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mymadmedleyw · 2 years

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For the Wips ask game.

First of all, you have so many wips. I'm a little scared for you. 😂

Seriously though, everything looks so exciting. I'll ask specifically about "No other choice Left" and "Lightness of Dark."

Thank you for being interested! ❤

Yes, I have many WIPs - especially in my mind 😅 - and you don't even know half of it. 😄 (I did not list the many short ones for GG or WTPH because that would have been long, so it was a shortened list. Now, you can imagine why I am going ahead with everything this slow. My mind is chaotic, working on its own most of the time and against my plans.)

Anyway, so ‘little’ summary about the asked ones.

:readmore:

No Other Choice Left:

Technically it'll play after WTPH/21, but it could be read independently. You ask how. Well, it'll contain a revealing scenario. Without mentioning how that particular circumstance happened that led the happenings there, it could be about anything, so then, working as a simple reveal fic too, and as a sort of standing alone one. On the other hand, it will be the continuation of the mainline, cutting off a question about a not-answered sideline.

Right now, I don't know if it will be a two-shot - as I would need at least two POVs - or it will 'just' one chapter with cuts init. I had this idea for a while, and I think I could say it is mostly written, but since it (could be) connected to WTPH, it's in queue now.

However, I'm going to share its main synopsis:

"Mr and Mrs Fenton,

This is Phantom. This is an automated message in case of an emergency. Please detect the signal. The Specter Speeder is attached to it.

Whatever happened, remember, I'm on your side. I always was. Be hurry.

Note: if it is Danny, please don't take him to the hospital, this is important! Later he will tell why. If it is me - Phantom - it is just as important not to shoot me. I will tell you everything later.

(Please don't freak out if I change in front of you before I could tell you everything.)

The attachment will help you in case of a medical emergency."

(Side note: it is a sequel of previously shared Portal)

---

Lightness of Dark (a.k.a. 'LoD'):

Oh, god, I could rant about this... This's my next planned long story. This was my medicine during December when I was having my final exam at the university, writing my thesis, and other great stuff... I was longing for that to start writing on this. It was tormenting me at the same time and was helping me to go ahead too. You can imagine the headache. So, the moment I could sit down for that, getting free from school obligations, I began to work on this idea as soon as I could. And I managed to figure out mostly its whole plot that time too. 😁

It has already a prologue, four and a half chapters right after that, two and a quarter chapters in the middle, and the earlier shared 'concept' (Sailor) is somewhere in its 'third' part. (I have three separate docs for its sections to write: the continuation of the beginning part, the middle, and for the end).

The whole idea got born from this little idea because it was bugging me so much that soon my brain had to come up with some background for that little scene. So then, it turned out into a complete story, into LoD. (And the scene itself is actually in the first chapter, so...)

I have so much to tell about this story, but I think I have to keep myself back a bit to avoid bringing out the surprise factors.

Technically, the story will play between WTPH and GG, but it could be read entirely independently from those. The little connection LoD will have to those will be mentioned, but only briefly. (I could say its only reference to GG will be that once or twice Dan's dreams about a girl - Dani - will be brought up, but really just for some side notes. Anything relevant that happened in WTPH will be explained too, through some short comparisons of the happenings in LoD, but nothing more will be needed.)

The story itself won't be about Dan. Sure, he'll be one of the main characters, but the focus will be on Valerie. LoD, even though won't be as complicated as WTPH was, it'll have its surprises, I am sure. My longest chapter in this so far is 4k long, so it won't be as gigantic either, as my 'usual' chapters are in WTPH. Which, hopefully, would allow me to work on it faster too if its time comes.

I think I can't say more about it, but here are some interesting (irrelevant) facts. It won't be mentioned as clearly, but it'll mainly be played in Europe. I was like, 'hey, why not write once a fic playing a bit in Europe?'. So I did it. And it happened similarly with the sailing stuff. (I could drive a boat and more or less could sail too, so yeah, I am stealing some stuffs init from my life. 😅)

Also, some could say it'll be a darkgray fic. I can't decide if it could be counted as that or not. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Personally, I can't write romantic things, and I am far away from Deliverance-level - even though that story gave me the idea to once write on my own one with Valerie and Dan - so it could be said it will be darkgray one, as much that it won't.

The story itself will play in a TUE timeline - but I can't say more about it without saying too much.

Officially LoD was planned for InvisoBang, but I very soon realised I wouldn't be capable of finishing WTPH and writing this to be done at the deadline, so plans changed. This decision freed me from a huge weight, though, allowing me to go ahead at my own pace with writing both. (Which means I haven't touched LoD in a while... 😅)

The story itself will be about Valerie, along with Vlad, kind of having no other way but working together with her thought-to-be enemy to avoid an event. But of course, things wouldn't be this easy. Things (that were never said before) come to light, and trusts get shattered, old stuffs return, and other lovely things will happen. So 'Lightness of Dark' will be kind of about Valerie finding herself again behind the Red Huntress. Just as much it'll be about not necessarily seeing everything 'black and white', so then neither her enemy as just her enemy, but as a person, and facing severe issues meanwhile too.

---

(Collecting these thoughts, I realised how much I miss writing these ideas. Now I've got curious and took a quick check, 'No Other Choice Left' was updated on 1st February 2021! 😳 I can't even speak about LoD without causing me heartache wishing to work on that again. 😔 But maybe, soon! ☺)

Thanks for being interested in coming stuffs! ❤

#my stuff

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amberwild420 · 3 years

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one step back, two steps forward (pt.4)

masterlist

Not all heroes wear capes

Kaylan stood tall on the roof of the building. The spotted heroin was having trouble keeping herself safe.

For the love of God please work!

Closing her eye she took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, her yellow green eyes glowed and she swung her rope lasso and threw it towards ladybug. The loop secured at ladybug’s waist that made the said hero startle. With a strong tug Kaylan pulled the hero upward before she started falling down right in her arms. (here)

**************************************************************************************

Her mind was exploding with worst case scenarios like a bullet train. The feeling of rope and the strong pull made her believe that she was going to be out of commotion just like that. But the moment she landed in someone’s arms, she was startled to see her savior.

For as long as Marinette can remember, she never got fascinated by some glowing eyes. And she never voiced that. Not once in the future.

*******************************************************************************************

The beeping from the earrings startled them both. Ladybug looked around.

Thank you for your help but I need to recharge.

Ladybug kept looking for any place to hide. With a wave Kaylan made a blue colored cube. The shocked face didn’t go unnoticed by her but she ignored it.

It’s my magic. I made sure no one can’t either see or hear you.

Huh?

The spotted heroin who looked baffled at the sudden reveal couldn’t process what was actually happening. Rolling her eyes Kaylan pushed the other girl to the cube.

Tsk! get inside.

Once she was safe inside, Kaylan turned to observe the situation. From what she gathered from Marinette’s general information and her own research she just needed to find the thing that has the magical butterfly in it.

While the whole situation looked abstruse, she knew as a magic user herself, it was possible to defy logic rather easily and the living proof was rather in front of her.

Since I saw many victim with the mind control ability the minions are nothing but an obstacle. Considering that they can turn the other like themselves it would be best if they could be separated from the main boss.

Miss?

With the speed of lightening, the knife was at speaker’s neck. Ladybug looked frightened for a moment but it was gone. With a sigh she put the knife away.

I believe that you are Ladybug.

And you are new in Paris.

And how do you know that?

Considering I know almost everyone in the city and I don’t think that there would be someone with such abilities here. It kind of give away.

Kaylan looked away from the heroin and looked at the crowd that gathered at the base of the building trying to climb up.

Your partner is incompetent.

*sigh* I know.

I have a few plans that can help you but it involved me in a dangerous situation.

A surprise gasp left her lips as ladybug looked at the other girl astonished.

I can’t put the life of a civilian in danger.

Well too late for now.

Huh?

Looking at what she was pointing at, ladybug felt a little nauseous. There wasn’t a single civilian in sight that was not affected by the akuma.

Give me a few sample plans and I will tell you your role.

The words forced themselves out of her mouth but she didn’t seem to care. There was a hint of frustration and helplessness hidden by the sheer determination in her eyes. A smirk made its way towards her face making the spotted heroin regret her words by a long shot.

Sure!

*******************************************************************************************

This is so nauseating. Do they eat brain? Do you think they die if we crush their heads?

A high pitched excited voice pierce through the crowd and every minion looked at the general direction. The shadow of two people behind a wall could be seen.

Would you shut up? Your glass shattering voice is making me deaf.

Excuse me?!

Geez you’re scaring the akuma with that voice. I think they are bleeding from their ears. Screechy voice!

My voice is not screechy! Everyone knows it. Just because they are weak and pathetic and can’t bear a little loud voice doesn’t mean I’m the one to blame. God forbade, that akuma just couldn’t get any other ability from Hawkmoth……….like seriously! Zombies! So third class! And there are so many akumas that had minions. Like no originality! Don’t they have copyrights!

A tick mark appeared on the akuma’s head.

Get them whoever they are swarm them and break them apart. How dare they say that I’m weak? I’m the strongest akuma yet. Get them! Get them! Get them!

In no time the minions ran towards the two people leaving the main akuma all alone.

I can’t believe her plan actually worked.

The spotted heroin called from behind before dodging the beam and knocking the weapon from plague doctor’s hand and tying her from her other yoyo. The main yoyo broke the akuma item and captured and purify the butterfly.

Bye bye little butterfly.

After a miraculous ladybug, the spotted heroin comforted the victim. Kaylan jogged towards the pair and extended a card towards the victim.

My mother is a psychiatrist. You can schedule a time with her and go for a therapy. I’m sure it will do well if you don’t have to bottle up all emotions.

The nurse gave a strained smile and left promising that she will schedule the session so something like this never happens.

Milady!

The sing song voice of the leather clad hero made the other one flinch. Chat noir came smiling like a Cheshire cat.

Chat noir! One again you came late and got hit instead of listening to my plan. You need to take this seriously!

But I always take you seriously.

Ladybug felt like giving a hard slap to his face. He didn’t listen to a single word she said and just spoke of his fantasy. It was nice listen to these when he was a good hero. It helps when the stress got into her but now it is just plain irritating.

Chat noir you need to be a serious hero!

I am a good hero! I always save you like a knight in shiny leather.

Th-that’s not what I mean!

The one sided argument was enough to bring a headache. With a big sigh she pushed chat noir away from ladybug making him tumble down on the ground. It was lucky that there weren’t people around yet but the time was limited.

Ladybug you should leave. You need rest anyway.

Ladybug sighed in relief and left quickly. Kaylan turned to the cat themed hero with a fierce glare making the said hero flinch. Grabbing him by the collar, she pulled him up to her level.

I’ll say it just once, you better stop making her do all the work you dumb, lazy cat or so god help me I’ll be the one you will have to worry about.

You can’t say anything to me. You’re just a new girl who came here yesterday. Ladybug and I are destined to be together.

Chat noir yelled while struggling to get away from her. For a girl she was strong, far stronger than he is and he was the one with the miraculous, he should have more strength than a normal girl.

If you think that you can get out, well you thought wrong.

She shook him violently before shoving him to the wall, rather violently.

I hate people who think they are heroes and deserve the best. You are one of those heroes. Acting all high and mighty and calling himself a hero while you do nothing to live up to that claim and ladybug had to do all the work.

You……… how dare you………….

The anger didn’t last a second when Kaylan slammed a knife right next to his cheek. Now it was sticking right there on the wall.

How dare I? How. Dare. You? You think that the world revolves around you and they owe you a favor. Or worse. Ladybug owe you something. I might be new to all this but I can assure you a single piece of magical artifact can’t decide your destiny. So ladybug don’t owe you her love. GET. THAT. THROUGH. YOUR. THICK. SKULL.

Chat noir didn’t move a bit. He had been scolded before but as Adrien not as chat noir. And this girl, she not only dare to scold him but she is also disrupting the peace of his class. She even sits next to Marinette.

Marinette.

This girl is dangerous, he need to warn Marinette or Marinette will be trouble.

During his inner turmoil, he didn’t notice her taking out her knife or leaving. When he did came to his senses she was turning a corner. He wanted to follow her but his miraculous started beeping.

“Guess I’ll have to warn Marinette tomorrow.”

***************************************************************************************

Stepping down to the stairs after classes was dismissed, Kaylan found herself being hugged by her mother. She was asking question at a rapid speed. Some relevant and some irrelevant. Well not like it mattered. Her mother was safe anyway.

In a distance she saw Marinette looking at her. When their eyes met, she send her an apologetic smile before waving her and leaving towards the bakery.

Guess I’ll be asking her tomorrow.

Life was great. Even with hilariously dangerous situation.

(Fiction fact:

Kaylan has magic.

she can make solid structure.

she didn’t said any type of incantation like Zatanna or Constantine. it makes her a different type of mage or maybe a superior one.

Kaylan do not use magic much, instead she uses her knife, especially for threatening. ladybug was an exception.

the two shadows were illusion that she made and manipulated the emotions of the akuma to separate the minions and the main akuma.

Ladybug is the only one that can be seen in the head to head fight.

lucky charm of this akuma was yoyo)

#one step back #two steps forward #original character #character development #Marinette needs a hug #someone give Marinette a hug #marinette deserves better

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mmmonie · 3 years

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Hi my other post? Got notes? And I already had this basically ready to go so………….? Here it is I guess! Also I’m so sorry for how long this is LOL…..I am incapable of shutting up once I get going so it’s under the read more for you…….(also?? thank you? for the followers uhm cheesed to meet you? 😳 lol)

This is basically what I imagine the manifestation of a demon's powers to be like??? I called it the “juvenile phase” in my other post so thats what im going with lol

Here’s some things I said in my first post that are relevant here, slightly edited. (I elaborate more on the different ways demons are born in that post and I think they’re pretty self explanatory, but u might wanna go read it just in case it’s not clear enough 😔 sorry): (link to first post)

* Demons have multiple forms, not just the two shown in game. All in all the brothers have 5, each becoming less and less humanoid. (Most demons only have 4)

* Half/human born demons are more likely to have both a tail and wings in their first demonic form. Stronger demons like the brothers are merely showing off the strongest of the two, but everyone has both. (Again bc I think they’re sick as fuck lol) This is why the stereotypical devil in our world has both wings and a tail.

*a demon's features can be influenced by what sin they are, but it’s not a hard or fast rule.**

***this does not apply to little Ds whose look is entirely dependent on their sin. They are an entirely separate conversation 😈 (I elaborate on this briefly at the very end LOL)

* half/human born demons can have two sins assigned to them, though this makes them less powerful in both. Usually there is a more prominent sin.

*It should also be noted fallen angels do not have a juvenile phase. While the powers they develop after the Fall are different, they already come prepared, having had intense restraint implemented in their training in the celestial realm. The only things they develop are tails and horns, which happens very quickly during the Fall. They still have the same instincts as demons lol they are just much better at maintaining control.

*another note: I’m gonna use acronyms for our different types of demons after a while to save me some headache. They’re pretty self explanatory (Ex: half demon = HD)

With that let’s begin, shall we?

~~~

*All demons are born with innate magical abilities, the juvenile phase is just the manifestation of their sins and some of their power. Some powers do not come into fruition until much later in a demon's lifespan. (Will elaborate later)

*They won’t have a complete hold on their powers after this either, it’s just like. The bare minimum of getting a grip so they don’t cause immediate damage LOL they have many years to get into the nuances. Magic to demons is about as easy as breathing, but it still comes with its own challenges.

*Many of the powers that manifest are shaped by what kind of sin(s) they display. I’m gonna say the sin(s) developed depend on the individual rather than it being hereditary. Though there are powers that are inherent to all demons. (i.e. hypnotizing humans like in lesson 11-14)

*The beginning of the juvenile phase starts when a demon develops their horns, wings, claws and tails.

*For almost every demon, the juvenile phase lasts about two or three weeks. A human born’s phase will immediately kick in the day after their ceremony. Because of a half demon’s heritage, their transition is delayed and will usually happen around “middle school” age. (However many thousands of years that is lol. Also imagine going through puberty AND growing a bunch of extra shit.........smh.)

*Natural demons have it slightly easier, they go through this phase very early (around toddler age). They develop the nubs of their horns, wings and tail a while after they’re born.

*However this is NOT easier for whoever is taking care of them. Demons that develop later are mostly self-sufficient, meaning you can leave them to rest a bit. Can't leave a baby alone for very long though, can you? Especially not when they’re hurtling objects around with their mind, or causing things to spontaneously combust. (Also imagine a regular baby during their teething phase……….now imagine a baby’s teething phase being ten times more itchy AND manifesting new powers. Congratulations on your very cranky and powerful baby, best of luck to you.)

*Parents take this in stride as it’s just how demon babies are. It is all very Addams family esque…. like awwww, our baby just tried to induce horrific hallucinations of our own deaths!!! 🥺🥰🤧 they grow up so fast!!!!

*HB and HD wings and things grow in very quickly. The nubs will sprout from the skin and then mature into wings and horns in just a few days. ND transitions are much more drawn out, taking about a week to complete. All the growth is very itchy for everyone though.

*You know when you have an itch that just won’t quit or that you can’t reach, so you have to use some outside force to get some relief? Same concept here. Much like deer and their antlers, demons rub their horns and wings up against things to get to those spots they can’t get to themselves. It also has the added effect of encouraging growth and getting excess skin/keratin off them. Family members often help with preening and scratching.

*There are special concoctions/spells to make the process easier and to help ease the itchiness. As well as products made for specific purposes, like to get at that space where your wings meet your shoulders lol

*There are also things to pad horns. Having your baby demon impale your shins is no fun. Neither is having your best friend accidentally get stuck in the cabinet because their horns went through the shelf.

*The first week and a half is usually when a demon is most active. They are encouraged to play fight, stretch their new wings and become familiar with their new instincts.

•Play fighting is a way to help learn to readjust to their new strength. (and thank god demons are near impossible to kill lol they can get VERY rough.) It’s also considered a bonding activity.

*Hunting instincts also come into play so it’s not uncommon to see a demon in their juvenile phase playing a really fucked up game of hide and seek with their loved ones (no one gets hurt. Probably <3)

*These two skills also help with learning how to fly. A game of fucked up hide and seek in the forest is both fun and educational.

*This is very much like when puppies' paws are too big for they got damn them, except y'know. with horns and claws. So expect some accidental scrapes and

*This is also usually the time where their sin(s) will manifest, along with their new powers. At this point this is where family comes in, as a newly developing demon is reliant on everyone around them to help them learn how to control their strength/powers. Taking care of a demon in their juvenile phase is a family bonding activity, and even those who are prone to being cold are a bit softer during this time. (A reminder that family can be anyone, not just blood related.)

*The second half of their transition is more about conserving energy for the introduction of their final form.

*Nesting instincts kick in and are important here, because any nest created will be that demon's home for a period of time. They won’t stray very far from wherever they’ve chosen to stay. Nearly all demons will just choose a comfortable place in their home to nest, however, some demons (i.e. demons like Levi) need a special place because of their final forms. They will be drawn there instinctively.

*A nest is just composed of soft material and sometimes extra objects. For example a greed demon might want shiny or precious objects around their nest.

*This will also be the home of the loved one(s) taking care of their demon. They will go out and find anything the other one might need or want. A demon will only choose one or two others to take care of them at this time. Other family members are allowed to visit, but the chosen demon(s) stay with their struggling one for nearly the entire last half of this period.

*It’s considered an honor to be chosen and it is a bragging point, especially if you have been chosen multiple times.

*Despite what you might think, parental/domestic skills are very important to demons. They live a very long time, and it be a waste to treat their spawn poorly. They’re stuck with them for nearly an eternity, so you might as well try to do your best with them. Being able to showcase being chosen to whomever your courting is, how you say.............a little sexy. So being chosen multiple times? “Wow you’d be a great parent? Tell me more…..😳”

*Demons will slowly spend more and more time in their nest as they approach the end of their phase. Growing extra things takes a lot of energy! Many demons end up mostly sleeping for the last couple days in preparation for the end.

*Since they are so sleepy, this is the most outwardly cuddly most demons will be. Close family members are encouraged to come stay in the same space for a while. The demon will often be asleep, but waking up and playing games with them is a great way to bond. If you’re REALLY special you might end up being allowed to sleep in their nest for a bit.

*The juvenile phase culminates when the demon reaches their final form (usually the fourth one.) Over this last half, they slowly grow more monstrous features. Scales, fur, claws, eyes, teeth, spines.........the whole lot! Anything and everything you can imagine. Each demon's final form is unique, though they do not get a decision as to what features they have. Final forms tend to be very large.

*This is where they are taught how to use their glamor and how to piece themselves back into a form that’s easier to maneuver. Think of it like starting from the top and working your way down.

*There are demons whose job it is to go mark down the details of every single final form. Things like what powers manifested, to how tall they are, their overall physical strength and what sin(s) they portray, etc. They are all recorded in the royal archives. It’s a bit like a right of passage, especially for younger demons and their parents.

*Going back to the very top, some powers won’t manifest until after the juvenile phase. Some won’t even manifest until the demon has hit sexual maturity (which takes a MUCH longer time for demons.) This is true of almost every power that Lust develops except for perhaps an increase in their charisma/ability to charm. Demons who are assigned Lust are considered the late bloomers of the demonic world, as almost all other sins manifest more power right away.

*Also relating to the top of this post: the reason Little Ds looks are biased on what sin they are is because they are pure concentrated forms of sin given life. They’re extracted from the souls of humans who committed sin, and used for grunt work/errand running. They develop their own personalities as they go, but it takes a bit so they’re kind of a blank slate until then.

~~~

I was gonna be like oh treat for you here’s how the brothers dealt with Satan and his juvenile phase but this is long as FUCK already so I will make…...a separate post. Edit: SURPRISE! treat for u! heres the link if u want

Thanks for reading! Until next time ig?

#The way I right is so unrefined I’m SORRY I suppose I’ll get better with practice so pls bear with me.......#*WRITE dear god #Are these posts too long? Dtygygyvbyctc I just get talking and I can’t stop hvyvyvyvyvyvtc #Literally the reason this exists is bc I was like what if #mc got turned into a demon and everyone had to c*are fr them and then i was like #oooooo how would that work actually lol #Me: aha this is a nice day dream abt fluff........what would the fucking logistics be though dfjnejlfkjefkjhekf'#i should say this AND my first post r bc of JUST THAT bc I cant leave well enough alone if my day dreams aren #ARENT fleshed out what am i doingggg #THIS IS ABT THE FAMILY DYNAMICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!#ITS ABT GOING THRU SM DIFFICULT AND HAVING OTHERS SAY THRU ACTION THT THEY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE TO SUPPORT U!!!!!#ITS ABT GETTING A SICK ASS SET OF HORNS & SHIT!!!!!!! Would you not ALSO want to look cool as fuck????#Im sorry for saying cheesed to meet u sdfkjnekjfhk i sadly think im funny #obey me!#obey me headcanons #mental eelness...........#ummm I GUESS THIS IS #world building #????

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currentfandomkick · 4 years

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Miraculous Team and the Batboys

Longer update, wrote the ao3 version first this time. if you want to find me there, crazyjc.

Thankfully there weren’t any akuma attacks that day or that night. Marinette was glad to get some sleep for once. Her body, confused and used to a few hours a night, got her up early.

Marinette decided to help with the morning rush—quick to handle the register and make adjustments to some people’s orders (no extra charge for the exhausted high school and college students) when she managed to find someone as dead as she was after an akuma messed up her commission schedule and sleep was skipped for a week.

“Wow, you’re getting the ‘Please Don’t Let Me Die Again Yet’ special.” Marinette turned before the zombie could speak. “Maman, watch the register, someone looks worse than midterms and commissions me.”

Once Maman took the register again, Marinette worked on her disaster drink that only a few particular customers knew of from her personal menu--mainly the dead college and high school students insane enough to pull a weeks worth of all nighters like her. And baby parents that liked her parents bakery.

Gurarana beans instead for the extra caffeine with her special blend of licorice root, peppermint and green tea poured in--double the caffeine with less effort, glucose for the brain fuel, sweet and mint for wakeup and focus, and green tea for lasting energy boost.

“Here, this should keep you up and a bit more functional than usual.”

The man raised an eyebrow.

“Oh my god, what got Finals Angel up this early?” One of the regulars almost yelled, staring at her with a look that screamed the universe was going to collapse in on itself, and they were now anticipating this outcome until they got their morning fix.

Marinette shrugged, moving to the next customer as the dead man took a seat and pulled out his laptop. She continued to help until it was getting close to class.

“Maman, the rest of that brew is under the cabinet for the laptop zombie, I’m taking my morning delivery now.”

Maman took over while Marinette made her way to school, passing out the usual deliveries as she moved about.

“Adrien, your insult to caffeinated monstrosities everywhere.”

“Thanks Marinette!” The blond held his (essentially) hot chocolate with one pump expresso, and five three shots of caramel on top of whip cream.

“Chloe, why you have me grab something this sweet this early is only further proof of your crimes against humanity.”

“You’re welcome Dupain-Cheng.” The girl nabbed her (in Marinette's opinion) low caffeine sugar water--licorice root with half a bottle of honey, and lots of ice with whip cream and honesy drizzled on top. She would never understand that order, but was too afraid to ask at this point. She might be taking the Bee thing too far.

“Alya, thank you for being a sane coffee person, Nino, we are having a talk about your scheduling.”

“Thanks gurl." Because close or not, Alya was an addict with a simple and reasonable coffee that restored Marinette's sanity while making it.

Nino groaned as he took his pastries and three cream, one expresso. “Not again, I still haven’t recovered from the last time.”

Marinette shrugged. “Your mistake, not mine.”

“Oh, did you get my cookies?” Sabrina asked.

Marinette rolled her eyes with a fond smile. She likes Sabrina when she isn't in full cling mode, and giving her boxes of pre-paid cookies put together on Marinette's whims? Very calming after dealing with Adrien and Chloe's offending orders. “Yes. You paid for a different set everyday.”

“Thanks!” Sabina examined her current mix, more obscure cookies since Marinette got them before the morning rush.

“Markov, please tell me Max got some sleep last night?” Marinette asked as she handed another of her special “Max needs a nap but is to stubborn to” order--which is essentially an energy drink blend with a few slow-release teas mixed in.

“Affirmative. He got the requested minimum of three hours. I will ensure he gets more once school is out.”

“I’ll take what I can get.” He was less prone to akumatazation with more sleep, and Hawkmoth does like using Max. Marinette likes knowing she can have her teammate in the field without wondering if he'll pass out.

Marinette took her seat by Alya. They weren’t as close anymore, but it did mean Lila was alone in the back and didn’t see the group document.

“Class, we have a new student today!”

Marinette frowned. She wasn’t informed of any newcomers. She looked over at Chloe who huffed. She didn’t know either then.

“Class, this is Damian Grayson from America. His father is here on business and will be joining us for the semester!”

Chloe and her shared a look. With Chloe as the current president and Marinette as the head of the welcome committee, this was very last minute for them not to be informed. Especially as Bustier had the time to since both were here early.

Alya shot her a look.

Marinette shook her head. She really didn’t know, and it bugged her.

Alya narrowed her eyes as the new boy came in. Black hair, stood too straight and Middle Eastern. She wondered what his first language was briefly--someone in school was bound to be fairly fluent. If it was related to Arabic, Rose would be a good translator. Her and Adrien both have Mandarin now, and her English was passable to Americans--not so much for the UK. Alya has Spanish while Nino has Portuguese covered. Chloe was good for UK English and so was Adrien, but those two weren't good for new kids... especially from the America. Mylene, Ivan, Nathaniel and Juleka were bad at talking most of the time, so they were no-gos...

And she still had to finish Ali's commission… This would be a headache if they were an old Chloe-type.

“Damian, why don’t you tell us about yourself.”

“No need to. I do not plan on making friends.”

And he was worse than an Old Chloe-type. There went her free period for commissions.

The entire class shared a look, and Marinette wanted to groan. This boy would be in for a rude awakening—there was no escaping friendship in Bustier’s class. And anyone difficult? They would sent Marinette as envoy--hopefully Alya didn't make easy.

“I presume my seat is in the back?”

“Actually,” Alya stood up with a grin, “I was going to sit back with Lila to help her catch up in our next class.”

Marinette froze as she realized what Alya was doing. Keeping the new kid from Lila was good, but she also needed to keep Alya from falling for Lila’s lies again. And she has no clue on his preferred languages and uh!

“Alya,” she hissed.

“Don’t worry, I got this.” Alya moved to the back with ease before the boy could say a word.

Marinette hit her head. Why was her friend like this?

“I guess that means you’ll sit next to Marinette. Marinette, can you show Damian around during your free period?”

Marinette knew that tone. There was no refusing without a lecture on being a good role model and another reprimand for stepping down from class representative and student government when she got more commissions and needed more time.

“Of course Miss Buster.”

Damian took his seat without saying a word.

Marinette decided it was better to stay silent with this one--he didn't want friends, and would only be here briefly. She could respect that, even if she could feel the others scheming otherwise.

“What do you mean you know—“

“Oops,” Lila grinned. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

And that was what Marinette was hoping to avoid.

Damian twitched next to her. Marinette sighed, “One sec, I need to remind someone to check her sources before getting ahead of themselves… again.”

Nino shot Marinette a sympathetic look while Marinette linked three redacted articles that starred Lila as her main source.

“And done.”

Damian raised an eye brow at her. “You aren’t going to pester me, correct?”

Marinette rolled her eyes. Honestly? “You made your stance clear. I’m here as the actual head of the welcoming committee, and during free period I’ll just need to know your interests so we can avoid the parts of the school that aren’t relevant for you, and to make sure you have an idea how to handle akuma attacks since I’m going to guess they didn’t tell you about that before you applied.”

“tt,” Damian leveled her with a scowl. “Of course I know about them.”

Marinette didn’t bother to hide her surprise. “So you know where to go for shelter, the drills, the apps and news sources that are good for tracking, which hospitals are contactable during attacks and which ones go into lock down, oh and what actions are allowable and not as civilian aides to the miraculous team?”

The boy froze before her. He didn't then.

Her face slid into a more neutral one--keeping her gloating to herself.“That’s what I thought. I have a few flow charts in the committee room to grab since its an info dump and no one processes those well, and your learning style may benefit from it for all I know.” Marinette made sure not add ‘since some people can’t be bothered to tell me.’ The new boy clearly wasn’t interested in friendship, and despite what the class thinks, she is not friendship-nip.

“I…”

“Class, turn to page 67 of your textbook. Marinette, make sure to share with Damian.”

“Yes Miss Bustier,” Marinette moved the book between the two of them, ignoring Damian besides checking where his eyes were on the page before turning as they followed along.

Once their free period began, Adrien had a Chloe guarding him against the Lila octopus, with Sabrina flanking his other arm as backup.

“I take it those three are together?” Damian asked once they left.

“No, Chloe doesn’t share her friends well,” Marinette explained as they moved through the halls. “And it keeps away his fans, so no one stops it anymore.” Not unless they wanted the Mayor’s ire at least. It was very effective against Lila.

“I see…” He was watching her. She wasn’t sure if it was an American thing or just a tic of his. Possibly both.

“That’s where the teacher’s offices are for before and after school,” Marinette gestured to one wing. “All the doors are labeled, so its easy enough to find who you’re looking for as long as you have a name. You’ll find most of the school services there as well, minus the nurse who’s room is closer to the quad.”

Marinette smiled when they got to welcoming committee room. None of the other members were there at the moment, but the file cabinet was. She grabbed one of the ready-made packets and grabbed a spare Bustier Class packet too.

“Here’s the information for being new in Paris, everything from common places to eat, the good hole-in-the-wall places itemized by what you’re looking for, everything relating to akumas is on the red papers, and the yellow is the school’s map and procedures.” Marinette handed him the blue folder, then the orange. “This one is the Bustier-class specific one approved by Miss Bustier. It lists everything from class rules, what caused various akumatazations with the victim’s consent to disclose it, so not all are listed, and it has your schedule and the class outing dates plus who’s interested in what on the pink pages for possible friends, but you said you weren’t interested so we can skip that.”

Marinette watched him look over the papers for a moment, waiting until his attention was back to her. “Now, anything you have a vague interest in that you might have some random inclination to do at Dupont during your free periods, before or after school?”

Damian raised an eyebrow at her.

“Its you let me tailor the tour for you, or you have to go all over the school and talk to me the entire time, when we both know you’re really not interested.”

“Tt.”

Marinette shrugged. “Have it your way, now, on with the tour!”

Damian gawked at the core ciruculum including what he knew was more college level than high school level. Then there was the fact these students had access to multiple state of the art facilities tailored to current students interests on campus, with little issue getting them apparently.

“How does your school get all of this?”

The pigtail girl almost laughed at his question. “I guess they just sent you here since we have the most flexible curriculum routines then.” The girl shifted how she stood. “Dupont is an experimental school, everyone is given high expectations on entry but as long as you keep up with grades the school gets whatever any student requests—a few years ago we had one kid that was allowed to do rocket science as part of his program, he went to some German facility with a translator every other day. Alix has a blanket permit to do street art and installations on public property, as long as she gets her design approved and can give them her schedule as long as she helps other student with history classes. I get full access to any designing materials as part of my deal with the school in exchange for doing any school event costumes and tailoring jobs that I get a two week notice on.”

Damian nodded along, processing this new information. Suddenly, the high amount of akumas from graduates and current students of Dupont made sense. They were specialists, extremely skilled at their crafts and more likely to be knowledgeable than the general population on a variety of topics.

Marinette was glad for their hour-long lunch. “I’d ask if you wanted someone to eat with you, but you look like you need some time to process. I’ll check in before school ends.”

She ran home, noting that the man from that morning was still there but looked much less like he would keel over sometime soon. She knew that brew would help. She grabbed a croissant and ran upstairs to finish Prince Ali’s latest commission—a variant on his usual princely attire that was more maneuverable but still formal enough that no one would notice when he wore that one instead of the traditional one.

She had a feeling he was going to use it to sneak away from his guards.

She set an alarm and got to work.

She was quick to leave once the alarm sounded—she gave herself an extra five minutes this time.

“Hey, you’re the coffee angel, right?”

Marinette turned to see the man from that morning, now much more alive.

“I guess.” Marinette knew not to give out names to customers unless her parents deemed them not-stalker-y.

“Thanks, that thing actually worked. What’s in it?”

Marinette smiled at that. “Sorry, that’s a secret not even Maman and Papa get to know.”

“Huh,” the man processed her words. “Guess I’ll have to keep coming when I’m low then.”

Marinette nodded. “Guess so, good to see you’re no longer a zombie monsieur!”

She ran off at that, not sure what to think of them yet, other than if they needed that drink regularly, they might be worse than her. And she has heroing as an excuse. He doesn’t.

Holy shit was not expecting this response.

Thank you all so much, was not expecting this much positive response and i think my brain broke a bit, in the good way.

So, we have a new fan to Marinette's secret menu, and a Damian slowly realizing why the school is targetted who is also going with the 'I don't do friends' thing, again.

leaving this one as a poll: Damian calls out Lila by the end of the day for how Marinette and him end up as friends, or he puts together Marinette is doing a lot for the class by the end of the day and wants to figure out why, especially after reading the Ladyblog during lunch, or any other ideas.

Any ideas on how Marinette meets Dick and Jason for when she meets the next round of Batboys?

@worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @littleredrobinhoodlum @northernbluetongue @kceedraws @pirats-pizzacanninibles @theatreandcomicfreak @daminett4life @catthhay @weird-pale-blonde-person @amayakans @chocolatecatstheron

#maribat #daminette idea au #miraculous team and batboys #my writing

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soyouareandrewdobson · 4 years

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Dobson’s favorite cartoon reviewed: The adventures of spandex girl in New York aka the Miraculous Ladybug movie

So THIS is not going to be about a Dobson comic, but rather with the lack of Dobson posting shit out here, I thought I give my opinion about something Dobson would have likely sperged out within the last few months. What could it be I want to talk about? The riots? The death of RBG? Cuties?

Are you insane? My brain may function better than Dobson’s, but even so I am not touching those subjects with a tong, seeing how I myself am lacking detailed knowledge on such subjects. No. I am talking about the cartoon that makes Dobson’s little brain (and dick) all tingly: Miraculous Ladybug.

For starters, let me just say that despite being an animation fan myself, I am not really into this show at all. For a magical girl show that goes on for over three seasons at this point, I just feel like nothing happens in it. Sure, A LOT of tokusatsu and magical girl shows run on repetitive monster of the week formulas, but overall they will still have some progression to themselves. Growing up with Sailor Moon, I always loved the first season and how it actually made me feel like things are increasingly at stake as the story progressed. Especially in the final episodes when the Senshis actually died protecting Sailor Moon and it was only thanks to a Deus ex machina everyone was reincarnated again. As melodramatic as Sailor Moon could be, at least each story arc had a beginning and ending that did not overstay its welcome. Ladybug meanwhile can be summed up as followed:

Teenage girl is thirsty for obvious blond boy whose dad wants to get magic jewelry to necromance his comatose wife. Teenage girl gets magic jewelry and turns into heroine in ladybug mustered spandex suit that makes rule34 artists all tingly. Same goes for boy she has the hots for, only he becomes gimp catsuit shota bait. Bad guy transforms random citizens who feel down for some reason (often times connected to a blond whose family name Dobson can’t write) into action figure like super villains. Ladybug and Cat Noir defeat them, the damage is reseted, Ladybug and Cat Noir never figure out who the other one is despite things being so obvious Ray Charles could have seen that shit coming. Repeat not just for one, but ALL seasons so far and add as little as possible storywise to increase the roaster of characters, but not progress the plot.

All that said, I can say that there are worse shows out there and for a show meant to sell toys to girls and be about a female hero, it is not THAT bad. But a) the creator is an asshole (think of functional Dobson) and b) there are still better shows to watch, even within the preteen magical girl genre, than this. Not to forget that this thing may be the indirect successor of Totally Spies and give certain people internet related fetishes within the next few years.

So, why am I believing Dobson would talk about the show at least for today more than he already tends to do on average? Because Ladybug actually got now a movie.

Well, it is called a movie, but in reality it is more of a 3 parter to start the fourth season if you really look into it. The thing is called Miraculous World: New York – United HeroeZ. It clocks in around 65 minutes and focuses on Marinette and Adrien in New York, teaming up with new heroes that are so unsubtlety promoted in this movie, I expect them to get their own spin off series by the end of next year so the showmakers can milk the cow even drier.

Let me try to elaborate in what is going to be a less than just a bit snarky summary with a few critical points and jokes at Dobson’s expense thrown in here. In other words, the typical biased youtube reaction channel/movie review. Spoiler warnings are obvious and I promise than unlike certain pedos on youtube I am not going to focus on the assets of underaged French girls. I do warn however for increased levels of making a fool of myself by writing a multi page “mock summary” of this thing.

So because the movie is based on a children show, it has a very basic set up; Adrien and Marinette’s class is invited to spend one week in New York, because of a pointless international collaboration thing referred to as French-American Friendship week. The sheer existence of this showing that a) we needed any reason to get them there and b) this special was worked on LONG before COVID19 hit us all. And yes, I know animation takes its time to be done, I just think it is funny how in today’s international political climate and health situation this thing has become outdated already, when it is hitting the tv just now.

At the same time, Adrien’s dad suspects that an artifact currently shown at a museum in New York may be a missing Miraculous that was owned by the Marquis de La Fayette and gifted to George Washington during the American Revolution. And yes, we are going there and you can guess what Hawkmoth’s goal this time is, while at the same time history gets fucked up the butt.

But before we can get to any action in New York, we have to deal with the one thing Ladybug is known for best: Cringy shipping bait.

Look, I know that shipping is a part of magical girl shows in general, but the shit going on in this cartoon is not only drawn out tediously even for children tv standards, I find it makes some characters outright dumb and unlikable. We get it Marinette, Adrien makes you tingle. But can you stop cringing your way through life around him in a manner that would make Tomoko Kuroki say that you are freaking pathetic?

I don’t want anybody else. when I think about Adrien I...

Just three minutes into this movie she essentially melts away at a poster of Adrien and throughout the first 15 minutes she just simps away in the big blue yonder. For example by asking Adrien’s dad to allow his son to travel with the others to New York, obviously stumbling upon her words when she needs to remind herself that she can only see Adrien now as a friend and not love interest (because this is supposedly set after season 3, when she decided to go for the second price in form of the guy who plays guitar), insisting that she is only “friends” to the point even her best friend Alya gets fed up. Or when Marinette gets more than just “a bit” nervous at the chance of sitting on her flight to New York next to Adrien, resulting in her fucking that chance up so badly, I felt an headache approaching.

Not gonna lie, I had to pause a few times because it got so cringy for me, I wondered why Dobson makes primarily jokes on Adrien’s expense when Marinette herself is female thirst personified. Even the movie seems to point out how the two are so obvious to each other, when Alya has the following to say about them: I can’t decide if they are the most cutest people I know, or the most embarrassing.

Thankfully it is at 18 minutes into it, we FINALLY get something of a conflict. While still on the plane (And Adrien and Marinette watching a sunset through a window) a villain shows up, trying to steal the jet engine midflight.

Just roll with it

Thankfully, before the plane can go down thanks to a Gremlin on the wing- I mean TECHNO PIRATE, the real stars of the movie show up.

Wait, you thought this thing was going to be about Ladybug and Cat Noir being the primary heroes? WRONG!

Okay, to put the summary on hold and explain what I mean: This “movie” introduces us to “United HeroeZ”, a group of American superheroes. Yeah, turns out Miraculous is essentially set in your average “Superheroes are everywhere, but primarily US dominated territory” world and this story is meant to introduce us to them and have Ladybug and Cat Noir team up in order to save the day. And while I don’t necessarily HATE the characters, I have to admit that I can’t help myself but snark quite a bit about them. Not only are they for the most part just expies of well known superheroes, the way how prominent two of them in particular are featured in this movie makes it very, VERY obvious that (As I stated earlier) this thing aims just to create a tie-in show for the creators to make more money of the property. Not just that, but their presence in a way reduces Adrien and Marinette’s importance as characters, even though the new ones at best would count as supportive characters overall. Which again makes me wonder, what does it say about Ladybug and Cat Noir’s “impact” in their own franchise when I actually find myself more interested in the side characters made to promote new toys, than the actual leads?

Anyway, United HeroeZ defeats Techno Pirate and in doing so we are introduced to the main members of the group which are relevant for this movie:

So please, give an applause for…. MAJESTIA (aka actually decent Powergirl redesign/Non Superman)

SPARROW (Aka yet another Robin that may get hit by a crowbar)

UNCANNEY VALLEY (aka The Shipper on Deck/Cleopatra in Tin Foil/Vision as your Waifu/the dumbest name you could have chosen for a character!)

NIGHT OWL (aka Alan Moore is going to be pissed!/Oh look, it’s Batman!)

You get where I am coming from when I call them expies, right?

Anyway, with the plane safe the class finally gets to New York. Both Sparrow and Uncanney Valley get tasked to go undercover with the students and assure they are save during the trip, because plot reasons and New York is supposedly enough of a safe place that their services aren’t needed to fight bigger threats currently. Which confirms at the very least that a) this is not the Marvel Universe cause at this point the town may be ground zero yet again and b) a way more enjoyable version of the Big Apple than the real deal.

By the way, these are Uncanney (left) and Sparrow’s (right) civilian identities :

I can now imagine Dobson wanting to proclaim how problematic the character is for being a native American who looks the way she does. But believe me. It gets kinda worse in all the right ways.

Also, we are 28 minutes into the movie and we are introduced to the dumbest thing in the movie yet. The arch enemy of the Condiment King; Hot Dog Dan.

A superhero hot dog vendor seller with a flying hot dog truck, whose hot dogs give you temporarily some random superpowers when you eat them. And it seems he uses hot dog tongs as weapons.

I don’t know what the people making this show take, but I am torn between wanting some of that myself and putting them into rehab.

I really bring the character just up because he is as a concept in itself so ridiculous that part of me thinks he is a fever dream of Dobson. Otherwise he has no real bearing on what is going to happen on the rest of the movie. He is just relevant for a three minute long scene of a house roof party during which Adrien and Marinette dance for a bit.

Speaking of relevance, the next day the class finally gets to do something on the trip that leads into conflict for our heroes to face. During a visit of the museum where the La Fayette related Miraculous is hold, Uncanny and Sparrow decide to play shipper on deck by forcing Marinette and Adrien in a room and attempting to set a really stupid plot into motion (and no, I don’t mean they enforce a reenactment of Steven Universe or something). At the same time the villains finally do something, when Hawkmoth (now in New York) turns Techno Pirate into his latest minion and have him attack the museum to steal a saber by La Fayette as distraction, while he takes the charm he is out for. Long story short: Our heroes FINALLY transform and have to fight with Uncanney and Sparrow against Techno Pirate on the roofs of Manhattan.

And while I don’t think it is all that great of a fight, it still means something aside of Marinette cringing her way through the plot is happening and the heroes are actually in decent peril. Plus during the fight the movie gives me one of the funniest moments possible. You want to know what it is?

Well, while fighting the bad guy, Cat Noir and Ladybug obviously trigger their miraculouses. And what does Ladybugs miraculous turn into this time, to help her develop a strategy to defeat the villain and save the day?

A bikepump.

... yeah, I am going to give all of you now 5 minutes to laugh it off. Believe me, I needed them too.

Sure, it is a cartoon and I doubt anyone working on the show is even aware of our favorite uncare bear, but come on. At this point the universe itself is either mocking Dobson or tries to set up the perfect opportunity for an obvious joke from my side.

Not helped by the fact that once the bike pump shows up, the dialogue between characters that follows is, and I quote:

Cat: A bicycle pump? What are you going to do with that?

Ladybug: I may have an idea, but you wouldn’t like it

Anyway, believe it or not, the fight actually ends with a surprising shock moment. Cat Noir, while having his cataclysm powers active (you know, the powers that make him decompose anything he touches), being thrown by Techno Pirate at Ladybug, resulting in Uncanney protecting her and being turned into scrap metal. Which in turn causes Techno Pirate to make the acquaintance with Majestia’s fist, as Uncanney is more or less her adopted daughter and I guess she has seen what was going on (but did not interfere because the plot says so) until now, pummeling him so hard he flies through a few buildings and causes at least three 9/11 to happen on this day in New York.

So, yeah. Uncanney is dead. The heroes experiencing their darkest hour in the movie.

… welp, can’t have that for long, so less than 2 minutes later Ladybug uses the Magical bikepump…

5 minutes of laughter later

Got it out of the system? Good. As I was saying; She uses the fetish toy to reset all the damage done by the akumatized villain and in doing so fixes Uncanney too.

Welp, that was a waste of tension. Guess someone watched the entire Lars dying thing from Steven Universe.

So, damage undone, but Majestia and Night Owl pretty pissed at what happened, want Ladybug and Cat Noir to give up their miraculouses (I assume that is the correct plural) until they leave New York. You would expect this to result in some dramatic chase scene or confrontation with the older heroes, but because this movie has just like 22 minutes left and we need to close act two now, our heroes instead flee and end up in the sewers of New York.

There they do NOT team up with a group of mutated reptiles, but have a heart to heart talk (I never thought I would agree with Dobson on something, but I have to agree on this: The show is kinda fixated on having important stuff happening in sewer channels) that is sort of an argument Cat Noir and Ladybug also had during the fight. You see, because those two idiots haven’t figured out their respective civilian identities yet (something even Sailor Moon would have figured out AFTER THREE SEASONS!) Marinette assumed that Cat Noir would be in Paris while she is in New York to keep the city save. And Adrien/Noir was okay with making the promise of keeping the city initially save, because his dad only allowed him on the trip the day after he made the promise. So when the two transform out of sight of the other in New York and meet, instead of asking some logical questions (like “where is Marinette/Adrien and why is Cat/Ladybug here?”) they kinda argue wtf Cat is doing here while Paris may be in danger.

Long story short, she is angry at him, he feels guilty for having disappointed her and the thing with turning Uncanney into scrap, Paris was attacked by Hawkmoth’s secretary unleashing temporarily some monster clone because Hawkmoth thought that distracts the heroes in Paris (and really just results in damage that makes a city that experienced the destruction of Notre Dame the year prior just feel numb) and because this is the turning point in the plot, our hero needs to do something just a bit too melodramatic. Which is that Adrien gives up his powers and runs away.

… so, up to the final part in which things to care about start to happen.

Hawkmoth now has the Miraculous and unleashes its Kwami who is this eagle themed little thing referring to itself as the “Kwami of Freedom”.

… Yeah, this thing was NOT around for the last 200 years, wasn’t it?

Anyway, it states that its powers are based on “freeing” people of limitations to achieve their full potential. What does that mean practically? It means that when Techno Pirate holds its powers on top of his regular powers increased by being akumatized, he can unleash some energy attack that removes moral inhibitions when getting hit by it.

… So it basically unleashes the Purge.

Which is exactly what happens to Majestia and Night Owl, turning one into Man of Steel Superman causing nine additional 9/11s on top of the three prior (how the fuck did this movie manage to turn an American tragedy in a measuring unit?) and the other into All Star Batman.

Oh and it turns the President of the USA into a worse war monger than people accuse Trump of being.

Oh, this is NOT going to sit well with anyone...

… Yeah, sidenote: The president of the USA in this movie is essentially Michelle Obama who ALSO is a superhero with an American flag theme and besties with Majestica and Night Owl, trying to protect the exchange students. Because supposedly NOTHING better needs to be done. Once she gets hit by the “Freedom Feathers” or whatever you want to call the Kwami power, she pulls out the Football and activates turrets all over the USA, ready to blow up anything that moves into smithereens. Including at least 10.000 such turrets on the roofs of New York and a nuclear missile in the bay near the Statue of Liberty.

I’ll take it to the people with the eagle not the dove. If there is one thing that obedience is symptomatic of, it’s W-E-A-P-O-N-R-Y... WEAPONRY, from above!

(BTW, the rocket is animated like shit!)

I get the feeling someone on the production team is not the biggest fan of America.

Anyway, with the heroes being useless and Marinette and Adrien mopping around for what happened during the battle (and Adrien being tricked by his dad to leave New York and get back on a plane cause this town is not save and Adrien can’t fucking stand up to his emotionally abusive father), Uncanney and Sparrow have to get the ball rolling so the day can be saved. Which means that Sparrow and Ladybug try to fight and distract people for time (off screen mostly), while Uncanney hijacks Adrien’s plane and brings him back to take up the gimp suit of Cat Noir again. Oh yeah, almost forgot, Uncanney, cause she is a robot, has figured out easily who Ladybug and Adrien really are cause scanning. Making our heroes literally dumber than a walking toaster.

So the four finally together, fight Techno Pirate on the Statue of Liberty a second time (after some hijinx with another corrupted hero whose power is literally to create portals through doors, but he is irrelevant for anything so I skipped him up until now) and defeat him. He loses the Miraculous, Sparrow takes it on and becomes its next official owner, resulting in her costume turning into THIS

So now we have the native American girl turn into an eagle based superhero with a costume that looks like out of a western based Lego set.

Real talk here: Unlike Dobson I do not believe that everything is political or offensive or some other shit. In fact I hate his comic where he talks about “skin color changes” of the black characters in Ladybug, because he essentially tries to create a race issue and tension where there is none, just because he is a social justice moron. Which gets especially funny when his ideas for a progressive female results in characters like the black rat pirat who kicks you in the face for being hetero or infantilizing the characters of Patty to make them visually more appealing to Max Karson.

That said, in this day and age, doing a character like that… kinda yaiks.

Like, on one hand I think the girl has an enjoyable personality and the design of her hero outfit is okay for a kids cartoon. It’s not like she also talks in some cartoonishly native way or has suddenly a tomahawk as a weapon.

On the other hand, it is kinda stereotypical from multiple ankles and unfortunately there is nothing to the character past this point. Oh sure, Sparrow has now Miraculous powers, but really, all she does now is just use her powers to nullify Techno Pirates influence on the adult heroes before Majestia manages to reenact the bad ending for Majora’s mask and that is it.

Granted, there is Hawkmoth also almost starting World War 3, but that is really just happening at the site and dealt with almost instantly. To be more specific, because Ladybug and Cat Noir did not hand over their Miraculous, he lets Techno Pirate launch one of the missiles near the Statue of Liberty (worse president than Trump, honestly) but before the thing can hit anything, Majestia sweeps it away and throws it into the sun.

You know, if the show writers want to make Adrien’s dad even remotely “sympathetic” or interesting/intelligent, they increasingly fail. Cause I don’t know about you, but causing World War 3 does not really feel like it will benefit in bringing your comatose wife back.

Bottom line: Nuke has been burned, Techno Pirate gets defeated, all the damage reseted, Sparrow is now the official owner of the latest Miraculous and renames herself Eagle, everyone is happy, there is a big celebration for the class and Hawkmoth is convinced there might be other missing Miraculous all over the globe he wants to get his hands on, meaning season 4 may have more globe trotting Miraculous “action” once it starts.

And also the last scene of the movie shows Eagle and Uncanney meeting some other guardian of the Miraculous box who wants the Eagle charm, but she seemingly convinces him to team up, solidifying that this one hour “movie” was really just a backdoor pilot for a tie in series about an American centered heroine that is so big, a freaking monster truck could pass through this backdoor.

Yeah, if you can’t tell, I am not a big fan of what I saw.

Look, I will openly admit that my opinion on this is in large parts already tainted by me not being part of the demographic which enjoys the show. So this was never going to be considered “good” in my opinion. That said, I tried to be neutral to it for the sake of fairness. And I kinda failed.

Sorry, but I genuinely do not think this is a good “movie”. First, with barely 65 minutes I don’t really consider it a movie and more of a tv special meant to lead into the next season of the show. Second, I expect of a movie based on a tv show to have slightly higher stakes and presentation value to it than what you would expect from any average episode it has to offer. Which this thing doesn’t. Oh sure, the animation is slightly improved in some scenes, but overall just the same. And frankly, the writing is just still as “bad” as in the original show, if in parts not even worse. Aside of the typical stables, such as the cringy romance that does not move forward but is kinda on the forefront, the main heroes stumbling more or less into the situations instead of being more active in their duties, Hawkmoth not even in a movie having a genuine plan aside of “get this, see how it will help me defeat two kids and fail”, the movie also just never manages to induce a proper escalation of conflict to make it feel like something “special”. For example, we have a shitton of temporarily corrupted heroes. Do Ladybug and Cat Noir ever properly face them off at one point or have meaningful/fun interactions with Sparrow and Uncanney or each other outside of the first three minutes of the movie? Nope! I can name a few movies based on animated shows that gave me enjoyment, even those following basic shonen anime rules. But this one isn’t really among them. And taking into account that I consider at least the Steven Universe movie enjoyable in a dumb way, that says something.

There is also just the fact that it takes away from Ladybug and Cat Noir too much. Sure, I don’t like the romance stuff with them because I think it plays out in some of the cringiest way possible. But I would have been okay with them or other already established sidecharacters doing other stuff and having to face some conflict that is centered more around them.

Instead the movie finds this bizarre disbalance where it focuses too much and yet too little on completely new characters, that feel shoehorned in to create a starting point for a spin off, making Cat Noir and Ladybug secondary characters in their own movie.

I mean sure, I have seen many shonen anime based movies where there is a set of “movie only” characters interacting with our heroes, but they don’t take too much away from the heroes being heroes. Say what you want about the 13th movie of any long running shonen anime, at least Luffy, Naruto, Son Goku etc. are still the central characters of their respective franchise affiliated flic. Here however we take too much away from Ladybug and Cat, while at the same time focusing also too much on their “struggle” as Marinette and Adrien (or rather just Marinette making a fool out of herself while Adrien is utterly obvious to her behavior) while the major heroics are reserved for the movie characters only, that this entire thing should just be renamed “The Adventures of Mummy Robot and Not Robin, also starring two underaged kids that Dobson is obsessed about!”

All that said, I will give it a few things.

1) Uncanney and Sparrow/Eagle, despite my jabs, are kinda enjoyable in terms of personality. So are their partners/parents (Majestica and Night Owl are actually the (adoptive?) mothers of their sidekicks and also a couple openly caling themselves love, so yay, L(GBT) representation) and if the show would ever decide to focus also a few episodes on other characters aside of Ladybug and Cat Noir, I wouldn’t mind to see them. I just don’t think they are the most original characters out there and I think I may speak for some fans of the show when I say it sucks, that when it comes to the “action” within this “action adventure show”, they take up the spotlight from the actual main characters.

2) The fight scenes against Techno Pirate were okay overall. Nothing mind blowing animation wise but okay for the standards of this franchise.

3) Eagle’s costume design is not the worst despite my jabs at it being “stereotypical”, at least under consideration of cartoon designs (again, I can think of more offensive shit from the 90s or the Dobbear himself)

4) Well, it wasn’t for me, but I can say it was at least still on the same level of quality as the show. Make out of that comment however whatever you want.

My verdict: Three out of five Dobson’s would approve this movie. The other two would rant about stereotypes and be too busy incest shipping Majestia with Uncanney based on one shot of the movie. And none of them would acknowledge the flaws that make the “movie” a badly disguised jumping point for a spin off that makes the Equestria Girls look subtle.

Hope you got some enjoyment out of this rant that ironically may have been overall more retarted and detailed than anything Dobson may ever say in regard of this movie.

#miraculous ladybug #movie #marinette dupen chang #andrew dobson #so you are a cartoonist #syac #movie sperging #animated movie #sucks #mock #review #adrien x marinette

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stylishanachronism · 4 years

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So it is in fact Watcher Wednesday, I have a headache, the neighbors are still firing off fireworks and setting off all the car alarms on that side of the street, here’s a sliver of an essay about Pillars of Eternity and sheep.

So if you’ve been following along at all, you’ll know I have a dearly held headcanon that Edér, outside of seasonal agricultural work, supports himself by knitting elaborate ring lace shawls (no seriously what the fuck is he supposed to be doing all year Obsidian answer me who is making his socks), because canonically most of the Dyrwood’s production is tied up in fancy wool and fancy timber. More specifically, per the guidebook, “Wyr (“wire” - Aedyran) wool, gal glas (“green thorn” - Glanfathan) timber, Glanfathan deer hide, tin, lead, iron, copper.” (PGB1, pg 48), and it’s telling that the particular types of wool and timber are specified, as they aren’t for any other country(1). This is surprisingly well supported in game, between the set dressing in the Gift, the shipwreck scavengers beneath the bridge, and Dyrford’s main industry, namely tanning and dyework, as well as the lack of either crop industry on a wide scale, or food prepared for shipment in the Gift. (It does raise the question of ‘where are all the sheep’, but considering Obsidian knows nothing about textiles and the fact adding Yet Another model probably wasn’t the best use of their time, I’m cross about it but I’ll excuse it)

Fun fact: shipping roving is a waste of everybody’s time. Shipping thread on a scale that would enable somebody else to turn it into cloth is less so, but it’s significantly more expensive. Cloth takes up a lot less space than either option (especially roving), and is a lot harder to damage/a lot easier to protect during the process, especially since there’s a smidge more evidence(2) that wyr wool is a fine, light, long fiber wool, and therefore prone to matting in its base state.

This is not in the game at all, and barely barely barely in the guidebooks, but that set of facts means the Dyrwood is probably known for its weavers and knitters, and they probably import a lot more dye than even Aedyr, who are implicated to buy dyed in the wool textiles(3), which leads to the idea that the Dyrwood and Readceras have very strong economic reasons to get over their differences, (which is openly canon, but without explanation) and in the meantime Stalwart’s smuggling business? Almost entirely dye into the Dyrwood. The same economic pressure would explain why Aedyr was so eager to go back to trading with them, instead of being deeply pissy about dealing with a ‘failed’ colony, as they are with Readceras.(4)

On another tack, this takes everything about the Pearl Bluffs and makes it actually relevant to Defiance Bay as a city, because shelling out municipal funds on adventurers because one of your priestesses is having bad symbolic dreams is... a little sketchy, considering the state of the city, but if hiring those adventurers also gets rid of a major predator in the closest accessible good grazing land? Sheep are much more valuable than dreams, and that’s a reasonable expense. (It also explains why there’s absolutely nothing there, because local grazing land > mildly inaccessible but well placed military infastructure, because if I was worried about invasions by sea (which Defiance Bay canonically is), having some sort of lookout on the cliffs above the port would be a good idea, but not if it would hurt the city’s main industry.)(5)

Circling back around to the lack of crop industry, I know mechanically nobody wanted to animate Yet Another field of wheat (or what have you. There’s a lot of options there but they didn’t put it in so We Just Don’t Know(6)), and so it’s not that they don’t exist it’s that they aren’t pictured, just like the dozens and dozens of little towns that ought to be peppered across the place, which must exist but aren’t pictured (or named), but like... I desperately want to know what Obsidian thought everybody was doing all year, and where they were supposed to be living. (Let’s face it, I want a real map, with county lines and everything.) I am, obviously, proposing that in addition to the many many necessary industries (coopers! more blacksmiths! every single citizen from the age of being able to hold a pair of needles knits and spins so they don’t go naked! glaizers! lumberjacks! carpenters! butchers! I could go on!), that pretty much everybody is involved in some sort of fiber production, mostly wool but linen as well (preparing flax is No Joke), or otherwise dye preparation in some form or other, but like... what did Obsidian think. Where are the sheep?

Footnotes:

1: Per the guidebook: Readceras produces “Vorlas (purple dye), corn, corn flour, wool, cotton (minimal), lumber“ (pg 50), the Republics “Iron, copper, silver, glassworks, ships, spices, clocks, and astronomical equipment” (pg 52), Aedyr “Iron, fine steel, cotton, dyes, lumber (a major export of many varieties), spices” (pg 54), and Eir Glanfath “Gal glas (“green thorn” - Glanfathan) timber, Glanfathan deer hide, gold, adra shell (the odd shell material found in Engwithan ruins), rare fungi“ (pg 57) even though their exporting adra makes zero goddamned sense. No other countries/cultures have listed products, though Deadfire made a good effort at showing the exports of individual cities in the Deadfire. I’m not citing it because I’m too lazy to go copy all that shit down by hand, though.

2: The evidence on wyr wool is, very basically, it’s either a long fiber wool (wire like, able to be drawn very fine), or a short fiber wool (wiry, coarse). Long fiber wool is more desirable, and more likely to be specified out on a consumer level, versus a more ordinary short fiber wool, where knowing the provenance really wouldn’t change much. Long fiber is also a much lighter wool, the sheep more delicate (not by much, but still), and the Dyrwood’s climate as shown doesn’t particularly require a hardier sheep. Without actual sheep to look at, or somebody on staff with enough textile knowledge to incorporate said knowledge literally anywhere, there’s not a ton of evidence either way, but I have my biases, and finer wool suits them so that’s the argument I’m making.

3: “Aedyran clothing is known for being relatively simple in construction and often using large, colorful striped or checkered patterns for accents.” (pg 54) Trying to dye stripes is a misery. Trying to dye checks is worse. Weaving stripes or checks, on the other hand, is very, very easy, but requires you to dye the thread before it’s processed.

4: I would cite the guidebooks here, but since they never actually come out and say ‘there was five years of famine and it was not great’, I can’t, but uh, there was (at least) five years of famine and it was not great. A fraction of the population wandered off to make candles in sufficient quantities that they’re a minor Dyrwodian import (”Many a Dyrwoodan lord who illuminated their keep (and cursed all Readcerans) unknowingly did so by the light of Eothasian candles.” (PGB2, pg 81), in reference to The Bright Shephards, said fraction with the candles), and another went to the Deadfire, where they were delighted to finally be successful farmers (”To the delight of these wayward pilgrims, their crops took to Deadfire soil better than they had in Readceras,” (pg 80), in reference to the Children of the Dawnstars), even though they... don’t actually grow anything in common with Readceras, and meanwhile Aedyr continued to be dicks about the whole mess, even as Readceras proper finally got their feet under themselves, and managed to get the Vorlas properly established to the point where it’s their main export. (Look, Vorlas is fantasy indigo, and indigo takes a couple of years to like, not die at the first hint of literally anything going wrong. It’s more finicky than roses, especially since they’re not growing it in a region it’s built for, there’s a reason everything went to shit.)

5: It also explains some of the bounties, because ‘dangerous thing that only bothers *really* stupid travelers’ is a much smaller problem than ‘dangerous thing that bothers fairly defenseless essential livelihoods’. Also mechanically you’re paid for the Caed Nua bounties but like... Caed Nua is setting the bounty? so you aren’t being paid you’re just saving the house a lot of money to get somebody else to do it. You need to defend your sheep as well as your roads, I guess is what I’m saying?

6: Look, someday I will dig through every recipe I can get my hands on, in game or in the cookbook, and come up with a list of things the Dyrwood probably grows for food, but today is not that day, so right now your guess is as good as mine, as long as your guess is ‘not corn’.

#pillars of eternity #hey look it's time for another Terrible Essay #I'm going to be honest this is mostly not about sheep #some of the quotations were lightly edited for punctuation because whoever did the actual editing did a bad job at that part #there is more to this about why Aedyr's dye-focused colonies failed but like that gets into growing regions and shit #the map *still* confuses the shit out of me Obsidian show me your goddamned atlas #we are trying Yet Another method of footnotes let me know if it's working #one of the things I am most cross about in deadfire is that how economic relations shaped up between the dyrwood and readceras #is literally never once mentioned much less expanded on #like tell me about how that developed you spent so much time talking about it in pillars #let me tell you I have never been more vindicated than the fact I looked at the Dyrwood's fashion in Pillars and said NO THANKS #and then Deadfire turned around and went the same general direction I did when they retconned it #gal glas lumber is either some sort of citrus wood or Literally Green #I haven't decided which one I think is more likely/funnier #further agricultural thoughts include: are they raising chickens or doves or both #and where are the orchards and can I reasonably argue about citrus being a thing (the answer is probably no)#WAIT HOLD ON I JUST THOUGHT OF A THING #do you think people in the know refer to ethosians as beekeepers #like the bright shephards are all about bees because candles #so like do you think 'oh don't bother him he keeps bees'#or like 'go tell the bees those fuckers are coming'#is a way of keeping your neighbors safe from the dozens or particularly militant magranites or what have you #it's a good thing I never post fiction because I will call eder a beekeeper and I will confuse everyone including myself later #I'm sorry I have a headache I don't think I'm making much sense #also i think the neighbors are currently playing streetfighter on the giant projector screen right now and I Want to Die it is Very Loud

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sienna-writes · 4 years

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Butterfly Blood // update 1

woo! first writing update on this WIP so far! (Finally!!). Since I don't want to include huge spoilers on this book, as I might one day end up publishing (who knows), I will be splitting these posts into chatting about my process, character development, edits etc. and then include extracts that aren't too spoilery! I think it'll be okay for the first sections of the book, especially as alot of the first few chapters is character building and imagery to set the scene, tone and atmosphere.

Also, the working title of "Bleeding Out" that I HATED with a PASSION is finally gone! My novel is now called Butterfly Blood based on a excerpt way in the future of the story. (Which I'm very excited to share c: )

I wrote the prologue after I’d finished the first chapter, to introduce the book and it’s mystery in a more captivating way than it had initially been introduced.

Frog finds himself underground in the middle of a forest with no knowledge of his surrounds, his past, or his identity. He clings to one certainty, that he is and was raised by frogs. (This book is a bit wack, just roll with it.)

As he crawls into the middle of the road, a truck starts hurtling toward him and careens off the road last minute. The driver drops down and searches for for Frog, but cannot find anyone.

There is no blood, no screaming, no mangled man wailing on the ground. Reluctantly, the driver withdraws from the dark and locks himself in the enclosed cabin of his truck, steadying his breathing.

As the exhaust sputters to life again, and tires tug against the initial friction of the gravel, the disappearance twists the driver’s thoughts.

His passenger clings with sticky tree frog palms to the trucks stomach; well-oiled organs huffing heat and fumes onto his face.

So this book actually began with a very horribly written chapter. The structure was a mess and for some reason I kept bombarding the reader with information about my main character Rowan and really pushing forward the idea that she’s an energetic person... Which was stiff and just poor writing, honestly. (Also, I've changed my ideas since about how I want to characterise her.) But out of the 3000 word (approx) start, there were salvageable aspects, and those went into the first chapter along with a lot more fleshing out of the scenes, setting and character. I also finally decided on a tense and perspective after being super inconsistent with it and unable to make my mind up.

But! We got there in the end, I just thought I’d share my struggle since writing is not a perfect process and there is a lot of rearranging, and sometimes it feels like pulling teeth.

The premise of this chapter is to set the scene of Blackerwick (a fictional, dreary british seaside town), introduce Rowan (our main character), and the complex relationship with her father, who has become insular over the past month before the story starts.

—excerpts;

A little world building and set up!

Everything about the sleepy town Rowan’s family had moved to is soaked in a distinct achromatic despondency. Inland residents slumped and slogged in their routines, never caring to change them, almost afraid of living. It had confused Rowan at first when she’d come here from Ireland at fourteen, how much the dull town contrasted its landscape. It seemed undeserving of such beauty; a tall mountain range to the left of Blackerwick, and beyond it a city; wide stretches of moors headed toward the forests, and beyond the forests—the ocean. It was as if all the world’s natural beauties had congregated here millions of years ago as the earth slid into place, waiting for settlers to enjoy it. They didn’t even seem to notice.

Fading out of view behind her, a mangle of dark rooftops mesh amongst each other, a severe contrast to the pallidly painted house fronts, and chimneys slice into the sky, puffing endlessly on their pipes.

Hot air is exhaled from the horizon, tugging striking, unruly orange hair from her heavy ponytail as it whistles past her face. She closes her eyes peacefully against the feverish winds, her clothes buffeting and pounding as if fighting it off. Grinning, she leans toward the sea, trusting its breath to hold her weight.

In the course of this chapter Rowan has had an altercation with her teacher and gotten a detention, pushed through the forests toward the beach, and now is returning home. She rouses her dad’s attention by feigning a headache, because he doesn’t bother with her unless he sees she is in pain etc. Now for some quality mild gore!

Turning, she leans in to hug him when she realises there’s blood gushing from her nose.

“Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit! Not again!” Rowan scoops shaking hands to her nose, tacky blood spilling over her fingertips. “Dad, Dad!”

He is already on it, tipping her head back into his cupped palm, holding tissues tightly to her nose. She wheezes and sputters, the world spinning as she lurches toward the sink, clinging to the draining board to keep her balance. Everything red, the four walls of the kitchen, red. Her blurring vision, red. Everything bleeding like her gums beneath grinding teeth as she bites down on the impulse to say something. She wants to scream, or throw up, head swimming as her world tilts upside down. Her skull rests in her father’s strong palm, a fleshy safety net.

Wash your mouth out with soap, ma’am.

I was considering having Rowan not swear around her father, but her mother is pretty aggressive and her dad (Karmen) swears regularly, so it doesn’t seem too outrageous anymore. (I could never, my mum would flip).

When the bleeding slows finally, and her chin closes in on her neck again she notices her father’s shirt is covered with dried, grubby gore. It looks like he is bleeding out from a deep gash notched into his chest. His heart clawed savagely from its dwelling.

Karmen being a worried dad is best dad;

“You said not again.” He says finally, as she gathers herself, filling glass after glass with water and gulping hungrily, throat tilted toward the sky.

“I’ve been getting more than usual recently.” She replies nonchalantly.

“That’s shouldn’t be normal.” He says.

Rowan shrugs, “I’ve always been prone to bleeding and bruising.” As if to defend herself or prove her case, she pulls down her jeans slightly, revealing a black contusion on her hip. It fades into swarthy purple and blue; a gradient discolouring her pale freckled skin; a deep ink blot, as if the flesh had been punctured with a fountain pen.

Her dad hisses sharply. “How did you do that? I told you not to go into those woods anymore!”

Ok! Enough blood! I really made nosebleeds overly dramatic lol.

Anywho!

the first 2000 ish words of this chapter follow Frog (he's later named Mint), and let me tell you, his perspective came so naturally, and was such an interesting world view to write in. I'm not saying i like him, but I enjoy writing him for sure.

This chapter was initially 2100 words and I intended it to be a brief introduction of mint, but I merged it with the next one because I thought they joined together nicely. The other aspects of this chapter introduce more of the friend group (honestly the only relevent characters within this group are Damian and Jamie, the rest are low-key assholes) and set up later events.

—excerpts;

Mint is wandering in the forest, and hunting.

He slinks into step with the deer as it rises, shaking his head as it shakes its placid mane. Serenity slices the air in two.

Frog strikes.

The blade almost glitters in the air as it shoots toward the limpid animal’s vulnerable throat, veins pulsing beneath frosty, translucent fur. Incorporeal beast. A surreptitious streak in the night, headfirst, embedding with a gurgle and a coarse, barbaric scream. Deer’s aren't meant to sound like this. Like a human, like something capable of feeling and hurting. Frog wriggles the blade out of its fleshy sheath and exhales into a whistle. He looks gleefully at the drowned grass damp with blood. Gushing over his squirming toes.

Its crown tumbles to the soil, antlers embedding deep into the foliage at Frogs feet. He sits beside Stag on the floor laden with pine needles--wreathing its glazed face like christ’s crown-- and strokes the un-bloodied fur of its forehead, holding its unblinking, waxy glare. Frog is the victor.

Frog/Mint is hunting! He kills a stag! Then he brutally dissects it;

Peeling away at the thick membrane enshrouding Stag's skull, with tender interest, Frog carves muscle and fat from its head, pellucid and opaline, dropping the pale crumbs of carcass onto the ground. The deer’s dense ghost is not yet cold in his crimson tinted hands.

Rowan feeling numb, because oh boy us writers like to see our characters in pain;

The water is scalding. Rowan breaks out in goose bumps. Catching her reflection in the rippling bathwater she almost doesn’t recognise herself. Flushed, pale cheeks. All sharp edges, cheekbones slicing beneath the eyes, graceful slanting nose scooping down into a slight point. Her lips protrude from her face, full and large, accommodating an easy smile. Rowan pulls her downturned lips into a small grin. The constructed happiness blurs in the water. Holding her breath, she leans into the baths hot grip, filling with her fiery hair.

The silence smudges in her ears.

I also wrote some banter-y dialogues but I think I'll share them another time... After they've been edited.... a heck ton... There's an over exaggerated smoking description in this chap too but I've shared that before heh :)

I hope you enjoyed this LONG overdue chapter update! So far there are 7 chapters, so I have a lot of updating to catch up on! :)

I don’t have a tag list at the moment, but if you’re interested in this wip and want to be on it, then please send me an ask or a comment and I’ll add you :)

Tag list, ask to be added or removed;

@alicewestwater @elaz-ivero @coffeeandcalligraphy @hanwatchingmovies @sirfitzroys @chloeswords @nev-953

#writing #writeblr #chapter update #writing update #novel update #chapter excerpt #excerpts from my writing #writing excerpt #novel excerpt #wip excerpt #wip #novel wip #novel drafting #butterfly blood

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jaybug-jabbers · 3 years

Text

All-Glitch Pokemon Blue Run Pt9: Controlling Corruption

June,

I’ve just received your report that you have captured a Gengar. I don’t know how you’ve done it, but please allow me to repeat myself: if you’re going after C3 next, please be very careful. Gengar is known for being one of the least predictable and friendly of normal pokemon; Gengar’s glitch hybrid is even worse.

-Professor Gingko

---

Professor,

You can stop worrying now. I’ve just captured C3 successfully. There was no horrible song this time, and he was a lot more coopertive this time around.

I’m actually grateful I got the chance to do this. I think I normally would have been terrified of seeing C3 again, but now that I’ve captured one, he’s really not so bad. He’s quite a musical critter. Sometimes when I take him out of the PC, he trills for a very long time for me. It’s almost sort of sweet. Maybe we misjudged C3 a little.

Oh, but also, hey! While I was out hunting C3, I captured a new glitchmon! My Dex says it’s called C6.

Apparently it’s a hybrid of Poliwrath. It seems to share its stats and starting moves with Poliwrath, too. I named him Azure, because he’s a lot of very pretty shades of blue. I’m starting to get quite a large team of glitchmon by now! I may not have the time to raise them all, but it’s always good to have a choice.

-June

---

June,

Goodness, you’ve been making rapid progress. That new pokemon you captured is indeed C6. You need to be careful while raising him, though; he learns Superglitch upon level up quite a number of times.

Actually, considering the pace of your progress, what would you say to trying out a more advanced technique? If you succeed, you’ll be able to access a very exotic and unique species of glitchmon. The downside, of course, is that it involves some risk. You’d be working with Superglitch directly.

What do you think? I won’t ask you to give it a try unless you truly wish to.

-Professor Gingko

---

Professor,

I’ll need to learn how to handle Superglitch sooner or later. It may as well be now. Besides, I think I’m ready.

-June

---

Very well. You’ll need to follow my instructions exactly.

You must return to Celadon’s Mansion. Go to the same place you taught your C2 to forget Superglitch. You’ll need a fair number of Rare Candies, so I’m afraid you might need to duplicate those by exposing them to Missingno., if necessary. Also, ensure you have a full party of six pokemon before you begin. Be mindful of who you place in your sixth slot. Your new friend will be inheriting some things from that sixth pokemon.

Now, arrange C6′s first three moves like such; Body Slam, Water Gun, Mega Kick. (You may need to teach him Mega Kick yourself, but there’s a large department store in Celadon that I’m sure carries TM05.) Proceed to then feed C6 his Rare Candies. He may try to evolve, so startle him out of evolution if he tries it. Once C6 reaches level 24, he will wish to learn Superglitch. Let him forget his final move to replace it.

Then you must locate a small house in Celadon where an old man lives. I believe his house is right next to a diner. I . . . know this sounds crazy, but trust me, this is very relevent. In his house are a couple sculptures of Diglett. You must go stand right beside them. Then, use your Glitchdex to examine your Pokemon menu. Once you are done, leave the house and do not touch your Glitchdex again for the time being.

Go directly to some tall grass and encounter a wild pokemon. Engage in battle, using your C6. Act as though you are about to issue a battle command for your C6. Then simply flee from battle. You do not need to actually fight. Superglitch is so powerful a move, that even allowing your pokemon to think about the move is enough for it to exert a powerful influence.

Once you had fled . . . well. I think you’ll notice exactly what’s going on. Let me know when you do and I can guide you from there.

-Professor Gingko

---

Professor,

I did exactly as you said. Are you sure this is supposed to happen, though? When I entered battle and called Azure’s name . . .

Uhhh, the wild pokemon turned into a weird glitchy mess. And my Glitchdex’s screen did this funny freak out as you see above. I got the heck out of there in a hurry. Once we’d left the grass, though, I noticed how heavy my belt was.

I have, like, sixteen pokeballs now?! They don’t even all FIT. What’s going on? Where’d they even COME from?

-J̶̨̧̡̢̧̧̛̙̣̹̞̳͕̲̥͎͔͚͕̞̤͕̫̱̗̮͍̟̟̘̪͖̟̭̻̣͚̥͔̞̥̣͔̜̟͓̹͈͕̣̫̍̍͛̽̀́̎̓̾̒̀̀̂̈́̀͌̔̇̋̍̎̃̿͆͗̂͊̀̀̈́̐̈̔̒̏̿̎̀̃̈̓͌̌̽̿̄͐̓͘͘͜͜͝͠ȗ̷̧̧̨̢̘͚̣̝̫̫̟̗̞͚̝͇͕̯̯̺̘̰̟̻̟͖̱̙̪̝̤̠̥͙͓̠͙̣̱̜̫̩͖͔̰̲͍̻̖̠̭̪͈̭̭̂̌́̿́͐̋̽͆̆͌͊͆̋͂̋̑͛̈́̌͌̉́́̌̃̈́̀̌̄̇̈́͆̅̈̓́̕̕̕͝͠͝͝͝ͅn̸̢̨͕̤͎̜̼͙̞̳͈̯̫̟̜͖̘̮̯̭͔͚̺̱͙̗͓̩̱͈͖̬͇͙̓̏̈́̔̊͜ͅͅȩ̶̡͈̱̺̳͍̥̳̝̙͙̺̺̥̰̳̙̟̤̦̜̠̜̙̼̈́̽̃̓͐̌͐͌͂̅́̌̇͌̋́͂̇͌̾̿̀̄́́̇̇̀̈́͊̏̚͠͝͠ͅ

---

June,

Keep a steady head. I know things are a tad strange, but I assure you it’s all according to plan.

Head back to the Pokecenter. Deposit your regular party pokemon first. Then switch boxes and deposit the rest of the lot. It shouldn’t take too long. Once you do, retrieve your original party again.

After that, I need you to go back to Cerulean City. That’s a bit of a walk, I know, but it’s important. Try to avoid any trainers on your way. They might . . . err, look a bit odd to you right now.

Once in Cerulean, you need to stand in the southeast part of town. In particular, the white path just below the treeline for the main part of town. In VERY particular, the lower left corner of the end of that path. Once at that exact spot, open your Pokemon menu. Close it and don’t look at it again for the moment. Head directly to some tall grass and once again encounter a wild pokemon with your C6. Do the same as before, then run.

I promise this isn’t just for the exercise.

-Professor Gingko

---

Professor,

All right, I deposited those weird extra pokemon and then I walked ALL the way back to Cerulean and stood here.

This is the right spot, right? I hope so. Then I encountered a wild pokemon. After we ran away, I have to say I felt . . . a little strange. That happened the first time, too, actually. I dunno, my head felt funny. I thought maybe it was just a headache. You think maybe it’s related to the Superglitch thing?

And another question; do I get to check out the new weird pokemon I got now?

-June

---

Glitchdex #: C6/198

Family: Poliwrath Hybrid

Type(s): Water/Fighting

Species Keyword: SPACESEED

When Poliwrath is exposed to a special Moon Stone that is especially powerful, the resulting pokemon becomes warped and mutated. It may later try to evolve into other Moon Stone pokemon.

---

End Notes

Glitches used/mentioned in this post:

* Making Superglitch useful

Click for the next part of the series!

This is a repost on a new blog. The original post was on Nov 27, 2019.

#pokemon #glitch pokemon #pokemon glitching #glitch run #mycontent #pokemon playthroughs

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zombiequincy · 4 years

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THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

My muse is: canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless /

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO.

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK.

Are they underrated? YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main story? YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG.

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO.

How’s their reputation? GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL.

How strictly do you follow canon? — I’d like to think I follow canon fairly decently in regards to Giselle’s powers but then again there really isn’t much to follow. So we’ll go with a shaky ‘ehhhh’.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals. — She’s one of the most objectively fucked up Sternritter. Her powers completely spit in the face of everything the Soul Reapers try to abide by and their cycle of life and reincarnation by basically crushing it under her heel and refusing to allow the process of death to run its course. She’s also just such a cheery and utterly irredeemable villain which is so refreshing sometimes. None of that brooding ‘woe is me my powers and situation makes me so sad’ no no no, she is here to FUCK shit up for everyone and laugh while doing it. Also the whole idea of forcing someone to fight against their will is just so supremely fucked up but always interesting to see in action. She could have singlehandedly turned the tides of the Quincy invasion if she got her hands blood on the right people and that’s a terrifying though. Also a lot of her motif and powers link closely to the sort of biblical fucked up imagery of angels that you can see in novels like Paradise Lost or Dantes Inferno or the Old Testament, that just themeatic attitude of like show no mercy even to the weak and how morals are meaningless in the face of war and if you’re doing everything in the service of god then even the most fucked up actions can be justified, so if like me, you’re a huge nerd for that shit, she is PERFECT.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?). — She’s one of the most objectively fucked up Sternritter. She’s annoyingly over powered in the sense that she just doesn’t die, which can really be a sticking point for some people because it just seems like there’s no threat present when she’s around. I also don’t blame anyone for being disinterested with her portrayal and character as it is in the manga since her whole identity seems to just be a shitty allusion to predatory lesbian trope and god awful transphobic jokes, so seeing those it can be easy to think that’s all there is to her character and not even want to entertain everything else she has to offer. Also the way that she treats Bambi, turns even my stomach, so I absolutely do not blame anyone who might want no interest in any of that and the implication of those scenes.

What inspired you to rp your muse? — (Kaiman lol) She was one of the femritters I naturally gravitated towards because of her fight with Mayuri and I fucking hate Mayuri soooo, queen rights! Also I just love characters who can like puppeteer and control others against their will, there’s something so really interesting about that power in fiction and it always gives way to tons of angst and sadness which is absolutely my shit. I also had a ton of issues with the way that Kubo presented her in canon, especially in regards to her trans identity and I kept obsessing over that and wanted to kinda push away from all those shitty moments and try to focus more on her powers and attitude as a young Quincy who was eager to join a war and murder her way up the ranks.

What keeps your inspiration going? — My love for evil women. But you know, mainly music and goth aesthetic posts. Also other pieces of gothic literature and undead monster lore and mythos. If there’s a will and way, I will always find a way to bring it back to Giselle.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice? YES / NO.

Do you frequently write headcanons? YES / NO.

Do you sometimes write drabbles? YES / NO.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO.

Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO.

Are you confident in your writing? YES / NO

Are you a sensitive person? YES / NO.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal? — Haven’t gotten any yet but I am always open to it. I know there’s a ton of choices I’ve made in my portrayal that are open to heavy scrutiny, like making her very young contrasted against the other Sternritters, making her a serial killer, making her a self declared man eater etc etc. Even though my main goal with rp is to just have fun, I’d never want to do so at the expense and well being of others, so if anyone has some serious critiques to make about Giselle or to say that she’s making them feel uncomfortable, then it’s the absolute bare minimum for me to listen and be considerate about that criticism!

Do you like questions which help you explore your character? — If I say no that makes me look like a mad woman and an asshole but like GKJLASDKDJSA look its really hard to try to explore a lot of the inner depths of a character like Giselle who just joyfully takes pleasure in others suffering. Like she’s just here to kill and eat people, trying to explore the why and how and who led her into that way of thinking and informed her deeper beliefs, high key gives me a headache. Sometimes she’s just evil and a dickhead for the sake of being an evil dickhead. I have to be in a very specific headspace and mood to want to discuss in detail her attitudes and beliefs and how certain personality traits of her came to be and even when I do that, it’s not usually public. As I write with more and more people, her views and ideals begin to reveal itself in the threads and situations so I prefer to do the exploration that way via my writing and threads. I’m always open to questions which help me explore her ideals and beliefs and reckoning with her past but because I haven’t made any plans for her to really confront or express those beliefs directly yet, it’s hard for me to explain them accurately or correctly.

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why? — Yes! I’d never declare myself as an expert on Bleach since I learn a lot of the nitty gritty details through osmosis of people who do know more than me, so if I get something wrong or a headcanon is a little bit far fetched, I’m always open to hearing the details as to why and how I can improve it. Also a lot of my headcanons are just stupid jokes so if you have one that’s funnier, then I will always love to hear it.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it? — In my stride. I always say this Giselle is mainly just a goof so I don’t take it too personally if someone thinks I’m doing her wrong, half the time it’s just be making bad jokes about murder and maiming and cannibalism. There are about a hundred different ways to approach someone like Giselle and mine is FAR from being the most accurate or correct one.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it? — I can certainly understand why considering her actions in canon and how brutal and cruel she was. She kinda is a figure made to be hated and disgusted by and in certain threads I do really lean into her more ‘evil’ side. So I’d never take it personally.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors? — Dear god please do it. I’m dyslexic and English technically isn’t even my first language I struggle with this VERY bad. Let me know please please PLEASE.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun? — I think sooo? I’ve never rushed anyone for replies, I take my own sweet time to get stuck into threads and I approach any headcanons or ideas people have for Giselle with a sense of optimism and good faith! I’m always down for some silliness but I’m always cautious about how far to go with her considering that the way she acts can be triggering in some regards so I like to think I’m both pretty careful and laid back!

That’s about it, congrats for filling out!

Tagged by: @windstormwielding cheers my dear !! Tagging: @fleshpurifies @bazzardburner @hyouketsu @oscuras and YOU!

#dash games

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heretyc · 4 years

Text

correct words and grammar for your fics + common mistakes. [+ formal and informal writing]

Spelling mistakes are common and every writer makes them. It’s life. C’est la vie.

But sometimes, you might genuinely not know a certain word, or how to use a specific word. Well, buckle up pal cause I’m here for you. I didn’t get honours in English, TWICE, for nothing.

...cause you know i fancy u [fails at replicating the dances moves]

They’re - short for “they are”

ex: “have you listened to that new group? they’re great tbh.”

Their - a possession

ex: “oh, they left their sweater here.”

There - a place

ex: “hey, let’s go over there.” | “i heard it’s great there, although it rains sometimes.”

You’re - short for “you are”

ex: “YOU’RE BREATHTAKING!”

Your - a possession.

ex: “that book is yours? you have good taste.” | “your emotions matter too.”

‘ - if that is within a word, it is likely there is a word following after. SOUND IT OUT and TEST IT before you insert it to make sure it’s grammatically accurate.

examples;

it’s = it is

that’s = that is

you’re = you are

There is, sometimes, exceptions to this.

An example of an exception could be “Who’s”, which is short for “who is”.

‘Whose’ is its cousin and is a confusing word to some. Whose is a pronoun accompanied by a question, such as “whose phone is this?”

That is where it is confusing.

You could also say “who is the owner of this phone?”, but Whose is like that cousin who is lazy as fuck and gets straight to the point. If that makes sense.

If you use in correctly, the sentence might look like this:

who is phone is this?

Unfortunately, “who’s” means “who is”, and of course the ‘is’ is implied.

Like I stated above, if you use Whose in a sentence, sound both that and “who’s” and see which one sounds better. If you’re unsure, ask a friend or use Grammarly.

Too - in addition to something, or is a higher and undesirable degree.

ex: oh, he’s coming too?

ex: you’re speaking too fast....slow down.

To - has multiple uses, but also used for expressing motion or direction toward a point, person, place, or thing approached and reached, as opposed to from.

ex: we’re going to havana for a month.

Two - the letter 2.

ex: it’s been two years since we’ve been together. holla!

Here - to be in a place; a specific spot

ex: we’re here.

ex: come here, I need to tell you something.

Hear - to hear something

ex: did you hear what that guy said? he said you were cute.

ex: i hear music.

Heard - past tense of hear

ex: i heard the craziest thing today...

Herd - a group of animals

ex: look at that herd of deer.

|Common mistakes I see in fanfics. Both regarding incorrect information and incorrect words.|

Latter Vs Ladder.

A ladder is something you climb. Latter means to select a last option, or a second option when given choices.

LATTER:

“You can either break up with her or talk it out, but if I were you, I’d choose the latter.” [2 choices]

“You have 3 options. Take medication for the headaches, go home, or go to the hospital. I’d choose the latter, if I were you.” [multiple choices]

Choke Vs Chock.

A chock is a wedge placed against a wheel to prevent it from moving. Choke is where your windpipe is blocked off. This is common when you choke on food.

CHOCK:

“Hey, can you pass me the chock? I need to work on my car but the wheels won’t stop moving forward.”

CHOKE:

“He choked on his words; he could feel the embarrassment, and right now he’d give anything to crawl in a hole and suffer.” | “She could feel the piece of food get stuck in her throat. She began to choke, and in a panic, held her throat while trying to resolve the issue herself.”

Fourth Vs Forth.

Fourth represents Four/4 in a sequence. It’s an adjective. Forth means to move onward.

FOURTH:

“You’re the fourth person to come in today.” [number]

FORTH: “Come forth, towards my throne.” [to move onward]

A vs An.

Both of these kick my ass. Like, they grow fucking legs and kick me in the ass as I write.

“A” is used before words starting in consonant sounds and “an” is used before words starting with vowel sounds.

I had to grab the above from Google because THEY ARE KICKING ME IN THE ASS SO HARD RIGHT NOW. WHY MUST YOU BOTH BE SO CONFUSING SOMETIMES? WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT?

“Well, that’s a shame.”

AN:

“That’s an unfortunate turn of events.”

MY SCREAMING AS I WRITE THIS:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Cervixes and their existence.

I’m just like you; I read smut fics for practice and to see how those talented bastards do it because I blush like crazy when trying to write it.

But I’ve seen a lot of “his pp was so big it kept slamming into my womb/uterus!”

Unfortunately, this is inaccurate. As hot as it would be to have a dick slamming your womb to bloody chunks, that would mean your cervix is basically useless.

The cervix is a small hole made to protect your womb and your uterus. If your cervix was big enough to fix a bigass penis it would be ineffective. Especially if you’re into the pregnancy sex. Your kid will have brain damage [depending on how your child is placed in the womb] rofl

More info here provided by Google,

“The cervix plays vital roles in the control of movement into and out of the uterus, protection of the fetus during pregnancy, and the delivery of the fetus during childbirth. The cervix makes up the lower one-third of the uterus and its tissues are continuous with the tissues that make up the rest of the uterus.”

Continue your smuttiness, but don’t expect it to be accurate if your cervix is suddenly letting a penis invade your innards.

Accept Vs Except Vs Expect.

Accept is to find an explanation to be accurate and to accept it, or to accept a gift.

Except is to exclude something. Can also be used as a conjunction.

Expect is to regard something that will likely happen.

ACCEPT: “Will you accept my confession?” [to accept an explanation or similar] | “Did you accept my gift? I thought of you while picking it out.” [to accept a gift]

EXCEPT:

“All fruits are good, except for oranges. Too sweet.” [to exclude something] | “I told him everything, except he got mad and he stomped away before I could tell him about...you know...” [a conjunction]

EXPECT:

“Oh, my boyfriend is coming over. Expect him at the door in an hour.” [to regard something]

When you hear informal and formal wording, you might picture words in fancy formal suits at a cocktail party.

...No? Just me? Okay.

Now, lemme give you a few sentences, and tell me which ones look best in a fic. I’ll be using my characters’ names cause I can’t think of ones off the bat rofl

“Soren is feeling sad. He can’t believe his friend said that about him behind his back.”

“Soren’s current mood could be considered a combination of humiliation and sadness. His friend really had no right to say that about him, and especially behind his back.”

“Cassiel looked happy when he was at the beach.”

“Cassiel’s face held joy as he felt the sand between his toes, and the sweet heat of the sun against his pale skin.”

Picked the best ones? Well good for you!

The first and third sentences have informal wording, while the second and fourth have formal, as well as relevant detailing.

This is, obviously, very helpful information for English class cause the teachers slurp the fuck out of formal wording in there. They moan, too.

Let me tell you something that I live by:

SYNONYMS ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS.

Can’t find a good, formal word for “sadness”? SYNONYMS, BABYYYY

Can’t find a formal version of “good”? SYNONYMS, WOOOOOOOO

The BEST website for this is my absolute favourite. I married this fucking website. BYE VAL SEE YOU NEVER! [...sorry val bby i don’t mean it :( *i smooch val*]

Here it is, my friend: Thesaurus.com

You’re cheating on Synonyms, because this website is your best friend too. Except the website is...the mother of synonyms...oh god. Awkward.

That site is your GOD when regarding writing and learning new words to insert into your fics!

This is the end. For now. I hope this helps you.

My fingers hurt after this, btw. Irrelevant but...yeah.

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rosalind-of-arden · 5 years

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Smoke and Iron Reread chapter 10

Time for more Morgan! And Annis! There is a mention of sexual assault, seeing as we’re in the Iron Tower and Gregory is Gregory.

Morgan wakes up hung over. Headache, nausea, aches, sensitivity to light.

Annis seems to like trolling Morgan while she thinks Morgan just has a hangover, but she gets more sympathetic when Morgan says she was drugged. WTF did Gregory tell Annis when he dropped unconscious Morgan off in the room?

Annis has a Scottish accent, red hair that is going gray, and a round face. She can do crown braids without looking in the mirror, and I am jealous. She is well-known for her cheerfulness in the tower.

Gregory makes a habit of drugging people “when he thinks he might not get his way,” and Annis is not at all amused by this. What is Gregory doing with people he’s drugged into unconsciousness? So, add this to Morgan waking up with a “deep” ache that makes her feel ill, and we’ve got some disturbing implications. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to conclude that he raped her. But I’m also not saying it happened. The text does not otherwise give any indication that an assault happened there, and it would be a glaring omission in a series that otherwise acknowledges characters’ trauma to have that happen to Morgan and leave out the aftermath. Granted, it treads relatively lightly around the creepier implications of the breeding program, but still. I’m going to theorize that he drugged her for whatever exams they do on pregnancy-capable Obscurists in order to get around her resistance to participating in the breeding program. Another possibility: he needed her unconscious to mess with the scripts in her collar more, adding more options for control.

Annis seems very concerned about Morgan once she says she’s been drugged. She gives her assessing looks. I get the feeling this isn’t Annis’s first time playing caretaker after Gregory drugged someone.

Annis is considered expendable because she has very little power and can’t have children. She’s being used as a hostage to Morgan’s good behavior, and Morgan to hers. Gregory thinks he’s killing two birds with one stone with this arrangement. He doesn’t think that he’s putting two enemies in a position to collaborate because he underestimates both of them, especially Annis.

“Too old to bear another child”. So Annis has had children. Still in the tower? Or all sent away for having too little power?

Keria welcomed Annis and didn’t make her feel inferior for her lack of power. Here’s that friend of all Obscurists side of Keria that we don’t get to see much of.

“Dying for her son’s folly.” Annis, like a whole lot of people, assumes that Wolfe is the instigator of the rebellion, and blames him for its negative outcomes. She sees Keria’s death as part of her “destiny,” and recognizes that Keria wanted to die to help the Wolfe pack, but she doesn’t approve. She thinks changing the Library is impossible, which leads nicely into one of the recurring themes of the series: adults who have given up on changing the system being convinced to hope and try again by these kids.

Morgan thinks that liking Annis will make her job harder. So she would be quite willing to sacrifice someone she disliked.

Morgan is so insistent on her own agency in the plan that she almost blows her own cover.

More of Morgan Hault, genius hacker. This time she’s rewriting monitoring scripts to given them an on/off switch. Why does she choose Spanish, I wonder? A result of hanging out with Dario?

Annis speaks Spanish. This will be relevant for Khalila/Dario/Annis fic, of course.

The High Garda aren’t happy about being involved with the Feast of Greater Burning. Another factor making it easier for Zara to sneak Troll into the prison? Too many soldiers refusing to participate?

Annis is so delightfully unashamed of her sex life. She is a very good influence for Morgan at this stage in Morgan’s own development. Morgan has just started learning to be bolder in asking for what she wants, and here’s Annis telling her there’s nothing wrong with having lots of great sex with lots of people.

“Heaven knows, we’ve got little else to do for entertainment.” Obscurist kink is so a thing, y’all. A whole tower full of bored people. They are going to come up with all manner of creative ideas.

Morgan’s response to hearing about Annis’s gleeful promiscuity? “Morgan started to laugh in uncomfortable delight.” Yes, Morgan, you really like the idea of being like Annis, don’t you?

Really, this just reminds me that I kind of want to write Morgan/Annis sin.

Annis might not be entirely happy about Keria dying to protect Wolfe, but she’s even less happy about him being in prison again. She does not want Keria’s sacrifice to go to waste.

Keria regularly bent the rules to keep parents and children together longer.

Morgan knows that Eskander is Wolfe’s father. She can’t have just learned that; she only just got out of solitary confinement. So she knows this from her first time in the Iron Tower. Interesting that she didn’t mention that detail when telling Jess about Eskander.

Eskander was offered the position of Obscurist Magnus before Keria, but refused. Annis suspects that was the end of their relationship. He was also unhappy that she let Christopher be sent away. Considering that we have no indication he had any kind of relationship with little Chris, this seems a bit hypocritical of him.

Only Keria could break Eskander’s wards. Gregory tried and failed. Right, so, odds that the Artifex really brought Eskander out as opposed to exchanging angry notes under his door or something along those lines? Or just flat out lying to the Archivist about it?

Morgan is wary of pushing Annis too far in her search for information on Eskander. She knows how dangerous their position is.

“I told you, I’m brilliant with Spanish. [...] And with Spaniards, too.” That’s it. Now Khalila/Dario/Annis really has to happen. You can’t just say you’re good with Spaniards and not end up fucking Dario in fanfiction, Annis.

#The Great Library #smoke and iron reread #smoke and iron spoilers #rape

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imyourliquor-youremypoison · 6 years

Text

Marvel fic rec - Loki x OC, Bucky x OC (1)

You guys I have such good ones for this rec.

After Class, by Team Damon (68k)

She's a clumsy but intelligent student who's a little late getting her degree, and he's a young but grumpy professor with a past he's doing his best to move on from. Neither of them expected college to be quite this interesting, but nothing ever goes exactly according to plan.

We’re starting with the good stuff, people, the real good stuff. You know how many shitty Student x Teacher fanfictions there are out there in the vasteness of the internet? A lot. I have seen things I wish I could unsee. But this one is not one of those. This one is the best, the single most beautifully written piece of fanfiction with this trope. I cannot stress this enough, I am in LOVE with this story. It’s just long enough to be in-depth and have flesh, but it’s short enough to read in one sitting. It’s my go-to sotry that I read whenever I feel down, when I’m sick and bed-ridden, when I’m stressed out because of my exams and can’t sleep. It heals my soul to read such work of art.

Team Damon is an absolute sweetheart too, a true wordsmith, and there are more of her stories that will make it into this fic rec.

Blasphemy, by SheWritesThings (76k)

For Sam and Steve, finding Bucky was the easy part. But now two distinct personalities reside within him: Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier. Sam decides to call in an old friend: Sgt. Fox, a young war veteran and amputee, having suffered PTSD herself. Dodging SHIELD and Hydra agents alike, the trio struggles to bring Bucky back and eliminate the Soldier before time runs out.

Another masterpiece, not the last one of this list. It’s the first installment of a series (ongoing sequel is here) but I honestly don’t think it needs a sequel, it can be read on its own. It has a prologue-y feel to it, but I love it. It’s the first fanfiction I read that deals so seriously and thoroughly with Bucky’s PTSD, and it doesn’t shove a romantic relationship in our face. The author must have sent HOURS researching about PTSD to write this, I cannot fathom how much work it represents.

It’s so good, so raw, it really stirs something in you. Also if ableism is an issue you take to heart, this story is a goode example on how to write disabled characters, it’s just perfect.

Fate's Children, by theatrewraith (109k)

The Norns, fates of the Nine Realms, long ago chose a protector for each realm bound to keep order in their universe. Roska is the latest guardian of Asgard. When Odin asks her to bring Loki back from Midgard at any cost, she is set on a path of even greater importance. To assure Asgard's stable future, she must set the Jotun Prince on its throne.

One of those stories where you wonder how the hell this isn’t a published work. I can barely imagine the amount of research that went into the writing of this fanfiction, the world-building and attention to details is amazing. I have no idea just how much of what I read is inspired by true mythology and folklore, but it’s impressive still. More plot-driven than character driven. To my absolute sadness, it’s not very centred on the pairing HOWEVER it is one of the best Loki characterization I’ve even seen with my own two eyeballs (honestly Taika Waititi should take example).

Friends to Lovers to Complete and Utter Idiots, by Team Damon (39k)

They're just friends. The best of friends, really. But when she's secretly head over heels in love with him and he gets the bright idea to take their friendship to an entirely new and unexpected level, she knows she's playing with fire. She's already burning, though, so why not make it count?. Modern AU

Listen, I’ve rarely come so close to ripping out all of my hair, and I love my hair. The pairng drove me crazy. Team Damon just knows how to play with my feelings like nobody’s business. The title really says it all, but if you think it’s just another of the usual fwb story, you, my friend, are gravely mistaken. Because it’s more than that, it’s a jewel among jewels. It’s a diamond, alright? Read it, I swear to god, read it.

Stray, by MissMorwen (32k)

“Why did you come here?” “I needed to hide, needed to think.” There was a slight furrow in his brow again. “Think about what?” She tilted her head, trying to catch his eyes. He looked in her direction, but with an unfocused gaze. “The man, he – he knew me. And I knew him.” The knuckles on his right hand were turning white.

******** You know how the story goes: Fucked-up former assassin meets girl. Girl is a cliché vet with a tendency to help birds with broken wings.

I think the author says it all in the synopsis honestly. It’s just a fun, light-hearted Bucky fanfic. It’s a nice change from the more serious stuff, and it’s not too long so it’s a quick read, and it’s worth your time.

Illusion, by likeatumbleweed (155k)

Sigyn has an overprotective brother, an overbearing mother, and an overarching duty to Queen Frigga as her handmaiden. She begins a relationship with Loki, Prince of Asgard and second in line to the throne. It seems easy, but fate has so much more in store for them than they planned. AU. Pre-Thor through Post-Avengers.

Listen, this is the one of the best fanfictions I’ve even had the pleasure to read. All fandoms mixed together, it’s a fav. I will defend this fanfiction to the death, I’ve scarcely seen anything so beautiful. The prose is amazing, the pace is perfect, there is a balance between plot relevant scenes and self-indulgent fluff, the characterization is on point (Tony Stark, however short his appearance in the story is, has one of the best characterization ever).

It’s 155k long but I find it too short still. There is nothing I disliked about this story, I could write a eulogy about how much I adore it, I could write poems and songs about it, I- well you get my drift. AND because the author knows how much her readership loved the story, we got a bunch of additional oneshots to quench our insatiable thirst. I’m not going to review each of them individually but they are all great, and you will cry actual salty tears, trust me.

Interlude:

Chapter "10.5" of Illusion - Loki spends the night with Sigyn at her apartment, and things get a bit uncomfortable for her brother Edmund.

Unburdened:

Sigyn has had a stressful day; when she threatens to never return to the palace library again, Loki uses his considerable skills to change her mind.

Celebration:

Loki arranges for a private celebration of Sigyn's birthday.

The Better Part of Valor:

One morning not long after beginning her relationship with Loki, Sigyn is late reporting for her duties with the queen. When Loki (who has everything to do with her tardiness) shows up to take advantage of her embarrassment, Sigyn is less than cooperative.

Best Laid Plans:

Loki and Sigyn attempt to celebrate their anniversary, only to be hindered at every turn by extenuating circumstances (especially their precocious six-year-old daughter, Unna, who has a terrible grasp of the appropriate time to show off newly acquired magic skills).

Threnody for a Sparrow:

It's a lesson Loki has never wanted to learn...there are some broken things that cannot be fixed, no matter how badly you wish otherwise.

Monster, by IndigoUmbrella (70k)

“Have you ever asked yourself, do monsters make war, or does war make monsters?” -Laini Taylor

Probably the vaguest, least helpful synopsis in the history of synopsis, but hey, I’m here to tell you that it’s fucking fabulous, and you won’t regret reading this fanfiction. It’s not you usual girl meets boy story at all - this time the meeting is not accidental at all, all of their interractions have one sole purpose: help Bucky become himself again. And it gives a lot of weight to their interractions, the story is very serious, but not so much as to give you a headache either. I love it because it’s different, and it takes things slowly, there’s a lot of attention to details too.

Hell Bound (Sequel to Monster) (82k)

Start by pulling him out of the fire and hoping that he will forget the smell. He was supposed to be an angel but they took him from that light and turned him into something hungry, something that forgets what his hands are for when they aren't shaking. When is a monster not a monster? Oh, when you love it.

Second vaguest synopsis of all time, but trust me when I say that the sequel is even better than the first installement of this trilogy. I can’t really say anything about the sequel without revealing what happens in the first part, so just read it for heaven’s sake. I’m telling you, it’s good.

From Darkness (Third and last part of Monster) - Ongoing

When did we lose our way? Consumed by the shadows Swallowed whole by the darkness Does this darkness have a name? Is it your name?

And last but not least, the third part. Equally vague synopsis. We officially have a top three guys. Haven’t read this one yet, but I wanted to post all three parts together.

Light & Sweet, by LooneyLockhart (182k)

Bucky didn't understand the concept of a coffee house giving away free coffee. From what he remembered, hardly anything in Brooklyn was given away for free when he lived there. And why wasn't the coffee house girl frightened by him when he struck fear in some of the most competent SHIELD agents? Learning to be Bucky Barnes again, he wasn't prepared for the curious coffee girl.

How the hell am I going to sell you this story?

It’s... a coffee shop AU. Except it’s not really an AU. It’s entirely set in the MCU as we know it, superheroes are totally a thing, everything is like the canon, but Bucky and the OC still meet in a coffee shop. It’s serious, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously either. It’s well written, like really. The OC is endearing, the pace is perfect for the story, the characters have a lot of depth, even the secondary ones get a bit of characterization. It’s a beautiful work all in all.

Honesty, by thearrowsoflegolas (91k)

The Winter Soldier has a new mission. Erin Jefferson is a young SHIELD biochemist who has just synthesised a serum that can make anyone tell the truth, and HYDRA wants it. The Winter Soldier is expecting it to be an easy job, and Erin is expecting to die there. What she's not expecting is to meet a man with light eyes and a dark past who needs her help.

This is the funniest Bucky fanfic I’ve read, and it’s awesome. I’ve never seen such balance between light-hearted moments and serious, down-to-business ones. It doesn’t take anything away from Bucky’s gravitas, but it rather offers a stark contrast with the OC’s bubbly personality, it’s refreshing and beautiful. And it’s fucking funny, you guys, it’s hilarious. Additionally it’s one of the only fanfictions I’ve read as the chapters got published, instead of waiting until it was completed.

#fic rec #marvel #bucky #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #loki #loki of asgard #loki of jotunheim #loki laufeyson #loki fanfic #bucky fanfic #loki fanfiction #bucky fanfiction #fic recommendation #fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic rec #fanfic reviews

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lightsandlostbells · 6 years

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Skam Italia episode 9 reaction

shout out to the sheer number of snake emojis in the comments on any clip featuring or mentioning Martino

Episode 9

Clip 1 - Silvia spills the beans

Skam Italia being educational, kinda! I’m going to try out this headache technique.

According to the subs I found, Sana’s janitor told her about it? … her housekeeper? That’s probably closer to what it was but I just like the idea of Sana going around striking up conversations with janitors.

But another version of the subs didn’t have that part at all so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Dear Lord, Silvia, chill the hell out. Someone sitting in someone else’s car doesn’t mean they’re dating. Although lmao, Eva and Noora could have stood to learn that in season 2.

Actually, I do get how Silvia would be upset? She’s really jumping the gun but Edoardo just treated her like crap in front of people. I would probably be a little hurt that my friend was maybe hanging out with someone who hurt me. The problem with Silvia is that her motivation is less, “Eva, how could you associate with someone who’s treated me like garbage?” and more, “Eva, what were you doing with my mans???”

Evaaaaa, why did you trade that completely obvious look with Eleonora??? Just make it seem the most suspicious you can. I mean, if you don’t want to spill the whole truth about Edoardo digging for info on Eleonora, you can literally say “I studied for my exam in the car and he asked me about it” and technically that’s not a lie.

The flashbacks with Eva and Laura were pretty cute. Aesthetic hair-braiding!

I do like Sana immediately being like “lol why would you trust Laura” and bringing up the water throwing incident as a sort of logical evidence why Laura isn’t the greatest, as opposed to Vilde/Silvia saying something dumb and Islamophobic and Sana having to mention the water incident as proof of her loyalty. Also Silvia looks humbled by Sana mentioning she was defending Silvia’s honor.

Sana asking Silvia whether she has to meet her mother was a nice way of calming the situation for Eva’s sake while getting Silvia to leave before the problem can escalate. It was thoughtful for Silvia, too, as it gave her a chance to escape instead of digging the hole deeper.

I'm glad that the Edoardo lift had more plot relevance than just ship teasing (multi-tasking is A+) and I think that it’s good to illustrate how much it would break Eva is to lose a friend again. Her offering to let Silvia listen to the message she left Martino as proof is rather heartbreaking in its desperation. On the other hand, I don’t know how I feel about the emotional impact of this scene having to be more about poor Eva weeping and having to beg Silvia for forgiveness over something that was ultimately trivial and meant nothing, and that we as the audience know meant nothing, rather than Eva dealing with the guilt that she’s been carrying around for months over destroying her relationship with her best friend. That is the Big Secret Eva has been hiding from both her new friends and the audience so it probably needs more focus (which to be fair, is elaborated on in the bathroom scene later).

I saw some talk of how people thought it was an improvement that Silvia didn’t call Eva a slut, and while of course it’s nice that she didn’t do so, I don’t get why it’s better for Silvia not to call Eva a slut in this version since Noora directly confronts Vilde about it in the moment, it’s not like it was this casual misogyny in the show that went unaddressed. That was the point, it was a teachable moment. It’s certainly not worse that the moment wasn’t there, I just think it’s more about how it’s handled than anything else. (Also, I mean … Vilde being a jerk was specifically a tip off that something was going on with her.)

Clip 2 - Eva talks to a friendly serpent

Martino knows all the school drama and social scene. It is pretty damn shady of him to be like oh yeah, they didn’t invite you because that girl whose boyfriend you kissed, her friend is organizing it, when he is responsible for the apparent non-invite in the first place, or so he would think. But he’s so casual about it. Not much guilt when he tells her that. Maaaaybe a little more when she starts to tell him about what she’s dealing with at school? IDK.

Eva sounds less angry or frustrated, more defeated.

I’m still wondering what her arc is going to be? Because there isn’t that pressing question of “who are you?” and her not having her own identity, it’s like … I guess she’s questioning whether she’s become a bad person? Sort of? She has Silvia making assumptions about her being a bad person, Laura thinks she is a bad person based on events that really happened, and Gio is questioning why she hangs around with bad people. That could be an area to explore in terms of her relationship with Laura but I’m not all that sure how it would play regarding her and Gio since Gio has made many of the same mistakes she has, he can’t exactly talk.

Martino trying to pull some reverse psychology is cute because he can’t quite keep a straight face.

Sucks that this friendship is about to go down the toilet!

Clip 3 - Eva and the older girls

Heh, this angsty song gets cut off as soon as we establish that Maria does not give a crap who Eva is.

I always enjoy this scene and this advice. It’s one of the most underrated parts of season 1. These girls didn’t seem as invested as giving Eva some friendly advice but again, love that they get interested in their own sexual exploits rather than Eva’s and she ends up just walking away.

It’s nice that there was a totally logical, boring reason they didn’t get invites though how were they planning to invite everyone else once they stopped on Facebook? Word of mouth?

Mmm, I don’t know if I totally buy that Alice’s BFF doesn’t give a shit at all who Eva is? Of course her maturity is nice, and I can certainly buy that she doesn’t care enough to keep Eva from being invited to the party, but Alice got in a physical fight with this girl because she was that upset. . Like who were those girls accompanying Alice in the fight if not her friends? (At first they seemed like they wanted to hold Alice back but by the end it seemed like they were fighting as well.)

I think I’d have preferred if Maria was like, “Just between you and me, Federico is a fuckboy and I’m glad Alice can see the truth now,” or “I don’t like that my best friend was hurt, but I’m not petty enough to keep you off the list” or “I love Alice but she overreacts to everything and makes a lot of drama.” Or just some explanation for her total lack of fucks. The older Norwegian girls weren’t like, Iben’s best friends, correct? They weren’t even in the same grade? Maria has her BFF involved.

Clip 4 - Hippogriff

Fede, teach me your ways of absorbing information just as Sana showed us how to get rid of headaches.

Sana having an uncharacteristically soft moment and trying to deny it. She’s been really blunt with Silvia but their relationship has been all about helping Silvia with no apparent gain for Sana, except friendship.

Also she’s very reluctant to spread rumors, like this Sana goes from hard to soft pretty fast.

Federico and Laura leaving the men’s bathroom together sure adds a layer to Edoardo’s comment about Silvia hanging around the boy’s bathroom! That is just a thing these characters do, hook up in bathrooms. In S3 Martino can just wander into any men’s bathroom and find a girl to pretend to like.

Clip 5 - Eva and Laura and Alice

Nice use of music with the tense beat going as Eva drags off Laura, then it cuts off abruptly as Eva is about to get real and vulnerable.

This is easily the best acting Italian Eva has done so far. There have been a few “emotional” scenes where I thought she seemed too theatrical and not natural for the material but this was very good. I almost wanted them to stretch it out longer, as in the original, so we could get more of this performance.

And I’m pretty sure Laura was crying too by the end, which is very touching. I do think it’s one of S1’s best aspects how the Ingrid/Laura is not the villain, is actually the wronged party, but that she and Eva are able to come to a peaceful resolution.

It’s pretty sad that Eva made that little attempt at a wave back in the first clip. She really missed Laura.

Ha, I didn’t care for that Alice intro, though! Seeing her come up in the hallway definitely distracted from this intense, emotional acting between Eva and Laura. Especially because the moving music keeps going as she’s spying on them, and only cuts off when she throws her books down. I think it would’ve been more effective to keep the Eva-Laura shots going and keep us really engrossed in their dialogue, and then when Laura mentions Fede, suddenly cut to Alice standing like right there in the doorway and cut off the music, for a true jolt and change in the scene’s energy.

Alice’s actress looks so defeated as she realizes what a piece of shit her boyfriend is. And it’s nice that she apologizes and asks how Eva is doing. You know, before she inadvertently reveals Eva has been betrayed by a good friend.

“He looks like he cares about you” does that mean Martino looked pained when he told Alice about Eva and Fede? Boyyyy, why did you do such a stupid thing? (I know why, it’s still stupid.)

General Comments:

This has been a solid remake and overall they’re handling Eva’s emotional turmoil well. The point I’m wondering about is what Eva’s ultimate conclusion/personal statement is going to be since they’ve left out a lot of the questioning of her identity and insinuations that she is a follower not making her own choices. Season one’s strength lay a lot in that finale so I hope they have something cohesive for her character.

I am not Italian so if I misunderstood something or missed context, feel free to correct me.

If you got this far, thank you for reading!

#skamit reactions #skam italia reactions

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thedevillord-writes · 6 years

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Kissed By The Baddest Bidder: Rewritten - Chapter Ten

Eisuke x OC

Belong: be the property of.

It was yet another empty morning, waking without Haruka's gentle 'Good morning, Mr. Ichinomiya'. Forcing himself out of bed, Eisuke got ready for the day and headed down to the living room where the rest of the sponsors were already gathering. Seeing their faces first thing in the morning, however, was irritating to Eisuke. Especially since it had been three days starting his day without a good cup of coffee. As he seated himself on the sofa, however, a cup of coffee was presented to him by Baba.

"What's this?"

"Coffee," Baba grinned.

"What in that pea brain of yours made you think I would drink coffee made by you?"

His words were harsh but Baba was used to it. "Huh, would you drink it if I told you Haruka taught me how to make it for you?" Eisuke raised an eyebrow, glancing over to Baba who annoyingly, had a smirk on his face because he knew. He knew, that he had Eisuke hooked just by mentioning her name. "Ah...what a waste of some good coffee. And to think Haruka spent three hours in a small kitchen, sitting right next to me so she could teach me. Her hair smelt so nice, by the way. And her hands are baby soft. She would be so disappointed to know that her beloved Mr. Ichinomiya did not want to drink her coffee."

The rest of the sponsors were having their own fun, watching as Eisuke was failing to resist the urge to have that coffee. It was made personally by Haruka but if Baba was taught by her, it could not differ much. ...Could it?

Lifting his hand to silence Baba, Eisuke finally picked up the cup. He took a sniff first, being cautious, though it smelt alright. Next, he took a small sip. It tasted similar to Haruka's coffee but it was not the same. His brows knitted together into a frown and he put the cup down. "It's disgusting," he stated. "Clearly you need a better teacher." Eisuke knew, however, no matter how many hours Haruka had to put up being in Baba's presence, she would never be able to teach him how to make a cup of coffee that would satisfy him. The reason was simple, because it still would not be coffee made by Haruka.

"Alright, so my coffee might not be up to your standard, but I am pretty sure you would be interested in this information."

Like before, Baba dangled his phone in front of Eisuke. He was sat in his office trying to work then, and even threw his phone in anger. Without a word, Eisuke took the phone from Baba. Instead of pictures, he was looking at a messaging app. Specifically, a conversation between Baba and Haruka. The whole conversation was full of nonsense, mostly just Baba teasing her. But it was the recent conversation they had that interested Eisuke, the one that Baba wanted to show him.

Sexiest_PA: Are you making coffee for him like I taught you?

Sexiest_Thief: Don't you worry about Boss, he can survive without your coffeeヾ(＾-＾)ノ

Sexiest_Thief: I'm more worried about you

Sexiest_Thief: Where are you going to work now? (╯︵╰)

Sexiest_PA: Taka-san offered me a job

Sexiest_Thief: At the host club?

Sexiest_Thief: Are you sure about it? p(╬ Ò ‸ Ó)q

Sexiest_PA: Work is work. Please make sure to take care of Mr. Ichinomiya. Make him eat and rest.

Sexiest_Thief: Like I said, don't worry your pretty little head about him

"Where is this host club?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Baba smirked.

Standing in front of the club, Eisuke looked down at the address Baba gave him. The club in front of him was nothing like he had expected. What he had in mind was something more...flamboyant. He imagined huge neon lights of the club's name with loud music blasting from the inside and women dressed scandalously dancing outside to attract customers. Instead, there were no scandalous women, no loud music blasting, and definitely no neon lights. Just a simple hand carved wooden sign of the club's name hanging above a door with gentle lighting.

As he walked in, Eisuke looked around immediately for Haruka. The club was laid out in booths and in those booths were men and women sat together in pairs. There was a pathway leading to the back, possibly to private rooms. Waitresses and waiters were walking around, trays in their hands as they served drinks and food. And there she was, wearing a simple white blouse with a tight black skirt, empty glasses on her tray.

Eisuke's body moved on its own upon seeing Haruka but an arm stuck out in front of him, stopping him from going any further while Haruka disappeared into the kitchen. The arm belonged to a man about Eisuke's height, just an inch shorter than him perhaps. He was definitely a host here; Eisuke could tell from his looks. "We usually only get female customers but we welcome all," the man smiled. "Although, a man of your stature, are you really sure you want to be seen here?"

"I'm here for someone."

"I know." They both looked at the same time as the kitchen door swung open and out walked Haruka into the lounge, this time with a tray full of drinks. "I'm Akiyama Takashi. Please come with me, Ichinomiya Eisuke." The man led the way and Eisuke followed after. Although he hated the idea of following someone's order, something in his guts was telling him to follow Takashi. They walked into an empty room and the door was closed behind them. Takashi stood by the window, looking out to the lounge where everybody was. "What are you here for, Ichinomiya Eisuke? To get Haruka back after you dumped her in front of everyone?"

"I'm here to get what is mine. Haruka belongs to me."

"What do you know about Haruka?"

"What don't I know about Haruka?"

"Alright, what about her past? Her family? What she wants in life? Or what she likes to have for breakfast?" As much as Eisuke hated it, he had no answers for the man. He knew nothing of her past, he knew nothing about her family (apart from the two sisters he found out recently). It hurt him even more to admit that he had no idea what Haruka liked for breakfast either. "All Haruka ever wanted was to have a normal life. A normal life for herself and for her sisters. But her life is anything but normal.

"She started working after her mother's death at sixteen, at a maid café, to support herself and her sisters. As soon as she graduated from high school, she looked for a second job and was recommended this place. Most girls who worked here at eighteen are simply looking for a rich man to latch onto. Or hoping for a handsome host to fall in love with. Not Haruka. She took shifts whenever she could, working early in the morning until late at night. All for her sisters. Then she moved on, found a better job. One that would support herself and her sisters, working for you. You have no idea how happy she looked the day she came in to turn in her resignation letter. When I saw her again, I knew working for you was the job for her.

"You said Haruka belongs to you, but you only see her as an item. You never thought about her, try to get to know her. Did you know that she doesn't drink coffee at all? The caffeine gives her a headache. If you're here to get her back because you don't like your toys misplaced, I'd suggest you go home now. Haruka doesn't need someone can't understand what she wants or needs."

Every word that came out from his mouth, Eisuke hated it. So what if he knew nothing about Haruka's past? It was their present and the future that mattered. Haruka never spoke about these matters either, which could only mean that they were not important enough to know about. Not wanting to hear another word from Takashi, Eisuke walked around the host and left the room, walking straight up to Haruka and grabbed her by the elbow.

The woman was surprised, the cocktail glass on her tray toppling over when she pulled her elbow away, her eyes widening at the sight of Eisuke. "You're leaving with me," Eisuke stated, grabbing her hand but once again, Haruka pulled away.

"I'm not going with you," she said.

"What did you just say?"

"I'm not going with you. I'm working."

"You work for me."

"No I don't. Not anymore." She put her tray down, reaching into her pocket and pulled out a cheque to hand to him. "I've been meaning to return this to you. I appreciate the money but I don't need this much. Nor do I deserve it. Or want it."

Looking down at the cheque, anger started boiling in him. Not only did he waste a good ten minutes or so being lectured by a man he never met before, he was being rejected by Haruka and had a cheque he wrote out for her returned. He snatched the small piece of paper from her and ripped it up before throwing the pieces up into the air. "Fine. Don't take it. And keep working this mediocre job that you love so much. Mediocre suits you."

"I'm sorry, I know you probably don't want to be back here but this is probably the best place for drinking. Plus, I get an employee's discount."

With a cocktail in front of her, and Kuroba sat next to her, Haruka never thought that she would be sitting in Tres Spades' bar. Even when she was working with Eisuke, they never visited the bar for some reason. Although he could drink, Eisuke was not much of a drinker. Alcohol consumption was mainly for party purposes. But just like any other place in the hotel, Tres Spades' bar was a beautiful place. Haruka never associated bars with a calm feeling yet being in here, it was so relaxing that she almost forgot this place belonged to Eisuke.

"It's alright. I've never been in here before but it's actually really nice," Haruka smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear as she took another look around.

"So...you and Mr. Ichinomiya...is it really over between you?"

Haruka looked back to Kuroba at his sudden question, temporarily losing her processing skill. "We...it's over," she nodded. "Not his girlfriend, not his personal assistant." Even as she was admitting it herself, her words were like knives to her heart. Not his girlfriend, not his personal assistant. The reality was really settling in now; she was no longer relevant to Eisuke. She thought back to that night, when he came to the host club and told her to leave with him. She could have left that night with him, get back to the life she had been used to for the past three years. Something was stopping her, however. A simple question.

What was she going back as?

Was she to continue as his girlfriend? Or was Eisuke simply coming back to reinstate her position as his personal assistant? She did not know. All she knew was that she did not want to go with him. Not when she did not know what was on Eisuke's mind.

"Have you ever thought that perhaps Mr. Ichinomiya is not the man for you?" Kuroba asked. "That he's not the man who could make you happy." Lately, everyone had been asking if she really dated Eisuke, and if it was really over between them. They were all out of concern for her, Haruka knew, and she had given them all a standard answer. Kuroba, however, was asking something that Haruka was not expecting. "Did you ever think that perhaps...there's someone out there who could make you happy. Always."

"I..." Her voice trailed off as Haruka stared at someone just behind Kuroba. The concierge turned around to see what caught her tongue, surprised to see the owner of the hotel standing right behind him. "Mr. Ichi-" Before she even finished her greeting, Eisuke wrapped his arm around the waist of the woman he came in with, walking off without so much as another look at Haruka. It hurt a lot to be treated this way by Eisuke. She would be arrogant to ever say it out loud but for the three years she worked for him, she was the only one he would ever look at.

"You don't have to make your mind up now," Kuroba said, snapping Haruka back into reality. "I know it's a little impossible for you to instantly forget about a man like Ichinomiya Eisuke but whenever you're ready to move on and let someone else bring you happiness, I will be waiting."

Seeing Haruka with the concierge irked him.

The moment he slipped into the booth, Eisuke let go of the woman who had become too giddy for his liking. He found himself peeking out from the booth, glancing over to the bar where Haruka was sat with Kuroba. He heard everything the other man said, that Eisuke was not the man for her. That he could not make her happy. Who was that man to say those things? How dared he make assumptions about what Eisuke could or could not do for Haruka? What made that man think that he could ever give Haruka happiness?

Though, it clicked with Eisuke.

That man right there, sitting in the stool next to Haruka, he could give her the simple life she wanted. Both of them working a stable job, getting married in some mediocre hotel, have children, and live the rest of their lives not in extravagance but happy with what they have, happy with each other. That was something that Eisuke could never give her. Being with Eisuke would be the equivalent of living her life on the edge. She could get into dangerous situations, she would definitely be harassed by women (even men), and her life would never ever be normal again.

"What are you looking at, Eisuke?" the woman beside him cooed. She pressed her body right up against his, her breasts pushed up on his arm as she tried to take a look. "Why are you looking at that girl? She's got the boobs and maybe the looks but she's nothing special. You shouldn't be looking at another woman when you have me with you, Eisuke." The woman wrapped her arms around Eisuke's neck though he grabbed one of them before she could and pushed the woman away, a little too roughly. "Eisuke?"

"You are nothing special," he stated, getting up from the booth. "Get out of my sight. I don't want to see you ever again."

"All because of that woman? I'm a model, what the hell is she? She's with another man anyway, so why are you so caught up with her?"

The glare Eisuke gave her shut the woman up instantly. Eisuke stepped into the booth, backing the woman against the wall at the end and slammed his hand next to her head as he lowered himself until he was seeing her eye to eye. "You are nothing but a shallow gold digger who will probably end up marrying a man about fifty years older than you because only then would you have a chance of getting any kind of inheritance. That woman sitting over there? She is more than you could ever be in the next ten miserable lives of yours. If I hear another word from you badmouthing Haruka, I'll make sure that your modelling career ends right now and you can kiss goodbye to your chance at marrying rich. Do you understand?"

When she finally nodded, Eisuke pulled away and straightened himself. He looked over to the bar once more but where Haruka and Kuroba sat before, it was now empty. Eisuke took a quick scan of the bar though they were nowhere to be seen. He let out a curse under his breath and glared at the woman who was still glued to the wall, too afraid to move. His mood had been far too ruined for him to even enjoy a drink now so Eisuke decided to leave.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh of you, Boss?"

The bartender called out to him as he was leaving. "What are you doing here, Baba?" Eisuke asked, seeing right through the thief's disguise. He knew, however, the exact reason why Baba was there. For fun. Everything about this was just fun for Baba. It was fun for him to watch Eisuke getting agitated over Haruka. It was fun for him to watch as Eisuke, for the very first time, was losing out. "Have you been spying on me this whole time?"

"As much as I'd love to learn your womanising skills, I wasn't here for you, Boss," Baba smiled. "That was not exactly very gentlemanly of you either so I don't think I should be learning from that. I'm here for your dear Haruka. I heard somewhere that she was going on a date so I thought I should keep an eye on her for you."

"Did I tell you to?"

"No, but..." Baba smirked. "Don't you want Haruka back? Don't you miss her? Someone else is trying to get their hands on your toy. It isn't like you at all to not stop them, Boss."

"Haruka is not my toy."

"Hm? Then what is she?"

"She's...she's my woman."

#kbtbbr ch10 #kbtbb #kissed by the baddest bidder #eisuke ichinomiya #eisuke x oc #voltage inc

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atamascolily · 3 years

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lily watches fma:b eps.48-52

My default emotion for this show continues to be bewilderment, between my worldbuilding headache and confusion about how the final battle can possibly take 10 episodes to resolve. But at least Hohenheim actually does something for once, and so does Yoki, so there’s that.

greed LOVES lan fan - OT3 ACCEPTED!!

so chi lets you see in the dark... or comes with being a ninja, okay.

(look, SO MUCH OF THE ALCHEMY WOULD MAKE SENSE IF THEY PLAYED UP THE CHI ANGLE, OKAY??? Fingers crossed that happens)

oh, hi, Roy's at Madam Christmas's again [ngl I love her]

pride sets the woods on fire so he can't be defeated by the darkness trick (which for the record IS still so weird to me)

wait, Madam Christmas is Roy's foster mother? What??

oh, I see why Pride is out of Central - narratively speaking, it means Mustang and Company can work without his interference. Seems like a poor choice on #TeamHomunculus, though.

(or do they just not care? or is it all plans within plans? I got nothing)

I love how Kain Furey is the cutest of the bunch

Pride eats Gluttony for the philosopher's stone, which is SUPER DUMB. he should have gone for greed (also, gluttony being eaten by a bigger monster is just... ironic.)

Gluttony's last words are for Lust, which just makes me sad.

okay, hohenheim finally stepped in and literally moved heaven and earth to trap pride. FINALLY.

both pride and al are out of the fight, but overall a net win for team good, at least temporarily if they can starve pride's human body.

greed decides to take advantage of this and kill father

Scar stops to ask for directions from random strangers and it's like "oh, you sure you didn't commit terrorism? seems like something you would do"

Kimblee kills a bunch of people and is mad that his suit gets dirty MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T WEAR ALL WHITE YOU ASSHAT

al: lol ur plan was dumb, we could have just run away. pride: but you didn't ;););) *drum beats*

and the sun rises on the Promised Day as Ed retrieves his cloak and swings it dramatically over his shoulders... beautiful shot there.

and we still have like 15 episodes to GOOOOOOOOO, so idk about pacing here.

mustang and co. kidnap mrs. bradley, only for the central troops to order everyone's deaths BUT mustang (b/c sacrifice). Mrs.Bradley breaks down realizing she's expendable (though bradley himself loves her, father doesn't give a shit about a random human)

They only shot the soldiers in the knee with the line of "if we were briggs soldiers, you'd be dead," lol. olivier herself chides mustang for being soft when she finds out.

central is SO PERPLEXED when they realize that none of their men are actually dead as the battle continues

Rebecca shows up in a ice cream truck with a cartoon bear on it with more ammo.... and Maria Ross, back from exile.

(because sidelining her in Xing for most of the show was a mistake)

I think Rebecca's going to end up with Havoc, but we'll see. (especially since they bought all the supplies from Havoc's General Store, heck yeah!!)

Hohenheim re: Father - "if we smash his container, he'll die" uhhh, dude, why didn't you do that, like, YEARS ago??

also, what the hell are in all the pipes connected to the throne?are we ever going to find out what’s that about?

well, some of them are full of philosopher's stone juice because an army dude uses them to revive the zombies in the basement.... all of whom wake up screaming. #relatable.

time for a new opening! lots of rain, tears and blood, with winry watching ed sleep. and it looks like scar and bradley face off?

[ngl, I STILL have no idea how the pacing is going to work here]

So are the new zombie soldiers "homunculi" as well or is that only if they get a cool name/association with a particular sin??

The zombies rip the throat out of the military guy who woke them up - seriously, I don't get why he thought this would end any other way, especially given the lab-coated scientists pleading for him to stop, it hasn't been tested yet

oops ed just let the zombies out

someone sent sloth to kill olivier, although why the fuck him I have no idea. (guess father has no one left??)

pride keeps banging on al's head and I'm sure it's for a reason BESIDES being as creepy as hell - its morse code to summon... kimblee!

[though why the FUCK this works and why the FUCK kimblee gives a shit, I have no idea]

one of the zombies eats envy, so this can only end well

yup he eats all the zombies so now he has more lives

pride says something really interesting when kimblee chides him for eating gluttony (a "nakama," or companion). pride says "we are not nakama. we are a collective"... so they really are just different personality attributes from father in different vessels.

BUT WHY, THO

seems like it causes more problems than it solves - see exhibit a, greed, who is here to cause problems on purpose

Heinkel remembers that damn philosopher's stone he pocketed ages ago - DUDE IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED IT BEFORE NOW!!

kimblee has such a hard-on at the thought of fighting an alchemist with a philosopher's stone

that was a damn good fight, al! I'm so proud!

al rejects kimblee's false dichotomy and dudebro philosophy

who would have guessed sloth had superspeed?

okay, anyway lots of battles. Yoki hits pride with kimblee's car, I'm very impressed.

roy does the ‘use alchemy to transform the outside of a vehicle so soldiers don’t look for it’... clearly those NPCs have no imagination whatsoever, lol.

oh, hey, it’s sergeant broussh - I remember in 03 you were actually relevant and here you are a poorly explored background character.

pride eats kimblee - either gluttony is having more effect than I realized or pride is just always Like That

anyway, roy shows up to help ed fight zombies.

[gotta be honest, I'm getting kind of bored with 3 episodes of fighting and STILL ZERO ANSWERS about various things.]

#fullmetal alchemist #lily liveblogs

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