english used to be the normie filter & how you could tell someone was a Trve Internethead but after the DAMNED 2020 quarantine for obvious reasons EveryBody & They Momma is acceptably fluent so now i have to learn swedish or something. -_-

Poser

Summary: Natasha gets sick of Yelena constantly calling her a poser, so she brings back a playful method from their childhood to teach her a lesson.

A/N: I’m back with another drabble! Yelena deserved to be the bratty and annoying little sister as an adult, so I’m giving her that chance. Hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Tickling and fluff

-

Natasha pinches the bridge of her nose, resisting the temptation to throw her sister out the window. Sure, she would never intentionally hurt her sister, she loves the blonde more than she can explain. But Yelena is driving her fucking crazy.

The blonde is cackling on the floor of the gym, rolling around like a child. She had immediately burst into hysterics when Natasha landed in one of her infamous poses after Yelena had knocked her down while they were sparring.

“Yelena, it’s not that funny.” Natasha growls. But she can’t shake the fondness in her tone. “You’re right poser, it’s hilarious!” Yelena cackles.

Natasha tackles Yelena, their sparring session soon turning into a playful wrestling match. “Poser!” Yelena yells out.

Natasha groans.

-

“Hey poser, come here a second.”

Natasha internally groans. Yelena has barely even called her by her actual name. Only poser.

“What it is, Yelena?” She asks. The blonde smirks. “Nothing. Just wanted to call you a poser.”

Natasha lunges for her, but Yelena runs before she can grab her. “GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT!” Natasha yells.

“YOU’LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE YOU STINKY POSER!” Yelena yells back.

Natasha lets her get away.

For now.

-

Natasha’s last straw comes the next day.

The avengers are gathered in the common room, hanging out and chatting.

“Gosh, you are such a poser.”

Natasha freezes. Yelena has yet to call her the annoying nickname in front of the avengers.

Until now.

Yelena sees the mischievous glint in her sister’s eye soon enough to start running towards their shared room in the compound. She barely makes it into the room before Natasha is grabbing her by the waist and tackling her onto the bed.

Yelena is pinned before she can blink. Natasha is holding her wrists in one hand, her other hand slipping under Yelena’s shirt and resting on her stomach. The blonde is already giggling in anticipation, knowing what is coming next. “Nohohoho dohonon’t!” She pleads.

But Natasha ignores her.

She begins furiously wiggling her fingers right above Yelena’s belly button, sending her into cackling laughter. “STOHOHOHOHOP!” She screams, squealing when Natasha pinches her ribs.

“Really? Hmm…I don’t think I will. This is what you get for calling me a poser so much!” Natasha growls, leaning down and blowing a raspberry on Yelena’s neck. Yelena screams with giggles, squirming and trying to free herself. “YOU ARE A POHOHOHOSER!”

Natasha’s fingers stop. She raises an eyebrow. “Am I? Surely you should’ve learned your lesson now.”

Yelena nods at the question. Natasha sighs, appearing as though she’s given up, and Yelena thinks she’s won.

But then, Natasha grabs her ankles. Yelena’s eyes widen like saucers, and she starts desperately trying to free her ankles from the subsequent headlock Natasha has them in. “Nohoho! I’m sorry!” Yelena apologizes. Her feet have always been her worst spot, even when she was a kid. Natasha knows this.

The redhead pulls Yelena’s black socks off her feet, exposing them to the cold air.

“Too late. You had your chance.”

With those final words, Natasha cruelly skitters her fingers into Yelena’s soles, tickling her feverishly.

Yelena bursts into boisterous, unwavering laughter. She tries pushing on Natasha’s back, but the redhead doesn’t stop. A quick pinch to Yelena’s ribs has her falling back onto the bed. “STOHOHOHOHOP! MERCY!” Yelena cries. Natasha is quick and unpredictable in her movements, constantly switching between her toes, heels, and arches. She can tell that it’s driving Yelena crazy.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEHEHEHEHEHASE!” Yelena cackles. Natasha lets go of her ankles, crawling upwards and blowing a giant raspberry on Yelena’s toned stomach. The blonde wheezes, tapping the bed with her palm.

Natasha relents, looking down at her with her signature smirk. Yelena glares playfully. “That was mean, sestra.” She pants. “You had it coming, little one.” Natasha retorts. She opens her arms, allowing Yelena to snuggle into her side. “I love you so much, detka. Never change.” Natasha murmurs, planting a kiss on Yelena’s forehead. Yelena melts into the affection, curling closer to Nat.

“I love you too.”

-

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this fluffy and chaotic fic! Comments are appreciated. Feel free to send requests!

From The Mist

From The Mist, Wending Way Games, 2010

In the game From The Mist (FTM) you play a lost soul finding their way back into the world. You are literally a soul, an ephemeral piece of a person. The person themselves is gone. It's never clear whether you actually died - some people think you did, some are positive that you just ran away to start a new life elsewhere.

Your character starts as a series of connections - "threads" that draw you back to specific people. Chargen is a group activity. You all have ten threads to assign, 6 "minor" and 4 "major", which is a lot. However, 3 of your major and 4 of your minor are required to be shared with other PCs, and everyone in the group has 2 major and 2 minor in common. One of the default suggested setups is that you're a friend group, and I think a lot of folks will go with that, but I also really like the "friends of friends of friends" approach where you don't really know each other except through all these living people.

Your goal is to return as a whole person. Each time you resolve a thread, you get a piece of yourself back, and with it, some game stats. FTM's approach to resolving threads depends on your anchor as much as it does on you. Early on you'll just be appearing in dreams, encountering one another and having conversations in the sleeping minds of people you know. (I can only imagine they wake up confused.) After your first thread resolves, you obtain a faint voice, light breeze, or ghostly form. Slowly you pick up a more whole appearance, a real voice, and the ability to manipulate objects. The last thing you lose is your ability to appear in dreams, at which point you are restored to the world.

One thing I find appropriate is that you can "fail" but still close things out - you don't need to resolve the thread well. It's about giving mini-stories an end rather than righting wrongs.

The art is kind of unfortunate. It's low-quality Poser work, and while it works to create an eerie look in the early game, it doesn't even quite make it down into the uncanny valley when depicting late-game characters. I would rather have seen some charcoal drawings. Hell, I'd take photomanipulation over this, and I'm not a huge fan of photomanip. It doesn't give one a sense of setting, but that part seems reasonable to me - there's nothing weird going on in this setting but you.

The system is fairly middle-of-the-road. It's a d100 roll-under system with Price Is Right rules. You have a Body score that is also your hit points, not that taking damage does anything but fuzz you out for a night at worst. You also have a Heart score and a Mind score, used for things like keeping your courage and tracking down old acquaintances. I think there's a bit of Unknown Armies DNA at work, because while there are no skills you do get certain areas where you can flip-flop your dice rolls, turning a 62 into a 26 if it would help. There are no social stats or skills, and that's called out as intentional in one of the sidebars. It's the game's "fruitful void" - the entire point of the game is social connection, and giving it mechanics would trivialize it. Overall it fits ok.

I love the concept of this game. It really deserves a reboot with better art. I can definitely see playing it with a different system - a Cortex knockoff, maybe.

FTM is out of print. It was a British game, so if you live in the UK check out the local game store if they still have a "used" section.

This Is A Safe Place

I thought I'd found a spot to belong a place where even the outcast has a place But I couldn't have been more wrong there was just as much judgment on everyone's face And I leave with my head down It's hard to see the light when you keep staring at the ground

And yet I'd still keep on trying to try. to fit in with the farthest cast away Living on edges, waiting for the next scene to die and the next one coming to stay. That little building you rented went against all of your views I'm started to wonder why I'm here and if this worth my youth..

That circle A isn't just empty words. You actually need to follow up on your promises. You can't talk revolution without verbs. It's all about how much merch you can fit in the boxes. And I'm falling fast to the ground. Call me when your spine is found.

I'm seeing this whole scene is overrated Nothing we do is going to ever have an effect Call me a fake, a poser, jaded And you want me gone before the virus can infect I have no problem leaving hypocrites I'm done giving my life to this

I'm through reading pamphlets with common graphics and watching so-called songwriters play guitar There has be something here that I can make stick I'm always so close, but never get the cigar Look, I can do this forever and a day So maybe you should just walk away

I would've died for names that we shout and at least I stood for something when you just stood there I can see what you think this is about You're just hear for the party where you pretend to care and somehow it's ended up working for you Cause we do nothing now, claiming there's nothing to do

The whole country is on fire with anger and rage But we're not part of this, so you claim Another day, another word, another page They die for us, but we won't do the same I didn't think there was room for this in anarchy and maybe the problem isn't the and it's me

But I watch this royal court of anarchy Claiming peace and acceptance, a so-called safe place I thought we could bond over our common enemy But I'm learning this a cool kids club under a different name I just wanted to be part of something bigger then myself But I'm not damned yet, and I can wait to live in hell

Anarchy is not about you're pretend record label or the tiny building you've deemed your head Anarchy is not about your goddamned pot luck table or how many big words that you've said Anarchy is the freedom to live like you care Anarchy is the freedom and making things fair Anarchy is the freedom to be one with who you are Anarchy is the freedom in being your own star

I never stopped believing in anarchy I stopped believing in anarchists.

masterlist

hiii!!

welcome to my acc! just your friendly biro-ace nat stan here

anyway, feel free to request!! i mainly do fluff (specifically i do a lot of hurt/comfort haha) but i’m open to writing pretty much anything except smut! 

Ace Buddies 

When Natasha introduces her girlfriend to her sister, they bond over something unexpected

Always 

When Natasha needs comfort from r, she finds herself needing to finally tell r how she feels

Bring You Back 

r and nat have happily been together for over a year, until everything comes crashing down. now, nat and the avengers will stop at nothing to get back the r they know

Cold pt. 2

r has always liked having pyrokinesis, but after getting into trouble, she leans onto natasha for support

Enough 

much to her dismay, r has to reject her crush, natasha

Feel Better

Natasha is there to take care of and comfort sick r

First Party Troubles 

r has social anxiety and gets anxious at Tony’s party, but Natasha is there to comfort r

Go With Me? 

one high school dance can change your life forever

Green Eyes 

Nat and r have something in common

Green Sunshine 

r gets jealous, and goes to great lengths to show that nat is hers

I Love Her, Dad 

after r gets injured on a mission, Natasha accidentally lets your relationship slip, pulling out protective dad Tony. Once r wakes up, he wastes no time getting to the point

I’ll Protect You Too 

Natasha wakes up from a nightmare, and finds comfort in r

Left Behind

r struggles with the outcomes of defeating thanos

Lies

r faces the aftermath of learning natasha’s true identity

Love Is Love Is Love

peter convinces the avengers to go to a pride event

Meant To Be

r is infected by natasha romanoff

Night Out & Crowds (platonic)

Natasha and r go out to the movies together

Operation Fire Widow 

after learning about r’s crush on natasha, her friends are determined to get them together

Posers

Natasha introduces r to her family, and it doesn’t quite go as expected

Revenge 

after training with r and Wanda goes wrong, Natasha makes it clear that no one hurts her girlfriend

See Me

r appreciates nat for who she is

Stay 

r gets hurt saving nat (who she’s in love with) and natasha wants nothing more than to get her back

You Don’t Need To Hide It From Me 

r had a terrible day, but has eyes that change colors with her emotions. So she wears contacts to hide it, but Natasha finds out and is there for her

You Killed Her 

after r sees something Natasha never wanted her to see, she takes things to the extreme. Unfortunately, the consequences affect everyone

You Saved Me pt. 2 

r and Natasha are on a mission together, and things don’t quite go as planned. r has fire powers/pyrokinesis, and hasn’t quite mastered it yet

Headcanons

natasha x asexual reader

Shackles 10: Beasts

[part 9]

“You know I’m really getting tired of walking through hot rocky deserts.”

“Yang, you’re the last person I want to hear complain about the heat.” Ilia grunted. “Just be thankful we aren’t in Menagerie.”

“We marched through it yesterday for a couple days.”

“Oh….well then stop complaining! Dawn has barely broke and Vacou is marginally less hot. These two know what I’m talking about.”

Blake and Jacquelyn remained silent. Both were lost in thought, mentally preparing for what was ahead. Ilia clicked her tongue. She looked at the spot marked on her map to make sure she hadn’t messed up the directions.

Blake could hear her teammate’s heartbeats as they walked. Jacquelyn might’ve been quiet but her heartbeat was faster than a hummingbird. Yang’s beat like a steady drum while Ilia’s, well, it was actually calm. Not a beat of worry. Blake was envious.

“What I wouldn’t give to be calm like you.”

Ilia looked back at her briefly before looking onward. “There’s nothing you have to give. Last time I checked we were taught to be calm by the same person. Though I guess…it was more of a quiet rage. He had that in common with my parents.”

“Has.” Jacquelyn corrected. “And I wouldn’t say his rage was quiet. Sometimes it felt like he could only scream into the wind.”

Yang raised her brow. “Wasn't that annoying? Concerning even?”

“Rage doesn’t do well bottled up. Should I have been concerned and annoyed when you yelled at me?”

“I…that is…” Yang sighed, giving up on a response.

“Rage like this can’t be solved immediately with wimpy meditation practices or a stress ball. Better to shout in a nameless desert than to go around breaking things. Anyways, that hasn’t happened in awhile. Adam has been lost in thought lately more than anything. Now that’s concerning. Being alone with your thoughts is risky business. I’m sure we all agree on that.”

Ilia stopped walking as she made it over a dune. “I don’t know. Thoughts are probably the best thing in a place like that.” She points down towards a lone rock plateau with a tattered wooden mineshaft entrance.that’s blocked by debris. “We made it.” Blake and Jacquelyn said nothing as they began walking ahead of her. Small talk was over.

Yang took a deep breath. She was never one to be nervous about situations like these. Being a huntress meant you saw some disturbing things by nature, but that didn’t stop the air itself from feeling dead. Blake described the scent as a slaughter house earlier. Somehow, Yang could tell she was right. “We ready for this? Who knows what is waiting for us inside.”

“Ready as we’ll ever be. Ilia will stand guard outside. We don’t want them knowing our numbers fully or any backup arriving. You and Jacquelyn back me up while I take the lead.”

“Works for me. But…” Yang approached the entrance and pressed up against a support beam, widening the entrance as debris crumbled out of the way. “That’s better. I’d rather have a quick escape instead of a squeeze through when things get loud, because it’s definitely going to.”

Blake smiled. “Quiet was never your thing anyways, but remember, this is a dust mine. Dried up or not, let’s not shoot anything immediately.” Blake walked in with her swords ready. Jacquelyn followed second with Wilted Rose on her hip.

Yang gave Ilia a wink before following the other two. The shaft didn’t take long before it started sloping down into darkness. A problem for anyone not hanging out with a faunus with great eyesight, or a girl whose hair glows like a torch on command. Normally that would be a benefit, but it made things all the more uneasy for Yang.

“Don’t you think it’s a little too dark in here? I mean…I don’t think the guards themselves could see; unless…” she trailed off. Breaking their focus was the last thing she wanted, but Yang was certain they already knew. Step by step the cave expanded. Water dripped down to the pools below. Faint clinging metal grew louder while Yang’s light revealed rusted cell bars, chains, and mining tools. A thick, potent odor hung in the air so intensely that it made swallowing difficult.

“Don’t look inside, not yet.” Jacquelyn uttered, holding back her gagging.

Blake marched forward. “Smell getting to you?”

“It’s not the stench that makes me want to hurl.”

At last they reached the end of the holding area to reach another passageway. Light curved through it and Blake’s pace slowed.

“What’s wrong?”

“I hear people. Dozens of them. Workers and…the rest.”

Jacquelyn’s eyes glowed. “Then what are we waiting f-”

“They aren’t moving. Everyone’s just…” Blake approached cautiously, crouched and weary. A knot festered deep inside her. Tears she restrained kept fighting to the surface the closer she got to turning the corner until Blake finally came around. In front of her was the main area. Faunus of every kind stuffed into this giant chasm. Men, women, and children bound in shackles all over the place while guards over watched them; yet nobody was working. They all were watching a man on a platform make another example of the very person that brought them here. Without thinking, Blake spoke.

“A-Adam…?” She said barely above a whisper, yet all heard her in the deathly quiet chamber.

Guards and prisoners alike turned to her in surprise. Jacquelyn and Yang came in soon after with their own look of shock at what they were witnessing. Tired, dread, shock, pain, terror, rage, lifelessness; so many expressions stared at the three from the prisoners who cowarded and guards that pulled weapons.

“Halt. Let’s not be too hasty.” Sobek said, turning around to view his arrival. They couldn’t help but notice his white lab coat stained in red that matches the curved knife he currently wiped on his sleeve. “My goodness. Well isn’t this quite the surprise. I should’ve known catching a big fish and the fact some of my men hadn't returned in a while meant someone was gonna come knocking on my door, but my wildest dreams didn’t think it would be you. Ms. Blake Belladonna, welcome to Purgatory. I’d shake your hand but…” he grabbed Adam by the hair to lift his battered face, but that was tame compared to the gashes and massive bruises that riddled his body in red and purple. “I’ve been pretty busy.” He lit Adam’s head droop limply again.

Overwhelmed, neither Blake or Jacquelyn could speak. The two had yet to shake the shock of it all. As for Yang, she chose to break formation and get in front of both of them. “Why?” That’s all she could ask. That’s all there was to ask. Yang was so caught up by the horrific sight before her that she failed to realize her eyes had long abandoned their lilac color.

Sobek smiled at her. “What’s this, a human? Well I suppose wonders never cease. Caring humans do exist but to find one here is both shocking and unfortunate. You see these monsters before you aren’t worth your compassion. Every last one of them are affiliated and conspired with the very group that poisons the world you and I cherish.”

“That does not answer the question! Why the hell are you hunting people?”

“Animals! How many times do I-” He took a breath, composing himself. “These animals do nothing but spread misery, breed hate. They teach it to their vermin and drag the good faunus through the mud! Just like they did with my daughters! The White Fang aren’t faunus. They’re animals that need to be tamed; and the ones that can’t get put down! The High Leader understands.”

Blake tensed up. All eyes shifted to her and her alone.

“It was faunus like you that showed the rotten parts. The posers and liars that threatened good names. You yourself waged war against the splinter cell this filth-”

“Let him go.” Blake finally spoke. Her voice trembled. The taste of iron hit her mouth as her teeth clenched and pupils constricted. “Let them all go, right now!” She yelled.

The charisma the man held faded. “Excuse me? S…Surely you’re not defending them?”

“And why wouldn’t I!? This…it’s sick. In what right mind does any of this make sense? All you’re doing is hurting people.”

“They get what they deserve.”

“AND WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE!?” Blake could feel her blood boil. Her nail pierced skin and she could feel her heart pound. “I don’t give a damn what your reasons are. I don’t care if anyone in here took lives. This is not how things work. You don’t get to decide others' lives, especially after this!”

“You stand here before me and defend the likes of Adam Taurus, terrorist?”

“I defend life.” Blake pointed her sword towards the man. “I defend change, no matter how bleak!”

“……I see. So you're a beast after all. Then mourn for them.” Sobek withdrew his hospitality, and then snapped his fingers. The guards took their weapons, then went for the prisoners to immediately beat, stab, and shoot whoever.

Yang wasn’t prepared for what happened next. Before she could even act, Blake had let out a scream of pure anger, leaping through the air to Sobek while a trail of tears were left behind. The scientist had made a mad dash towards a metal down with Blake in pursuit.

“Blake!? Don’t go alo-shit!” Yang dove back into the passage they came from to avoid gunfire. “Damn it all!” Yang readied her for a shoot out when the sound of lightning rattled her ears, followed by the sound of several yells before silence returned. Yang looked out and found gunmen on the floor, Jacquelyn walking by them.

The maiden said nothing. Her goal was a simple one and if she was honest with herself, everything else was white noise at the moment. Wind lifted her up to Adam’s platform. Jacquelyn gripped the shackles that strung him up, freezing them until they shattered like glass. His body fell onto hers and she fell to her knees. The world gave Jacquelyn her fair share of tragedy, but this was too cruel to comprehend. His face was so swollen the skin was purple, his good eye swelled shut. Blood leaked and clotted all over his torso and back from stabs, gashes, shocks, and the broken bones.

“Adam?” She uttered, but no response was given. She leaned down to hear the faintest sign of breathing and a weak beating heart. What should’ve sparked hope only made her cry. They had kept him conscious through so much and now his body…

Guards begin to circle around them aim their guns. “Don’t move! Step-” the guard couldn’t even finish his demands before letting out a strained cough as the rock wall behind him shot out like a spear through him.

“I’ll kill you.” Jacquelyn lifted her head, making all the guards shake in fear of her glowing tear filled eyes. The wind picked up around her and the air began to freeze. “I’LL KILL ALL OF YOU!”

“FIRE!” The guards shot into blistering winds that cut and carved the area around their target, firing back ice and imposing the pressure of her storm to the point the entire cavern shook.

“Give me a break. So much for dust safety.” Yang ran through the area, punching and shooting unsuspecting enemies caught up in the whirlwind of dust as she made her way to prisoners; tearing apart chains and yanking them out of walls. “If you can walk then help those who can’t!” She shot falling debris from afar that nearly blocked the exit. “Hey! You’re going to bury us!” Yang’s words didn’t reach the emotional woman holding her partner. Yang looked around frantically. Guards still poured in, some tried escaping, and others ran to where Blake left. All while prisoners either ran for safety or layed dying; beyond the limit of what they could take. “C’mon, act Xiao Long. Act!”

Her feet moved without thinking. Yang didn’t know how this was going to end but if she wanted the best then she’d have to reach for it with her own hands. If that meant rushing head first into a snow storm then so be it. Her hair ignited into pure flames and her clothes kindled like dying embers. Yang lunged right into the dome of wind to grab Jacquelyn.

“Jackie, get a grip! People need us right now. We’ll all die here if this keeps up.” She put her hands on the sides of Jackie's face. “Hey hey hey, look at me.”

Jacquelyn looked Yang in the eye. “He…He’s dying.” Her hands pressed against open wounds. Fire and ice sealed and cauterized wounds but what good it did was unclear.

“Adam’s a stubborn bastard. He cheated death before and he’ll do it again.”

“But-”

“I will take care of Adam! I promise.” Yang put her hands on Jacquelyn’s. “You take care of the guards following their boss and back up Blake. I hate to say it but I don’t like my odds going through that door, so I’ll get these people out. Okay?”

“E…Even if I barrel through them all I don’t know if I can handle-”

“They’re… weak.” Adam mumbled, gaining their attention. He could barely see or move but managed to move his hands enough to grab Jackie’s. “All mutilated, barely trained; but insane. Sobek, he… Atlas.” He coughed blood.

“Adam!”

“Just…grab Blake.” His consciousness faded in and out. However, Adam managed to squeeze Jackie’s hand for reassurance before going silent.

“Well you heard the guy. Though if you do see a chance to grab the bastard…”

“Oh you don’t have to tell me twice.” Jacquelyn was hesitant but gave Adam to Yang. She finally stood up, gripping the hilt of the crimson blade on her. “I’ve always wanted to do this.” With one fluid motion she drew the blade while channeling her magic. A fierce and single slash cut through the wind; pushing it out with force that pushed everyone while the attack cut the metal door down. Jacquelyn didn’t delay any further in doing what she was asked. Yang put Adam on her back best she could. Thankfully he was able to wrap his arms over her shoulders.

“Do me a favor and don’t fall off.”

“Do me a favor and don’t get me shot.”

Yang groaned. Of all the people she had to save. Right on que, bullets flew their way. Time to head out. Yang did her best to run with the extra baggage. Adam honestly wasn’t too heavy but that wasn’t a good thing realistically. Chances are he hasn’t eaten much in days. If it wasn’t for the swelling then the man’s features would’ve been sunken in and pale. Yang can’t say she has compassion for him but she’d be hard pressed to believe she could idly watch if it happened right in front of her. Ruby would say that’s what makes her a hero. It was more frustrating in Yang’s opinion.

“For your sake I hope you’re worth all this trouble.” Yang kicked downed guards trying to get up from the wind blast to give others more time. “Well at the very least all these people are so I guess I should shut up about it.”

Adam did his best to look at the chaos. His vision couldn’t register faces but he saw how many people pushed and rushed over one another. Though one of them, he couldn’t help but think about Sobek’s words and thought process. It was twisted, outright demented, yet one part of it held true to an extent. Adam felt his ego take a hit. He led them here.

“…I got what I deserve.”

“Tsk, if you ask me you’ve only gotten a piece of it. How you get rest isn’t for me to decide, thank goodness. If I were you I’d start thinking on how-”

“Cells.” He interrupted. “Don’t leave without opening the cells.”

“Huh? Most looked empty or wore silent. No one even came up to bars.”

“A girl, Jasmine, she should be there. Brother too.”

“Dude you can’t afford many detours. I’ll try but no promise we’ll find anything. I’m telling you it was quiet. Dead quiet.” Yang felt ill saying that last part. “What kind of person does this to kids? Can’t imagine a childhood like this.”

Adam’s grip tightened. “I can.”

After a few more minutes of letting stragglers go first and looking out for danger, Yang left the cavern. Defending everyone was a Dream already killed before it could start and she promised to look after Adam so taking her time wasn’t an option. “Do you know what cell?”

“I was strung up on a platform.”

“A no would’ve been fine.” Yang started checking one at a time, punching in doors just in case. It was far too dark to see completely in them otherwise. “Uhh Jasmine? Hello?” She kept looking again and again but no one answered. Yang was about to cut her losses until she heard hissing when a prisoner bumped into a set of bars. “Jasmine?”

No one answered. Yang grabbed the bars and hissing turned to growling. There was definitely someone in there. She busted open the door and stepped in, lighting a section of the area. A gasp escaped her lips at the sight of blood soaked dirt. Pale eyes glowed in the corner. Yang stepped closer carefully until the girl could no longer hide in the dark. A maple skinned girl covered in dirt, sweat, and blood crouched low with eyes as scary as Blake’s; her teeth gritted while the volume of her growl grew louder with her soiled white ears folded back. Yang was easily in no real danger, yet the glare on her was startling. This little girl clearly was ready to kill if need be.

Yang got low. “H-Heeey. Sssshh It’s okay. I’m gonna- ah!” Yang winced. Jacquelyn lunged forward and sunk her teeth into Yang’s good hand. Yang didn’t lose composure. She reached out with her other hand, rubbing the child’s face. “Feel better? Hehe, let’s get you outta here.”

Jasmine tried biting deeper but was caught off guard by a third hand resting on her head. Her eyes widened once she realized Adam was one the woman’s back. Her jaw loosened up and the rage turned into grief.

“Jasmine, where’s-”

“Adam…?” Yang said, staring to the right. Her light didn’t reach the other side of the cell but it was enough to make a trail of blood and limp arm visible. The two went silent again. Adam pulled Jasmine closer until she climbed up on him, clinging for life as she began to whimper against his back. Yang let her hair fade out and then left, walking through the dark. She didn’t want to see another second in this place.

xxxx

Jacquelyn wasn’t much of a better time. Unlike the rest of Purgatory, everything past the medal door reminded her of Atlesian research labs. Including the defenses. Around every corner was an annoyance. Two armed guards tried getting the jump on her but were quickly outmatched. Jacquelyn froze the first with ice breath while the second tried taking a swing at her. Catching the fist, Jacquelyn twisted the guard's arm and pinned her against the wall; draining what aura she could in the process before pressing on. Jacquelyn was thankful Yang calmed her down when she did. Expending more energy like that would've been bad in her condition. Jacquelyn felt like she was running on fumes.

“I can see why my mom never gave me siblings. Gotta make this quick before I’m the one who’ll need saving.” More enemies marched from behind, forcing her to run through the sterile hallways. On the way a trail of several guards were already taken out that led to a bigger group of struggling men. Jacquelyn could make out a pissed off Blake in the middle of it all.

“LET ME GO!” Blake headbutted the one restraining her right arm and swung at the ones in front of her. A burst of strength rushed through her. She gripped the guard on her left arm, flinging them across the room. Blake swiveled around to aim at the ones behind her but Jacquelyn was quicker on the draw. Adam’s signature gun already riddled two with wounds while the blade cut down three more.

“Where’s Sobek?”

“He keeps heading deeper in.” Blake pointed at the scientist’s fallen scales and light trail of blood. “I tried taking a shot but I kept getting swarmed.” Blake noticed the pack behind Jacquelyn and tried running but was immediately grabbed by the wrist. “Jacquelyn!?”

“It’s a trap. We both know that.”

“We’ve known that from the jump. If we corner him then-” Blake and Jacquelyn shot past each other at the same time before standing back to back. Jacquelyn slammed her hand on the ground and conjured ice walls to by time. “Damnit! There’s no end!”

“Yeah…let’s retreat.”

“What!? But you’re the one-”

“I know! Believe me, I know. Honestly I want to tell you I came here to back you up but Yang offered to take Adam to safety in exchange for yours.”

Blake’s eyes widened. “Yang…offered?”

“Truth be told, I think it was more self preservation than kindness. Listen I don’t want to get blown up again but Sobek seems like the type to let it all burn when things fall apart. I told you that you’d find your answer when we arrive. Don’t tell me it was to get angry and die?”

“……” Blake shut her eyes and took a breath. It didn’t help. If anything her heart felt like it was beating faster. Pent up frustration gnawed away at her so much she couldn’t stop shaking. Her grip was so tight around Gamble Shroud her hands threatened to bleed. “What did you say earlier outside, about screaming when you’re enraged?”

Jacquelyn chuckled. “We’re well past that point. Don’t tell Adam but I think we should break some shit. Lucky for us we have volunteers. Care for a violent escape?”

Blake turned away from the path deeper into the lab and faced Jacquelyn’s direction, listening to reason. “Back me up. I’d feel guilty if your baby got hurt.”

Now that was an offer Jacquelyn couldn’t refuse. Blake’s kindness managing to shine even while in this situation was something Jacquelyn could only respect. She got behind her. “I’m in your hands. Now let’s get busy.”

Jacquelyn spit the wall in front of them to funnel the lackeys in for Blake to cut loose on with her blades, performing a double cross slash into snap kick that launched one backwards into the group. Keeping on the offensive, Blake followed up with a rising knee to push them further back. A strong gust of wind from Jacquelyn helped increase the force and distance Blake went while suppressing the rest. A guard tried restraining her but only grasped the afterimage while the real one unleashed an aura slash that went through the crowd. Deep cuts engraved the wall and glass shattered. Blake tossed her blades up and went through the halls quickly guiding Jacquelyn safely to the other side.

Pressure filled the air. A dense building of force rose steadily until Jacquelyn couldn’t ignore it. “Blake? What did you do-” the cuts in the wall doubled in size. An almost unseen second flash went through the hall, the blades traveling with it until stopping on a dime in front of Blake for her to grab from the hands of a clone Jacquelyn never saw materialize. It faded as quickly as it was noticed. One by one the guards adamant on killing were dropping like flies.

“A double moon slice? Heh, I guess you really are his disciple at heart.”

“In more ways than one.” Blake flung the blood off her blade while she sharpened them on one another.

“And why would you say that?” Blake looked back at her. The vacant and dim stare she gave expressed a bleak hollowing pain Jacquelyn couldn’t mistake. “Oh…well that’s okay. It just makes you one of us.”

Starlight Dream - Chapter 4

Takako shook her head, eyes wide. “What the heck was that?” She shuddered in revulsion. “Ugh, he had hairy legs and everything. He could have at least shaved. How did someone like him become a magical girl!” Nothing remained of the second floor after the magical girl’s assault. The entire area had been vaporized. The gang members of Lotus Butcher cowered in terror, fearful the girl might unleash her wrath on them next. “They’re gone, yet I still detect that strange presence.” The fairy said, turning his attention towards the frozen Seina. Sweat trickled down her brow, realizing how helpless she was at the moment. “I feel it too.” Takako twirled the guns in her hands in thought. She sent a frosty glare in Seina’s direction. “You must be the real magical girl.” I need to do something. If they’re evil, I can’t fight while frozen. An idea popped into the magical girl's head. “Hey, can you unfreeze me?” Seina whispered towards Masato, who trembled in terror. “We might be next. She really hated your boss. Who knows what she’ll do to his men!” Seina wasn’t being entirely truthful, playing on his fears, but she needed to free herself somehow. Much to her relief, the thug nodded. “I can! Please save me! I don’t want to die!” Masato whimpered pathetically before striking Seina in the neck. Much to her relief, movement returned to her body. She released the thug’s arm. Her grip had left a nasty purple bruise, leaving Seina a little guilty, promising to be more gentle with normal folk in future. Even if this one had sort of deserved it. “Why didn’t you do that sooner? You could have saved yourself from getting thrown into a cement pit. I would have saved you.” The thug blushed embarrassed, before coughing into his fist. “Didn’t occur to me. But hey, now you can defeat that evil magical girl! We had a deal!” Masato ran behind Seina, using her body as a shield. Takako watched this entire exchange in amusement. “So you’re the magical girl of this universe? So lame. You allowed a bunch of thugs to get the better of you!” “Very lame.” Her fairy said, nodding in agreement. Seina grunted in annoyance, not liking their tone. “Who are you, anyway? What do you want? What do you mean the vampires should be running the planet?” Takako rolled her eyes, exasperated. “You don’t get it? Did your partner not explain anything?” Seina bunched her hand into a fist and opened her mouth for a nasty retort, but two newcomers paused her words. “Seina, thank goodness you’re okay!” Colten said, landing on her shoulder. “Sorry we’re late. Those thugs gave us more trouble than we expected.” Mr. Kiyojiro said. “We saw the strange explosion.” “Seina, who are these people?” Colten gave the new magical girl a wary eye. “Call me, Lily Annihilator. Just the baddest, most evil magical girl around.” Takako spun her weapon around and ended in a stylish pose. “Nier, partner to her badness!” Her fairy added. “Why did you defeat the vampires? Explain.” Takako asked. “Because they’re bad guys, and it’s the right thing to do?” Seina replied. It still shocked her that this girl had proclaimed that magical girls existed to cause suffering. The world was terrible enough already. Why add to it? “The right thing?” Takako broke into mocking laughter, unable to believe her ears. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those lame hero types. How embarrassing!” “She even looks lame. Who wears pink?” Her fairy companion added. “Pink is my favorite color,” Seina replied, her tone terse. What was with this girl’s attitude? “Too bad. Now I’m here to fix things.” Takako said. “At least someone is taking our magical girl duties seriously.” Seina clenched her teeth. After spending a moment to regain her composure, she gave Colten a meaningful look, pleading for some answers. Were magical girls just villains all along? “Not, now.” Colten’s little voice broke. Guilt washed over his tiny features and he turned aside. “We need to deal with her first.” Takako snorted and slung one of her pistols over her shoulder. “If you can. I’ve been a magical girl for almost three hundred years. You’ve been one for what? A few weeks? You can’t compare to me.” “Well, uh, wait, what?” Seina asked in alarm. “Uh, did I forget to mention that magical girls are immortal and don’t age?” Colten gave a nervous laugh. “Colten!” Was she stuck in a ten-year-old’s body for the rest of her life? She didn’t want that! Humans just got the ability to drive cars again. They’d never allow her behind the wheel now! “Now’s not the time. Evil magical girl!” Colten said, pointing towards their common foe. “Okay, you’re right. But we’re having a serious decision after this.” Seina let out a breath, centering herself. She couldn’t afford any distractions. After extending her hand, she summoned her staff. Takako blinked before she snorted, fighting back laughter. “Is that a bubble blower, really?” “It’s a staff, and it’s a perfectly valid weapon.” Seina straightened her posture. “You’re a strange one.” Takako tilted her head. “Your aura is bizarre. I couldn’t even tell you were a magical girl at first. Ah, well. It’s about time I kick your butt.” “Yeah, you’re about to die, poser!” Takako’s fairy friend said. Here it comes. Seina tensed. This was her first fight against someone on her level. Could she win this? “I’m getting out of here!” Lotus Butcher’s thugs ran for the hills, fleeing before everything got out of control. The dark magical girl didn’t bother stopping them. Instead, Takako focused her attention on Seina, mouth extending into a confident smirk. In an impressive display of skill, Takako spun her guns around before pointing them at her opponent. “Goodbye!” The walls around Seina exploded, leaving nothing but rubble and an enormous crater. None of the bullets, however, even touched Seina. “... Ha, very impressive! You have some guts. I admire your gusto, newbie!” Takako said, puffing out her chest, though Seina detected some red on her cheeks. “You’re just saying that so we don’t notice that you completely missed her. Can you even aim with those things?” Colten replied. Come to think of it, when she shot up Dreven, she just shot in his general direction not really aiming at him. “Shows what you know! I never miss!” Takako shot back. “You’re just too lame to see it.” Now’s my best chance! Seina darted forward, catching her opponent completely off guard. Takako howled in pain as her staff struck against her chest and sent her flying across the city. Seina blinked. “That was easier than expected. I hope I didn’t hurt her too badly.” Several minutes passed, and Seina feared the worst. Thankfully, a bloody Takako dragged herself back to the scene of the battle. It took several minutes for her to reach Seina, her limp making it difficult to walk. “Lucky shot.” Takako’s voice was ragged and held a great deal of pain. “Nothing compared to me of course.” “Are you okay?” A concerned Seina asked. “Wow, we hurt her pretty bad. Maybe you should run off somewhere and treat your wounds?” Colten said. “You don’t know who you’re messing with. No one can defeat me!” Much to everyone’s shock, the dark magical girl turned her white pistol against herself. “Healing shot!” Green light surrounded Takako. Like magic, all her wounds disappeared. Her breathing returned to normal, appearing good as new. “How did you do that?” Seina asked, amazed. “It’s my power,” Takako replied. “I can make my bullets do whatever I want. Creating a bullet that completely restores my health is nothing. Your little lucky shot was worth nothing!” “Magical girls are amazing!” It made Seina feel stupid that she could only smack things with her staff. Takako was on another level entirely. “Seeing how you’re quaking in your boots, how about you run off and cry somewhere?” Takako said. “Uh.” Seina blinked, unsure how to respond to that. Did the magical girl think she was winning already? Takako snorted and twirled her twin pistols around. “Well? Ready to run, or what?” “We could not fight? We could be friends instead?” Seina asked. Despite everything, she was grateful that the magical girl had saved her from Dreven. The situation might have turned nasty if she hadn’t arrived. “You don’t want to fight, huh?” Takako puffed out her chest. “Already lost the will to fight, have you? You aren’t worth bothering with. Let’s go, Nier.” Without another word, the magical girl vanished, leaving a baffled Seina behind. “Eh?” Did I lose? What was with that bizarre tough girl act? “What a weirdo,” Colten said, flying up to her. “Seems like you scared her away.” Though Mr. Kiyojiro seemed troubled and Seina could guess why. Did this mean more magical girls would come to fight them? “Let’s round up the rest of Lotus Butcher’s gang and return home,” Seina said. Colten still owed her some serious explanations, but the bad guys came first. The vampire’s gang had vanished. Only Masato remained, huddling in a corner. “Who is this Lotus Butcher, anyway? We owe them a butt-kicking for impersonating you!” Colten said, his tiny mouth twisting into a snarl. “Uh, I’m sure you’d believe me if I told you.” Before Seina explained further, Takako appeared from nowhere above her and fired her pistols upon her. Much to Seina’s surprise, the bullets exploded into nets. They wrapped around her, fastening themself to the stone floor. “You again?” The evil magical girl smirked and flicked her hair. “Did you really think I would leave with defeating you? I knew if I made you lower your guard, you’d be easy pickings!” “That’s just dirty.” Seina struggled against her bonds. Despite her enormous strength, they proved too difficult to break. Trapped, again! I need to stop dropping my guard. “You got her, great!” Nier said, hovering around Seina’s head. “Emiyo will be most pleased,” Takako said. “Seina!” Colten’s tiny paws pulled at the nets engulfing his partner, but they proved too difficult to break. Mr. Kiyojiro stood to the side, helpless. Takako’s black pistol fired again, and a further net appeared, trapping the fairy alongside his partner. “Colten!” “I’m sorry.” The fairy looked down. “They’re going to take us home, a place I never wanted to return.” “Too bad, traitor!” Nier said. “I’m not sure how a lowly fairy like you created a magical girl, but you know the consequences of betrayal. The Devil Princesses’ retribution will be quick and merciless.” “Seina.” Colten sniffed. “Never!” Seina refused to allow these Devil Princesses to harm a hair on her new friend. Despite what Colten may think, he’d brought nothing but good to her life. Because of him, she’d tasted freedom for the first time in her short life. “Huh?” Takako screamed in pain as Seina suddenly threw herself forward, striking her opponent’s face with her forehead. Despite the force of the blow Seina remained trapped in the netting. “Hey, I can move a bit!” Seina hopped around the empty warehouse. She wasn’t completely helpless! “You little!” The evil magical girl wobbled on her feet, grimacing in pain. “I’m not finished yet!” Seina bent down and threw her body headfirst towards Takako’s torso. Her opponent gave a strangled cry and disappeared into the distance. “Takako!” Her fairy partner flew after her. “Oops, I might have overdone it.” Seina hadn’t intended to hit the other magical girl that hard. She still had a million questions that needed answering. Much to her relief, the bounds around her body disappeared moments later. “Uh, you think she’s okay?” Seina gave a pensive look to a distant point on the horizon. Despite her claims of being the most evil being around, Seina detected no malice from the boastful magical girl. It left her very confused. “Oh, she’s fine.” Colten waved a dismissive paw. “Magical girls aren’t so easy to kill.” “She’ll be back, and she’ll bring reinforcements.” Mr. Kiyojiro gave Colten an icy glare. “It seems you haven’t been entirely honest with us.” Colten tensed before sighing. “I know.” “We aren’t angry with you, Colten.” Seina grabbed her partner’s paw and squeezed. “Just tell us the truth.” “Okay.” Colten’s expression turned pained. He wouldn’t enjoy what he’d say next. “The truth is, fairies are creatures of great evil. Magical girls are their instrument of destruction. They enter dark pacts with evil-minded girls to spread their horror and terror. They live in a world between reality called The Starlight Dream.” “Hold on.” Nothing about this story made any sense. “You aren’t evil!” Her fairy friend gave a weak smile. “I’m just some weirdo without the stomach to do anything bad. Back home, fairies hated and bullied me about it. I ran away to be anywhere else. That’s how I came to your universe.” “Oh, Colten.” Seina gave her friend a well-deserved hug. “I think you’re fantastic.” Mr. Kiyojiro nodded. “You’re better than any of them.” Colten sniffed, tears welling in the corner of his eyes. “Guys.” Masato gave his own empathic nod, patting the fairy on the shoulder. “Sounds rough. I wasn’t too popular with my family either. My folks kicked me out when I couldn’t live up to their expectations.” Seina jerked. She’d totally forgotten the thug was still here and glared at him. “Get out of here! You aren’t part of this conversation!” “Yeah, leave! We don’t care about your backstory!” Colten said, flying around in an irritated, erratic pattern. “I’m leaving.” The enormous man shrunk under the magical girl and her bodyguard’s angry glares and slunk away, ashamed. “Still though, it still stuns me you even became a magical girl, Seina. I’ve always been told only evil girls can become one. When your brooch appeared, I feared the worst, wondering if you were as wicked as the others, but you proved me wrong.” “Why did you leave out the genocide in my transformation chant?” The sudden inclusion of the horrible word had shocked Seina when Takako had used it. “It was in the vain hope transforming into a magical girl wouldn’t turn you evil.” Colten gave a pained smile. “I’m not very knowledgeable about any of this magical girl stuff. I’m no one special back home.Still it amazes me how powerful you are!” Colten said, flying happy loops around his friend’s head. “I was certain we were a goner when that evil magical girl showed up. There’s something about you.” Mr. Kiyojiro gave a thoughtful look. “That girl mentioned someone named Emiyo. Who is that?” Right, I’d forgotten about that! “And what did Takako mean when she said vampires should be running everything? Did magical girls cause vampires here?” Before the darkness’s arrival, the monsters had only been a myth used to scare children. “I’m not sure. Maybe?” Colten replied. “I’m not privy to the higher echelons’ plans. But I know who Emiyo is. She’s a lieutenant of the Four Devil Princesses. They rule Starlight Dream with their fairy companions. They’re bad news. Their powers are beyond anything we can face. Takako and Nier were only minor minions. I’ve heard stories that they can shatter entire universes!” Seina looked down. “So, more magical girls will come to fight me.” “I’m afraid so. They’re probably going to kill us and destroy this planet to make an example of it.” Much to Seina’s surprise, Mr. Kiyojiro’s expression hardened. “I refused to allow that to happen.” “Huh?” “There’s an old gym a couple of miles from your apartment.” Mr. Kiyojiro replied. “It’s the perfect place to train.” “Eh?” “We’ll show these princesses we aren’t such easy prey.” Mr. Kiyojiro’s voice held a remarkable intensity. “Those monsters won’t touch you or our world.” Seina stared for several long moments before nodding in agreement. She couldn’t afford to get sloppy. If those monsters wanted to hurt her world, they’d have to pry it from her cold, dead hands first. Somehow, she’d win this! --- Lilha yawned. As usual, the hateful sun blazed over her, making every moment its own torment. But it didn’t make her days any less uninteresting. Few people had approached her for ice cream, leaving her with little to do. She listened to some passersby jabber on about nothing in particular, laughing to themselves, and Lilha hated them for it. How dare they enjoy themselves while their rightful queen suffered so? I could murder them on the street for fun! She imagined people screaming in delightful terror as her victims’ blood spattered the pavement below. Her wonderful, imaginative image shattered when reality struck hard. And Seina would come and kill me. Lilha sagged and allowed her potential prey to pass unmolested. A strange sound caught her attention. The ex-vampire queen glanced up to see a figure hurtling towards a nearby beach. What the heck is that? Had that been a person? Lilha ignored it, turning back towards her ice cream stand. It was probably a dumb vampire thinking they could pick a fight with Seina and now paying the price, their tradectory certainly didn’t seem under their own control. Presumably they’d been sent flying by one of her nemesis’s blows.There probably wasn’t much hope for them if that was the case. Still her stand was empty of customers, and the fool might not be dead. She might gain an ally. Anyone powerful enough to survive an encounter with the magical girl must be someone worthwhile, right? After some searching, Lilha found a deep skid mark on the ground, flowing towards an empty beach. What the vampire found at the end of the trail shocked her. The young girl wore a similar dress to Seina, except this girl’s dress was black, and wore skull-shaped earrings. For crying out loud! Not another one! Or was this some sort of copycat? Lilha hid behind a nearby trash can as the girl stirred. A moment later, a black fairy in a skull mask flew down to help the magical girl. “Takako, are you okay?” The fairy said in alarm. The magical girl sported a nasty bruise on the head, bloody oozing from her mouth. With a shaky hand, the girl raised a pistol to her chest and shot. “Healing Shot!” Much to Lilha's astonishment, the magical girl’s injuries healed like they’d never existed. The black magical girl whirled on the fair. “What happened, Nier?” The girl said. “How is she so powerful?! She crumpled me with a single hit!” Huh? She isn’t a friend of Seina’s? “I don’t know, Takako!” The fairy threw up his tiny arms. “Her fairy was just some peasant! Not elite cool people like ourselves!” The black magical girl crossed her arms and looked away, a pouting expression on her face. “This is so lame. Next time, she won’t be so lucky! She just caught me off guard! ” What was going on? Were magical girls not the pillar of goodness Lilha had believed? “Next time?” Nier replied. “You’re not thinking of facing her again? We need to get Emiyo. We can’t defeat her by ourselves!” Takako whirled on her fairy companion, pointing a finger into his chest. “No, we’re doing this alone. I refused to return to Starlight Dream, begging for help. I have a reputation!” The magical girl’s jaw firmly clamped shut, refusing to argue on this subject. “Fine.” The fairy sighed, landing on a nearby rock. If they’re also fighting against Seina, then they’d be useful allies. Lilha might be finally rid of that hateful girl forever! “Well, if you’re an enemy of Seina, perhaps we can help each other,” Lilha said, leaving her hiding spot behind the trash can. “Who are you?” Takako raised an eyebrow at the newcomer. “My name is Lilha. I am the Queen of Vampires.” She replied, standing up proudly. “Really?” The magical girl’s skeptical eyebrow rose even higher, eying Lilha’s ice cream vendor uniform. Lilha’s face burned hot, fighting back her embarrassment. “It’s a disguise. It helps me blend in so Seina doesn’t recognize me.” “She has an evil aura, so I don’t think she’s lying about being a vampire at least,” Nier said, flying up to examine the newcomer. “Why do I need some vampire’s help?” Takako asked. “You’re the one so incompetent you couldn’t stop a single girl from taking the world back from you.” Excuse me?! Didn’t you just lose to her too?! After taking several deep breaths, Lilha calmed herself, remembering the bigger picture. Too much was at stake. She couldn’t afford to lose a valuable ally. “Nevertheless, you’ve seen her power,” Lilha said, crossing her fingers, praying this would work. “Without a solid plan, you won’t be able to defeat her. Seina can’t be defeated through brute force.” “She might have a point.” The fairy replied, nodding. “Okay.” Takako rolled her eyes. “I refuse to lose to that goody two-shoes loser again. Besides, a sidekick wouldn’t be too bad.” Sidekick?! Again, Lilha fought back her annoyance, forcing a smile. I hate magical girls so much! “Good, I think I know someone that might help us. Together, Seina doesn’t stand a chance!” Besides, even if they failed, another magical girl would eventually arrive and put Seina’s head on a pike. Either way, vengeance would soon be hers!

RP Meme from "Chapter Two: The Grove" in the Children of Gaia Tribebook from "Werewolf: The Apocalypse" Part One of Two

Are they like political parties, or what?

The guy sucked, but it wasn’t polite to let him know.

Now, these guys were the real peaceniks. Worse.

Totally swearing off war is about as natural as asking a hawk to get everywhere by walking.

That doesn’t mean that nonviolence doesn’t work, doesn’t really work sometimes.

Look, maybe it doesn’t always happen. Maybe it’s rare, rare as. . . the flowering of the bamboo. Maybe you can work all your life and live all your life and die and never.. .seeit happen, see it be real. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. You have to.

Was peace that rare?

It was that precious, surely.

The weather had gotten really nasty.

I knew you were into weird stuff like UFOs, but this is just over the top!

I just do their web pages!

It’s a harmless little hobby

Suicidal nutballs.

You are nutballs.

They’re about as lost as a cause can get.

She isn’t telling you everything.

I’m at least going to try!

Of course we thought they were with us.

They seemed to be the same thing as us, rebels and outcasts.

Not afraid of violence, but wanting it in its proper place. But just as always, we were assuming the natural goodness of people. And we were wrong.

Why do I think I’ve heard this before?

We know better by now.

They made the same mistake only a generation ago and they thought they had it all figured out, too.

Was he one of us?

We were in that scene, but it wasn’t ours.

Needless to say, the cops were all over the place.

Of course it was all bullshit.

I’m saying we can’t trust anyone unless we know their goals and methods are something we can live with. And even then, we can’t be sure.

But isn’t it worthwhile to get help from others?

What a hardass.

These guys were hardcore.

I hope they haven’t given up on the rest of us, I really do.

Anyone working on that?

It was hot as hell and humid as a steambath.

You know, there's kooky about this place; doesn’t feel right somehow.

People were nice, mostly, but the site itself felt weird, charged almost.

She doesn’t scorn fighting if it’ll get something practical done.

Sometimes kids from different sides get to know each other.

Peace on the firing range.

I thought they despised us!

They're willing to help as long as we provide hideouts for them, take their wounded for healing, all that.

Not all of them are racists, you know.

They’ll teach anyone how to fight, just because they think fighting’s fun.

I need no LAW to make me the master.

See, we can get along.

There’s always something you have in common, something someone wants.

There is one group that I probably should mention, but I don’t like even thinking about them.

The factions are being dismantled.

Posers?

That is sick.

She gives into a perverted version of peace, the ‘ultimate answer’. By bringing an end to the world, they reason that this will also bring a final peace to everything.

They're insane!

No one ever explained what it was about, but now I think I know.

Don’t feel sorry for her

So, you had any pups?

Don't be silly.

We use our diversity to make ourselves stronger.

A steelworker, a Navy fireman, a crochet artist and a skater don’t agree on everything, but they have a lot to bring to the table.

Us being from everywhere, all over the place, us accepting pretty much everyone, doesn’t make us weaker.

It’s all totally anonymous, so I have no way to find out.

The old blood is too thin.

I know you couldn’t count a hundred of us all told.

Not many want to do that.

Well, we agree with you on most things.

This ‘peace’, now, that’s something we argue about.

We see humans fight, make peace, fight again.

She is a way of peace.

Every year, more trees are cut down, more species extinct.

I mean, the three-squaresa-day part’s not so bad.

If you could be, I mean, wild, would you?

I feel kind of strange here.

There’s something bad about this place, and we can’t figure out just what.

Don’t know how much help I’d be, but just tell me if there’s anything you need me to do.

They walked out of the camping area, through the gate, and into the concert zone.

If caught by surprise it was worse.

That’s not a fair question.

I know better than you do of what they offer.

No breath of wrongdoing ever touched my mother.

And, really, it’s our rightful place.

I can see it too.

Yeah, when even ordinary humans get involved you know we’re doing a good job.

It has places to get nonleather shoes, carpooling chat rooms, links to where you can recycle everything, even fluorescent light tubes, batteries, shrink-wrap and steel waste!

I managed to find a place that will take your body weight in plastic bottles and give you a fleece jacket back made from the polymers.

Is that the leader?

She doesn’t command.

Sounds like a way to get nothing done. So how do you get to be one?

You basically have to walk the walk, I guess.

You have to speak out wisely. Know what you’re talking about.

That sounds more like a politician than a prophet. Do you have to be ‘chosen’ from above too?

You never know who the spirits will choose.

The spirits like you.

Am I blushing?

I know what it means.

It means leading, but going farther, working harder than the rest.

Thanks for the nomination.

I’ll try to be a deft hand.

We’ll see how it all works out.

Those around you have chosen.

You won’t fail.

My Immortal closure

I wrote an adaptation of the final chapter that gives closure to the last chapter (for me at least. I can finally move on. Maybe.)

Setting: *Voldemort has just been revealed to have been Gerard Way all along, and Ebony is shattered and sitting in the ground devoid of hope. Vampire, Diablo, and Navel are fighting Vlodemort at the Great Hall (the last scene from chapter 44).* “Think again you fucking muggle poser!!!!!1” Harry yelled and then he and Diablo and Navel both took out blak guns! But Voldimort took out his own one.

I could vaguely hear someone calling out my name. It was a familiar voice… comforting, almost angelic. My senses slowly regaining, I realized that it was Professor Sinister but something was not right. Her long dead black hair was shorter, silkier, and tied into a neat ponytail, and her eyes were a common brown now that the red contacts were gone. She gave me a warm sad smile, and sang, ‘Enoby… No, Ebony. Ebony, listen. Do you know who you are?’ Huh?

The song from that preppy movie Moana – I was shocked. I didn’t know what to think. Not only was she no longer wearing all black, she was no longer a goth. Who was she? Who even am I? I looked over at Harry, Dia- no, Ron, and Neville fighting with all their might for me – for the wizarding world. But Voldemort had the upper hand, and shot an emerald green spell that hit Neville squarely on the chest. He fell to the ground before I could scream a warning. Neville, no.

‘Accio,’ cried Voldemort triumelephantly, and Neville’s wand went soaring through the dining tables into his hand. His snake-like features curved to form a sick smile. ‘It is all over now. Now, Ebony, sit back and enjoy the show. Witness the end of everyone you love.’

I looked around desperately for Dumbledore. Surely, Dumbledore of all people would be able to put a stop to this. I lost what shred of hope I had left when I saw the half-moon spectacles shattered beyond repair beside the figure of an old man lying spread-eagled on the carpet. Then, my knees gave way. Or had someone forced me down? It did not matter. ‘I’ve got the girl, my Lord.’ Nothing mattered anymore.

But then, I heard a whisper. ‘Save us, Ebony.’ Dumbledore was still alive. ‘You are the only one who can.’ Me? What can I do? I’m just a stupid Mary Sue without any real talent who didn’t even realize when her favorite singer was actually the Dork Lord. My world was shattering before me and I could do nothing to save it. No more.

The Great Hall echoed with Voldemort’s obnoxious laughter, as he shattered the enchanted ceiling and through it, in came thunder and lightning. It was like a natural disaster. No. more.

‘Who am I?’ Professor Sinister launched at Snape, and I could finally get up. Voldemort stopped laughing. ‘I am the gothic girl who loves MCR and GC and slipnot. I am the girl who likes to shop at Hot Topic and wear all black all day. And most importantly,’ I said, looking at the tired faces of everyone who had come to save me, without whom I would not be here today, and for whom I had to make one last stance, before saying, ‘Most importantly, I am the girl who wants more than anything to go back to the common room and slit my wrists with my friends while we watch Shark Attack 3 and Saw 2, and to do it with Draco at least one last time, but that’s all over now. It will never be the same again. Because of you, Riddle.’ He laughed cruelly.

‘Not to worry, Ebony. You will soon be joining Neville and your precious friends when I-’

‘No more,’ I interrupted him. It took all my strength as I took my wand and cut my hair to shoulder length and dyed it bright pink. ‘Who am I? I do not have long ebony black hair but my name is still Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way. And I had the time of my life being a goth, but now I understand that I have something more important to protect.’ My eyes filled with tears as I held my wand high against Voldemort’s shocked face, and cried, ‘Thank you for the good time, Gerard. So long and goodnight.’ He already had his wand drawn before I did. A tiny nagging voice inside my head said, ‘Face it, you’re never gonna make it.’ I smiled. I don’t wanna make it. I just. Wanna.

‘AVADA KEDAVRA,’ I shooted.

457. He’s so pretty I think I’m gonna faint.’

Another prompt by a beautiful anon! This time a more silly/funny thing!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900

‘God, quit staring and go over! Your anxiety starts to creep up on me and I’m just sitting next to you.’ ‘Hmm?’ Tina rolled her eyes at Gavin who was leaning on the opposite end of the poser table in the break room. She had realised something was off as soon as Gavin had requested them to change their places around a month ago. He had told her it was to “break the habit” and “get another perspective”, but only a few days later he had learned it was just so the man could spy on the latest addition to their team. ‘You are staring at him. Every phcking break we get here, we talk a bit, but your whole damn attention always is on him. Now, would you just get it over with and talk to him?’ ‘Who do you mean?’ ‘Oh come on, you are acting like a teenager with a crush. The damn new android. Connor 2.0. You are giving him the heart-eyes 24/7 and it’s fucking annoying.’ She meant what she said, but she was more amused than angry. ‘How can you not look at him? I mean, have you seen him? He’s so pretty I think I’m gonna faint!’ ‘Ughh, Gavin, he looks exactly like Connor! You always told me you hated him.’ ‘Yeah I do. Connor is a quirky asshole and looks ugly as phck. But this one is different.’ Tina already regretted having started this conversation. ‘He walks around like he owns the place. The damn turtleneck… I thought it was stupid at first but damn, now I wanna see what’s hidden under that stupid collar. Also, he is way bigger and has style.’ ‘The android is maybe a few centimetres taller, okay, but they are the exact same’, Tina at least tried to argue. ‘No, have you seen these eyes? Connor’s are brown but his are grey… or blue… Haven’t got a good enough look at them yet. But damn he’s fine.’

‘Then fucking. Go. Talk. To. Him!’

 ‘Connor!’ The android couldn’t refrain from letting his head collide with the table at that, causing Hank to chuckle across from him. ‘What is it, Nines?’ ‘Connor, I just had a thought!’ ‘Nice, we tend to have that all the time. It’s pretty common.’ ‘What if I happen to be at the same crime scene? Or if we are ordered to go on a stakeout together? What if I have to work with him on a case? Narcotics and homicide often have to work together.’ ‘Then I’ll finally don’t have to deal with your stupid what-ifs. Just talk to him, goddamnit.’ ‘I don’t think I can do this. He is passing so many aesthetical standards I think my analysing software will overclock and crash if I ever come near him.’ ‘Nines, he is a huge asshole, he threatened me with a gun multiple times and only left me alone once I had punched him so hard he lay unconsciously in the archive room! How could you possible define this as pretty?’ ‘He is a worthy opponent.’ ‘That’s all you gotta say to that?’ Connor really couldn’t believe it. And he was sick of it ever since it started. ‘He also is a mess and an idiot.’ ‘You know, I think your evaluation program is seriously broken, brother.’ ‘I self-diagnose regularly, there is nothing wrong with me.’ ‘Well, maybe your diagnostics is broken then?’

‘Hah, good one, Connor!’, Hank laughed from the other side, before adding: ‘Seriously though Nines, you should ask yourself if you want to do that. But I think if anyone has a chance at it, it’s you. Just talk to him, get to know him better. You’ll be running soon enough.’

 ‘Tina, how the hell do you stay sane?’, Connor asked the officer exasperated, eyeing RK900 and Gavin in turn. ‘I know it is tiring at some point, but I try to think of it as our own personal comedy program.’ ‘But it’s frustrating. I mean how can they not realise what’s going on? Gavin is staring his eyes out on him all the while he marches through the precinct basically begging for attention.’ ‘I know, the whole precinct knows it. Did you know there are bets running how long it will take until they make a move?’ ‘Yeah I know, Fowler is secretly bidding and actually I think he has the highest chance to win.’ ‘How long did he assume it will take?’ ‘One year, two months, twenty days.’ ‘Hmm, yeah that could be close.’ ‘What did you bet?’, Connor asked curious but also very, very tired. ‘Three months?’ Connor looked at her disappointed. ‘Come on, Tina, I know you have better detective skills than that.’ ‘Yeah I know, it was a different time then. Gavin never takes longer than a week to ask someone out.’ ‘Hey, I’ll have an idea: lets try and make them at least talk to each other. Then we split the pot, deal?’ Tina looked at Connor surprised at the unusual proposal. ‘I’m just tired of having to hear Nines’ rambles’, the bot said with a pained expression.

‘Okay, deal. Can’t be so difficult getting these dumbasses to talk, right?’

Album Of The Day: Satan Is Watching

When most people born after a certain period of time think of the genre that is “country”, and what it has morphed into in the context of this day and age, a lot of unpleasant images spring to mind. Pretty boy, clean cut, poser rednecks who’ve never seen a farm outside of their music videos, trying to pretend to be another “honest Joe” when they couldn’t be any further from such a thing, making trashy, twangy glam rock mixed with watered down trap music/EDM for white southerners who might have interesting views on those of different races, rolling around in million dollar sports cars while adopting the moniker of “working class”...is probably what your mind immediately begins to conjure up in that brain of yours.

I honestly can’t say that I blame you. Country, or, at least, MAINSTREAM country, has lost its way completely. Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, and Blake Shelton polluted this once proud, grassroots, amazing genre with pandering, trite garbage aimed at making money off of dumb hicks in the bodies of frat boys whose trucks cost more than your own damn house.  Gone are the days when country music was filled to the brim talent, creativity, passion, and heart. Now, this “jock country” has taken its place, having thoroughly fucked country up the ass a few too many times that it has lost its way. For good, perhaps.

Underground country’s usually no better. There’s some exceptions (we’ll get to those soon), but for the most part, it, too, has gone off the rails and destroyed itself completely. It’s often just indie folk or what have you with even more acoustic guitars, though perhaps with more twang, whiny vocals that are trying (and failing) to recreate a stereotypical southern accent, a reliance on cheap gimmicks, sarcasm, and irony to carry their trash because the excrement can’t do that itself, and a musical quality that tries SO hard to imitate the great Mr. Cash, but is little more than a cheap, pale imitation that folks who wear WAY too much flannel and wire rimmed glasses will eat up like it’s the second coming of Joy Division.

No matter how you look at it, country has been thoroughly gentrified for the most part, just like many genres that were previously for a much different variety of people. Like trap music, or blues, or hardcore punk, or black metal. All of the original meaning is gone, driven out by money hungry label executives, clueless and ignorant listeners, and musicians hellbent on half-assing their way to fame and fortune.

It’s a crying shame, it really is.

But fret not, dear reader! There is still a soft, seedy underbelly of the country genre that has taken the long dead (yet forever revered and loved) sound of “outlaw shit”, as Mr. Jennings would put it so eloquently, to its most logical extreme. One that would make Nelson, Cash, Haggard, Coe, and others that might’ve been at the top of their “underground”, “anti-mainstream” game seem rather...accessible. These aforementioned artists and their peers are still greats who, in their primes, were powerhouses that made some of the greatest works the genre would ever produce. But when compared to this particular sound...they just don’t hold up as well. The rawness, the grassroots nature, the down-to-Earth (and sometimes below the Earth) attitude, the simplicity, the honesty, the bluntness, the intimacy, the melancholy...all of it gets turned way up to eleven. It’s dark, it’s mischievous, it’s harsh, it’s gritty, it’s angry, it’s bitter, it’s darkly humorous, it’s lonesome, it’s ornery, and it’s damn sure pretty fucking mean.

Call it whatever you want. “Southern gothic”, “dark country”, “death country”, “gothic country”. It doesn’t matter what name you apply to it. All that matters is that it’s country. Real fucking country. Country meant for the guttersnipes, punks, street urchins, hobos, peasants, and forlorn drifters. This ain’t pretty boy music. This isn’t nice, Christian contemporary that you can play at your local uptight establishment. These aren’t harmless tunes your the posers can get drunk and go mudding to. This is country as it was meant to be. The eptiome of the term “outlaw shit”.

There’s a plethora of wonderful bands in this scene. Sons Of Perdition, Sixteen Horsepower, whatever project Jay Munly’s got going on this time around, The Dead South, the early days of The Devil Makes Three, The Builders And The Butchers, Wovenhand, Ghoultown, Coffinshakers, The Pine Box Boys, and, of course, everyone’s favorite descendant of the Williams family tree. The third one, that is.

But all of those fall short of that truly, truly, TRULY horrific honky-tonk, old-time, folksy, backwoods atmosphere that this duo produces. One that hails from the isolated, empty thickets that lie out in rural Wisconsin. A mentally disturbed pair of “prophets of the country doom”, as they have decided to label themselves. A fine example of those who have gone completely mad, completely sad, and doing so makes them feel very glad. They revel in their craziness, and while no album sounds the same, each one is marred by a couple of recurring themes: humanity is worthy of being sent straight to the fiery depths, these boys are depressed beyond your wildest comprehension, a rebellion against both God and Satan, and a desire to document the lifestyle of society’s forgotten ones, hated ones, and feared ones.

Let me introduce you to Those Poor Bastards.

Fitting name for a couple of enigmatic, largely unknown, extremely obscure pair of men known simply as Lonesome Wyatt (impassioned orations and guitar-based melodies) and The Minister (everything else).

The Minister is completely anonymous, with no one having even seen his face, while all that’s known about Lonesome Wyatt is that he’s from Wisconsin, (probably) lives alone, and is likely of an unsound state of mind.

Why is that all important? Well, go listen to their albums, and then you’ll find out why these little intricacies are vital to the dynamic duo’s imagery, music, and cult status.

While all of their material is quite good in my opinion, today we’re going to look at my favorite album from them, and possibly my favorite album from any country artists EVER! Everyone, please proceed to throw on “Satan Is Watching.”

What you’ll first be met with Lonesome Wyatt letting out a loud, wild, manic screech that almost doesn’t sound...human. It’s not even a word. Just an unhinged howl like Lonesome Wyatt’s been possessed by some sort of demon from the pits of Hell, having taken over the “doomsday preacher boy” to spread the wicked gospel. A hell of a start to an album of any kind, let alone a country album. It’s bold, but it lets you know right off the bat that they aren’t fucking around. This is going to be a rough ride from start to finish, and you’ll be left quaking in your seat once Those Poor Bastards has pierced your mind, heart, and soul with their fiendishly unholy sound. A truly nihilistic piece of art about how this world is foul and wretched, and deserves to burn to a cinder.

But that’s just the first song.

Things only manage to get worse from there. Everything from songs about how Lonesome Wyatt’s a degenerate who revels in just how much filth and squalor he lives in, to songs (well, more like suspiciously suicidal rants) about how life is fucked and there’s just no point in living it anymore, to various “take that!” pieces towards lovers who have wronged him in times that have long since passed, presumably. Typical topics for country artists, but contorted and warped to the point where they sound like miniature horror stories being yelled and hollered by a crazy, top-hat wearing yokel than the struggles and strife that are endured by the common man/downtrodden fellow. Hell, there’s even a Johnny Cash cover! A twisted, perverted, scummy, bone-chilling, haunting, eerie take on the previously wholesome, innocent love song The Man In Black made for June. I can’t exactly look at it the same way, what with these mysterious hooligans having thoroughly butchered it.

Instrumentation is minimalist and simple. Nothing too fancy or technical here. It’s quite self-explanatory. Despite how evil it is, the rhythms are still toe-tappingly catchy. The drums, being pounded upon by the fiery hands of The Minister, provide anything from a nice, plodding beat you can stomp your feet to, all the way to a rowdy raucous of a banger that’ll have you doing some sort of line dance with the living dead. Lonesome Wyatt beats upon his acoustic guitar like it owes him money. Not even really playing it. Just smashing the strings until weird, disgruntled, odd noises come out of it. He also seems to thoroughly shatter his ability to talk without a sore throat, pushing his voice to its very limits. The bass compliments everything very well, providing a creepy, fuzzy, dirge-like texture in the background to keep the menacing tone alive and well.

All in all, while this may not “experimental”, “avant-garde”, or even “progressive”, this is certainly an album that’ll give you the heebie-jeebies, and for a country album, it is most certainly “out there”. It takes the usual country tropes, and either turns them into something out of a David Lynch movie, or subverts/plays with them to fuck with the audience and make them contort their face with confusion...and excitement. A spooky bit of acoustic noise that’ll restore your faith in country music, and remind you that there is still a small resemblance of a spark left within the dying genre.

Please, I highly recommend you check this out.

This has been another installment of “Esoteric Warfare”, and remember...

NOISE, NOT MUSIC!

Pitch For Nuisance Corporation Conglomerate Liberal Streaming Media And Satellite Television Channel TO ZAYN

Original written on Grammarly, which hackers know about.

 Hello Zayn. How are you? 

 I am a very busy person. I like to pretend that I observe nothing with meaning when I am fully aware of what is going on with all intricate details. These intricate details affect each other because of choices that people make that are fully conscious. I never got a college degree, consciously that I know of or can remember. I know very little about intuition, logic, common behavior to look for, and business because I was never formally educated consciously. I love marketing if you would like to know. I try to practice my brain skills every day. I want to mature and improve myself because I am motivated to an effective communicator who is also very witty. I like to get things done.

 A fact about me is that I am not scared of people. I do not have social anxiety because I am stronger than most people. I tell people what to do. I want to be a great boss someday. I want to impress those in power so I get better job offers because I want to become wise, too. I want to learn to become an adult from other real adults. This is a logical statement.

 The truth is, I made Nuisance Corporation about you, Zayn.  I always want to impress you, Zayn, because you are worthy of respect. You are mature for your age. You are responsible for Apple Incorporated, which is a famous and respected company for computers and technology. 

 I am obsessed with learning about the way you think. You help me a lot when I need you to comfort me. You give great advice. I rather talk to you so I can share how I feel about what bothers me. Your mind is like what I imagine what solitude should be like, but I want to be included in your thoughts. We belong together.

 I know I mean it when I say that you are the utmost masculine person I know, Zayn. Every move you make is always correct. You intelligently earned your money and are successful. You know the answers easily because you are very intelligent. You know every solution to all types of questions, I guess. What do you not know? You read me well. I look forward to seeing you again every day. I want to get to know you again. I miss you. I think you are capable of human emotions no matter how strong I describe you to be. I think you are the sexiest man alive. You are so brooding and handsome. You seem very antisocial in my favor. I like talking to you. I cannot wait to fall back in love with you. I want to be your wife. I know you're smart. I would donate trillions of dollars to your company for free because I felt like it. One day, I might earn a limitless amount of money so I guess I have a sense of humor after all. I get bored often because I am emotionally detached. You can have a blank check whenever you feel like asking me out. I might give you free money whenever you want to as an inside joke between us, as equals. I don't care what people think of me. I know I'm going to be successful. 

 The reason why I used the word you created that is based on your real name is because I think it protects us from people who do not like being told the truth. Being liberal means supporting gay and lesbian equal rights, ending Global Warming, and more. I never complain. 

 I am flirting with you, Zayn. I do not think you are annoying. "Nuisance" is a word that police take seriously. We need protection. There are a lot of creeps and weirdos out there. I am trying to be realistic in the real world. Fake or poser liberals threaten to kill people who are smarter than they are. There are a lot of cults out there, I heard. Besides social anxiety, some people type violent threats in words with a keyboard and post their sentences online, which is very scary to know about. The world is a dangerous place to live in. We should be fine. I want to make you trillions of dollars because I respect your work ethic as the founder of Apple, Incorporated.

 To avoid trouble, I plan to mock rich white men who are naive about the real world so that other race groups attack them more instead of me if they know who I am. If rich white men are criticized more than I am, maybe I will be judged less. 

 I am very manipulative. I predict and interpret behavior. Unlike weak people, I want to be respected without asking more than once. I do not ask to be respected. I want to earn respect, which is completely different. I want a guarantee that I will be respected and left alone forever after I make my first million, then billion, and finally one trillion dollars. I probably am already rich. I might be a trillionaire. It doesn't matter because they both will own the conglomerate. Zayn, your name is in the word "Nuisance". I was joking.

 An hour goes by and I feel closer to you, I hope. I am emotionally invested in you, Zayn. You are all I think about. I deserve to love you, Zayn. You are completely hot. I cannot stop looking at your face. You bring me so much happiness when you communicate with me. I enjoy asking you questions. You never stop being interesting to me, Zayn. You make me feel alive. I accept who I am when you compliment me by telling me that I am beautiful and funny. You are kind to me and I am indebted to you for helping motivate me to become who I want to be for you. I never grow tired of you because you are so different. 

 Now, after this long introduction, I can finally pitch Nuisance Corporation's Liberal Media Television Streaming App And Future Satellite Television Channel.

The Pitch:

 Today, an activity worth using energy for is watching television. Why? The reason why watching television can be beneficial for learning about the real world is because of trust. Propaganda may sound like an overdramatic word to ignorant people because it is more commonly witnessed than people know. The media and advertising industries distribute a form of legal propaganda. Propaganda has emotional appeals and tells people what to feel, think, and believe. Some people feel emotions too quickly. That is why propaganda is proven to work. For example, hunger. Advertisements that show pictures of food can make viewers hungry. Why else do people use coupons they get from their mailbox? I am telling the truth. A lot of people accept propaganda because they believe it caters to their needs instead of controlling them in a generalized, efficient way. Otherwise, the economy would not exist.

  The reason why propaganda is powerful is because it is a form of mind control. People who do not think for themselves rely on others to tell them how to live. These people are likely not confrontational or direct when they communicate. They might be codependent. They let people communicate for them, possibly. Naive people do not know how to be unique. They secretly want to be unique for attention, though, I can assume. This would be called an emotional appeal, "The desire to be unique." I think that people who wish are pathetic and have no work ethic. It is unrealistic to wish for anything. These types of people probably give up easily. If people want to become a better person, they have to change. If the world seems so evil based on a snippet of knowledge, there is always more evil in the world. The only equalizer on this planet is earning money. Financial income is what defines who the strongest is. The rest are weak and too busy wishing and hoping for the next day to prove who they want to become instantly. They waste time being egotistical and that is their problem. Nobody asks them for their approval because nobody believes them in the first place.

 I used to think I was worthless. I was always independent as a kid. Growing up, I had plenty of friends who understood my jokes. I never liked to be used but I allow people to attempt to use me because I know more people care if I get hurt. I never get hurt. I am a vengeful person and it is very easy for me to admit this fact. People offer their weaknesses to me when they get emotional and use me as an artifact or stepping stone to fail at getting the attention of someone they find more valuable than I am. I always know when people are trying to use me. I never offer help because nobody worthy asks me for advice. I assume the worst about people before they explain themselves because it wastes less of my time and effort. Now, I know I am worthy of respect.

 I was set up to get married to Zayn. He is a very successful genius man. We are happy together. I am lucky to be alive.

  Amongst my qualities, I know that I am a good writer. I used to suffer from schizophrenic vocal hallucinations and paranoia. I cured schizophrenia. I always know what sounds like my real voice in writing. I am cynical, skeptical, and quick to criticize anyone who annoys me. This is why I am a talented and award-winning writer. I write about interesting ideas and topics that are important. To start, I want to become a successful screenwriter who earns a lot of money. 

 With television, nobody is toxic because everything is approved by the Federal Communications Commission in the United States. People receive information from television programs with little knowledge of the sources of who wrote that material. They interpret information to themselves based on opinion in their brains on purpose without checking who wrote every line. When people watch television, it is as if suddenly they are allowed to judge.

 People need to thank the geniuses for inventing ways to protect everyone. For example, armies, police, F.B.I., C.I.A., and more are all invented by geniuses. Getting through the day would be easier if everyone normal had equal rights. Unfortunately, racism, sexism, homophobia, and more social issues exist in real life. World Peace is a dream of mine, to be honest. Microaggressions are irritating to encounter. I will answer society by starting a liberal media conglomerate that also emphasizes the importance of a healthy diet by selling organic food. Food can affect brains and thought processes. People who are healthier physically and mentally hopefully lead better lives.

 Stress can be caused by many factors. Not everyone is happy. The people at fault are those who and indulgent and selfish. Some people will never be good. The goal is to tolerate what scares people who are unaware of who is intimidating. Street smarts are a necessity to survive in the real world. When immature people who are sheltered try to arrange who is the most important or intimidating in their brains in an inaccurate and self-interested way that is illogical, they live a delusional life that slows down society. Immature people waste everyone's time. I rather input one hour of work that will benefit me for an entire year rather than talk about annoying people who do not know what they are doing with their lives. I want to make a difference.

 Fear and intimidation are what lead to a changing society. People never change. They only talk less and stop overreacting when people are around I can assume. Scaring people who are delusional and mean to everyone can help control society. Knowing about who people trust is how I can manipulate people, which is important to control a media corporation that is liberal. Trusting people easily is a sign of weakness. Nobody needs weaknesses, but they exist. Indulgence could be a sign that a person chose to be as weak as they possibly could when they realized that they had to work to earn respect and did not want to. When people think they are witty based on their own judgment, they have trouble reading other people's social cues due to their selfishness and narcissism. People who make people uncomfortable are not controlling or as dominant as they would like to be described. Allowing people to feel uncomfortable is a sign of wanting to be told what to do with little reward until the next time the weak person thinks they can control a situation. They want to be disciplined in front of an audience. This is annoying. I want society to reflect my gifts so I can make more money and live forever. Society is my tool for success. I can fix what cannot be fixed but only paid for. I want to treat society, which I consider royalty to me being a pauper, with my gifts.

 Love,

Hannah, his girlfriend.

I SAW YOUR REBLOG THANK YOU PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT YOUR OCS TOO -SELF INSERT NONSENSE

I love you @self-insert-nonsense and your OCS!

I have a couple of OCs that aren’t bound to any fandoms (though I occasionally plop them into certain universes when I want). Here are some of them, plus my Invader Zim OCs:

(Also, heads up, I have the drawing ability of an armless baby so no pictures, sadly) (UNEDITED)

Crow Romana:

Crow one of the oldest OCs in my catalog. As a 443-year-old vampire (43 in regular human years), he’s seen his fair share of the horrors the world holds and the suffering it brings.

The most common reason he gives when discussing why he has a semi-nihilistic world view is the fact he had to raise his daughter, Starling, alone due to his wife’s death.

When Crow was a young vampire studying to become a politician in the Vampiric government, The Blood Rose Court, he stumbled across a higher noble above his social ranking. Her name was Raven Corax and she too was to become apart of the Court, just in a very different way.

Raven was to marry Vladislav Montague, a noble in a popular and regal family who already had a high seat in the Court’s inner circle, and with Raven’s Blood Magic (an ability that all vampires have, but some are much better at it than others), the two would make one of the most dominant couples in Vampiric Society

However, Raven had no real attachment to the narcissistic and womanizing Vlad and found comfort in a quiet, yet thoughtful Crow. 

The two’s relationship blossomed into a careful dance to not expose their love affair. When the day of Raven’s wedding and Crow’s interview with the Court arrived, Crow couldn’t take it anymore.

With a heart full of both love and bravado, the young vampire sunk into the Montague estate where the wedding was to be held and discovered his long ebony-haired love trying to jump out a window with a suitcase in hand.

The two ended up eloping that night after sneaking out of the estate with the Montagues none the wiser. The new couple took up residence in Crow’s old family manor that had been abandoned for over two centuries. Instead of succumbing to their misery at their ghoulish new home, they were overjoyed to have a project to work on together... As a family. Soon, after the renovation, Raven became pregnant and, nine months later, gave birth to their daughter, Starling Romana.

Life couldn’t be more perfect for the Romana trio. But, as they say, all good things come to an end.

Only two weeks after celebrating Starling’s first birthday, Montague and his gang of loyal followers stormed the Romana household with the intent to kill everyone inside. Crow tried to defend his wife, but Raven, realizing that Montague was only here because he was snubbed on their supposed wedding day and wanted revenge.

Using the last amount of her magic, Raven cast a spell that blocked her husband and child from the invaders while she dealt with Montague. Crow was able to escape with a terrified Starling, not before watching Montague brutally stab his wife in the back and demanded his followers to light the house ablaze.

Now, 167 years later, Crow lives with the guilt and shame of not being able to save his family from Montague’s attack and forcing his daughter to live such a loner lifestyle.

Starling Romana:

Unlike her seemingly joyless father, Starling loves life and everyone in it. 

Due to her lack of knowledge on her mother and not really remembering her, Starling grew up a spoiled daddy’s girl who doted on her every need, even if the need was more of a want. 

Like her mother, Starling is a fantastic user of Blood Magic, which comes in handy when she and her father have to hunt the vampire’s mortal enemy: ghouls (vampires who turned into cannibalistic and light fearing creatures who prey on anything that moves). However, her skills are lacking since there isn’t really anyone who can teach her due to her family’s damaged reputation.

But a little bad press never stopped Starling from having fun. Despite the sun being one of the vampires most lethal weaknesses, Starling looks forward to being out on a warm summer day or just being in light in general (in this universe, the sun works like a flame boiling the vampire’s blood from the inside out, which kills them slowly). She also loves to flirt and tease anyone she deems worthy enough to become her friend (leading to many awkward situations revolving her father and new love interest).

Because of her age (168 years old), Starling is considered a teenager both by human and vampire standards, meaning the young girl often tries to foolishly get the adults to respect her by doing wild and crazy stunts.

While Crow, Raven, and Starling aren’t Invader Zim OCs, I sometimes put them in the universe just because I find the idea of Dib not believing Starling is a vampire because “she just... loves the sun. Vampires don’t love the sun!” Plus, Professor Membrane would totally make Crow his new vessel for dumbing all his science info onto.

Obi and Ren

My Invader Zim OCs! (Obi’s name is pronounced Oh-Bee)

Obi is an Irken invader that is really obsessed with the Tallest, claiming to be their “#1 Fan!”.

Because she wanted to prove her loyalty and devotion to the Tallest, Obi decided to steal an Invader ship and a defective SIR unit and travel to Earth to defeat the Tallest’s greatest enemy: Zim.

After a six month period of nothing but singing, napping, and fixing her SIR unit, Obi landed on Earth with the newly functioning SIR unit she swiftly named Ren after seeing the name on a poser with large-eyed humans covering it. Posers similar to the one Obi got Ren’s name from were also the inspiration for her human disguise.

In her Irken form, she has light reddish-pink eyes were curled antennas; in her human form, Obi looks like a young Japanese-American preteen (around Dib and Gaz’s age) with short light brown hair in two small pigtails. She wears a standard Invader-Outfit in her Irken form while in her human form, she wears a sparkly pink skirt with white leggings and burgundy sneakers, plus a white T-shirt with an angry cartoon bunny head on the front with a soft light pink highschool jacket.

Obi, after landing on Earth and claiming to be Zim’s worst enemy, doesn’t really try to take over Earth. She doesn’t see a need and, plus, she really likes Earth!

She loves the almost indefinite amount of pink things she can buy, the way trees change color, zoos, cotton candy, movies, cute animals... Practically everything is new and exciting for her. Plus, she really likes anime (especially the magical girl kind) and video games (though she isn’t good at it) and visual novels.

Unlike Obi, Ren is very interested in ending Zim and conquering Earth; however, since he was a defective SIR unit, he has some trouble accomplishing this goal.

For starters, Ren has a very obvious stutter that gets more pronounced the more he becomes enraged. His head has to be bolted to his neck in order to keep it from falling (Frankenstein’s Monster style) and he is quite shorter than most SIR units. His shortened height actually does help him when he is disguised as a black mitt colored ferret with bright amber eyes. 

Ren is also very neat and tidy dissimilar to Obi, who frequently leaves trash and her games scattered all over the place. Although he attempts to keep their house clean, it always ends up a mess either due to Obi or Ren accidentally setting himself on fire (a more common occurrence then you’d think).

In the end, Ren does care for Obi and thanks her constantly for saving his life, even though he wishes she’d just clean up for once in her life.

I ship Obi with Gaz because I like to think that Gaz would totally try to help her “git gud” at video games after watching her fail at Mario Kart eight times in a row. Obi would try to help Gaz become more tolerable to people and Gaz would help Obi toughen up since the Irken Invader, surprisingly, isn’t good at defending herself. Gaz would try to hide her feelings while Obi would just be completely obvious. The only one who can tell Gaz likes Obi is Ren since Dib would believe Gaz is under some type of Irken mind control and Zim would think that Obi is trying to steal his spot as ruler of Earth.

I can add some more later, but for now, I’m really tired :/

Thanks for listening to me ramble.

RWBY Manga Chapter 3

So here we go with chapter 3 of my RWBY manga analysis. Check out the last two chapters Here and Here.

As stated before this is not a page by page review, more of a comparison of this and the original source material. Thanks to every one who has liked and/or reblogged the last two parts. 

So Chapter 3 opens with Yang and Blake having already established their pair and fighting Grimm. 

I really like this shot in the first panel, it’s very indicative of Yang’s character early in the series. Girl is battle hungry with a devil may care attitude. She’s happy as long as she can have a good fight. Blake’s comment is also good, as is Yang’s response. Sets up the dynamic well enough. 

As Pyrrha explains the concept of Aura to Jaune (in some very well illustrated scenes that give Aura a much more spiritual lean than established), we finally come across the problem with the manga that I have been eluding to in the last two parts: the fight scenes. 

Now I know that this has always been a thing in manga. It’s nigh impossible to give a complete flow of fight scenes in the medium (unless you’re say, Akira Toriyama or someone of that caliber). Normally this isn’t a problem since pretty much most, if not all, action-oriented anime start as manga; so really when they get adapted into anime it just enhances the material and makes the fights more memorable. 

Black Clover is a perfect example of this. I’ve been told by numerous people that the series is best consumed if you read the manga for the story, but watch the anime for the fight scenes. 

That’s a good way to approach it, but RWBY is a completely different animal compared to most franchises in the genre (I don’t really consider RWBY anime, but its kind of marketed as such and has a following in Japan so yeah). Not only are they flattening what was originally a computer generated series onto a 2D surface, they are actively condensing what was (at one time) the series’ main draw, the aforementioned fight scenes. 

Might get a little controversial here so bear with me. It is no secret that the late Monty Oum was a savant when it came to using Poser. The things he could do with the platform were amazing (as series like Dead Fantasy, Haloid, Red vs. Blue, and even the first trailers of RWBY showed). 

However, Monty, for all his mastery at fight choreography, was never the greatest story teller. I believe he admitted to that before. As much shit as people give Miles and Kerry about the current writing of the show (including me on several occasions), they were there from the beginning. it was always a three man team. Miles, Kerry, and Monty all wrote the show together. 

Even diehard RWBY fans will tell you that the writing in those first two and a half volumes was never really that strong. 

Plot points would be picked up then unceremoniously dropped, characters were inconsistent in both their personalities and motivations (Blake was a huge victim of this), and the overall narrative wasn’t really all that engaging. 

However, many people forgave these glaring flaws because of Monty’s fight scenes. Before I got into the series, a common criticism I heard of RWBY was “The story isn’t all that great, but the fight scenes are amazing.” And that’s true. In the first two and a half volumes of RWBY (before Monty passed) a lot of the “story” was really just padding until we got to the next fight scene. This worked well when the episodes were 6-15 minutes long because a majority of the run time could be used for those glorious battles that kept people coming back. Including me. 

Two of my favorite fights are still Neo v. Yang from Volume 2 and Blake and Sun v. Torchwick from Volume 1

Though as the series grew in popularity, it could no longer solely rely on the fights to keep things going (especially after the noticeable dip in quality that occurred shortly after Monty passed) it needed to focus more on its story.

I say all that to say: the RWBY manga’s more stilted fight scenes are not only its biggest weakness, but also its greatest strength. Without the crutch of cool fights to fall back on, Bunta Kinami is forced to focus the manga around how the characters act instead of how well they fight. 

This shift in focus is once again highlighted when we catch up with Weiss and Ruby:

Even though they decided to become a pair last chapter, they are still at odds. Which makes perfect sense. They are together because of necessity (the need to pass the trial and stay alive), not because they want to be. This is present in the show, but the manga makes a stronger case for it because of how they are written as opposites. Ruby is trying, but Weiss is fighting her every step of the way because of her arc to be perfect (as told in Part 2 of the analysis). Neither like the situation, but only one of them (Ruby) is willing to try and make it work. It’s a constant push and pull.

Blake and Yang reach the shrine, and this is where we first meet Ren and Nora. 

Not really much to say here. Ren and Nora are side characters so its fine that we don’t meet them until later, also having their first scene be the one where Nora rides in on the Ursa gives us a better look at her character, as well as her relationship with Ren. 

Ruby and Weiss hitch a ride on the Nevermore like in the original and crash into Pyrrha and Jaune as they are attacked by the Death Stalker. Only real change here is that Jaune doesn’t catch Weiss and Pyrrha is with them all instead of just being knocked to the ground. 

With everyone in one place, we finally come to the climax of the initiation, the fights with the Death Stalker and Nevermore. 

I want to give a shout out to Kinami for his Grimm designs. They look much more menacing here with the added details. Makes them look more undead than before.

The end of the chapter is a bit more brisk than the show, but it fits for this story. Ruby tries to attack the Death Stalker, and it goes about as well as you’d expect.

In a reversal of the previous chapter, Weiss saves Ruby. 

This was the same as the source material, but in the manga I believe it works better because the character writing is much more consistent, which leads to a  more badass save and moment for Weiss. 

The moment is earned here as opposed to the show where it kind of just happens apropos of nothing. It shows that Weiss is also starting to grow in her own way parallel to Ruby, but not quite the same. It’s a compromise, not an acceptance. 

So that’s it for chapter 3. Things are continuing to escalate and the next two chapters deal with the fight with the Grimm. See you then. 

Top 5 Things I Liked About RWBY Volume 4

(Top 5 Dislikes)

This is going out later than I was hoping, but hey better now that never. Anyways, I honestly think that V4 is a pretty underrated Volume. There’s a lot that I really enjoy about it and after the insanity of V3, I’m glad that we got a more lowkey season that let everyone begin to heal. I’m hoping that RvB18 will follow that path tbh, but that’s not important here. There’s a lot to like, so let’s talk about the Top 5 Things I Liked About RWBY Volume 4!

#5. The Switch to Maya/Improved Animation

For Volumes 1-3, animaiton was primarily done in a program called Poser. This was mainly because it was what Monty liked to use, especially for fight animation. Poer isn’t an animation program, it is a modeling program that Monty was able to work for what he needed, but again it is not a proper animation program. V3 looks amazing, but I think that it was clear that they had reached their limit on how much they could push it. Add that with now having a larger animation staff, and it was time for a change. As such, they shifted to Maya, a common animaiton program in the field, and I am going to say it… it was 100% the right choice.

The animaiton in the Poser Era wasn’t bad, but… there were plenty of times where it felt like expressions and casual movements were very stiff. V4 changed that massively. There is so much more facial expression, but not just that. Take Blake’s cat ears for example. They are SO expressive in every scene that she’s in. Sure it might be because she threw out the bow, but still! I really don’t think that they could have done that in Poser. Animaiton models improved, like Sun’s abs no longer being glued to him for example and his little necklace sometimes daggling about. Environments look more vibrant. Environments have improved. Things like shading look better. And while the fight scenes aren’t Monty-like anymore, they are still really good! Seriously, Qrow vs Tyrian is still awesome~

I know that the shift wasn’t something liked by everyone, though I think that the vast majority have come around since V4. The animaiton has only kept improving after this, and it’s crazy going back to V1 and seeing the difference. But they sold me the second that they released the Ruby Trailer in the lead-up to the volume. Maya has allowed for a lot of improvement and new opportunities, and I believe that RT made the right choice in transitioning over to it. V4 looked so good, especially with how many new locations that it introduced us to, and I freakin’ love it~

#4. Expansion On The World

Volume 4, above all, is a world-building volume. We spent all of our time in the first three volumes primarily in Beacon and the city fo Vale. The only locations that we got a substantial amount of time in otherwise were Mountain Glenn and the Amity Arena for the Vytal Festival. Otherwise, we’ve been stuck in one place despite knowing that there is a much larger world out there. Thankfully though, this volume takes us outside the Kingdom of Vale and finally allowed us to explore the rest of Remnant… well, parts of it. Still, more than the other volumes had.

This was an advantage of using the multiple plotlines.. We got a really good amount of new locations. RNJR was in Anima, which had a lot of Asian-inspired scenery and naming. Yeah, we mostly spend the time on trails and villages, but you can still see the difference between the villages and Vale. Which we got to see what it’s like outside of Vale. Some villages like Higanbana are nice, while others like Shion or Kuroyuri… well… it emphasizes just how bleak the world truly is. Vale was an overall safe place, and even that wasn’t safe. If you don’t live within a kingdom though? Hope that luck is on your side.

We also get to see Menagerie for the first time. Sadly we don’t get to see as much here or in V5, but we do get to see how cramped it is and it overall looks nice. You can see that, as Blake said, they tried to make it a welcoming place for Faunus. We get to see Weiss’ home, which is as empty and cold as you would have imagined it being. It looks grand, but it’s just… empty and quiet with Weiss, more or less, alone aside from Klein. Patch is nice, you can certainly see why Tai would raise his kids there and in contrast to Weiss’ home, it’s small but the peaceful and comforting environment that Yang needed. Salem’s realm is eerie. Oscar’s farm is… a farm. And Mistral? Amazing.

What I’m getting at here is that we learn so much more about the world. Even outside exploring new locations, we learn about the Relics and the God Brothers. We start to get an understanding of the war between Oz and Salem, though of course, we learn the true scale in V6. The volume does a lot to make Remnant feel more like an actual world full of stories, problems, and history. It took us out of the hub that we were used to with Volumes 1-3, and I think that they did so very well. Very much appreciate it~

#3. Yang Plotline

While Yang got the least amount of focus, I… don’t view that as a bad thing. A story can’t be dictated by screentime alone. You have to look at how well they executed what they needed to do in the amount of time that they had. For example, they didn’t do very well with Ruby in V5 with the time that they had, but we’ll save that for the V5 posts. For V4, as I said, Oscar didn’t get the proper development and they didn’t utilize the amount fo time that they had for him well. But Yang though? I thought that they did her very well here.

Yang’s plot is, of course, recovering after losing her arm and getting back into fighting condition so that she can go after Ruby. We see that she has PTSD, having flashbacks and nightmares and her emotional state is… not in the bright place that we’re used to. Chapter 4, the chapter mainly focused on her, shows how concerned she is about taking the first steps of recovery, though we do see her start to laugh and joke around again. With Tai’s encouragement and support, Yang ut son the new arm, trains again and Tai helps her see the disadvantages of her fighting style/Semblance reliance, and opens up to her about Raven. In the end, Yang’s ready to go after her sister. She’s not 100% healed, but she’s got her drive back and is ready to move ahead.

Now again, Yang gets the least amount of focus. She only gets one chapter dedicated to her, and otherwise, her’s appears the least out of the four RWBY girls. But they utilized that time very well. They don’t drag it out or rush through it. They set up Yang’s mental state, show us signs of her PTSD, have Tai give her the proper encouragement, and have her start to get back on her feet. I’m glad that they were just straightforward with it, there was no need to drag it out especially since V5 and 6 show that there are still things that she has to work through. The point for this volume though was to get Yang well enough mentally for her to get back out onto the field, and they did that very well. She was in a positive environment as well, and that probably helped her.

So yeah, when I look back at the Yang plot, I have no issues with it. I think that it was given the amount of attention that it needed. It wasn’t rushed, but it wasn’t dragged out either. Yang didn’t fully recover, but she got well enough to move forward. That was the ultimate goal for everyone’s plotline, and they achieved it here. But I’m gonna leave it at 3 since it is a bit of a bummer that she got limited screentime. But for what it’s worth, they used that time properly and I am happy with the final result.

#2. Weiss Plotline

Out of all the plots, Weiss’ is my favorite and imo, the best one done. This is because this is the conclusion to her three volumes worth of character development. As I said n the V3 Likes post, her plot had her decide to finally cut herself away from her father for good and move ahead with the life that she wanted. Sadly, due to the Fall, Jaques had the perfect excuse to got o Vale and force her to return to Atlas with him. So just as quickly a she was able to embrace her freedom and the choice to never turn back, fate dealt her a bad hand and she was her father’s prisoner once more. Which she literally becomes a prisoner after her outburst at the charity event and gets stripped of her title. It’s just… horrible to watch that scene. Really, any scene with her and Jaques is uncomfortable, especially when he slaps her.

This is when we truly get to see Jaques abuse first hand, and it is as horrible as the previous hints indicated. He’s condescending and passive-aggressive to Weiss. He treats her like she’s a child and an employee more than as a parent. Compare it to Tai or Ghira with Yang and Blake, where they are nothing but caring and supportive to their daughters. Ghira especially welcomed Blake back with open arms despite how she called them cowards in the past and was just glad that she found her way again and was safe. Jaques only cares about Weiss for his image and to use her when it suits his needs, whether Weiss is willing to do it or not. He makes her sing rather than ask her. He refuses to let her out fo his sight during the charity gala. He talks down to her. He tries to gaslight her into everything being her fault and like her outburst was wrong.

Weiss did NOTHING wrong. She, and maybe Ironwood, were the only ones at that charity who gave a damn about Vale. Seeing her in that environment, where people were snobby, argumentative, and only cared about their own petty problems makes you really, really appreciate how much she had grown. She had broken out of that mindset after V1 and when the Trophy Wife claims that Vale deserved what it got, she rightfully calls her and everyone else out on their bullshit and refuses to let Jaques shut her up. Yeah, it ends badly with Weiss losing her title and Whitley rubbing it in. Weiss had no one aside form Klein, who is an actual good person who showed Weiss kindness and care moreso than her own family ever did. When Weiss breaks down, ti just… hurts. But luckily, at her lowest point, Weiss decides that enough is enough. She gets back out Myrtenaster, perfects her Summoning Glyph, and decides to break free once and for all. Klein helps her escape, and she manages to get onto a plane heading for Mistral. Which leads to… more problems, but that’s for the next volume.

Weiss’ plotline was very well done. It gets you to see how far that she’s come since Volume 1. She wanted to break free and become better, and she did. Jaques tries to lock her away again, but he failed. Weiss had gotten a taste of freedom, and she was going to reclaim it. She was going to redeem her family name her way by being a Huntress and no one was going to stop her. As This Life is Mine stated, “I won’t be possessed/burdened by your royal test/I will not surrender, this life is mine.” Yes Weiss, it is indeed.

Weiss was great, but there is one character whose focus I appreciated not just because it was good, but because it saved that character in my eyes.

#1. Ren Becoming a Character

I haven’t talked much about Ren and Nora, and that was because up until now… there wasn’t much to talk about. While I liked them fine enough, in V1-3 they’re just… there. It felt like they existed just because Jaune and Pyrrha had to be part of a four-man team because they’re nothing more than supporting characters there. Nora at least was funny and bubbly so she was at least fun, but Ren? He was just… quiet and the straight-man to Nora’s antics. That was it. He didn’t feel like a character, he just felt like a necessity needed to fill in a spot. My biggest hope with V4 was, now with JNR traveling with RWBYt hey would do something, anything to flesh out Ren and Nora. At least for one of them.

Fortunately, I got my wish.

To be fair, RWBY Chibi had gotten me to warm up to Ren since they got a lot out of him in several of the skits. More than I thought that they could. But I also like Chibi!Neo FAR more than I like Canon!Neo, so that wasn’t saying much. But fortunately, Volume 4 came around! Ren was really great in this volume! He’s still the quiet one, though he gets more here than any other volume. Which is something to note real quick. Neath has done a fantastic job as Ren. I can’t imagine how it had to have felt since he was taking over Monty’s spot. His brother’s spot. But he has done a perfect job since Day One, and I can’t imagine anyone else int he role at this point. He especially shows his range in this volume, and for a guy who had never voice acted until he started doing Ren, he pulls it off perfectly. I love Neath.

Ren is from Anima, but outside Mistral, so he’s of course the most knowledgeable of the area. We get to see more of his tracking and fighting skills, which is as fun to see as it was in Volume 1 which was the last time he got to showcase his fighting style. We get to see him interact with not only Nora, which was really nice especially with Jaune. But most of all, we get to see how Ren’s past affected him. His reaction to the destruction fo Shion perfectly fits due to what happened to Kuroyuri. His refusal to go back there makes sense since… well, no one likes to revisit the source of their trauma. He tells us about Oniyuri, and through him we see just how difficult it is to live outside the Kingdoms. We saw that with what happened to Shion, but Ren is a character that we’ve known for years and we get to see and hear about it through him. Which makes it hit us harder because it affects a character that we’ve known for so long. And when we get to the flashback and see how happy Ren’s life was and how it all went to Hell in just one night? It breaks your heart. We also finally learn his Semblance, which fits him perfectly so that was also appreciated.

But most of all, we get to Kuroyuri, and it’s the first time that we see Ren lose it. He’s always been a very calm, very tranquil person but when the Nucklavee attacks, he is understandably terrified… and then just lose it. We’ve NEVER seen him get angry before, but seeing the monster that ruined his life, killed his family, and destroyed his home? Yeah, that’ll make anyone snap. But thankfully, Nora snaps him out of it and this is when we see just how strong their relationship is. When Ren lost everything, he found Nora who had absolutely no one, and befriended her. They fought together. They survived together. They went through everything together, both good and bad. So fo course Nora could see that Ren was losing it, and she was the only one who could pull him back and stop him before he lost himself I’d still like them to be more clear on if Renora is canon or not cause I still really don’t know. But at least we get to see that their dynamic isn’t just the ‘hyper girl, calm guy’ dynamic. There is a true bond there, and it’s just beautiful.

It ends with Ren suing his father’s knife, the only thing of his family that he still has, to kill the Nuclavee. For his parents. For all the lives stolen. And, of course, for himself. This was him confronting his trauma, and finally putting it to rest and moving forward. That’s the biggest theme of this volume honestly, taking what brought you down, and moving forward. Yang began to stand up again after her trauma. Blake decided to quit running and to rise up against the White Fang once and for all. Weiss broke free of her father despite him trying to pull her back. Ruby saw just how bad the world truly was along with the Fall of Beacon still haunting her, but took ti and strengthened her resolve to be a Huntress and make things better as much as possible. And Ren? He chose to go back to Kurroyuri to save his friends and destroyed the monster that made so many suffer but without giving in to his sorrow. 

The volume just made me love Ren and see him more as a character than I had before. He’s one of my absolute favorites no. I’m hoping that V7 is going to do the same with Nora since at this point, I feel that she’s the most under-developed of the main cast. But we’ll just have to wait and see. Regardless, V4 changed my opinion of Ren completely and his story was done very well. As such, it my favorite thing about RWBY Volume 4.

And another volume done! So… next we get to Volume 5. Ho boy, I haven’t revisited it since it ended and not for the reasons that you think. But we’ll talk more on those posts. For now, thanks for reading everyone~!

Eulogy for my uncle bill

Amid the noise and haste, he remembered the peace there is in the silence.

He did his best, without surrender, to be on good terms with all persons. Well… maybe not always with his sisters; but family doesn’t always get along, and at the end of the day he spoke his truth quietly and clearly.

He tried his best to listen to others, even the dull and ignorant for he knew that even they had their story’s.

He didn’t compare himself to others, knowing in his big heart that there will always be greater and lesser persons them him.

He enjoyed the beauty of the natural world and kept interested in learning how to be the master of his own mind and his struggles with pain.

He knew that the world is full of trickery, but it never blinded him to the virtue of the simple things, like taking photographs of butterfly’s or sitting on the beach to watch the sun set.

He knew that many people strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism. He believed in being yourself, and if you take any of these words home with you tonight, remember Billy, remember to be yourself. That’s what he would and always will want.

Billy did not feign for attention or affection, but he was not cynical about love; he… in the wisdom of age, knew love is perpetual as the grass he laid in the sunsets he watched or the butterfly’s he photographed.

Things and people come and go but family and friends are forever. In your memory’s find where Billy lives and smile for you have known a giant among men.

Take kindly to the counsel of Billy’s years, gracefully yielding the things of disappointment and youth; nurture your strength of spirit to shield you against the sudden flight of Billy’s butterfly wings.

Do not distress yourself with things left unsaid and questions unasked. Be gentle with yourself. Billy was, as you are a child of the universe, no less than the trees, tiger lily’s and butterflies. You have a right to morn, to cry, to be angry but weather or not it is clear to you the world is unfolding as it should.

Billy’s older years where filled with pain, emotional trauma, and a mental fight for a clear head. Be at peace, he no longer feels pain, he no longer cry’s and his mind is as clear as the sky on a perfect beach day, his spirit is not that of a broken old man but as a handsome man of youth.

Be at peace with god, whatever you conceive him to be because Billy’s heaven is an open bar on the beach, a joint rolled, his camera, and a pack a cigarette’s.

Be at peace with your labors and aspirations; keep peace with Billy… in your soul with all its shame, all its toil, struggles and broken dreams. remember that what Billy would say to you as passing the joint that “it’s still a beautiful world.”

My uncle bill was a complicated man and only now do I see it. Only now do I know that he was also a man with an eye for beauty.

Although his home was hoarded with trash and litter, among those piles of despair… where hidden treasures, ones that touched me right down to my soul.

From beautiful glass where, and intricate driftwood to the stained-glass lamps that where left over from my oma time. Marble statues of the female figure that could fool any person at the met or momma and brass globes.

my mom would see these beautiful things and know that they were meant for me. She new I would love them, because she’s always known I had more than a touch of her brothers madness in me and in the end we had so much in common in the way we saw the wide world around us that his most beautiful things would become mine because like Billy I never had to learn how to see the world , I was born being able to see it.

I find beauty in my own artistic outlets, Billy took photos and now I know my creative eye came from him, I draw the human figure meaning in my free time I like to sit and stare at naked people and draw them. I never got to show my uncle bill any of my drawings, but I know now that he would have loved them.

For all the filth we found… bill had beautiful things surrounding him. A lot of his treasures passed to me and I will keep and cherish them for the rest of my life using them as inspiration for my own obsessions to drawing beautiful things.

In his youth there was no Wi-Fi, there was no 24-hour cable news, no president trump and no pain. In his youth he was a long dark-haired man, jaw clean shaven with a Burt Reynolds mustache.

He would go out winter or summer, spring or fall, night or day to smoke joints and take photographs, unlike my own generation Billy saw past his camera and beheld the world beyond and understood that the world at any moment is doing exactly what it was meant to.

I imagine that young man high on reefer but also on life. I see a thoughtful handsome punk, with a stronger squarer jaw then superman mixing his friends drinks on the beach. he smokes a joint in the golden sun watching the way the light plays on the ocean waves and thinks about how the sky seemed to go on forever.

I watch from above as a young man is fighting with his littlest sister Janet. She just said the right insult to warrant Billy, throwing a knife into her leg, one… that she nonchalantly would just pull out of her leg.

I see her throwing it back at him screaming “you mother fucking cock sucker” she wouldn’t go to the hospital either I have to add, what did you old fucks do back in the 70s, you get knifed by your brother and you just continue on with the rest of your day just with a limp and a little blood loss.

I imagine a young man braking this mothers wooden spoon in half his eyes saying so clever “ you can’t beat me with a spoon if you don’t have a spoon” .I imagine the look on his face was priceless, as he shit his pants when she came home with a bag full of spoons with his name on them.

I imagine him in a leather jacket riding a black motorcycle down the expressway reveling in the feel of the wind and the world slipping threw his fingers and hair.

I imagine a young man dancing to led zeppelin, signing along to the moody blues and rolling blunts to jimmy Hendricks.

I imagine Billy riding in his truck, plowing the snow off sunrise highway, eyes wide, alert and alive. Pressing on the brakes and pulling over, as a garment bag fly’s over the road.

Head held high even against the cold he pushes his way threw 20 feet of snow piled 6 inches high to fetch the bag. Back in the warmth of his truck, Nights in white satin playing on the radio, he opens the bag and finds a collection of dresses. Billy smiles snow melting in his hair thinking my littlest sister will love these if I don’t stab her to death.

Years would go by with those dresses in her closet. until the day her man would ask for her hand. She would find the white dress from the collection and she would wear it as Billy walked her down the aisle into the arms of her new husband. Take her away ed she’s crazy! she’s quicker than she looks!

I know that he must have felt immense pride, and pure joy when my sister came out of Judy’s house at her and Jose’s engagement party, wearing that very same dress.

And I know he smiled thinking she looked so much like his little sister had when she was young. His pride and joy were knowing that she would wear it when she married Jose. He patted himself on the back for being the kind of man who doesn’t let a flying garment bag in a snowstorm stop him from being as curious as a black cat, and nothing would stop him from trudging through the snow just to see what was in that bag.

Billy was a finder of buried treasure and he knew beauty when he saw it. He may have thrown a knife at my mom essentially stabbing her but as far as I know he never stabbed my sister, and I’m pretty sure he was hoping a baby would follow the engagement party.

As a child “Billy” was my uncle bill, I’m the baby in the family and when I was old enough to sit at the adult table, my forever spot would always be next to him.

No matter the party, me and bill had our assigned seats. No one is allowed, ever… to ever!!! sit anywhere but their seat. If you do Jessica or Danielle ; probably both will yell at you to get in your correct spot and then tell you where that spot is.

I think this is done because Judy’s likely to get confused if you’re not in the right chair which causes her to forget things like the gravy or the rolls, prolonging the amount of time she’s already made us wait to eat. Me and bill and Michael never waited for grace we all just sat in our corner and let Judy do her Judy thing and dug into the feast.

I, Danielle, Jessica and Mikey unbeknownst to us, as children had our own personal Santa clause. And it was not some half-assed uncle with a fake beard who, obviously was not Santa. Our uncle bill was the real deal.

He was so Santa that he made all the other poser Santa’s jealous. Being Santa was his all-time favorite thing to do. He found the purest joy in it, and it was what made him the happiest.

Being older now; the magic has never left me, especially now that I know oma was the one driving the getaway car. I had no idea, until a few days ago that… that Witch was part of the whole scheme.

I’ve never put it together as an adult, that my uncle bill was stopping at Judy’s house for jess and mike to be Santa …then hopping in a car with my oma to drive to east Patchogue, in the middle of the night… so he could be Santa for me and Danelle.

And oma… I never knew, never would have even thought that she was the getaway driver, out alone sitting in a Volkswagen in the middle of the night waiting for her son to give the most incredible gift a child can get on charismas night. A visit from saint nick himself.

Knowing she wouldn’t see our faces but that we would come running to her the next day at dinner to tell and show her what Santa had gotten us.

Knowing all that now makes it even more spectacular in a way that proves to me magic can still trick you even if you think you’ve got it all figured out.

If you ask any of my immediate family members, they would probably tell you I’m a little slow, but that’s what they get when you sit the impressionable baby of the family next to the original long island super stoner.

Billy rubbed off on me and I blame who ever assigned the damned seats. If you didn’t want me to become a stoner mom… maybe you should have made me sit next to Judy, and instead of being artistic and smoking tons of pot, I’d be a normal gal and do Judy things… like shopping decorating or takeing x-rays and whatever it is that Judy does in between her white Russians.

I now know that the last year my uncle bill played Santa for us was because Jessica ruined it by being the oldest. For the first and maybe only time in her life, she had had a Sherlock Holmes moment, looking at her uncle bill and telling him telling him “You have eyes like Santa”.

He knew if jess found enough clues, she would spoil the magic, so he made it a year to remember, a year to make one more night of pure magic that would rap children in the innocence of believing in Santa clause for just a little bit longer.

That last year he would wake jess and mike up, by knocking on their windows, ringing his bells, and then running off into the woods; snow falling, gathering in his beard, heart pumping… alive… joyful, being the best version of himself.

He was the best Santa because he never got found out by the kids who he cared about the most. He played the roll until he had to give it up, and he only gave it up to give us kids a few more years of innocence and believing in Santa.

I assume his next stop was my house. My little kid memories aren’t the most reliable, but I want to believe that... that last year Santa came to see me was the same year I wrote to him in my letter saying that all I wanted for Christmas, was to see the radio city rockets.

I know now it was snowing and I’m still convinced I heard reindeer on the roof, I made my way downstairs and there was Santa sitting in the wooden rocking chair, milk and cookies on the table next to him. He glowed; Santa glowed. He glowed like in every movie Santa id seen him in.

It wasn’t the lights on the tree… it was him; I know… I know in my bones; that it was him glowing and I won’t ever let my own adult mind rationalize my inner child. Santa glowed because Billy glowed. I sat on his lap and had a cookie with him, and before I knew it, I was back in my bed.

Me and Danelle awoke to find presents under the tree. We opened them all making a charismas mess, of wrapping paper, tissue paper and lose bows. Our cats at the time where probably having their own cat Christmas and ducking, driving and play fighting in all the mess that my mom probably sprinkled cat nip on.

Me and my sister where taking stock of our toys and my Mom said “Nicole, you have one present left, its hiding behind the tree.” I lost all interest in comparing my toys to my sisters and went to find it.

When I did it was just a small bag, with “to Nicole from Santa” written on it. Opening it up and pulling out what was inside, seeing it …I knew Santa was real. I knew I had been as good as good can be, because what was held inside, were tickets to see the rockets!

“Santa really did get my letter” I yelled out. “Mom! Mom Santa got me tickets to see the rockets! There’s one for me; you, dad and he even left a ticket for Danielle...Mom? do we really have to bring Danielle?”

After that last Christmas, it all seems like it happened so fast. We were wide eyed kids then suddenly we all became “so called” adults. All of us have grown up and all of us have a touch of madness in us. It makes us who we are and without it we would be lesser people.

I got the largest dose of it. That madness. My buddy Billy saw that in me and tried this best over the years to tell me there was hope beyond the constant emotional pain, the mantel struggles and the passing of day to night.

He tried to tell me to stay strong, and only now that he’s gone… do I realized that I’ve always blamed the creature I am on my dad’s side of the family, but I have a hell of a a lot of Moore inside me then I knew, and my uncle bill could see it and tried his best to help me.

He was my friend, he was my Santa and he was and always will be a part of me, part of him lives on through me, and I’m around to say I will carry his torch for as long as I can by trying by best to bring magic into the world to all the kids our family will one day have.

For the last 5 or 6 years our family holidays have been adult, you know…grown up… meaning everyone at the party could all legally drink and so we did. and we had fun doing it.

We kids are very prude so for now and probably the near future we won’t be having any baby’s running around … being annoying and because of their very existence making it so we can’t get as drunk anymore.

But one day… some of us, not me… but jess Ha and Danelle it’s on you to have the babies. I see Judy cracking first with throwing out the vilest cruse words that your cute interracial kids hear and will learn right away to go on to repeat for the next month no matter what you try to do.

I see Judy in the kitchen and your innocent little baby’s will be at the kids table playing and suddenly they will hear something like… the yams didn’t fuck fluff enough. God damn it …Jesus Christ, whatever fuck the fucking yams it doesn’t fucking matter we got some fucking mac and cheese the little shits will like that crap better then unfluffed yams.

But for now, with no kids in the family it means I’m still technically the baby, so everyone must keep being nice to me.

For a while we all had other half’s, Danelle and Jose, Michael Charles and HA …make me and jess look bad… with their together forever true love nonsense. Jess has had various man friends whose names I don’t even know, and I had mike for a while.

For those last few years we would have reoccurring uncle bill moments that where definitely very awkward… but now are some of the memory’s that make us laugh the hardest.

We would be sitting around the snack table, talking away and uncle bill… seemingly out of nowhere would creep behind one of us and address us all saying, “You all need to start having baby’s so I can start playing Santa.” …

We would laugh awkwardly… but from deep in our belly’s… looking at one another, like what did he just say? Then we would quickly tell our weird uncle bill … “yeah sure we’ll get right on that.”

Then he would walk away, and we would raise a toast to never having babies. Most of us haven’t even moved out of our parents’ home yet. And I know that I personally know I’m never moving out, I can’t leave my mom alone with my dad, she’ll end up killing him.

By the time we have any kids running around their going to be just as fucked up as us, if not more because they’re going have me as a stand in for weird uncle bill.

Because of me they will ask their moms and dads a lot of weird questions after spending any considerable amount time with me like “mamma …why aren’t there any Mexican or Asian Muppets in Charles Dickinson’s Christmas carol? Can I be a Komodo dragon when I grow up? Why is great uncle eddy missing his feet but still working out his upper body?”

I have great plans to get back at all of you for not playing with me as a kid, you think I got over it, but no , I’m going to be just as weird and stoned, if not more… than uncle bill and I’ll never have to baby sit because of it… but I’ll still find ways to take revenge using your own children against you.

Michael Charles might try to dress as Santa for those future baby’s but he’s never going to fool any our smart, bilingual, messed-up kids.

He’s way too frail to be able to support a fat suit, and Santa has a beard and Michael Charles has less and less hair on his head every time I see him so he probably couldn’t grow a bread even if he wanted to.

I’ve always assumed he has no hair because in secret for all these years …HA is like a total monster …he has no hair because if he doesn’t wash the dishes counter clock wise while chanting the Asian alphabet backwards … she plucks out each hair to the root and then scrubs it with bleach… so no hair will grow there again ever, saying something like your my bitch and your my little button…. But I digress …

For Billy… being Santa; being a part of that kind of childhood magic and doing it with us; was something he knew, we would hold onto for our whole life’s.

Those Christmas nights being a child holding hands with Santa he knew even as adults who still live at home…That we all got something special, not every kid gets to meet Santa on Christmas night in their own homes.

I think now that he’s gone; that at the heart of his need to be Santa, was the need to put on one of our culture’s best masks and become an icon to give us kids real tangible memories of the pure magic of Christmas.

Nothing will ever make me happier than our last Christmas. We were all gathered around the snack table eating the finest chips and dip Judy could buy at the dollar store, wondering if uncle bill was going to come to the party at all. He had been having a lot of troubles lately and wasn’t doing well.

But Billy had something special planed because that charismas morning, he was a man with a purpose. We didn’t know if or when he was coming… so when Judy’s door opened, we all turned to yell out our customary greeting; which is just all of us yelling at considerably loud …yet indoor volume, the name of whom ever is walking threw the door. It wasn’t uncle bill who walked through the door that charismas night… it was Santa clause.

Red jacket with white fur trim down the center and on the cuffs, red pants, high leather boots, matching hat, eyes that shown like the point of light in a snowstorm and a real beard that if we pulled on wouldn’t come off.

He was glowing, just like he did when we where children. He was ringing his bells letting out a merry Christmas and I think for the first time in a long time Billy must have felt good and at one with the world.

The looks on everyone’s faces was priceless. Jess looked like she couldn’t believe her eyes and silently hoped she wasn’t tripping balls.

Michael Charles laughed so hard I think I saw his hair line creep back another two inches.

Ha and Jose where priceless, I don’t know if there is an Asian Santa or Mexican Santa …maybe next charismas I’ll remember to ask but they both got to see what me, Danielle, jess and Mikey got to grow up with , spoiled white kids with our personal white Santa.

Mom and Judy made happy mother noises and they both let out a loud cackle. My dad’s face was so red from laughing I was sure his head might explode.

Everyone was completely surprised, except for me. I was so proud of my buddy, my uncle bill for pulling it all off flawlessly, just like he used to do when we were kids.

My uncle bills birthday is close to charismas and even at birthdays my assigned seat was always next to Billy’s. For his birthdays we would always order a garbage pizza pie and garlic knots and have a small party.

In my forever seat next to belly’s; I had been listening to him for years now, talk about being Santa. He talked to me once about growing his beard out…” Nicole, they pay good money for a Santa with a real bread.” “I bet uncle bill, a Santa with a fake beard is a childhood trauma waiting to happen!” he would give me a nudge and smile because he knew I totally got it.

His last birthday, Billy wasn’t doing well but he made it to the party. As always, I was sitting next to him, and of course we got on the topic of Santa.

Last year I was in my own pain, the love of my life left me right before the start of the holidays and I wasn’t in a very festive sprit, but at least the silver lining was uncle bill couldn’t be creepy and tell me to have a baby.

He told me about a Santa school he wanted to go to and then grumbled about the lack of children in the family. I remember that moment when i looked into his eyes and I told him “Uncle bill if you want to be Santa, then be Santa.”

“For the world is full of trickery… but let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many people strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself.”

Be yourself especially if yourself, is Santa clause. Strive for your high ideals Billy; be the ultimate hero, be Santa clause, be Santa for the kids even if we’re grown up and bring magic into the night with the ringing of bells.

Come that charismas Billy transformed himself for his family into the greatest version of the man he wanted always wanted to be.

I know that I’m not the only niece or nephew that wishes we, would have grabbed our stupid phones, the ones we’re always holding onto and gotten up to take some pictures with him. My heart will never forgive myself for not forcing everyone to take a photo with him.

I think he was nervous, he changed outa that suit so quick… I don’t think we had the time to really realized that old saint nick, the Santa clause had just walked into our Christmas.

I think now we must have all thought that this would be the new normal, that from that Christmas on Santa would be making personal appearances just for us and we had all the time in the world to take selfies with Santa.

We took that moment for granted …but I know that our uncle bill would tell us now “Be gentle with yourself sweet children of the earth, make it up to me by having some baby’s.

Nicole’s going to dress in drag and play Santa for them one day. And then one day before you know it, she’ll be sliding them pot under your kitchen table, pot that she grew herself and named “Moore marijuana” …whispering to them your great uncle Bill would want you to have this don’t tell your mom or she’ll kill me.

There will always be things that we wish we knew then, that we know now. Life is so much like the cycle of the Billy’s butterfly’s; egg to caterpillar to chrysalis then finally to delicate butterfly.

Time, people and life changes so fast and now its up to everyone here to see past our camera lens and behold the beauty beyond and to breath in deep everything life has to offer.

Strive for high ideals and be the hero… by being yourself. Do not feign attention or affection and never be cynical about love, take kindly the counsel of years gracefully yielding the things of youth, nurture your spirit for it shields you against the changing fortunes of time, be gentle with yourself and hear belly’s voice telling you that we are all children of the universe no less then the trees or stars.

Look past your camera lens and just enjoy the sunset. When you think of Billy, let it be with a drink, a joint, a moody blues song, or seeing a butterfly.

Billy says, don’t think of me as I am now, think of me as I was, in my youth, on my motorcycle throwing knifes at my sisters and hiding from Oma and her wooden spoons.

Think of Billy on charismas; raise a glass, eat chips and onion dip then eat some more … then find Nicole after because she’ll have the Christmas joint rolled and ready to go.

Look up at the stars and take a hit for Billy tonight, he’s home now in his own personal heaven and he wants us to just get to the good part and start drinking and smoking and celebrating the life of a man with a truly beautiful mind.

Santa says smile, be yourself always. Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there is in the silence. If you don’t… Billy will know, and you’ll find a lump of coal where your stash of weed should be.

Goodbye Billy, goodbye uncle bill, and goodbye Santa, we will miss you and we will never forget you.