses such formal language with Yuusaku also shows a clear separation of Ogata from Yuusaku. Keep in mind that in 103, it was stated that Yuusaku would refer to Ogata as “older brother” while we know 100% now that Ogata called him “Yuusaku-dono”.  This shows that both men were defining their relationship based on their own prerogative.  Ogata never saw Yuusaku as a brother, he kept the relationship professional.  Yuusaku wanted an older brother and thus he used the language towards Ogata to make their relationship familial. 

Therefore, I think that KIkuta is smart enough to read between the lines and see that the brotherly relationship was one way and unrequited.  I know you are clever man Kikuta, I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt and that you are playing Usami in this conversation.

Usami continues to explain to Kikuta why he believes that Ogata killed Yuusaku.  The flashback goes back to the battle for the 203 Hill.  This is directly after the flashback from 165 when Ogata is sniping Russians from the trenches and Tsurumi approaches him and updates him that there is a new plan.  He is to not kill Yuusaku as he is an inspiration to the men in battle as a flag bearer.  Ogata replies to Tsurumi as he uses the bolt action to eject the expired shell as he blankly replies to Tsurumi.

Chapter 243 starts off with this scene where Noda copy-pasted Ogata into the trench from 165 but added Usami in.  Usami is asking Ogata if Tsurumi told him that it is better for him to not kill Yuusaku.  This means that Usami was also aware of the original plan to kill Yuusaku along with Ogata.  What is interesting is that Usami then repeats that Tsurumi used the lines that “if Yuusaku is out of the picture Hyakunosuke’s father will show him love” and via Hanazawa’s love for Ogata, the 27th can control Hanazawa.  Usami adds in that this is a boring option; I find this hard to read as is he thinking Ogata controlling Hanazawa is boring or if this is how Usami is expressing his jealousy that Ogata is required to control Hanazawa thus giving him more Tsurumi love.

Ogata replies that Tsurumi has decided to use Yuusaku’s role as a pure idol as a way to inspire the men in battle.  Ogata looks reflective as he says this, he clearly understands the power of an idol such as Yuusaku and this is before he has his conversation with Yuusaku on the battlefield.

Usami clearly disagrees with Ogata’s read on Yuusaku, he angrily states that he’s just using his father’s position to gain respect from others and he already hopes that Tsurumi doesn’t give him more glorification that he deserves.  Keep in mind that 164 was when Ogata tried to get Yuusaku to destroy his purity by having him visit with a prostitute in a brothel but it failed.  Tsurumi read this as an indication of Yuusaku’s purity and his nobility, which Ogata clearly disagrees with.  Ogata had first hand evidence of Yuusaku’s attempt to fulfill his father’s wishes. 

What is interesting is that when Usami speaks to Ogata, his back is to him and we see Ogata’s eye from under the hood of his cloak and then we see Ogata frowning just a bit as his eyes look rounder than normal.  I really think that Ogata at least is beginning to observe that Yuusaku’s purity may be a part of his character but he’s still unsure if he’s doing it as a dutiful son or if he’s doing it for himself.

The flashback jumps to sometime later and we see Ogata having a conversation with Usami.  At this point in time, Ogata is stating a hypothesis that Yuusaku is presenting a false image of himself.  He states that if the false front is removed, Yuusaku will be shown to be the same as everyone else, and Tsurumi will change is mind about him as an idol of purity.  Ogata states that everyone is the same deep down.  He then asks Usami if he feels bad when he kills a Russian solider and Usami replies that he doesn’t.  Ogata continues with the rationalization that those who die on the battlefield die b/c of their own fault, that they are inept and therefore they die and Usami just agrees again with this statement.

The bottom right panel is more important as it shows that Ogata is setting up his ‘test’ for Yuusaku with Usami, you see Ogata to the right, Usami to the left and a third figure being dragged between them.  It looks like Noda made a goof in the final panel as Ogata’s hood is now down on his cloak but it was clearly up right before then.

Ogata continues his verbal thesis as he states that the love from one’s parents doesn’t change how you turn out.  Usami agrees.  Usami came from a 100% loving and friendly household and he’s our most twisted member of the 27th.  Ogata came from a completely broken home and he tries to rationalize that is why he can kill.   This allows Ogata to state that, he’s correct and if he and Usami are the same despite different household he’s not strange.

Some period of time passes and Ogata goes to find Yuusaku and test him with the Russian POW.  This means that we need to recall what happened in chapter 165 where Ogata brought Yuusaku to the POW here.  I always wondered who else was involved in this ‘test’ as Ogata does not look like the kind of guy who could carry a Russian POW to a random place to hide him and stage him for Yuusaku to encounter.

With his hood heavily drawn and no longer wearing his military cap, Ogata asks him if he’s killed a single person.  This leads to Ogata’s observation that Yuusaku doesn’t even use his sabre which other flag bearers will fight with in battle.  Ogata asks if he’s using his position as an excuse so that he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty by killing.

Yuusaku is clearly nervous about this accusation.  Is this actually in part the truth of Yuusaku’s own personal beliefs?  This leads to the ultimate Ogata ‘test’ he asks him to kill the POW.  Note that Yuusaku refers to Ogata as brother while we know that this entire time Ogata is using Yuusaku-dono again showing the gulf between them.  He questions if Yuusaku is trying to stay innocent by using his position and he presses him that he wants to see him kill him.

This is then repeated with Usami narration on page 7.  The text box is Usami stating that Yuusaku was truly pure and we see Yuusaku walk away from Ogata.

We have to remember between Ogata handing the bayonet to Yuusaku and then Yuusaku leaving a LOT more happened.  Yuusaku explains that he’s upholding the role that his father told him that he must play.  That he must go above and beyond the expectations of most flag bearers.  It is his job to alleviate the inevitable guilt that soldiers will feel as a result of their actions.  Ogata questions his statement about guilt and that people only act like they feel guilty.  This reply makes so much sense as we now know that right before this happens, Ogata was talking with Usami about how all people are the same deep down.  It doesn’t matter if they came from a loving family or a broken family, they are the same and that they can kill and NOT feel guilt. 

Ogata’s statement that everyone is the same as me, is with the huge caveat that Usami says he’s the same as Ogata.  This conversation ends with the incredibly awkward brotherly hug of one direction.  Yuusaku looks like he’s even crying from his left eye has he embraces Ogata, while he stands there unresponsive.  Yuusaku is certain that Ogata does have feelings and will feel guilty and he emphasizes that he’ll understand one day.

The hug scene ends with Ogata blankly staring off as Yuusaku hugs him and we can see a small foxhole in the trench that we saw before.

Going back to 243, we see Ogata address what first appears to be no one (clearly not the Russian POW) and it reveals that Usami was in the bunker/foxhole the entire time!  This means that Usami witnessed the full awkward brotherly hug and the statement from Yuusaku that people must feel guilt over killing.

Ogata then states that if he kills Yuusaku and it shows that his father loves him, it will demonstrate that Yuusaku could have become just like Ogata.   And he asks if Usami agrees with him.  Of course, Usami emerges from the bunker to state that he completely agrees with Ogata as the Russian POW still remains hog tied between them.  We get the final panel of Yuusaku collapsing on the battlefield.

The conversation returns briefly to the present as Usami tells Kikuta that Hanazawa instead became depressed over the loss of his legitimate son and never even bothered to look up Ogata.  The next statement is unclear to me, “So he was feeling all miserable and upset because Yuusaku died while he was still pure and good.”  This could be about how Hanazawa felt, but it could also refer to Ogata, and that Ogata was upset as he was never able to prove that Yuusaku wasn’t pure.  Or is this referreing to both Hanazawa and Ogata making their responses to Yuusaku’s death the same?

After this is said, Kikuta decides that he doesn’t have time for this and leaves Usami behind to lay on the ground in the afterglow.

Usami then thinks more about his conversation with Ogata in the hospital.  He tells Ogata that he knows he’s involved in the rebellion in the ranks and that he’s one of the people who has been stirring up discontent. 

Usami inquires if it has to do with Ogata’s role in the death of Hanazawa.  Usami can’t see how Tsurumi could do something that makes him unhappy.

Usami’s recollection then reveals that he was the carriage driver when Ogata met up with Tsurumi after he killed Hanazawa and staged the body.  We see Usami biting his lip seething with anger as Tsurumi dotes upon an unemotional Ogata.  This the leads to more information, at somepoint, Tsurumi gets out of the carriage and leaves Usami and Ogata alone.  Tsurumi damn well knew he was able to rile Usami up, just like what happened with Usami and Tomoharu at the dojo.

Usami then quotes Tsurumi, “You’ve been left behind Ogata, so I’m sure everyone will support you.” this leads Usami to ask Ogata if his goal is to become the leader of the 7th and if this was the reasn he agreed to be the member of the 27th to kill Hanazawa.  This implies that Usami at this point in time thinks that Ogata wanted the power and status of becoming the next Hanazawa of the 7th. 

Interestingly, Ogata stated that he accepted the job because he had to ask Hanazawa things before the end.  This implies that Tsurumi’s plan to kill Hanazawa could have gone to others in the 27th and knowing that Hanazawa was a marked man, Ogata’s opportunties were liminted to get his own personal questions answered.

What is interesting is we see here now in 103 that Ogata’s mindset about children is different than his previous conversation with Usami.  First off, Hanazawa tries to rationalize that how Ogata responded to his mother’s mental illness was the same that Hanazawa felt towards her.  We know that her mental status was already poor around the time that she gave birth to Ogata and Hanazawa never came back for her.  Ogata then highlights that children can’t choose their parents.  His theory has shifted that if love exists, he is a child who grew up lacking love and therefore he’s lacking something fundamental and it is unrelated to social status.

This is different than what he had when he spoke to Usami.  At that time Ogata felt that he and Usami were the same, they could both kill regardless of the fact that he grew up lacking the love of his parents when Usami was clearly loved.  After Yuusaku’s death, Ogata’s opinion changed, he now sees himself in a different category than Usami.  His words make it clear that he, himself is lacking something fundamental due to his upbringing.

He uses this as the transition to reveal that he shot Yuusaku on the battlefield with the intention of getting Hanazawa’s attention.  Ogata wonder if this was an event that might allow his father to love and accept his other son.

This lead to what is one of the most bittersweet panels of the entire manga where he asks if there was a ‘blessed path’ for himself as well.

Hanazawa makes it quite clear that Ogata is ‘lacking something [fundamental]’ and that he should go to hell.  Hanazawa’s dying statement is pretty clear, if he could kill his mother, his brother and now Hanazawa he was a broken individual who lacked love.

With time and perspective, this confirms for Ogata that he is lacking something fundamental.  He was able to get the words from his own father thus creating a self-fullfilling conclusion. 

What this does tell us, is that Ogata wanted answers more than anything.  He’s an intelligent man and all of these flashbacks are beginning to show how he’s trying to rationalize who he is, how he became the adult that he is.

So when we return to this part of the page, it makes so much more sense.  Ogata had to ask Hanazawa questions before Tsurumi made sure that he was dead.  Usami then immediately thinks that this is a power play on Ogata’s part to get more attention from Tsurumi.  Usami is thinking “Ogata volunteered to kill his own father - he clearly wants Tsurumi’s love!”

Ogata replies after a brief hesitation that this is not the case.  Usami just looks at Ogata with his angry rabbit face.

Usami decides to stir the pot more and he tells Ogata the true purpose of why Tsurumi wanted Hanazawa dead, the Manchurian Railway (Mantetsu).  Usami then decides to try to rile up Ogata by saying that Tsurumi didn’t want Ogata to kill him so that Ogata would be in Tsurumi’s good books but that Ogata’s father was preventing Tsurumi’s own plans in regards to the Manchurian railway.

Usami then thinks back to when he approached Ogata in the hospital as he tries to rationalize why Ogata was a part of the rebel element.  He thinks Ogata is upset that he killed his father to gain Tsurumi’s love, to show his loyalty, but instead Ogata was just a simple tool to allow Tsurumi’s plans for the Railway to proceed.

Usami tries his best to rile Ogata - he killed Yuusaku and he didn’t gain his father’s love, he killed his father but didn’t gain Tsurumi’s love.  Therefore, Ogata is bitter and angry and full of spite since no matter what Ogata has done, no one has loved him.  I think that Usami is partially correct, Ogata did these actions to see if he could gain the blessed path.  He killed Yuusaku to see if Hanazawa would approach him, but deep down, I still think Tsurumi ultimately wanted Yuusaku dead and I still think in a way, Ogata thought he was saving Yuusaku from being killed by another member of the 27th in the future.  Say Yuusaku survived the war.  It was clear as soon as he heard about Tsurumi’s plans he’d be dead.

With our new information that Ogata wanted to ask Hanazawa questions ‘before the end’ implies that again, Ogata knew that Tsurumi’s plans required Hanazawa out of the way.  Ogata needs answers to his questions about the nature of his own guilt and his need to be loved and recognized.  To me, by volunteering to be the person of the 27th to kill Hanazawa, it was the only way that he would be able to talk to his father.  His father was a dead man walking with Tsurumi’s plans and if say Tsukishima had killed him instead, he would have been left wondering if the ‘blessed path’ would open up for him as a result of his father recognizing him.  That fact that Hanazawa completely ignored Ogata’s existence after Yuusaku’s death clearly bothered Ogata and he needed to hear those answers.  It is terrible that he could only get his answers in such an extreme situation but it was Ogata’s only option and if there is something Ogata is, it is hyper-rational.

Usami tries to push Ogata further by tearing him down as he explains why Ogata became a traitor.  He states that he’s a “piece’ in Tsurumi’s game, just like Koito is a “piece”.  Thanks to inori for clarfying on discord that the translation refers to them as shogi pieces; as shogi is similar to chess, I think it is safe to make a leap that this implies that members of the 27th are pieces with different abilities and therefore, some are more useful and valuable while others are less valuable. Usami really goes for the hurt by comparing Ogata with Koito as we know that Koito and Ogata never got along even when Koito was a young officer in training.  He thinks that Ogata’s ego got the better of him and this is why he became a traitor.  He says that his ‘overwhelming’ love became ‘overwhelming’ hate and he states that Ogata knows exactly what he means and he sees Ogata for what he is.  This is interesting as we know that Ogata has changed his opinion on love and around the time that he killed Hanazawa he didn’t believe in ‘love’ as a concept.  It is clear that Usami never realized that this shift occured in Ogata’s thinking.

Ogata finally whispers something in Usami’s ear that we don’t know.  Ogata then smile as he replies to Usami’s shogi [chess] anology.  He calls Usami’s hypothesis a delusion and if they are to see members of the 27th as shogi/chess pieces, Usami is the cheapest piece on the board.  Ogata’s insult likely means that Usami is a simple pawn (or whatever the shogi equivelent of a pawn is, I should know this after watching “March comes in like a Lion” but it clearly didn’t stick in my brain).  If we are to follow a chess/shogi example, I’d say that Ogata’s interpretation hurts Usami deeply, by implying he’s a worthless pawn, he’s disposable and not important to Tsurumi.

This clearly does the trick as Usami pulls out his bayonet to stab Ogata and we see his veins on his face bulging out, a direct reference back to when he killed Tomoharu.

However, just like with the poor Russian doctor, Ogata clocks Usami in the face with a bedpan.  Ogata, using bedpans to beat people in the face since ~1907.

The next page then shows us how Ogata was so effective when he escaped the hospital in Akou.  He hit someone with a bedpan, and sprinted off barefoot in hospital clothing.  This flashback has many parallels with what happened in the hospital.  Usami refers to both Ogata and Koito as similar pieces and we learn that Usami told Ogata to investigate the Mantetsu before this happened.  On Karafuto, Ogata manages to have the Russian doctor hit Koito with the revolver and he also hits Koito with it.

Usami at somepoint wakes up and another man checks in with him.  Usami states that Mishima is following Ogata and it implies that Usami is smart enough to realize if he let Ogata go, he’ll lead them right to the other rebels.  Usami is upset that he was called a cheap piece by Ogata.  Of course I’m not surprised that Ogata knew exactly what to say to Usami to piss him off, he is always watching.  Usami is not a piece, Ogata, Koito, Tsukishima those men are pieces but Usami is special.

And yes, for good measure his is the scene after Ogata called Koito a bon-bon in Russian he told him about the South Manchuria Railway and to investigate it as it would explain that Hanazawa’s death was suspicious.

Chapter 210 has Koito’s whole, I’ve connected the dots Tsukishima and Tsurumi may have been involved in Hanazawa’s death!  This lead to Tsukishima revealing to him that Ogata was the one who killed Hanazawa.  Just like Usami, Tsukishima projects his own issues onto Ogata’s behavior as he also thinks that Ogata became upset after he killed his father even though Tsurumi gave him exactly what he [Tsukishima] wanted.

Tsukishima also re-interates his own theory that Ogata is working as a spy for Central Command which came up during his shoot out with Ogata in Yubari.

Therefore, a really major theme is that Usami and Tsukishima both think that they know what Ogata wanted from Tsurumi with their own issues projected onto Ogata’s behaviors.  It is clear from Usami’s flashback that Ogata wanted something else that we the readers know but Usami doesn’t know because he didn’t hear the conversation between Ogata and Hanazawa. 

What this also shows us is that Ogata’s motivations are not what others think that they are and he clearly has his own agenda.  We’ve known for sometime that he has his own agenda and now we can see it is partially driven by his own need to answer some pretty basic philosophical questions about the nature of love and how people are raised and if this is connected to the ability to kill and to feel guilt or not.

Back to the chapter, we have Usami now alone, abandoned by Kikuta, doing his ‘thing’ as he says that Ogata will come to Sapporo to interfere with Tsurumi’s plans and he’s clearly upset by it.

The chapter then wraps up with an update on Ogata’s marksmenship.  Ogata sees a duck, takes aim and fires.  I like how the final panel shows an emotionless Ogata pull his rifle back before the next page reveals the result.

Like any good cat, he comes bearing a gift for his current servants.  He holds up the duck to display and offer to Hijikata and Ushiyama.  With full on smug cat expression, he explains that he’s finally become accustomed to shooting with his left hand.

He looks like such a happy cat has he lifts the rifle off his shoulder.  Hijikata then asks if this implies that the sniper has completely recovered.  Ogata looks quite contimplative as he replies “No.  . . .”

The answer is defined by his final full page reply.

He can only be called a sniper when he snipes a person.  He’s now holding the rifle left handed indicating that he’s ready and he looks so confident.

Based on the fact that Usami predicts Ogata’s involvement in the search for Jack the Ripper, and that Ogata has now stated his ready to become a sniper again. It looks like Ogata’s sniping will begin again in Sapporo and Usami will be involved.

And with that our chapter ends.

As a card carrying Ogata fan, I was so happy to read this chapter!  Ogata, I have missed you sooo much and I’ve been waiting for more background for your mysterious motivations.

1.) Ogata feels guilty about killing Yuusaku.  The fact that Ogata said “Yuusaku-dono” in the hospital, the fact that he was being possessed by Yuusaku in chapters 164 & 165, the fact that when he was talking to Asirpa, he was talking to Yuusaku on the ice floe; all of these events show us that he does have feelings of guilt in regards to his actions.

However, I do not think Ogata’s guilt is because Yuusaku was his half-brother, it is clear that Ogata did not want Yuusaku’s love or attention as it likely made his already miserable life in the 27th even worse.  We know that Ogata was bullied due to his status as an illegitimate child (chapter 169).  From Ogata’s language around Yuusaku he saw him as a pure idol.  A man who was shaped to become a pure idol by his father and he was the dutiful son that Hanazawa expected from him. 

The pure idol concept is a connection that Ogata made himself between Yuusaku and Asirpa.  When he wakes up from his fever dream in 165 he knows that in his mind, Asirpa is a pure idol that Wilk shaped to lead the Ainu and ethnic minority groups into the future.  We as readers know that Asirpa’s personal value to not kill is something that she developed herself and it wasn’t something that Wilk told her to be or do directly.  But Ogata doesn’t know this, he assumes this from his own interactions.  That is why when he has his meltdown on ice he begins to talk to Asirpa like he picked up his converation with Yuusaku with the Russian POW from chapter 165. This is why Asirpa is a bit puzzled herself, Ogata is speaking her in terms that she doesn’t quite get since she is not Yuusaku but in Ogata’s mind they are cut from the same cloth and therefore in a way almost the same person.

Both Asirpa and Yuusaku were raised by important men who had a clear destiny laid out for their children.  Yuusaku was the dutiful son who was placed into a ‘pure’ job as a flag bearer even though he likely knew it would result in the loss of his son’s own life.  If Sugimoto can make the connection of Asirpa to Joan of Arc and he only read it in a shoujo magazine, we know that Ogata clearly knows of such examples as well and he learned enough from Kiro and Sofia about Wilk to know his motivations. 

I’m guesing he may have been able to see Wilk’s conversation with Sugimoto at Abashiri before he shot him as well, Wilk flat out tells Sugimoto that he raised Asirpa to be a guerilla fighter for Ainu independence.

Or Ogata already knew this and his time on Karafuto only confirmed his thoughts.  It doesn’t really matter, what we know is Ogata thought for sure that Wilk trained Asirpa to be the pure idol for Ainu independence.

What I’m really trying to hammer home is that Ogata, seeing Asirpa’s own personal code to not kill implied to him a need for her to be a pure Ainu idol, just like Yuusaku was a pure Japanese military idol. 

And Ogata clearly has indicated he doesn’t like how these men groomed their children into becoming pure idols who lead others into battle.  Those others lead into battle, such as himself, are supposed to feel better about their guilt of killing others as their idols remain pure.  But Ogata thinks that this is utter bullshit and that there are no pure people.  To cope with all of the trauma from his own life, he has to tell himself that people don’t feel guilt and that people are not that great.

Yet, the two pure people he has met both wanted to connect with him.  Yuusaku wanted so much for him to connect with Ogata and be his brother.  Now, Yuusaku was a next level dumbass in this regard as he clearly was making Ogata very uncomfortable, likely making his position in the 27th worse than it already was and in a way, his desire for an older brother was quite selfish.

Asirpa accepting Ogata and caring about him really throws him for a loop as she is not related to him, nor is she Japanese.  Perhaps, @goldenkamuyhunting​ and I’s crazy idea that Ogata is mixed race may play a part of this if Ogata is part ethnic minority from Karafuto.  It would make his connection to Asirpa more of a familial/genetic type again making him more uncomfortable. 

Yet, it is clear that he comes to accept her attention and he clearly cares about her on some level.  So when she tries to pull the same “purity” crap on him that he feels Yuusaku did he snaps.  I think what started it was when she told him she “There’s not a single thing I can trust about you!” He really lost it then as all these other people have lied to Asirpa and she trusts them but the one time he lies to her she knows immediately and rejects him.  And she had accepted him.  It hurt him. 

Ogata gets his wish when Asirpa accidentally shoots him.  His twisted smile, to me, indicates that he was like “Yes, she shot me!  There are no pure idols in the world.  My hypothesis is correct!”

This therefore, at that point in time shows Ogata that if only Yuusaku had more time, he too would have lost his purity if given the right circumstances. 

What I’m more curious is where this leaves Ogata standing in at the present in the manga.  We don’t know what he was thinking after he was injured, but I’m sure there were more fever dreams and deep thoughts about philosphical contimplations about the meaning of love, purity and family in Ogata’s overactive mind.

Did Ogata escape the possession of his soul by Yuusaku in chapter 165?  Or with the admission of his guilt in 243, does it mean this was a self-imposed ‘possession’ which was removed by Asirpa shooting him in the eye and he lost his sinning eye. 

It is also interesting that he replies to Hijikata that a sniper needs to snipe other humans to be called such, will he actually snipe to kill or will his sniping style change with  the loss of the eye and the guilt tied to it.

The fact that we still have yet to see Yuusaku’s full face implies to me that his guilt still remains and when Ogata confronts that guilt, we will see what Yuusaku actually looked like.

And this long first point is to conclude that Ogata feels guilty for killing an ‘innocent’ like Yuusaku, not because he was his half-brother but due to his commitment to what was expected of him by his father.

2.) Our interpretation of Ogata almsot always comes from another character’s interpretation of Ogata.  Throughout GK, Ogata has been framed in a rather unique fashion as a character.  Most of what is said and believed about Ogata is based on what other characters say about him and how they act with him. 

Sugimoto sees him as a traitor and can’t be trusted, though likely it is due to the fact that Sugimoto feels that he has betrayed others and he even goes on to betray Asirpa for 200 yen to Tsurumi.

Koito first sees him as an ungrateful son, and the son of a wildcat.  Therefore, Ogata is out to con others.  He may also think that Ogata should love his father as a second son, because he learned that his own father (Koito Sr.) loves him as the literal second son.  He later learns that Ogata killed Hanazawa and he has not given us any indication what this means to him.

Tsukishima sees him as a man who was angry at his father for hurting him.  When Ogata was given the chance to kill his father, Tsukishima thought it would have given him peace and a place in the 27th to continue to live off of Tsurumi’s sweet lies.

Usami sees Ogata as an individual who wanted Tsurumi’s undevoted attention and love.  Just as Usami gained love from Tsurumi through violence, he saw Ogata perform despicable acts to his half-brother and father but those did not get him Tsurumi’s love.  Ogata is just like Tomoharu in Usami’s eyes, another person taking attention from Tsurumi away from him.

Tamai saw Ogata as a capable solider and reliable.  Unfortunately as a member of the bear death trio we learn little else about how he saw Ogata as Noma and Oda seemed less keen on Ogata.

Hijikata knows he’s an unusual man who was under Tsurumi and as much as he deflects, he knows that Ogata has an intelligence background.  He keeps Ogata as far away from him as possible and makes Ogata travel with the other groups while he tries to figure out Kiro’s background.  Hijikata likely knows that Ogata has his own plans and he’s not going to tell him for sure.

What this has done for many readers of the manga is that they take what these characters say and do and use that to form what they also see Ogata to be.  But really, we have a bunch of unreliable narrators telling us who they think Ogata is, not who Ogata actually is.

When we examine Ogata’s own actions independent of what everyone else thinks, we see a different picture.  Ogata is an intelligent military man who pretty much calls things as they are, figures out things quickly, thinks on his feet and can command small groups of people effectively.  I really don’t want to belabor this point, I’ve written tons of meta about why I think Ogata is an interesting and capable character.

3.) Ogata is a philosophical guy.  This drives his interpersonal behaviors and likely is a coping mechanism with his poorly developed childish emotional maturity.  The flashbacks in 103, 164, 165, 243 as well as many things that Ogata have said throughou the manga or done all point to a man who is mature as an adult but who never got beyond basic child emotions. 

What is really interesting is that we see what Ogata is thinking, he asks others for their inupt, he finds more people and asks them questions which then allows him to change what he is thinking as he gets more information.  He is clearly constantly thinking and changing how he feels about family, love, guilt from killing.  The issue is that all of his behaviors are through a rational and logical thought process.  Sadly, he is not taking his emotions into his questions since he doesn’t really know what to do with his own emotions. 

We know that he does feel guilt from killing at least ‘innocent’ people and this may be where his self-control came from.  Think of when he was with Nikaido trying to snipe Tanigaki.  Nikaido didn’t care about Asirpa’s Huci and Osoma, but Ogata wouldn’t hurt them, he only wanted Tanigaki.  His character’s behaviors scream out that he wants to be loved and accepted by someone after a lifetime of bullying but he doesn’t even know how to go about it.

4.) Usami is super messed up.  I just felt that this makes a good point.  Usami is fucking nuts.  This chapter just gives us more information that Usami has his mindset and he sticks to it = Tsurumi loves him, he loves Tsurumi and he will be Tsurumi’s favorite.  Obviously, he’s indicating there will be an Ogata encounter.  Usami better be careful as Ogata’s sniping skills are back.

5.) Kikuta is likely relaying information to Ariko and Central Command perhaps.  As I stated when I first read the chapter and saw Kikuta’s remark about Ogata and Yuusaku, I was like, wtf Kikuta are you blind?  But then if you read the beginning of the chapter, Kikuta is gently nudging Usami to talk.  He drives the entire conversation and as Usami is so emotionally invested in it, he says so much that he likely shouldn’t.  This is exactly how Ogata got information out of Sugimoto when they first met in chapter 5.  Both men have worked in intelligence and they easily pull information out of others before they even realize it.  The fact that he asked Usami his opinion of Ogata makes me wonder if Kikuta knows more or he started asking Usami about Ogata as Ariko told him Ogata was in Sapporo with Hijikata and got injured somewhere.  Ariko was shocked to see Ogata as he thought Ogata was dedicated and loyal to Tsurumi. 

The fact that Kikuta literally left Usami alone in the street ‘investigating’ means he could be going to do his own intel exchange and he doesn’t have to worry about Usami snooping on him.  If Usami was supposed to keep an eye on Kikuta for Tsurumi in Sapporo, he’s doing a shit job. 

Well that is all that I have for now.  Apologies for the long meta, but it was so interesting and I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of points.

[heclingmuzik]

TIMELINE OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS

Some dates are inaccurate from the posted date and some don’t have dates, BUT I’ll be changing dates around just to fit her story a bit better and hopefully make sure things are more easier to understand. If I’ve forgotten to add any importantance between your muse and mine, please shoot me an IM!

-----

Arrived in Isola on January 24th, 2021. 

Upon arrival these are things that Ismael has gone through

On her first day arriving, Spirale was covered in sheets of snow with diamond creatures and diamond anything that would block the way. 

She was rescued by someone from those diamond yetis!

She found out that you can actually break diamond with diamond, and also FOUND KYRIE!

On January 26th, 2021

Curious about the hole, she decides to revisit it. 

This is where she meets the unpleasantries of the shadowy figure. She never got his name, BUT that shadowy figure looking thing is the cause of her first death. He pushed her into the hole.  to this day, no one knows. To this day, Kyrie does not know that Ismael has a tiny fear of heights now. 

{CAN’T FIND DATE} Was hired to work at Lovelyloaves by Mizi

On February 21st, 2021 she joined Big Dipper Talent!

Ismael has met and befriended plenty of people!

On April 1st, 2021

Game time? It’s weird and Ismael still doesn’t entirely understand what was going on, but it was fun. On her birthday, as part of the game, Ismael and Kyrie went diving....from the sky. Certainly a big step in that little fear of her’s!

She got a present afterwards! She hasn’t taken them off since!

She met someone shortly after. Nero. 

He’s looking for a way out, and despite hearing that it is impossible he seems extremely hellbent in returning home. Says he’s got someone waiting for him. Someone waiting for him shares the same name as her friend Kyrie. WHAT are the odds, huh! She has been searching for answers since to help aid him in this quest.

On April 6-20, 2021

On her way in search for parts for Nero, she decides to expand her searching by going to Yesteryear, attempt at Mistwood, and going through Fibonacci’s Shadier sides. 

 April 6 - In Yesteryear, she didn’t find anything, but instead met a man with a strange looking bird. Is it a crow or a raven? She still doesn’t know, but she’s beginning to think the bird is....pretty cool. 

April 10 - In Mistwood she didn’t even go in to check it out. This place will have to wait until she’s either with someone who can get them out in a pinch or just...when she feels she’s ready. Badou says there’s Deatheater? Deadeaters? Whatever the fuck. She’s not about to be eaten by no eatereaters. 

April 18 (Afternoon close to Eveningish) - Ismael tells Nero she wants to fight alongside him when he brings up that he might actually have to change his plan a bit. Says he’ll have to face the Stars first in order to prevent being brought back here. He won’t let her fight and that upsets her. They have a small argument about it. She’ll have to check up on him. Make sure he got home safe and make sure he’s okay. 

April 18 (Nighttime) - Ismael miscalculated the time and got overly cocky. If that’s what you can call it. She got stuck in the crowd and was rescued by a rather tall and scary man. He showed kindness, despite her screaming and lashing out because of fear. Same man decided to show her who he truly is by taking her to some building. 

IN an attempt to save the three men that were unlucky enough to meet Yamazaki in the same building for some shady business???? Ismael may have failed and may have actually been the result in them dying. 

During the time she is captured and held captive, forced to watch whatever unfolds before her eyes with Yamazaki and these poor unfortunate men, Nero sends in a text about finding someone who is willing to make his arm. She’s unable to get to the message until 2 days after in the evening. 

On April 21st, 2021

She finally steps out of her lone house to finally go grocery shopping that she’s been trying to avoid for the past couple of days since she got back from that night. A lot of stuff that she’d suppose to get done neglected.

In her attempt to be quick, in and out of grocery store, she meets Grimm. Someone she’s spent a lot of time with talking about music, playing, and listening.  .....If Grimm can see that something is wrong.... She’s really going to have to avoid seeing everyone else. 

On April 24th, 2021

It’s proving difficult to be at the house, let alone just the ward entirely. She used to actually enjoy being in Fibonnaci. Some of the people there are nice, but...Well, now she just wants out. No where is technically safe, but man, she really wants out of Fibonacci.

She’s been crashing at....one of the Branches. Yesteryear is one of them. She’s beenn sleeping outside in her makeshift camp for a little over two days. She will stop by her home to get more supplies and the things she needs, but only then. 

She’s more than likely going to check with the Stars. See if they will let her move houses.

She wants to ask the stars to move her, but again, the thought of ‘nowhere is really safe’ lingers at the back of her mind. She can move anywhere in the Wards or branches if that’s the case, but....HE will be there....Even if he isn’t. 

On April 27th, 2021

Ismael finally gaining the courage after talking to Dune, decides to text Grimm and Nero.

She tells them what happened that night with Yamazaki. She’s not ready to talk to Kyrie about the event and isn’t quite sure when she will be ready. 

Currently she is crashing at Grimm’s. Occasionally will crash at Nero’s, because she doesn’t want to just burden the one. Sometimes, she’ll be outside, in one of the branches. Sometimes she’ll tell the two where she’s going and other times she will not.

Kyrie remains to be in the dark about the whole situation, as through text, Ismael can pretend that everything IS fine to a perfect T. 

On April 30th, 2021

She hits V up in hopes that he and his friend would be available to help her with a task. She’s been working on her archery skill and decided that in order to work on the small fear of heights, she’d pick up parkouring. Makes sense, right? Let’s see how this all goes.

On May 1, 2021

Ismael was once again debating on if she should venture into Mistwood or not. Only this time, instead of it being Badou to stop her in her tracks, it is none other than V. Where did he even come from? And will she ever actually check the woods out?

Don’t remember exact date

Ismael’s purchase of her Bow and fire elemental fragmentation were delivered to her. She’s been practicing more often. She also received her hoverboard as well.

On  May 2nd, 2021

Ismael has once again come across Yamazaki. This time nothing happened and weirdly enough, it...was as if he was trying to help her get rid of that fear? Too bad he’s extremely unpredictable and what’s done is done. Though, she can’t deny that she hopes that ONE day she can actually look at him without fearing. That one day she can say his name without the memories of what happened...Or even if the memories are still there, she’s able to hold her ground and stay strong. 

Until then, she’s practicing. She’s working on bettering herself, strengthen herself both mentally, emotionally, and physically. 

She is getting a little better. Still nightmares plague her during the night, but she’s able to talk about what happened. May not be in full details, but it’s enough to understand ‘ah, so that’s what Ismael went through.’ 

Trying to face her fears is a lot harder than she thought. BUT she’s working on it. She’s hoping that even through fear she will be brave. 

And every day, Ismael is reminded that she does have people here who cares for her and her them. It just makes these little horrible moments just a tad bit more bearable. She has so many people to thank!

And yes, this very same day she’s made her way into the woods. It may have been because she wasn’t thinking where she was running until it was too late. Whoops. Here, she’s met Mew. The pink cat that Nero helped. 

On May 4th, 2021

Ismael decides to ask Nero a favor. She asks him if he would be okay in going to that building where she had been held captive and check for those bodies that she had left behind. 

Nero ended up sent to the hospital when an unexpected turn of event led him and another guy there. 

She feels guilt and blames herself for Nero’s injuries. 

At the hospital on the same day while waiting for Nero, she meets Yamazaki again. 

On May 8th, 2021

Ismael takes Nero’s words to heart from before when he got injured. When they were at the park he had said something along the lines of not holding something from someone. That being honest was more better. She decides to tell Kyrie of the things that she had suffered through. 

Ismael is significantly getting better at not just archery, but handling things that has been happening in her life. The nightmares are still there. Sometime she catches herself in tears when she wakes, or a yelp in the middle of her sleep. Still, Ismael is doing her best!

On June 4th, 2021

There was an art museum that Ismael decided to attend to. Upon seeing a portrait, she finds out from Kyrie that the art is Yaira. 

That very same day, everything in the museum comes to life and starts attacking people, including there being monsters added onto the chaos. 

Ismael does not make it through. She ends up being injured fairly badly and passes away from said injury by the very hands of Yaira (an evil portrait.)

In the moment of her passing, she gets to meet Yaira (The good portrait that Kyrie made.)

On July 10th, 2021

Ismael undergoes a extremely life-changing situation. The stars manages to throw Ismael back into her world but reverse time with Ismael’s memories of Isola intact and was told that she’d remember bits and pieces and the more she continued onward the more memories she’d remember.

With the option to leave at any time, Ismael continued through her memory to the end and found out that Yaira was her sister all along. 

Currently Ismael suffers from guilt, anger, self-hate, and so much more. She hasn’t been taking care of herself but still continues on with music, training,  and her faith....If only to try and push through. 

On July 21st

Ismael decides to contact Kyrie after a few days of just sending them texts to ask them about Yaira. She has a lot of questions and hopes that Kyrie can help her with them. She’s not entirely sure how she’s going to take any information if it turns out that Kyrie knew something and kept it from her. 

MORE TO BE ADDED

will be updated accordingly!

[silvcrlining]

FINLEY MARTIN: A TIMELINE

1994, NOVEMBER 27th: Finley is born.

2000, MARCH 20th: Reese is born.

2000, APRIL: Gets diagnosed with asthma.

2003, SEPTEMBER: Starts 4th grade. Meets Maisie.

2004, OCTOBER: Gets braces and glasses.

2005, MAY 2nd: Participates in their first and only talent show. [REDACTED] Nevertheless, they win third place in the singing category. Not a good time!

2005, SEPTEMBER: Tries out for their middle school’s track team. Gets in.

2006, JUNE 16th-19th: Father takes them out camping for the first time.

2006, NOVEMBER 27th: Their mother gifts them their first digital camera after months of Finley constantly getting her to buy them disposable cameras.

2007, APRIL: Gets braces removed.

2007, NOVEMBER: Wins the national Science Fair competition.

2008, SEPTEMBER: Starts high school. Meets Jacob, who quickly becomes friends with both Finley and Maisie.

2009, FEBRUARY: Gets contacts.

2009, MAY: Witnesses first loud fight between parents. These become regular.

2009, SEPTEMBER: Begins taking programming classes as an elective. They’re pretty good at it! Teacher later heavily advises them to consider going into Computer Science as a career choice.

2010, APRIL 4th: Faints after their father overworks them while training. Gets taken to the hospital.

2010, JUNE 15th: Parents file for divorce. Custody process over Finley and Reese begins.

2010, OCTOBER 3rd: Finds out one of the older kids at Reese’s school has been bullying her for months. They break his nose. Reese begins taking jiu jitsu classes.

2010, DECEMBER 10th: Maisie invites Finley over for a movie night. They come out as non-binary for the first time and have their first kiss with her. Finley and Maisie start dating.

2011, JANUARY 26th: Comes out to their mother (Tabitha) and Reese.

2011, MARCH: Custody process ends. They settle on a shared custody agreement.

2011, JUNE: Tabitha reconnects with Levi, an old university friend.

2011, JULY: Has a big fight with their mother after [REDACTED].

2011, AUGUST: Stops doing photography to focus on their studies more.

2011, SEPTEMBER 9th: Maisie breaks up with Finley when they say [REDACTED].

2011, NOVEMBER 1st: Has their first kiss with a boy, Lenny, behind the bleachers.

2012, JANUARY 20th: Tabitha and Levi begin dating.

2012, FEBRUARY 10th: Makes up with Maisie. They start dating again.

2012, MARCH 17th: Levi takes Finley and Reese out to a museum and ice cream after. This becomes a tradition, which continues with Levi and Reese after Finley leaves for university.

2012, JUNE: Graduates high school.

2012, JUNE 16th: Levi proposes to Tabitha. She says yes.

2012, AUGUST: Moves to their dorm in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

2012, SEPTEMBER: Starts their Computer Science degree at MIT with an athlete scholarship for track and field.

2012, NOVEMBER 12th: Gets line tattoo on their neck on a lonely night during finals week.

2012, DECEMBER 24th: [REDACTED]. They stop speaking to their father.

2013, JANUARY: Buys a new camera and takes up photography again.

2013, FEBRUARY: Becomes friends with Lilliana and Grayson, members of the Photography club. They collaborate on a few small creative projects together. Most of them are personal little projects that never see the light of day.

2013, MAY: One of their photography projects gets published in the university’s art magazine.

2013, DECEMBER: Visits their family for the holidays.

2013, DECEMBER 18th: Tabitha and Levi have a courthouse wedding.

2014, JANUARY: Finley decides to propose to Maisie.

2014, APRIL: Finley goes engagement ring shopping with Levi.

2014, MAY 6th: Finley proposes to Maisie. She says yes.

2014, AUGUST: They begin to question their relationship with Maisie and if they’re happy with the path they’re on.

2014, DECEMBER 31st: Finley [REDACTED] at a New Year’s Eve party. They apologize the day after and don’t talk to [REDACTED] again.

2015, AUGUST - DECEMBER: First co-op program. Stretches their degree out a year. They start questioning if what they’re doing actually makes them happy.

2015, OCTOBER: Finley catches up with Jacob. They sleep together shortly after.

2016, MARCH: Visits Maisie in DC for Spring Break. They realize Jacob’s brother, Fitz, and Maisie are working together in the same research program. No big deal.

2016, AUGUST: They quit track and field.

2017, JUNE: Graduates with their Bachelor’s degree.

2017, JULY: Moves in with Maisie.

2017, AUGUST: Gets job as an ethical hacker in DC.

2017, OCTOBER 1st: Maisie confronts Finley about them cheating and ends their engagement.

2017, OCTOBER 3rd: Moves back with their family.

2017-2018, DECEMBER - JANUARY: Mutual friend group begins to distance themselves from Finley. Finley spends New Year’s Eve alone.

2018, FEBRUARY:  Jacob tries to reach out to them; they tell him to fuck off.

2018, APRIL 2nd: They go to their first therapy session at the request of their step-dad.

2018, APRIL 9th: They miss their second therapy session. They don’t return.

2018, MAY: Hears a coworker talking about “that cute little town by Zuzu City.” Starts researching Stardew Valley.

2018, JUNE: Reese graduates high school. They get drunk together.

2019, MAY: Tells their family they’re moving to Stardew Valley.

2019, JUNE: Quits their job.

2019, JULY 8th: Moves to Stardew Valley.

2019, JULY 9th: Makes a pit stop at Zuzu City, where they get their Dali melting clock tattoo.

2019, AUGUST: Gets hired at the Mercer General Store.

2019, NOVEMBER 27th - 30th: Visits their family early after feeling homesick. They consider moving back to DC, but their step-dad convinces them to stay in the Valley.

2019, DECEMBER: Visits family for Christmas.

2020, FEBRUARY - MARCH: Turns unused closet in their house into a darkroom.

2020, MARCH: Starts their photography freelancing business.

[dannyxtyler]

HI FRIENDS I have figured out Danny’s new baby momma backstory so if you’re interested just click under read more (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

(drumroll)

Ok so yeah, after it was decided that Teagan was no longer the baby momma I had a crisis and I even thought about giving Danny a dead baby momma plot but we all know my boy is too soft and he’d be miserable and haunted even if it was a random one night stand and he didn’t deserve that so I came up with a pretty similar plot as to the timing and way he found out so his other plots would all still make sense, judge it by yourselves, here it is: 

The new baby momma name is Jess. Currently 26 yrs old.

Jess is a Crownsville native, her parents divorced when she was really little and her dad moved to L.A where he started his own record label. Jess traveled constantly (specially during the summers) to spend time with her dad in L.A. This is how she met Danny when they were teens, after Danny’s band signed with her dad’s record label and he was already living in L.A.

They quickly developed a friendship bc they clicked so well, yet their relationship was always very sister-brother like #brotp

During Jess’ college years she constantly partied and slept with many people. This became worse by the time her senior college year came.

Given that, when she found out she was pregnant the summer after she graduated, she had no clue as to who the father could have been. She had a crisis where she didn’t know what to do since she was about to just start her career but decided to keep the baby and move back to Crownsville with her mom and sister.

Her daughter, Amelia Rose (Mia), was born on January 27th in Atlanta

Since her thing with Danny was just a drunken one night stand before he went on tour that they didn’t really talk about after (given their relationship had always been very brother-sister like so it was an embarrassing mistake) she never considered Danny being the father, until he moved here and it all clicked. This is the part that is very similar to how it all went down with Teagan as to how he found out so the timelines weren’t affected.

Remember the May sadness Danny faced after Teagan left for rehab? (Only 90s kids do) Well, I had to find something that could replace that bc that sadness was such an important plot for his character development so this is what I came up with: one night in May, Jess had an argument with Danny and she left his place and drove home angrily. This caused her to have a car accident where she was badly injured, yet she survived. 

Danny blamed himself for this and felt guilty for the longest time until they both finally talked it out and made up. Danny has been doing better and he’s bff with Jess again.

So yeah, Jess stays npc unless I decide to play her myself -bc oh boi, I have been tempted- so you probs actually meet her in a future but yeah if you ever see me or any other squad member mentioning a Jess, we talking about baby momma. 

Here’s a full bio for Jess in case u were curious, yes I copy pasted some parts bc I’m lazy and YES I pictured Liz Gillies all along, that’s the face she has ok

Love y’all!!!!

[doomedandstoned]

A Chat with Ancient VVisdom Ahead of Ohio Doomed & Stoned Festival

~By Billy Goate~

In 2015, I was stuck in a motel on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. Long story short, I was in a bad way. That’s when I picked up the album ‘Sacrificial’ (2014) and poured into it. It was like salve to my soul and it’s been a continual go-to ever since. So thank you for that.

Thank you, hopefully you are in a better place now! We've all been there before, not in a motel in Sao Paulo but in a bad place. Music to me has a similar effect. I've been told our music has that sort of effect on some people. Almost like experiencing something meditative putting them in a state of tranquility which to me is a giant compliment. And on another note there are bands out there that do the same thing for me, so I completely understand.

It’s been about two years since you brought us the follow-up to that one, ‘33’ (2017), which I know a lot of people resonated with, as well. Much of the lyrical content comes across as a love song to Lucifer, leading us to be curious about what Nathan Opposition’s own beliefs are when it comes to the occult, supernatural, and the Devil himself?

For me, Lucifer is enlightenment. Satan is free will. The devil is a symbol of the manifestation of reality. The goat, the pentagram, the symbolism behind the imagery, the meaning behind the veil is more relevant now than ever.

Today's society needs Satanism. It is an evolved outlook on individualism and freedom of choice. There is acceptance and love within the basic tenets of Satanism and further down the rabbit hole you may even be able to find true self.

People need to dig deep in the emotional paydirt of actually Satanism to find the gateways to unlock the reality they wish to enjoy and experience.

So to answer your question, I've always been fascinated by the topic of the occult. At a very young age. I'm 35 now and the signs of me losing interest in the topic are slim to none.

Read any good books lately?

Haven't been reading because I've been writing. When I'm deep in my writing process I like to clutter my mind with my own thoughts and not someone else's. For me, this allows the ideas to fester and ferment, then I harvest and consume. It has its own timeline, almost like it has a will of its own. I like to let ideas for themselves and when they are ready they will let me know and I will reveal them to the rest of the world.

We hear you’ve got a new album slated for release on Argonauta Records, ‘Mundus’ (2019). What’s the story behind the album title? What lyrical themes do you explore?

Yes, Mundus will be out September 27th 2019 on Argonauta Records. The album title is an ancient roman Latin word for World. The album cover was illustrated black and white pointillism by an artist named Karmazid who lives in Aschaffenburg, Germany.

Longtime friend and fan of the band, when he turned in the album art it said "Mundus" on the banner that is wrapped around an image of the earth being crushed by the hand of doom, my brother Michael guitarist in Ancient VVisdom and I both loved the artwork so much we decided not to change a thing and call the album Mundus. So technically, we let Karmazid name our album.

My lyrics on Mundus are based in the ever growing threat of doom consuming the fears of humanity in general. Too many crazy things happening in this world for something big not to happen. Society is like a dormant volcano right now ready to be active once again. This album has themes that fit the times we live in right now. The fears of the masses and the global problems that a rapidly expanding population has created have brought us to the point of no return. Now it's no longer a question of will it happen, it's when will it happen.

We’re very much looking forward to your upcoming visit to Ohio Doomed & Stoned Festival. What do you have in store for us?

Expect the next level of Ancient VVisdom. We play something off of every album, we have a new rhythm section and my brother Michael and I will be on electric guitars.

When we take over the stage, we transform it completely so expect a production. This will be our heaviest , most focused and thought out set we've ever projected, thank you and really looking forward to it!

How do you like to prepare before a show? Any pre-show routines?

I always like to do some vocal exercises, get the pipes warmed up, pick up the guitar and do some finger exercises. Once I feel comfortable with that I'll set it aside and start presetting our stage.

It's good to stay organized, especially when you have a few extras on stage to set up. It's a lot to keep track of and show settings can be chaotic environments. Best to stay focused.

My brother Michael, his wife owns and operates a record store in Lakewood Ohio called Black Market Records, we have a rehearsal space in the basement. We call it "The Abyss" -- a huge space where legend has it Nine Inch Nails used to practice! So a lot of rehearsing and planning happens there. Other than that good to stretch a little bit and smoke a little bit, get the mind and body right.

The gearheads among us will kill me if I don’t ask about what you’re packing these days -- instruments, pedals, amps, the works. What are the tools you use to work your magic?

We are playing all Peavey amps with Marshall cabs. Jackson guitars, BC Rich guitars, Jackson bass. My brother, lead guitarist, has a Rock Master head with Boss DS-1 Distortion, MXR Carbon Copy Delay, TC Electronic Corona Chorus, Boss tuner.

I play rhythm, one crunchy tone the whole way through. Drums are Sonor Phil Rudd signature kit, loud and booming, all black.

For Ancient VVisdom, we find a real fine balance off sound volume and tone and somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot. It's not about blowing up ear drums but more about finding that nice break up and using the tones to drive the songs at the place they need to be.

It's really a magically thing music is. Especially working with my brother as well as we do. Locking in isn't an issue because we play the same way, only he's way better than me!

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[themagiciansreccenter]

The 39 Graves Project: Frequently Asked Questions

How much content needs to be provided?

We are looking for fully realised arcs. Your timeline needs to go from point A (the start of the loop) to point B (Quentin’s death). This doesn’t need to be a 50k + treatise on the timeloop, but we do need to see the progression from one point to the other.

tl;dr: there is no formal minimum unless you guys want one. We just want to see clear effort and thought out, finished projects.

Can I change aspects of the timeline outside of those specified in my prompt?

Yes, as long as the changes are those Jane, Martin or Dean Fogg could have made, or a ripple effect thereof. The prompts are deliberately broad to give you guys enough creative freedom.

How many guidelines/stipulations do I get?

Each timeline will receive 4-7 stipulations they must include in their final product depending on how complex or difficult the individual stipulations are. Additional changes may be made (so long as they don’t contradict the given stipulations) and you may opt to select a “challenge mode” guideline to increase the difficulty of the challenge.

Tell me more about this “challenge mode”.

We’ve done our best to keep the stipulations we’ve provided pretty general so each creator can focus on the characters and situations they are passionate about. Challenge Mode exists for those of you who want more specific, more challenging stipulations on your project. We have provided a list of additional challenges you may select. You can select as many as you would like.

I’m hearing all this talk of “assignments”, “timelines” and “stipulations”; what does it all mean? Are you giving me rules?

In short, yes. You will receive a small set of rules you will need to stick to when creating your content. Each person or team will be assigned a specific timeline from the timelines prior to the one explored in the show. That timeline will include rules that you must include in your work, no exceptions. They are designed to be a bit general, so how you interpret and build upon those rules is up to you. We want you guys to be able to explore the characters and dynamics you’re interested in, but we still want some structure and basis in what we can gather from the canon. Your timeline will look something like this:

Timeline Nineteen

Quentin and Julia must die

Julia attends Brakebills

Quentin does not give Fogg truth serum

Instead of Margo Hanson, your timeline has Janet Pluchinsky

Josh is left behind in the Neitherlands

Your timeline must include a Tesla-Flexion

How far into canon events am I allowed to cover?

It is important to remember that the show canon is the only successful timeline. Previous timelines will be incredibly limited in their scope by comparison. Most of the events beyond season 1 are not likely to come into play here unless you can clearly and deliberately work them into the struggle to stop the Beast. Most of these timelines should be focused on their time at Brakebills. That said, it’s worth noting that the third year class found Fillory and went there on spring break. They ran into the Beast accidentally while they were trying to party with magical creatures. 😜

Important canon information regarding the timelines to consider. From lines in the canon dialogue, we know that:

Julia is always a student at Brakebills and her discipline is Knowledge

The Beast attack is much later in most timelines and is often but not always the end

Q and Alice are slow to start bonding, if they do so at all

22 is especially grim, but not as bad as 23

Quentin Coldwater is the only one who always makes it to Fillory if anyone goes at all

Julia usually dies before they make it to Fillory or not too long after they arrive

While it is not explicitly mentioned, it makes sense that Eliot and Margo/Janet are hit or miss on if they go to Fillory or not, and that decision would be dependent upon how heavily one or both of them bonds with Quentin. Remember, they don’t always make it to Fillory, and when they do, Quentin is the only one who is always likely to be there. Hell, El and Margo do not even need to be bonded as tightly as we see them in timeline 40.

I know we are all attached to our ships and pairings, but consider how the presence of Julia and the absence of certain other factors may influence how people bond. The characters may connect differently, or not at all. They may even be different people in alternate timelines. We really want you guys to think outside the box where you can.

Once I’ve signed up, where do I go for support on my timeline?

The Magicians Rec Center will be your main point of contact. We have established a discord server for the project so that creators can get together and discuss ideas and get updates on the project from the mods.

When can I post my content for the project?

All content must be submitted on April 27th before 11:59pm EST.

How should my content be submitted to you?

Content should be submitted to TheMagiciansRecCenter@gmail.com by the deadline of April 27th.

Once all the timelines have been collected and we give the okay, they can be posted onto AO3. (Reminder that pictures, videos, playlists, and audio files may be posted to ao3, but multimedia must be hosted elsewhere. See the FAQ for more details) The intention is to post the timelines in chronical order as a complete set. We will be starting a series for the 39 Graves Project, and you will be added as co-creators. You can add your work to the series when you post it, just like you would when adding to a series you created yourself. We recommend that if you do not already have an account, you apply for an invite so that you will be able to post by April. While having an ao3 account is not a requirement for the project, it is strongly encouraged. If you absolutely, cannot or will not sign up, we will be able to post the piece to ao3 on your behalf.

If you have never posted works to a series on ao3, please take the time out to visit their FAQ.

Still have a burning question? Send us an ask! We hope we answered all your questions and can’t wait to get started.

xx V, Rae, and Sarah

[imnotquitesurebutimdoingitanyway]

Tales of Dreamland: Party's Over

A black man in a black suit paced. They were on top of a skyscraper in a golden dance hall. Behind him his brother tried to assure him. "She will be here." "They were kidnapped an hour ago, man! We don't have time to waste." "We put out the call, Aunt Linda will be here. Count on her."

Right on cue, an elderly white woman appeared. She seemed irritated. "What is it Louie?" "Ah! Thank God you've come, I need your help." "You always need my help, you called me just a few seconds ago to help you find your keys!" "When was that?" "Just a minute ago.. Can't have been more than two." "No, you're in the Time Bubble. When did I call you, when I lost my keys in 3046?" "I believe so. Why?" "This is 3048. Linda… My fiancé was just kidnapped from our rehearsal. Grace, she's gone." Her face paled. "I-I think it had something to do with the problem at Lakeview, you know when we lost her sister?" "Tina? What happened to Tina?" "I thought you already looked at that, we talked about it two months ago!" "To you, maybe! But.." Linda sighed, turning and smiling at the other man. "Hello Sean. It is so nice to see you." He nodded, she snapped her attention back to Louie. "You have future analysis, something I don't currently have. Do you know how many hoops I will have to jump through because you couldn't- I'm not trying to cast blame here - why didn't you call for someone ahead of me who already has the results?" "Because.. I-I don't want to lose her too." Tears formed in his eyes. "Please. I'll do anything!!" "Fine. Just don't grovel, I hate that. You're lucky you're my favorite outcome for my niece. I'll see what I can dig up. It may not be complete." "Thank you Linda." "Could have had a dentist for a nephew-in-law if Gracie didn't mind a little light snoring…" She muttered, disappearing from view for a moment. She reappeared, holding a large red dossier. Undoing the thick dark red ribbon she muttered "But nobody can dance like you, she says… Alright, today is a week before your wedding in 3048, April 27th?" "June 4th." "Oh, so you didn't get that promotion… That's ok, that's ok. A lot of this is stream-of-consciousness direct from the Garblebot. It'll take me a bit to sift through it. Lakeview was… 3042. Oh," Her hand flew to her mouth, her face rapidly reddening as tears began to flow. "Oh Tina.." "Linda.." "Just- Give me a moment. I have to give you this news just after I'm done processing it. When was that?" "Two months ago." "Two months ago… So I won't be able to tell you then about this kidnapping. Makes it impossible to change the outcome. Are you sure you don't want to wait for analysis? We can send it backwards once we have it." "But if it's the same as Lakeview, we won't get the analysis until over 5 years later! We have to act now if it is the same ones!" "The realtor Mr. Robert Zumag and his accomplice Kitty Flanchette are serving their infinite sentence in Time Jail already. They won't be temporally released for ten years, and even then it is slated to be for only a few years at a remote cabin in Laos. We don't currently know who did this. I'm not sure how I can help." "Well, just tell me what you can see." "I'll try. You'll just need to correct me if I say something inaccurate; this isn't just the current timelines but several alternate realities too. Here goes:"

The rehearsal went off flawlessly. Everyone got to the blimp in time, no drama - "outside, Leana and Megan did fight over who got to catch the practice bouquet" - Oh, so that continued through the rehearsal. After the ceremony concluded late, the blimp was already docked here. Grace and her bridesmaids got onto their mega plane. They were heading back to the family estate. - "Yes, but they never arrived." - OK, did you notice anything about the pilot? - "No." - Did anyone?

Louie whirled to address his father-in-law "Perry?" "He was taller than me, thin." "Probably because he doesn't have your appetite for sponge cake!" His brother, Marlin, laughed and slapped his belly.

Very well. Tall, thin… Narrows it down. He was either the kidnapper, or someone else did it. -"..That really doesn't narrow it down." - Not from your perspective. When did you realize she wasn't where she was supposed to be? -"Not too long ago, a half hour." - Good, good. For how annoying this is at least you acted promptly. Parallels to Lakeview… Grace and Tina were there looking for a beach house. They found a realtor in a strip mall, the next morning there was a minor flood… Let me check weather patterns. -"What does the weather tomorrow have to do with right now?" Sean interjected - I'm sorry, did you want to sift through Garblebot's garbage? There's whole chunks of this that is just fanfiction of the Great Gatsby. No? -"..Fanfiction?"- Yes. The damn machine found an alternate reality where he is an accomplished writer bot, and a bizarre other reality where he is a terrible hack fanfic writer. Seems to prefer the latter one. We usually edit it out before doing analysis… but there wasn't time if you wanted this fast. That night in Lakeview, Tina went missing. She went back to the realtors office, and her car was later found abandoned in a Target parking lot. No one ever saw her alive again… The poor sweet child. She was always too trusting. The mega plane is still in motion. -"It is?? Do you know where it'll end up?" - I'm not sure yet. It arrives at its destination sometime soon, however. Close to here. Actually very close.

A loud thud caused everyone to turn towards the docking bay. Through the large window they could see it was the same plane. They waited tensely. Finally the dock doors opened. The bride to be and her bridesmaids were happily chatting, carrying large bags from an elite shopping conglomerate. "Grace! My god-" He rushed to embrace her. She was stunned, albeit smiling. "You're alright! Are you hurt?" "No, I'm- I'm fine. Aunt Linda! What are you doing here, I thought you had work?" "Hello dear, I am at work. Your groom said you had been kidnapped, I'm glad so see all is well." "Kidna- Oh, no!" She laughed, "Of course not. We just decided on an impromptu trip to the Skye Malle, as a way to get these two past their bullshit." She pointed to her previously problematic friends. They were now chatting and clearly past their differences. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you darling, we just lost track of time is all. Hope I didn't have you worrying too much?" He flashed a nervous smile. "Whaaat? No, I- was never really worried." "Except you were." "Yes I did. I'm sorry, I freaked out. You weren't answering your phone-" "You called me?" Pulling out the device, she gasped. "Oh my, it was on silent! I'm so sorry honey. I didn't mean to make you worry. And Aunt Linda, I'm so sorry you were bothered at work for this!" "Only a minor bother for my favorite niece. Just glad to see you are ok dear. Could you make me some of your caramel brownies when you see me next?" "Of course! Do you know when that will be?" "I don't. I will have to pick up another shift here to make up for lost time. Pleasure to see everyone; but for me, the party is over."

[feywildrp]

Welcome to Feywild’s sixth event, part deux!

It’s An Fidchell! For the exposition part of the An Fidchell event, please see the first post. Frankly, the event just got too lengthy, but part deux has the bulk of things to respond to—though you’re welcome and encouraged to make threads during the tailgate or the game itself of An Fidchell as outlined before. 

For timeline purposes, the ensuing chaos in Tara is timestamped for June 21st at 9:30pm. (Sunset is 8:30 and assuming fidchell took an hour.) At 10pm, our unaligned humans have all been invited to a little party thrown by Clann Nuadha up in the Bronx! Our next event will be on July 27th.

9:30pm: “And that’s when all hell breaks loose in the arena.”

FEYRY FIRE

As the portal to Manhattan is closed, a sound like a bang and then a pop—like a series of bang snaps only far louder—and then a whoosh can be heard. A banner is unfurled in the center of the arena’s sitting area, across from the royal box, without anyone nearby; it was hung and a button could have released it, reading, “Change is coming.” And there, in the middle of the fidchell board, is suddenly a roaring feyry fire. Feyry fire is a particular, lesser known minor magic requiring the use of rare, specific fungi and the magic of more than one fey combining their energies together; it had to be made in advance and then timed hoping for the best. Certain eyes in the arena might be watching it, focusing on it, but who can tell amidst all the chaos? Feyry fire is similar to regular fire, except it burns hotter, moves faster, and is bright, emerald-lime shifting green. It spreads quickly through the bounds of the arena, claiming the hems of dresses and causing its fair share of injuries and burns as people rush to escape it and others try to stop it.

HUNGRY GRASS

In the same moment that the banner and the fire happen, a ring of hungry grass a quarter mile deep appears in a circle around the arena. Surely whatever rebellion did the feyry fire—whether that’s the Holly Rebellion or the Fox Rebellion, surely each Court will blame its own rebellion as they should, as each rebellion will try to claim it as their own—could not have caused this... but it certainly seems related. It will be difficult to leave the arena if you’re running from the fire; you’ll surely come into contact with the grass and wind up without your magic for a day. There are sparse patches that people can hopscotch through if they’re able to find them, but it is dark out and the iridescence isn’t as pronounced. Killing the grass only breeds more grass—but perhaps inanimate, non-living things can be placed, with effort, over the grass in order to avoid contact for those who fear the grass so much.

10pm: “We’ve gathered you all here today...”

AN BÉAL BOCHT CAFE

The name is Gaelic for "the poor mouth" (also the title of a novel by Irish writer Flann O'Brien), but that's not the only artistic influence at this congenial hang, which serves as a gathering place for Riverdale's Irish-American art and theater communities. Posters and sketches depict literary heroes like James Joyce. Comfort foods abound on the lengthy menu, which stars bangers and mash and a classic shepherd’s pie and beef stew. [X]

Courtesy of Emmet McLoughlin, Clann Nuadha has gotten its hands on a list of anyone who received a receipt (say, for an electronic point-of-sale drink purchase) the Cotilan event last month and sent out invitations for tonight at An Béal Bocht, a cafe on Graystone Ave in the Bronx. They rented out the space and on the stage, Brielle is performing stepdance and playing pipes. A bitter, lukewarm tea is being passed around and all present company seem to be drinking it. There’s also a host of beer, cocktails, and food available and it has the makings of a pretty good, if lowkey, party.

At one point, an older man gets on the stage and introduces himself as Slane; he thanks everyone for coming. He begins in a vaguely Irish accent, “We’ve gathered you all here today because you attended a dinner theater event last month. We’re here to tell you that there was more going on there than meets the eye. There are fey among us—and they were there that night. And we can prove it.” In truth, he can’t prove they were there than night, nor could he explain Margold or how he knew they did exist. It was, technically, a lie. But he wasn’t a feyry and he, at the very least, retained the ability to massage the truth.

By this time, everyone at the party should be in pretty good spirits, either from the free beer or the lukewarm tea (what is in that? some folks might be wondering, as they start to feel a little—odd). Slane gestures to Patrick to bring out something from behind the counter and he does; he comes back around holding a terra cotta bowl filled with dirt, but in the dirt is grass that is faintly bluegreen iridescent, and among the grass, quite obviously, are a number of fist-sized translucent bluegreen rocks that seem to shine with their own inner light. People flock to the rocks like moths to a flame; it’s natural.

Slane says, “We have discovered that if you touch the grass, you will be hungry—starving—famished—without rhyme or reason, voracious—for about a day. But we have also discovered that if you touch these rocks, you, yes you, humans just like you and I, can feel magic.” He wasn’t wrong. Those who did touch the rocks would feel a warmth radiate up through their fingertips and to their hearts and it felt like tingling, indeed, in truth, the way magic would feel inside a fey if they had the words to describe what something they’ve always known could feel like. “You will fill tired—fatigued—drained after this, but isn’t it worth it, to know the truth?” he asks you.

But of course, even this isn’t as it seems.

Not that Clann Nuadha knows it.

Please message May if your muse drinks the tea or touches the rocks.

[wintervoltronzine2018-blog]

ABOUT PAGE

For those using the mobile app, I know that it can be very difficult to view different pages or blog formats, so I’ve made it easier for you!

How To Get In Contact:

Send us an ask or message on Tumblr or contact us at:

Our Twitter: PENDING Our Email: wintervoltronzine2018@gmail.com

Our Tumblr: https://wintervoltronzine2018.tumblr.com/

What is the zine about?

The Winter Voltron Zine (Official print name to be polled upon later) is a Voltron team-centric zine dedicated to celebrating the winter season in any way possible! From holidays such as Christmas and New Years, to lesser known holidays such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, all are acceptable. Not a fan of holidays or would prefer something else? Having a simple “Winter Fun” idea is also acceptable! Whether they are on Earth, the Castle, or even on another planet, it’s all acceptable as long as you keep with the winter theme.

What is a Zine?

A zine is a collection of artwork and stories that will be published in physical and pdf format.

So How Does This Work?

Our zine will consist of 40 to 50 participants: 20 to 30 Zine Artists, 10 to 20 Writers, and hopefully a few Merch Artists. This is subject to change depending on the applications I happen to receive.

The zine is Team-centric – there can be ship content (all ships are accepted!) but the ship should not be the main focus of the art or the story.

Expected Timeline:

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL THESE DATES ARE TENTATIVE AND MAY CHANGE!

Applications/Sign-Ups Open: October 10th, 2017

Applications/Sign-Ups Close: October 25th, 2017

Acceptance Emails: October 26th - 27th, 2017

Participants List Posted: October 28th, 2017

First WIPs Due: November 13th - November 17th, 2017

Second WIPs Due: December 4th – December 8th, 2017

Pieces Due: January 1st – January 5th, 2018

Pre-orders Open: January 8th 2018

Pre-orders Close: January 29th, 2018

Shipping: February, 2018

*Participants must accept within 48hrs of receiving an acceptance email or will be dropped.

Do you give extensions?

We can’t promise extensions, but we’ll discuss circumstances with you to make the situation best work for everyone involved.

How does the application process work?

There will be a Google Form going up on October 10th!

You will be asked to provide examples of your work. Based on these examples we will pick our artists and writers. These examples don’t have to be winter, team, or even Voltron related as long as they show off your best work.

If the google link doesn’t work for you, I will also accept applications via email, but I would PREFER that you use the google.

What kind of samples do I submit?

Fic samples: Two samples of writing.  Each sample may be either short fiction or a snippet from a longfic!  If you’re an author and you only have longfics, please submit snippets no longer than 3.5k.

If the fic is on AO3/FFnet/etc., link it there. If you’re submitting a snippet from a longer fic, please place everything in a google doc. Feel free to provide a link to the full work if you want!

Art samples: Up to five samples of art, A minimum of three.  Both analogue (traditional) and digital media are accepted. Please ensure these examples show off your best work in terms of composition, background, and coloring.

If you’re sending in analogue/traditional media, make sure the scan or photo is of a decent quality to be easily viewed on a screen. The art needs to be illustrated, but it does not need to be Winter or Voltron related.

Art may be submitted as either direct image links, (a) page(s) on a website (your blog, deviantart, etc.), imgur album, or in a google doc folder.

Are there limits to the genre of art/writing?

There are no limitations except artists and writers are encouraged to make sure that their pieces are based off the main theme. Nothing that would be considered rated R and avoid going NSFW. Wounds, scars and blood etc are fine if that’s REALLY how you see your piece going for a theme like this, but nothing Walking Dead level bloody. If you have any questions or are unsure of anything, don’t be afraid to contact me!

Is it a must for artworks be digital?

Yes, it will be easier to manage and create the zine with digital artworks.

Is there a limit for art/writing submissions?

See Artist/Writer Guidlines

Artwork sizes?

The zine will be around 8" length x 11" height in size, (slightly smaller than A4) so artworks should be around that size for it to fit inside the book. If not, adjustments may need to be made and this may affect the original quality of the artwork.

Can artists and writers collab with other in the zine?

Of course! All collabs are allowed - artist&artist, writer&writer, artist&writer. All I ask is that you let me know who will be collaborating with who so I can plan the layout accordingly!

Can we post our WIPs/zine pieces online?

Yes! You may post your WIPs/zine pieces but not in full. Crop the image, blur the image, put up a large watermark, anything you need to do to avoid showing spoilers.

Will there be any extras for the zine? (keychains, stickers etc.)

I would like to have them yes, and I will be choosing merch artists in application.

What printing company will be used?

I’m currently looking into a few good local printers.

What shipping company will be used?

USPS and USPS International, all shipping from The United States.

Will the zine be for profit or charity?

Yes, the Winter Zine will certainly be for charity! I will hold polls to decide just what charity will be used at a later date. Official charity will be picked in poll by the chosen contributors.

Will artists and writers be able to purchase the zine when preorders open?

Of course! In fact, all participants will hopefully be able to get a copy of the zine for free.

If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to get in