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cochineal-leviat · 5 months

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Sweet Dreams, Stardust

Okay, so I have a lot of feelings about In Stars and Time. But let me say first, wow, this game irreversibly changed my brain network. For anyone who is considering buying this game, please do. I don't think I've had a story touch my heart and mind like this for a long time. And that goes without mentioning the stunning visuals and entertaining battle system. (Be careful, though, because this game handles heavy topics regarding mental health)

If you're still hung up on buying it but are curious, there is a free demo on Steam if you like to try.

Thank you, @insertdisc5, for this gem of a game. I will be turning it around in my head like a microwaveable gourmet meal for months to come.

Technically the illustration has no spoilers (unless you count Siffrin having a good nap as a spoiler). But I will be going into heavy spoiler territory under the keep reading since I need to get my thoughts on this game off my chest.

And a monochrome version because you know me, I can't help myself. Even in black and white art pieces, I will put in some colour.

And a very tiny Loop

Initially, I was going to do a piece with a theatre stage and the cast (Siffrin, Mirabelle, Isabeau, Odile, Bonnie and the head house maiden) taking a bow and finally leaving the spectacle to a life not controlled by a script and Wish Craft. But it was more fitting to put my feelings into creating a peaceful scene. Like, oof, I needed this very badly. I used sepia to make the painting warmer and added some more details like headcanons. The stars/colours might be remnants of Siffrin's transformation. Or maybe they were always there, but he never paid attention to it. Who knows.

I'm going to keep this brief. Otherwise, this post will take way too long.

I adore Siff's character. It's perfect for a game and narrative such as this. I saw a post not long ago on Tumblr going into depth about how their role as the rogue and not the hero works so well, so I won't linger on it for long. But how they would rather listen and fade into the background perfectly aligns with the player's experience of being the silent observer. (And the nodding off that changes into zoning out. It took me way too long to realise that small but essential narrative change) Oh, and the portrait change! It flew over my head until I was staring at the game menu. I was so confident Siffrin had a mischievous grin and not a frown. I always feel slightly surprised when the party asks for Siff's opinion or mentions that they have been too quiet. I felt Siffrin's excitement like my own when he got excited at finding clues to end the nightmare they were in. So I knew it would end up falling on their face because they were too excited. I just had this bad gut feeling the whole time during Act 4.

And oh boy, speaking off acts. I thought it would have been the standard 3. Boy, I was wrong. Whenever I felt I was nearing the end, I was thrown back at the start with more mysteries than answers. It made exploring the game intriguing since there is almost no information about it online (at the time of writing this post). There is the Discord, but I didn't know about it until I finished it.

This game has a lot of secrets, and I had a lot of fun uncovering them. The looping mechanic works so well in discovering little details and further leads. (even though my stubborn arse kept trying to do everything in the least amount of loops as possible. I thought the ending would be different if I exceeded a 100. My final number is 59. I am still not sure if I should be mad about it not being a rounded number like 60 or that I went over the 50 threshold)

However, it is a good thing that only some mysteries were solved. Like, what's up with colours in this world? Everyone sees in black and white, and the idea of shades and colours is only spoken of in scientific studies. They do exist and are not a part of the disaster that happened to Siffrin and their land. But there is definitely something mysterious about it. I adore how the dialogue reflects this, as the characters do not speak of shades or colours. Isabeau expresses surprise to see a streak of red colouring the sky in Act 6. It makes you think about how colour is perceived and how you describe it. (The lore inside this game is immaculate. I eat this shit up)

We never find out the name of the country north of Vanguard or what it was like. We can only infer that the beaches had black sand, with shells that shine like stars, high-reaching mountains, forests and plains. Which is vague and yet intriguing enough to make you wonder. It connected me to Siff and King because I also wanted to know. I was desperate to know. I needed to know. But in the end, we never will know because that is not the story's point. Siffrin even says in the game, that King should let go because he is hurting everyone and everything, including himself, in his desperation to preserve Vanguard. This is all the more ironic when Siff accidentally does the same with his family and the loops. I might gush more about what the country might be like and their technology in another post. This game makes me want to theorise. This is the first time I've wanted to write and post theories. ISAT fucked me up good.

Which, by the way, was genius. Siffrin and King are mirrors of each other. Siff does not have King's disastrous ambition, but their love/obsession will be the downfall of both of them. They have more than being each other's countrymen in common, and I imagine Siff despises that.

I love the fact King's question to Siffrin before the showdown was/could never be answered. Usually, in a game such as this, you must figure out how to solve everything, especially for the big bad. But that was never the goal. King is a delusional monster who will not stop before achieving his dream. He will raze everything to the ground and hurt many people because he must succeed. It is what he desires. Nay, the universe wills it. What a witless excuse that can easily be made into someone's truth. Especially to somebody who is driven mad with grief.

How King's character's done is so excellent. Because, at first, I wasn't scared of him at all. He was just the big bad, and I felt nothing much but the glory of victory when Siffrin outsmarted him by looping and making sure Mirabelle learned the shield spell that would protect the party from freezing in time. But each time you fight him, you get more frustrated until Siff figures that talking to him might be fruitful. It does, but unfortunately, you and Siffrin leave yourself emotionally and mentally vulnerable. King stops being a one-dimensional villain and changes into an actual person. Someone you can sympathise with and possibly mend peace with without fighting. You and Siffrin opened his heart for a kindred spirit and got hurt.

King stopped being a monster and became human. And while monsters are wretched, humans have intent behind their cruelty. I felt so betrayed, so angry, but most of all - terrified. I felt it when Siffrin spiralled when fighting King again after their actions caused such a catastrophic turn of events for Bonnie. Every time after that, the fight with King felt tense and nerve-wracking in a dreadful way. Because even victory could not soothe the dread I felt. (The track 'It's finally over" will forever haunt me. I already feel anxious whenever it cycles to that when I listen to the playlist)

He was not, however, the final villain, even though everything that happened was King's fault. You were always your greatest enemy (or Siffrin in this case, since you are supposed to be Siffrin). I never could have guessed that the whole reason why Siffrin could not escape the loops was because Siff accidentally wished to never let go of their friends. This reminds me of Modaka Magica, where (spoilers for the OG anime) Homura goes back in time so much that the universe ties itself around Modoka, making her a waiting egg whose wish and magic will be massive when she becomes a magical girl. The one thing Homura was trying to prevent.

(Siffrin and Homura are identical in that sense. Shy characters who are loyal to a fault but are rendered into something cold, bitter and cutting by their traumatic experiences. Only Siff has people who care about them and would do anything to save him, too, whereas Homura never lets go, making the world a worse place to live in. Yes, I did go into doomed Yuri. That anime lived in my mind rent-free in my mind for years)

The Head House-maiden not being the villain was also a great touch. I am used to the apparent antagonist turning out not to be the big bad and the trusted, friendly character ending up being the evil one. Twist villains no longer work when everyone expects them to be villains.

That was my biggest theory as I played. The second biggest being that Loop is someone who enjoys Siffrin's suffering. I am so glad that was also not the case. They are apathetic but not cruel. Never intentionally, anyway. They were like the player, urging Siffrin to go deeper into the mystery to solve it. Ultimately, I chose and made cold and cruel decisions simply because I wanted to see what would happen. So yeah, I warmed up to this cosmic star thing as the game went on and even started trusting them. Act 5 really is a punch in the gut. I am so sorry, Loop. Thank you for coming through in the end.

Oh man, this is so long, and I haven't even gone into the main cast. I will leave that for another post. They are such great characters, as are the people of Dormant and the House. (Don't think I don't see the wordplay in this game. Very clever)

Going into this game completely blind was the best experience I could have had. I felt anxious, happy and scared so severely that my neurons were rearranged. I don't know if there are more endings (aside from the obvious action of attacking Odile in the True(?) ending of the game), but I am taking a break from it to make art and write for this game before I dive back into despair-o-land.

Anywho, thank you for coming this far and reading my ramblings. Have a fantastic day or evening further! o(*'▽`*)ブ

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nysus-temple · 1 year

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The divine comedy movie when 😔 it's such a missed opportunity not to make a movie out of the most important piece of literature.

The make remake after remake of Shakespeare for example, but what about the story of profound meaning and symbolism of life?

It surprises me how little adaptations the Divine Comedy had. I can think of mangas, videogames taking 'inspiration' on it, maybe even songs... But never movies nor series.

A series would make sense, since the work is LONG. But perhaps three movies is also a good option: one for Inferno, one for Purgatorio, and one for Paradiso. People would most likely just watch the first one, but anyways—

The reason it hasn't been adaptated much it's mainly that: the symbolism. Sure, here we're the nerds on Tumblr loving it to bits despite it's thingies, but people usually don't pay much attention to symbolism nowadays... Which makes sense since everyone seems to have 0 reading comprehension, so trying to get them to understand Dante's symbolism is OOF. Not even scholars still get it at full xD

AT LEAST Inferno should be an obligatory thing to show, it's the most famous part for a reason yk. And also Virgil.

And because I would love an adaptation in which they show Virgil to be a bit younger like in the paintings, or if he is gonna look old, use Doré's illustrations. Because well, the manga does- something-

(I don't have time rn to scan it, so have a photo.)

He doesn't look bad, he has THE energy, but the way they drew him is still so funny to me HGELP

#i love this manga btw. Beatrice is gorgeous #it's very short. which is sad #but hey. gay poets.#divine comedy #answered #anon

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ponyguru · 3 years

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Tonight I watched all of He-Man: Revelations and most of Centaurworld (I watched the first three episodes like, a week ago?) and I have ... opinions. (And it’s 4:37am, might as well share them while they’re fresh!)

(Warning, this got very long and ranty, sorry for stretching out your dashboards if that’s even still a thing anymore?)

He-Man was entertaining, but it did feel like (as someone with like, less than a passing knowledge of the characters) someone’s super-angsty fanfiction more than like ... a continuing series. They killed off multiple well-known, beloved characters, to drive home the point of how SERIOUS and how HARDCORE this series is, and instead it felt like being a little kid in the 80s watching Optimus Prime get murdered to sell more toys. Like, WHY DID THEY DIE? Oh right, to show the viewer how SERIOUS the bad guys are! And to give the other characters things to angst over, to show you they’re no longer just shallow 80s muscle man stereotypes to sell toys! But then you gotta wonder, where will they go from here? Who’s even left to continue the storyline? Is it still He-Man if half the supporting cast is dead?

Like I said, I’m not a He-Man fan by trade, but aside from the pointless murder, it did seem like it delved into the backstories that a lot of people have probably wanted since the 80s, and it made some very interesting points. So, hey, maybe it’ll be beloved by its fans! And it was very entertaining, especially as someone who wasn’t a childhood fan so I didn’t have a lot of nostalgia that I had to watch die. It doesn’t end on a happy note, there’s definitely the ‘what if the villains WON’ theme going, so maybe my opinion will be less dour when the next part comes out. (I did like that it focused more on the female characters, which was a very unexpected change, and in that aspect I felt it was very well written; that could explain why I’ve heard other screechingly negative feedback elsewhere online, heh. He-Man fans probably don’t appreciate the heavy preference paid to Teela.)

Centaurworld was ... well, I watched the first episode with my mother, which was a Huge Fucking Mistake. I heard that it was a thrilling combination of something akin to Adventure Time and a more serious cartoon like Avatar, and instead I got 10 minutes of that, and then 16 minutes of continuous ass, fart, and poop jokes, combined with a couple of great tunes and a lot of tuneless recitative style “songs”.

If you follow this blog, you probably know toys; you know the Poopsie Surprise toys? The ones which were so obsessed with uncomfortably sexualized poop/fart/barf references that entire scholarly articles were written about the sexualization of children with scatology-themed toys? Yeah, that’s what Centaurworld felt like, almost the whole time. Like just ... an uncomfortable amount of poop/butt/fart “jokes”, to the point where it felt like it had to be one of the writer’s fetishes. Like, it was clearly not funny, and the main character is clearly uncomfortable with it ... and it just keeps going.

I say jokes in scare quotes because jokes are supposed to be funny, and a lot of Centaurworld just wasn’t funny. You could tell it was meant to have jokes, but it was very much dated early-2000s type humor, I want to guess? The kind where it’s not so much ‘setup-punchline’ but the more ‘awkward reference awkward reference awkward reference drawn out wooooord’ type of “jokes”. And most of those “jokes” were just - you guessed it - drawn out references to butts, or farts, or some combination of the two. I felt like an aged boomer watching it. I like to think I’m hip and with the times, but it felt like it should be aimed at a middle schooler - but like, an oversexualized middle schooler? It was uncomfortable to say the least. (One character talks to his farts, claims they talk back to him, and he addresses them as ‘Daddy,’ while another character expresses how uncomfortable that is, and implies he has “issues” to unpack. Because that’s hilarious, I guess?)

Centaurworld did, beneath the heavy layer of scatology, have an intriguing storyline. A warhorse from a LOTR-style world is thrown into a wacky Adventure Time-type land made up of silly centaurs, and has to try and find her way back home. It was thrilling at times, if you could slog through everything else that beleaguered it. There were some really good jokes! But I couldn’t quite muster up a laugh, because I was still wondering when the next butt reference would sneak in. After ten terrible jokes, the one good joke couldn’t manage to lift me from the depth of despair I’d sunken into. It really only felt like the show got ‘tolerable’ around episode 7 (out of ten!!!!), which was an episode heavily focused on cats. (Which, again; wasn’t the internet very much about LOLCats in the early 2000s?)

If six episodes of a ten-episode series is nigh-intolerable, is it a successful show? Should you bother watching something that is 60%+ garbage? (And DON’T FUCKING WORRY, the poop/butt/fart jokes continued UNTIL THE FUCKING FINAL EPISODE.)

I suspect that, if there was a “goal” for all of the fetish stuff (beyond fetish stuff for fetish sake), it would be to illustrate to the viewer how uncomfortable the main character feels in this strange new land, and for us to share in her discomfort. Which, fine, sure! Secondhand embarrassment is definitely a trope. But the sheer uncomfortable volume of the poop/butt/fart jokes clearly went way beyond mere discomfort, and veered into ‘why is this coming up so much, is someone getting off on this?’ territory, at least for me. A couple butt jokes an episode, fine, okay. Entire five minute bits devoted to farts and butts? Entire songs about butts? I start questioning why it’s such a beloved subject for you to write about.

Plus, and I may be reading into this too much, but several of the only Black-coded characters felt racist. I’m talking neck-snapping, tribal body paint type racism, although only one got the exaggerated “soul” type music to sing, which I guess is a relative win? (Waterbaby and Judge Jacket, if you’re wondering who I’m referencing. One of them is a literal hippo centaur, giving us shades of Madagascar.) It wasn’t obvious, but combined with everything else, it felt ... bad. (There are multiple other nonwhite voice actors who aren’t stereotypes, so maybe it was just a bad case of ‘trying to represent different culture while being clueless white people’, who knows?) There was also some classic fatphobia, with one of the villains being shown as a fat neckbeard collector/nerd. Wasn’t that relevant in - wait for it - the early 2000s? They redeem themselves very slightly by having maybe two other characters who are visibly fat, but one of them is also viewed as an antagonist.

Anyway, I was disappointed enough with the show to feel like I should say something, so - there it is. Centaurworld did have some good moments, some lovely songs, and there was some really heartwarming and tender character development that I liked, sandwiched between huge swaths of discomfort. There might be a season 2 (there shouldn’t be, LOL) and hell, I will probably suffer through it because I want to see what happens to them. But I can’t recommend that anyone else do the same, in all good conscience. It’s not good. It’s just not. But if you have 5 hours to kill, there’s worse stuff out there?

If you want to watch one episode to see the best of the series, I recommend episode seven, “Johnny Teatime's Be Best Competition: A Quest for the Sash.” It’s themed after the CATS musical, and the extended number at the end gave me shades of MLP or Fashion Star Fillies. (I found an official clip of the song posted here.) There’s also other lovely songs in the series, but you’d have to suffer through entire bad episodes to see them. The lovely “You’re Okay” shows up in the very first episode, so if you’re curious give that a watch... just be aware it never gets better, only worse.

This series genuinely upset me, because I wanted it to be something much better, and there were glimpses of it; you just had to try and close your eyes to the obsession with butts and farting to see pieces of what it might have been.

One notable fact that I thought was kind of like ‘wow, oof’ was that Meghan McCarthy, of MLP:FiM fame, was a story editor for Centaurworld. And considering how MLP went downhill in later seasons, I gotta say I’m wondering if there’s a commonality there. Maybe her fetish is bad writing? There’s worse fetishes to have, AS CENTAURWORLD CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES.

#ponyguru chat #in which I ramble #in which it's 4am and I ramble lmao #OH GOD I HAVE A 4AM RAMBLE TAG OKAY TIME FOR SLEEP TTYL ALL #long post #VERY long post

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gaylord-fagaton · 4 years

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How to Not Make Friends: A Guide by One George Henry Hodgson

Or alternatively titled: How George Hodgson’s Character Arc is Actually a Story about Trying to Fit in, and then Failing Miserably

Today I’ll be bringing you more Hodgson thoughts, specifically on the question of his place within the group, or rather his lack of place within the group. He exists at the fringes of the Terror’s command team, he’s a part of it of course that’s his job, but he really isn’t part of the group not like Little, nor Crozier, or finally Irving. This is what made him such a good target for Hickey, who is probably observant enough to notice this, his feelings of rejection coupled with the fact that apparently nobody ever taught him about stranger danger had him following Hickey into the tent.

The way Hodgson behaves is the primary reason for him being ostracized from the rest of the terror officers I believe. If you hadn’t noticed, Little is basically depression personified, Irving is well….the way he is, and their captain is an alcoholic angry at the entire world. There is no room for the happy go lucky Hodgson, who is just here to have a good time, not a long time. (Side Note: This doesn’t have much relevance when it comes to the terror as a show, but Hodgson was hand picked by Fitzjames. Can you imagine having your friend asking you to come work with them, only to find out you aren’t actually working with them at all, and are in fact working in one of the most stressful environments imaginable.) It also does not help that a great deal of Hodgson’s attempts of relating to others or bringing levity to situations are generally not particularly relevant or are downright inappropriate at times. I always go back to the “hear, hear” bit when Irving is listing their dwindling food supplies, because it’s one of the best examples, you’re going to starve to death Hodgson what is wrong with you? (Not to insert head cannons into my meta but, George Hodgson autistic). The sheer level of annoyance on the faces of his companions when he does his bullshit, is almost funny. In the aforementioned scene Irving looks about ready to kill him, so does Armitage when he goes on about the origin of the word diet in a later scene.

Not only does the way everybody behaves around Hodgson tell us about the way he is viewed, but so does everybody’s reactions, or rather lack thereof. Nobody ever responds to him verbally at least; this is except for one notable exception in Hickey. I think this was perhaps a ploy on Hickey’s part at least at first, later it became mocking, he had no intention to really allow Hodgson into his group (more on this later).

I hadn’t really noticed this before, until @gildatheplant mentioned it on my newest gif-set, but we really don’t have any shots of the Lieutenants together. This to me, is seemingly done to create a further sense of separation between Hodgson and his fellow command members.

Here the camera pans away from Hodgson leaving only Little, Irving, Crozier, and Jopson in the shot. He was left out, even though he is standing right next to Little at the time.

In this scene, Little and Irving are standing right next to each other, but Hodgson is standing across the room by himself.

I don’t know how much those kinds of scenes really mean in the long run, I just think it’s really interesting to look at. Even without them, Hodgson is painted as quite the outcast from the rest of the terror command. There but not really There.

Here we come to his murder of the Netsilik family, now this is primarily motivated by racist fear. His go too wouldn’t have been fucking murder if he wasn’t a shithead racist, and as I’ve mentioned before his story to Little later when he realizes he might have fucked up on goes on to further illustrate how he feels about the Netsilik people. Beyond the racist fear fueled by a story that sounds like a chain email or a shitty Facebook post, another motivator for his haste in acting, I think is probably a want for some form of acceptance into the group. At this point he’d just been informed of the fact that a command meeting had occurred, and he wasn’t invited, instead he was sent out on the rather unlikable task of burying Morfin. They are sharing important information and promoting new officers, and they hadn’t thought about including him. If he didn’t feel like an outcast beforehand, he must certainly feel that way now, especially as hickey is shoving his rat like fingers into the hole in his heart where friends would go if he had any. So he acts, because if he does the right thing, perhaps this will be enough for him to get the recognition that he wants and craves, and he’ll maybe be a part of the group finally. It turns out, however, that he was wrong, really fucking wrong, and then everything proceeds to go to shit.

When it comes to his placement within the mutineer group, I wouldn’t call him a mutineer but he is also definitely not a hostage like Goodsir. He had a choice something which Goodsir who was forced at gun point to come with Hickey and co. did not, a shitty choice, but a choice none the less. (Side note: beyond referring to the fact that he is to much of a coward to do anything about hickey, I think his “I’m hungry and want to live” line could also describe the circumstances in which he joined up with Hickey. If he hadn’t joined he’d have certainly starved to death.) He is still on the fringes even here, treated like a spectacle, a joke, and has his live threatened by Hickey multiple times. He is neither a mutineer or a hostage, but kind of both at the same time. Hickey was a collector of those who he knew didn’t fit in, and that fits Hodgson.

Onwards to his monologue to Goodsir in the tent, who also doesn’t respond to him rip. In part beyond it being about a strange religious experience, which oof dude you were like 8, I think it is also a tale about fitting in. In church setting like that everybody is doing the same thing, you are a part of a collective in front of god. Which is why tiny Hodgson was so moved to participate because it finally meant he was a part of something. He labels it a “perfect moment in his imperfect life” because it’s what he always wanted, to fit in. Interestingly enough, (Thanks to @gobnaits for pointing this out) communion means “sharing in common” and is a sacrament of initiation. (Catholic facts that make you hmmm) He ultimately rejects this because he was taught this kind of community is wrong but also because, I believe that he thought he’d eventually be unable to function within this group. (*Cough* George Hodgson Autistic *Cough*) Ultimately I think George Hodgson’s story arch is about being an outcast and a want for acceptance, which along with his own ignorance is the reason for his downfall.

TL;DR: Hodgson is outcast and it makes me sad. Also I love him.

#the terror #the terror amc #george hodgson #meta #text post #I'm all meta'd out for at least now lads #Posting this here because this really summarizes my feelings on the man #Also why I like him as much as I do #thank you for the encouragement lads on discord

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aver-no · 3 years

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Real to Me (Princess and the Frog AU) Chapter 1

First | Next

AO3

Summary: Virgil’s closer than ever to getting his dream, Pat’s prince is finally coming, and the Creativitwins are here, queer, and- shit.

Relationships: Platonic moxiety, familial creativitwins, eventual prinxiety

Characters: Virgil, Patton, Roman, Remus, and Janus (eventually Logan and C!Thomas)

Warnings: Unsympathetic Janus (I promise he gets a redemption arc) and like. one very minor swear word (lmk if I need to add anything else)

Word count: 4343

A/N: Heyyyy... so this chapter. Was NOT meant to be this long lmao, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!! I worked really hard on it, and as always reblogs are very much appreciated :) (Also feel free to drop by my ask box if you have any questions!!)

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Virgil groaned as he fumbled for the off button on his alarm clock. Another day. He rolled out of bed, narrowly avoiding the beat-up nightstand, working the kinks out of his neck. He quickly straightened out his sheets and stepped over to the old (“it’s vintage”) mirror his mama’d given him. Virgil wanted to make sure he was presentable, if only so he’d be stared at as little as possible. He tugged at his tight curls and grimaced. He’d slept in his work clothes to save time in the morning (lord knows he needed all the sleep he could get) but it left him looking a little rumpled. Virgil could see bags under his eyes too, and there was no time to put on makeup. He sighed. The outsides are just gonna have to match the insides today.

Virgil shuffled over to his closet to grab his coat. He rubbed his eyes and smiled at the sight of his dad’s picture, right next to the illustration he’d given Virgil so many years ago. Working three jobs suddenly didn’t seem as soul-crushing as before. He grabbed the black coat, quickly shrugged it on, and dashed out the door, snatching his hat at the last minute – it might rain later.

Virgil got to the corner just as the tram was pulling up, green paint and white stripes as dull as ever. The door opened and Virgil was eternally grateful someone he knew was at the wheel. He didn’t think he could handle the stress of wondering if they were going to go off the tracks. He gave a small smile to the portly man driving. “Hi, Charlie.”

“Hey Virgil!” Charlie looked him over sympathetically. “You’re lookin’ a bit roughed up today, son. Didn’t get much sleep?”

Virgil internally grimaced, knowing he’d probably be getting comments like that all day. He just forced a laugh as he reached the top of the steps and replied “Gotta pay the bills. You know how it is.” He wasn’t going to mention he could pay the bills just fine with one job. Or that he was probably chasing a pipe dream.

“Ha, yeah,” and a sympathetic look were the only responses Virgil got. That was fine. Uncomfortable people didn’t ask you questions.

Virgil walked down the dirty aisle of the tram. There were some empty seats, the hard plastic kind that public transport always has, but he just grabbed hold of one of the metal poles in the middle of the aisle.

Every once in a while, Virgil felt his eyes close for a few milliseconds longer than he’d normally let them. He didn’t want to let his guard down, lest he be pickpocketed or trampled or find himself in any other scenario anyone else might call “unlikely,” but it took an astounding amount of effort to pry his lids open every time. Virgil tried to fight it by staring at the people and cars passing by. New Orleans was as lively as ever. Even at 5:30 in the morning, there were jazz musicians playing on street corners and people dancing beside them, looking like there was nowhere else they’d rather be.

Virgil unfortunately became quite familiar with that fact as he stepped off the tram, almost running into a line of musicians as they paraded down the street. He started to get increasingly impatient as the trumpet, then the trombone, then the drummer danced by. Just as there was a break in the line and Virgil could see the street he needed to take to Duke’s Cafe, a large man with a handkerchief grabbed his hand and swung Virgil around in a circle. Affronted, Virge pushed the man’s hand away and quickly walked in the direction of the restaurant. Some people need to learn personal space.

一

“Wait Remus, I’m going to- ! Oof!”

Cackling could be heard as a fancifully dressed man with loose, dark curls piled on his head slammed into the railing of the ship.

“But Roman,” Remus said innocently, “I thought you said you were excited to get on land.” He waltzed up to the man pushing himself away from the edge of the boat.

“That doesn’t mean push me off the ship!!” Roman playfully shoved Remus.

“Eh, you didn’t fall or anything,” Remus shrugged.

The other rolled his eyes as the boat slowly pulled up to the docks, allowing the men aboard to see the photographers and reporters waiting to catch a glimpse. As soon as the ship pulled in view, flashes started to go off, capturing its gleaming white hull and a man standing behind the railing. As Roman flashed a practiced grin, Remus stepped away from the railing, as if hoping to prolong the time he had before stepping off the boat. When the ship began to pull to a stop though, the twins walked over to where the stairs led down to the dock, one with excitement in his eyes, the other with distaste. Roman struck a pose, hands on his hips (easy access for elbowing Remus), and flung off his crown to dash down the steps. Remus chased after him, determined not to be left on the boat (again), only pausing when he physically ran into Roman at the bottom of the stairway.

“Ro, what th-?!”

“Prince Roman! Over here!! Did you see you were declared most eligible bachelor by the Times-Picayune?”

Remus squinted at the reporter that called out to them. To Roman, anyway. Most eligible bachelor? Really?? That’s the dumbest question I’ve ever heard.

Roman, however, grinned and drifted to the center of the crowd. “Well no, you see, I just arrived, but to say I’m surprised would be-”

“Prince Roman! What do you think of New Orleans? Have you received your invitation to Eli La Bouff’s masquerade?”

Remus’ expression soured. Masquerades were lame anyway. He tried to push his way toward his brother. “Roman, come on-”

“I’ve found this city quite welcoming so far,” Roman didn’t acknowledge Remus, he just paused to beam around at the crowd, “and I’m looking forward to seeing more of it. In fact-”

“In fact,” Remus cut in, finally reaching that asshole, “we’d enjoy it more if we did some sightseeing.” He shoved Roman away from the crowd without waiting for a response. He hated reporters. He wasn’t even allowed to talk around them because apparently what the press hears is “important to our reputation” and if he doesn’t watch his language, “rumors might spread.” It was one time! And who would actually believe that Roman uses cacti as dildos? The whole thing’s all shit on a stick if you ask him.

“Oh, yes! Sightseeing!!” Roman clapped his hands excitedly and followed Remus off into the city.

一

Roman couldn’t remember when, but at some point he had lost Remus in the busy streets. It was definitely after he’d changed into street clothes, but before he passed the place grilling shrimp… The prince wasn’t too worried about his brother, but having a loose Remus on the town probably wasn’t great for the people of New Orleans.

Ro’s train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a trumpet blaring a couple blocks down. His head shot up and he took off down the road, drinking in all the sights around him. Every once in a while, he’d wink at a stranger, or maybe strum his ukulele in tune with the sounds of the city.

As the prince reached the end of the block, he saw a line of musicians dancing down the street. Roman’s face lit up and he chased after them. When he caught up he strummed along with the group and called, “Mind if I join?”

“Hey, we can always use another!” a dancing man with a handkerchief shouted back.

“Ashidanza!” Roman danced off after the band. These guys’ll probably show me all around the city.

They walked down several streets, each as exciting as the next. There were so many people milling about, so many smells and sounds, so many lights strung up between balconies, and restaurants on every corner. He flashed his most heart-stopping grins at the people they passed, drawing blushes left and right. His eyes only lingered on a few, before he danced on.

The group of musicians passed by a diner that smelled particularly good, and a tall man with a strong jaw caught Roman’s eye. He spun around, strumming louder to catch the man’s attention all while eyeing him up and down. Tight curls, glowing skin, dark eyes? Looked a little tired, but handsome nonetheless. Yeah, that deserves a wink. But as soon as the man turned away from the table he was cleaning, he just rolled his eyes at Roman’s antics and walked back inside the diner. Roman simply shrugged and lost himself to the music.

The group continued for a few blocks until they found a fairly empty road and started to really play off each other. Now this is what I signed up for. Roman cheered and whooped along with the others, and slowly a crowd formed.

It’d already been a few hours since he’d seen Remus but… what’s a few minutes longer?

一

“Order up!” Virgil held back a grimace at Buford’s gruff voice and the dinging of the bell. He turned to walk towards the back counter with his tray and pushed imaginary flyaways away from his forehead.

“Another coffee over here, Cher!” The man at a nearby table called.

“Gotcha, Eddie.” Virgil internally sighed and poured the coffee into the cup, eyeing Buford every once in a while to make sure he wasn’t gonna start slamming the bell again.

“Hey Virgil!”

He threw out a quick “Mornin’ Georgia” while placing a woman’s plate down.

“Hey, how you doin’ Virgil?” another voice called.

Virgil finally looked up to find a whole group of people sitting around a table, and hoisted the coffee pitcher off his tray to serve them. “Hey y’all.”

Georgia grabbed the mug he just filled for her. “We’re all goin’ out dancin’ tonight, care to join us?”

There were some words of assent amongst the group, but Virgil just protested, “You know I don’t dance. Besides, I’m-” he handed a napkin to a dirty four year old he wouldn’t have even come near if it wasn’t his job. “Need a napkin? I’m gonna work a double shift tonight.” Virgil strode over to a well-dressed man putting a napkin around his collar. “Here’s your hotcakes.” He folded his empty tray to his side and turned back to Georgia’s group. “I’m just really busy right now-”

“Again?” Georgia interrupted. “All you ever do is work.” She looked so disappointed Virgil almost felt bad. Almost.

Buford’s bell dinged. “Order up!”

“Maybe next time,” Virgil called over his shoulder, knowing full well it was a lie. He thought he might’ve heard someone say “I told y’all he wouldn’t come.” But that was probably just his imagination.

Buford cut him out of his thoughts, “You daydreaming ‘bout that damn restaurant again?”

Virgil deadpanned. “Buford. Your eggs are burning.”

He scrambled to get them off the griddle, but kept going off on Virgil. “You ain’t never gonna get enough for the down payment.”

“I’m gettin’ close,” the waiter scowled indignantly.

“Yeah? How close?” Buford was just mocking him now.

Virgil pushed down his frustration to demand, “Where are my flapjacks?”

The chef didn’t seem to notice Virgil’s impending anger, just laughing out, “You got about as much chance of getting that restaurant as I do of winning the Kentucky Derby!” Virgil’s lip curled into a snarl, but Buford kept going. “Saddle me up, y’all! It’s post time! Giddyup!” Virgil heard the worst trumpet imitation he’d ever had the displeasure to witness coming from behind him as he stormed off with the food piled on his tray. Just ignore him. Just… just ignore them. You’re getting there.

The bell dinged and Virgil looked up to welcome the customer, brightening a little when he saw who it was. Thank god. An easy customer. “Morning, Mr. La Bouff.”

“Morning, Virgil,” Eli rumbled as he pulled the chair out from his usual table and opened the morning paper.

Virgil placed the eggs and flapjacks on an old woman’s table. “Congratulations on being voted King of the Mardi Gras parade.”

“Caught me completely by surprise! For the fifth year in a row,” Eli joked. Virgil smiled good-naturedly at Mr. La Bouff’s hearty laugh. “Now, how ‘bout I celebrate with some-”

“Beignets?” the waiter placed a plate in front of the large man. “Got a fresh batch waiting for you.”

“Well keep ‘em comin’ till I pass out,” Mr. La Bouff laughed gleefully.

Virgil had just given his most indulgent customer service smile and turned toward the kitchen when the door slammed open and left a blond boy with a light blue jacket and a cream waistcoat beaming in the doorway. He stood there for only a split second before jumping up to Virgil, shouting, “Vee!!! Virgil Virgil Virgil, did you hear the news??” He plopped down into the chair across from Mr. La Bouff to say “Tell him Daddy!!”

Mr. La Bouff slowly swallowed and held up his paper to show the front cover displaying a handsome man with loose curls and a dimpled smile. “Oh yes,” Eli started, “Prince Roman-”

“Prince Roman is coming to New Orleans!!” Patton interjected, giggling excitedly. “Isn’t he amazing?” His face got all dreamy before continuing, “Tell Vee what you did, Daddy!”

“Well, I invited-”

“Daddy invited the prince to our masquerade ball tonight!!” Pat jumped up excitedly, then seemed to realize he was making a scene and sat down to continue a little quieter, “Tell him what else you did!” Mr. La Bouff paused to look at Patton for a minute, expecting him to interject again, but Pat stayed silent. He looked to his daddy and beamed, “Go on.”

“And he’s staying-”

“He-” Pat started, but then caught himself, deciding to shove a beignet in his mouth instead.

“...And he’s staying in our house as my personal guest,” Eli finished proudly.

Patton nodded excitedly, and Virgil looked at them both with wide eyes. “Pat, that’s amazing! It’s a lot, but… amazing.” He walked back to the kitchen to grab another batch of beignets, and when he got back he placed the treats in front of them and rested his hand on Pat’s shoulder. “A little word of advice: My mama always said, ‘The quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’”

“Don’t I know it,” Pat laughed, taking a big bite of his pastry before gasping, “Wait, that’s it! Virge, you are a genius!!” Virgil gave him a look of confusion from where he was placing dishes in the sink. “I’m gonna need about 500 of your beignets for the ball tonight!” Virgil looked up in alarm. 500?? Patton darted over to where his daddy was sitting and grabbed a large wad of cash from his wallet. “Will this about cover it?”

The waiter stood there speechless for a few moments before forcing himself to reach out to take the money Pat was shoving at him. “I- yeah. Yes, this- this should cover it just fine, Pat.” A rare smile slowly grew on his face and he looked up at the La Bouffs gratefully. “This- this is it... I’m actually getting my restaurant!”

Patton hugged Virgil tight and bounced him around, squealing, “It’s gonna be amazing Virge!” Suddenly, he let go, gasping, “I’d better get ready.” He grabbed his daddy and shoved him towards the door. “Tonight my prince is coming!!”

“Everything looks good to me, Mr. Fenner.” Virgil looked away from the building (his building!) as the man in question began to get up to haul the “For Sale” sign away. Another, much shorter man with the same nose and mustache walked by where Virgil stood. “.....And Mr. Fenner.”

“We’ll have all the paperwork ready to sign first thing after Mardi Gras,” the taller of the brothers announced.

“I’ll be at the La Bouff’s masquerade ball, how ‘bout I sign them then?” He wanted his ownership confirmed as soon as possible – there was no way something this good could actually be happening to him.

“You drive a hard bargain boy,” the shorter Fenner called from the car. “We’ll see ya there!”

Virgil finally let himself take a breath once the real estate agents drove off, and stood back to take in the view of what would be his restaurant. He felt truly hopeful for the first time in a long time. He was really gonna get his restaurant. Wow.

He was startled out of his reverie by a woman sneaking behind him to say, “Table for one please.”

Virge turned to see a woman with graying hair and deep smile lines holding out a beaten up pot with a bow tied around it. “Mama!”

“Here’s a little something to help you get started,” she smiled.

Virgil’s face went soft, a little nostalgic. “Dad’s gumbo pot…” He hesitantly reached out to take it from her.

“I know,” Eudora comforted, “I miss him too.” They both stood there for a moment before his mama urged, “Well now, hurry up and open the door!”

Virgil went and unlocked the doors, and as soon as they were wide enough to walk through, said wistfully, “Look at it mama... Doesn’t it just make you wanna cry?”

Eudora took in the cobwebbed rafters and the creaky walls. “Yes…”

Virge seemed to notice her skepticism, turning to look at her after placing the pot on a lone stool. “It’s a little rickety, it’ll definitely need some sprucing up to be safe, but can’t you see it? The maitre’d is gonna be right where you’re standing, and over there’s gonna be the gourmet kitchen.” Virgil gestured to the left end of the room. “And hanging from the ceiling, a crystal chandelier! I’ve been thinking about the weight of it to make sure it doesn’t fall down, and so long as it’s not too big, I can save on the structuring of it. Of course I won’t pinch pennies too much, I want it to be safe, but-”

“You certainly have this all figured out, don’t you,” his mama laughed. “I’m sure this place is gonna be wonderful baby. It’s just…”

Virgil looked at her nervously. “What?”

“It’s a shame you’re workin’ so hard. It’s all you do,” Eudora smiled gently.

“How can I let up now that I’m so close? I’ve gotta make sure all Dad’s work means something.” I’ve gotta make him proud.

“Virgil, your daddy might not have gotten his restaurant, but he had somethin’ better,” Eudora squeezed his arm gently. “He had love.” Virgil snorted lightly. “Laugh all you want baby, but that’s all I want for you. Pat’s got his own dreams of happily ever after.” Virge’s eyebrows scrunched. “I don’t want you to be lonely. I wanna see you dance off into happily ever after too.”

Virgil stepped away from her. “Mama, I don’t have the time right now. I’m so close. Maybe when I get up and running, but right now… it’s just not an option for me.”

Eudora sighed and patted Virgil’s hand. “Alright sweetheart. I trust you.”

一

Roman stood amongst a crowd of people, all dancing and cheering. The trumpeter blared his horn, and the rest of the band energetically played along, the whole atmosphere charged with the infectious energy. A short news boy danced along with Roman, trading moves back and forth and smiling wide. After a few trades, the prince stepped to the edge of the circle to let the boy have his moment. With the space to himself, the kid dropped into a split and popped right back up.

“Ashidanza!” Roman laughed, tilting his head to some swooning admirers and immediately spinning back into the fray.

“Ro!” a familiar voice called. Roman looked up and smiled brilliantly, having caught the eye of his black-clad brother. “There you are. I should’ve been following the shrieking earlier.”

“Excuse me?” Roman dramatically placed his hand on his chest. “That is the sound of joy.”

“Sure, and you’re a heartthrob.” Roman squawked indignantly as Remus shoved him away from the crowd. “Come on, I found a restaurant that sells frog legs!!”

“What?? Ew, no. I’m staying here,” Roman dug his feet in.

“But Rooooo, they have five different sauces!! Five!!!”

“Yeah, for frog legs!”

“You got to play your jazz,” Remus argued, “so now we’re gonna eat some goddamn frog legs.”

“But I haven’t gotten to show all of my moves yet!” Roman protested. “And I’ve almost gotten enough admirers to form a fan club!”

“We should leave then, so my roguish good looks and entrancing humor don’t steal their hearts.”

“You mean your worm of a mustache and your freakish flirting?” Roman teased.

Remus glared and opened his mouth to argue, when a smooth voice came from the wall behind them. “Gentlemen!” The twins spun around to find a tall, masked man with a hooked cane and a black hat leaning casually against the wall. “Enchanté. A tip of the hat from Dr. Côté.” Roman noted that he didn’t actually tip his hat. The man – Dr. Côté – pulled a business card out of seemingly nowhere and held it out to them. “How y’all doin’?”

Remus swiped the card away before Roman could even lift his hand. “’Tarot readings, charms, potions.’” Re’s eyes shone brighter with each word. “’Dreams made real.’”

Ok, now Roman’s attention was piqued.

Remus looked up with a wild grin on his face. “You can really do that stuff?”

“Well… normally I do it for a price but… I suspect I’m in the presence of some very important people,” Dr. Côté grinned charmingly, canines glinting. The twins’ heads whipped around to share a look.

“...What other things can you do?” Roman inquired.

Dr. Côté seemed to really notice Roman for the first time. “Why don’t we take a little trip to my office and I’ll show you.”

The twins gave each other a look. Then Remus jumped up, shouting, “Come on, let’s just go already!”

First thing Roman noticed was that the “office” was not an office. Honestly, it was more of an urban cave – a nook in an alleyway off a street that was more dirt than anything else. It was filled with all sorts of things Roman never imagined would make for desirable décor. There were herbs dangling from one corner, and large masks with strange markings hanging on almost every available surface. Roman was pretty sure he saw some bones in the corner. The rugs on the floor didn’t match each other at all, but all were made of what was once probably very expensive fabric. Now it was just musty, matted, and muddled. The furniture was limited to a small, circular table in the center of the room, sitting directly beneath a chandelier that gave off an orange light, which didn’t seem to help much in the way of seeing. Roman silently vowed not to go within three feet of any of these… decorations.

“WOAH, cool bones!” Remus, on the other hand, seemed to have no qualms.

“Don’t touch those!” Dr. Côté hissed. He took a deep breath and grinned, gesturing to the table Roman noticed earlier. “Why don’t you come have a seat?”

The men settled themselves around the table, Roman carefully examining his chair before sitting, just to make sure he wasn’t about to sit on anything… distasteful.

Then, Dr. Côté pulled a deck of cards seemingly out of nowhere. They didn’t seem particularly special, simply decorated with a symbol of a hand that had an eye in the center, but the voodoo man held them with reverence.

“Are you gonna do a card trick?” Remus snickered. Roman buried his smirk and elbowed his brother’s side. He did not want to make a magic man angry.

Dr. Côté simply looked up, though, giving an oily smile. “They’re tarot cards. I can tell you your past, your present… your future.” He gave a knowing look and fanned the cards out to the twins. “Go ahead. Take three.”

The princes reached out to the deck, holding their chosen cards close to their chest as if it were a card game.

The Shadow Man stared at them for a moment, as if expecting them to do something before prompting, “How ‘bout I take a look at those cards now?”

Roman grinned sheepishly and placed his cards on the table.

“Ah… now you, young man, are quite a prince,” Dr. Côté began. “A prince of fairy tales, really.” Roman thought he heard Remus huff beside him. “Your world is truly… perfect.” Something retreated inside Roman a little at the words, but he looked up when the Shadow Man asked, “But will it ever be anything else? Nothing is quite so disheartening as playing the same role all your life, huh? But when I look forward… I can see you’ll be more… very soon.”

The prince felt an anticipation swell inside him. Very soon.

Dr. Côté grinned down at Roman, then turned to Remus, peering at his cards. “Ah, yes. You’ve always been ambitious, hm?” Roman was shaken from his reverie and just barely kept from snorting. (Judging from the glare his brother aimed at him, he didn’t do a very good job.) Remus was ambitious if you considered chaotic enthusiasm to be ambition. But Dr. Côté just continued, “You could do more, be more, than they’d ever imagined. I know it. What are you going to do about it?”

Roman looked to Remus, and Remus looked down at his palms. A hand was outstretched for each of them to shake. “Well, boys?”

The world was still for a moment. And then the black-clad prince’s hand shot out and shook the voodoo man’s, the other prince soon following suit.

“Very nice.” Dr. Côté’s smile grew leering.

Then an orange smoke crept up Roman’s arm and into his mouth, and the world went dark.

A/N: Sorry, the ending came kinda fast 😅 I hope you enjoyed it anyway!! Please feel free to point out any mistakes you see, and keysmashes are VERY appreciated :D

Taglist: @midnightstorm-underthe-moon @meowthefluffy

#sanders sides #sanders side fic #prinxiety #prinxiety fic #platonic moxiety #virgil sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #remus sanders #creativitwins #sanders sides au #my fic #real to me fic #real to me #moon talks

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who-ever-said-i-was-nice · 3 years

Note

Hello there ~ Congrats on 100! 🎉💕 I'm so happy for you!! I was wondering if I could request a match up for Ikevamp. I'm fairly new to Tumblr and this is my first match up request so I'm a bit nervous since you are literally the first person I will have interacted with on here 😅 but I love your writing! If you are busy or have a lot of requests or anything please don't worry about it or overwork yourself! It's a lot of work and I totally understand!! Also edit, I'm really sorry in advance. This was way longer than I intended.

I am a bi female. I am an Aries but I am close to the cusp (April 18th). I don't typically associate myself with most Aries traits outwardly though since I am really shy and reserved, but internally I can see it as I am competitive with myself and a major perfectionist. But I'm low-key chaotic as can be like I'd identify myself as chaotic good since I'm just a mess with good intentions 😂 I am an INFP-T personality (which is scary accurate to me) if that helps any!

I am very short, only 5' tall and I am slim with overall small/petite features and frame. I have medium/dark, warmer toned brown eyes and auburn wavy/loose curly hair. I am very pale but have a lot of small freckles on my face and body. I've been told I look a lot younger than my age I think since I have a round face and am overall a small person. I'm very friendly and smile a ton but I am shy. I get big "eye smiles" whenever I smile and tend to blush a lot cause nerves. I've been told I tend to smile a lot and because I'm a shy, vv awkward person, my go to whenever I meet up with literally anyone is to smile out of nervous habit so people tend to think I'm overly friendly or approach me but in reality I'm a nervous boi.

I study landscape architecture and wildlife biology in college rn so I really love art and nature! I want to do habitat restoration after college. I especially am interested in plants and often go hiking and identify plants as well as do botanical drawings.

I am interested in both math and science as well as art. I enjoy watercolor painting as well and I am interested in illustrating children's books if landscape architecture doesn't pan out 😅

Besides that I have an obsession with extreme love for cats. I'm not ashamed to say my cat is my best friend, she is perfection 😂 I love anything living though thats not a person. Plant, animal, insect, they're all so wonderful to me and I tend to feel more comfortable around animals and nature than people.

My favorite color is a pale pink, I really love light, cutesy things. But my personal style is very retro academia. I wear a lot of clothes from the 60's and 70's or inspired by then. I really like fashion and fashion history.

My favorite food is spaghetti with just cheese. I may be an adult but oh well,, some plain ol spaghetti just hits the spot every time. I love baking and cooking though and have a sweet tooth. I used to decorate cakes in high school and I enjoy creating my own recipes and desserts.

I like to daydream, play video games, drink tea, sketch, read, and listen to music as well. I also spend a ton of time outdoors enjoying nature. I love trivial and fun facts. I want to gain as much knowledge as I can about the world.

I don't like things that are too loud I suppose. I'm a pretty easy going person but I am very nervous in crowds or places that are too loud. I'm also afraid of storms and I'm not fond of extremely dark places either. I don't like failing/faltering or embarrassing myself, especially in academics. I am extremely nervous talking to large groups or meeting new people as well, I prefer small, more personal interactions. While I enjoy talking to people it's just really hard so I don't usually unless they reach out to me first. I also hate conflict and drama (unless I'm not involved, then bring the popcorn). But any conflict is a big oof for me.

In a relationship, I really like surprise hugs and signs of affection. Sudden surprises create a sense of excitement which I really like to have. I like the idea of a relationship feeling new, passionate, and exciting, despite being together for awhile. I don't like gifts necessarily since I feel uncomfortable receiving things, I prefer sharing special memories. I'm not huge on PDA, I feel uncomfortable if someone is too clingy around others, especially my family or someone I know since my family is pretty conservative. But if we are alone, I love tons of affection and little acts of love. Hugs from behind, a small brush of our hands, holding pinkies, light kisses, and lots of smiles just make me melt, ugh tiny gestures are so cute. Communication is very important to me but not my strong suit, I tend to shy away from issues and trip over words I don't mean, but body language is very important and I think can be better for me and for my partner to understand.

I would like to be able to enjoy a comfortable silence with someone while we both read or do something while holding hands or just touching in some subtle way. I would love to be able to escape my perfectionist front that I have around others when I'm with my partner and be able to make really silly, dumb jokes and have lots of laughs. I love the idea of joking around while loosely holding each other. I present myself very seriously but I'm a big goof and rather dorky and like to have fun but romantic interactions.

Also it would be a plus if they love or at least tolerate kitty cuddles with me and my cat. My cat is such a baby, she's constantly in my lap or following me around so we are a package deal basically 😂

I'm sorry this is so long, and I hope it is enough for you as well!! Thank you so much for opening up match ups too! If you need anything else let me know! Take care of yourself and congrats!! 💕

It’s perfection don’t worry. Thank you so much for sending the request. I hope you are taking care of yourself too and everything is good.

Anyway I matched you with.....................

............Isaac

HA BET YOU DIDN’T SEE THAT ONE COMING!

oh you did?

ok I’ll stop

Isaac is a very curious person much like yourself

he loves discovering and learning new things

and that is the first thing Isaac noticed about you to be honest

sure he saw you and was like Damn she gorgeous but that was about it

however when he discovered that you are also a curious but little nervous bean he started opening up to you

neither of you like crowds and loud people who disrupt your concentration, so usually you spend your time in the library

sitting together in silence and reading

loves that your cute and blushy

even tho he’s exactly the same

as you got closer he started noticing more and more things about you

how your eyes would lit up when you passed certain plants in the garden

how you would hum to yourself and dance around thee kitchen a little when you thought nobody was looking

he loved everything about you from your adorably freckles to your reserved yet charming personality

it too him a long time to confess to you

a long time and a lot of pep talks from Leo

in the end he forgot everything Leo said and confessed to you in his own way

after that oh boy

you are the definition of inseparable

he’s new to this so you have to give him a little time to get used to it

after he’s comfortable he’s very affectionate

more in private but still

will give you surprised hugs all the time

whether it’s that he walks up behind you and hugs you while turning apple red God if Isaac was here he’d kill me for that pun or him walking and scooping you up and plopping you in his lap in the library as you both get into some book

totally gets that you don’t like going to very crowded places

BOOM your wish is my command Isaac will almost always take you to fields of beautiful flowers so you can hang out, goof around, have a picnic and the stargaze

Isaac will pull you close or just hold your hand while explaining a few things about the constellation, after you will just enjoy the silence as you bask in each others company, while gazing up at the starry sky

he holds you pinky

finds it super cute and usually blushes harder than you even though he initiated it

holding your pinky is a personal thing for him

he finds it reassuring

you’ll just be walking and all of a sudden Isaac intertwines your pinkies

he’s anxiety on legs and holding your pinky is his way to tell you that in that moment he’s scared, anxious or just extremely nervous

you usually hug him and kiss his cheek

holding your pinky can also be that he loves you and hopes he’ll be with you forever

it depends on the situation, but he likes telling you he loves you like this

he has a surprisingly good sense of humour and likes to goof around with you

loves your cat

he wasn’t much on a cat person before, but your cat likes o play with Harry and he thinks that’s really cute

all in all you guys have a really good relationship

Ok now i have to pour some water on my head

CUTENESS OVER LOAD

Lia .exe has stopped working

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed and I hope you are well! Once again thank you @uwu-catlin for the request and the compliment. Love you 3000!

#Ikemen Vampire #cybird ikemen #ikevamp+matchups #ikemen vampire match up #ikemen vampire isaac #ikemen vampire isaac x reader

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skygemspeaks · 4 years

Note

Can we get your in depth thoughts on Dr Stone?

Let me know if there’s anything specific you want to hear my opinions on!

For now though, some things I’m thinking of off the top of my head (warning for major spoilers ahead obvs):

this goes without saying, but the relationship between byakuya and senkuu is definitely the star of the show. i love how supportive byakuya was of senkuu’s passion for science (and like i said in a previous post, the first time i cried in this series when we saw byakuya sell his car so he could buy senkuu lab equipment), and how utterly certain he was in his conviction that senkuu WOULD survive the petrification, and that he WOULD save all of humanity. it’s easy for naturally intelligent people to grow cold and arrogant, but the obvious compassion byakuya raised his son with really shows through in every action senkuu takes

i can’t help but think how lonely it must be for the people of ishigami village. to be the only living people in such a large, large world? and how eerie must it be, to be surrounded by millions of statues of humans. imagine how scary senkuu and gen and tsukasa must be to them, with knowledge of things so far outside of their understand as to be completely alien. it must be like seeing the gods personified before them. i can imagine how frustrating it must get, that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you work, you’re always ten billion steps behind the “modern” humans.

i really love the way senkuu interacts with the villagers, and especially his relationship with chrome. it’s one way in which his upbringing really shines through. he genuinely sees chrome as a peer, and not as someone below him. he recognizes how amazing it is that chrome has learned so much over the years without any of the resources that senkuu had such easy access to. senkuu was blessed to be born in an era where he had the culmination of human knowledge at his fingertips, and he knows that that’s why he’s more knowledgeable than chrome. he knows that on an even playing field, chrome would be just as intelligent as him, and senkuu genuinely respects chrome for it.

the scene where senkuu was telling chrome about all the things that humanity had invented in the modern world was one of the most powerful scenes to me, honestly. it was a beautiful way of illustrating the great tragedy that had happened when everyone was petrified and all of humanity’s achievements were left to slowly rot away over the millenia. and yet it has a kernel of hope to it, because as much as the earth feels like a ghost world at the moment…all those people are still there, just waiting to be saved. this current world that they’re in seems so far removed from the modern world, that it can be so easy forget that they’re only a few steps removed from bringing society back to where it had been before the fall. every goal seems so huge and far away now because there’s so few of them that have been unpetrified, but the second senkuu is able to start saving other humans, the ripple effect will start to spread. senkuu has the whole weight of society on his shoulders right now, but think how much faster things will move once more people with extremely specialized skills are revived. imagine how much easier things will be once they have doctors and engineers and plumbers and other tradesmen!

from a purely emotional standpoint, it’s sad to think how much humanity lost in the years they were petrified. like, once everyone is unpetrified, things like knowledge of computer engineering and technology and history will be able to be salvaged rather quickly, but think of all the art that was at the mercy of mother nature, how many paintings, how much music, how many stories are lost to history!

oof this is getting long so i’ll stop it here, but again, let me know if you want me to talk about anything in particular! send me some asks y’all!!!

#anon asks #dr stone ask #dr stone #ishigami senkuu #ishigami byakuya #ishigami village #spy reports #long post

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kallypsowrites · 5 years

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Game of thrones: Conquest and Rebellion

I’m a happy camper this Christmas as I finally got Game of Thrones season 7 for myself. And I was surprised when it came with this beautiful little DVD that contains an over 40 minute history of the Targaryens in Westeros, narrated by several of the characters in Game of Thrones including: Viserys, Varys, Euron, Peytr Baelish, Sansa, and Jaime. I say characters and not actors because it is clearly supposed to be from the perspective of the characters and what they have learned about the history of the Targaryens.

Now, I was intrigued to watch this because I am actually midway through a big ol’ post on unreliable history in Fire and Blood. The basic thesis is that by telling the history of his world through the eyes of someone in that world, he makes it unreliable and biased and this is very much by design. I have my ideas about what is exagerated vs what is real in Fire and Blood, but I wanted to see how this video compared. Especially since it contains what the SHOW views as the most important notes in the Targaryen conquest.

And boy did it confirm my suspicions about unreliable history. In fact, hearing individual characters bring in their bias illustrated my thesis perfectly. But let’s talk about some of the highlights. Because I was surprised to see how the Targaryens were represented her.

1. Viserys suggests that the Targaryens may have left Old Valyria because of a court mishap and not the prophesy from ‘The Dreamer’. I have had my suspicions about some of the “prophetical” motivation behind the Targaryen conquest, because in large part it seemed like stories written to justify Aegon’s conquest. Like it’s his “destiny”. However, I never thought to question the idea of the dreamer foreseeing the doom of Valyria. Now, if this was from any other character’s narration I might call it unreliable and an attempt to discredit the Targaryens but this is Viserys, “number one Targaryen fanboy”, “my family is the best and like GODS among MEN” Targaryen. Even he thinks that perhaps the vision is just a story. At the very least, the vision wasn’t super clear as the Targaryens left a full twelve years before the Doom. Already the show seems to be calling attention to the fact that the Targaryens are just like everyone else.

2. This continues with the implication that Aegon conquered for resources and knew he could win because of dragons. This is also Viserys’ implication. He also makes a statement about Aegon “teaching the squabbling families the meaning of greatness” and it sounds very villainy. Again. This is Viserys who later on calls Maegar the cruel, “the wise” and says the title of cruel was slander! Viserys is 100% team Targaryen and yet he does not begin to make Aegon’s intentions sound noble. Even though the Targaryen history books are FILLED with that kind of thing. Viserys also calls them “strangers” to Westeros which follows the narrative of this being an invasion. in fact the next section is even TITLED ‘invasion’

After this, we switch to Varys’ narration. As a narrator, he’s probs the most trustworthy as he is the most neutral. And HE adds in the suggestion that Aegon used the hands of the envoy sent to him by Argilac the arrogant were just a PRETEXT for the conquest he’d been planning for a long time. He wanted to rule the seven kingdoms and was just looking for an excuse to attack. He also suggests that Argilac the arrogant was surpassed by Aegon in arrogance. Not a great picture painted of Aegon.

3. “Before he was done, the rivers fields and skies would turn red” -- Varys on Aegon the conqueror. Continues to speak of this man like a villain. in sharp contrast to the ‘noble conqueror’ painted in Fire and Blood. Speaking of which, Aegon is the one who comes up with the words ‘Fire and Blood’ according to this video, which definetily makes him seem like he was hoping for some casual mass murder.

4. Obviously, Harren the Black and Argilac the Arrogant sucked. Totally not coming to their defense. But how are their deaths portrated. Well, Euron is given the chance to describe the death of Harren and he is CLEARLY turned on by the destruction of his ancestors which is a bad sign. It’s description is horrifying and the animation is dark. Obviously if Euron likes it, its supposed to be kind of freaky.

Argilac, however, is given a heroic final battle seeming almost noble. Orys Baratheon, the most humanized of all the conquerors, seems to respect him enough to take his sigil and words “out of respect”. We’ll talk more about how the characters are drawn later, but there’s a big difference between Orys and Aegon.

5. Jaime describes the field of fire and he himself looks VERY MUCH like Lorren Lannister. He stresses that Aegon had “no mercy”. But its no surprise that he hates Targaryens cause they have a bad history. But still, the Field of Fire is shot like a horrifying war scene and the Targaryens are again depicted as the villain. Thousands return home as “scarred monsters”.

Favorite line “Aegon had a fetish for collecting swords”.

6. Sansa narrates the bits about House Stark and House Stark is indisputidly depicted as heroes. Now, this isn’t surprising. Sansa is loyal to her house. But she implies that the north was different than the other kingdoms because they were focused on survival not power. There is focus for a lot of time on the white walkers and how it is a Stark problem to deal with and they are a greater threat than dragons.

She puts emphasis on how Starks are willing to make alliances for survival, regadless of pride as well. She seems to respect Torrhen Stark’s decision to kneel saying ‘he had no choice’. Aegon was offering a very ‘kneel or die’ message after all. The Starks would have died if they did not bow. But their swords are still taken for the throne!

The most ominous bit is this:

“The swords Aegon took from them were not twisted or mangled” - Sansa

“Yet” - Viserys, very ominously

What an ominous thing to throw in there Viserys!

7. Most unsettling display of Targaryen villainy happens in the Eyrie, narrated by Littlefinger. Queen Arryn arrives to see that Visenya is with her son, next to her dragon. Visenya doesn’t say it, but she is fully threatening the boy. You can see it by her smile which is just...oof. It’s scary. She clearly intends to kill him if his mother doesn’t give the crown. She has “no choice” and Littlefinger describes him as a “poor boy”. Visenya is clear villain in this. This is in HUGE contrast to the two women apparently relating and connecting with each other in Fire and Blood.

8. Viserys mocks the “religious” reasons for old town’s surrender suggesting that they knelt because otherwise everyone would die. This once again undercuts the idea that the septon saw some grand purpose for Aegon which is suggested in Fire and Blood. The septon is just afraid, again, according to Viserys the number one Targaryen fanboy. Bonus: calls the north savages because Targaryens are better than everyone~~ He even calls the Targaryens the "Greatest dynasty ever.” when Aegon is crowned.

9. But after Aegon’s victory, the neutral Varys comes in to remind us of the Dorne failure. Rather than making Rhaenys seem unflapable and invincible as Fire and Blood did, Varys suggested that the yellow toad of Dorne SCARED Rhaenys. And later on, of course, Rhaenys gets taken down. Dorne really is painted as the heroic underdogs of this scene. and emphasis is placed on the fact that Aegon and Visenya set every city on fire except sunspear. If there HAD been people there, they would all be dead. Fire and Blood indeed.

10. We skip right from the conquest to the Dance of Dragons.

“With no enemies left they started fighting each other.” - Viserys

This defs doesn’t sound like the centuries of peace and prosperity that Dany talked about. This video is focused ENTIRELY on the wars of the Targaryens and not the good things or building of infrastructure. No mention of Jahaerys the concilitator at all. Instead we focus on Aegon, Maegar, the Dance, Aegon the Unworthy and the Mad King. All the very worst Targaryens. And there are lots of good things the Targaryens did! But instead of focusing on that, the show focuses on the war, which means they know that Dany’s line about “centuries of peace” is wrong.

Bonus, we have more of Viserys arguing for blood purity and that Targaryens are SPECIAL and that they would have been fine if Aegon didn’t legitimize so many dirty half breed bastards.

11. The greatest Targaryen threat, however, is madness (according to Jaime who saw the Mad King first hand). We bring up that line again: “Every time a Targaryen is born the gods flip a coin”

“We put up with Aerys hoping Rhaegar would be better but then he also proved mad when he took Lyanna Stark”

This does not place Rhaegar as the sane, good sibling most people do. Instead, it also paints him in a negative light. Which, this is Jaime, so take it with a grain of salt. But he actually never hated Rhaegar so yeah...

12. Jaime is so bitter about Ned condemning him and it’s kinda funny. I love Nikolaj narration

“I saw what Ned Stark couldn’t. Robert was ashamed of the bodies of the children... and more ashamed at his relief. Glorious heroes didn’t kill children. They simply didn’t punish their murderers” - Jaime being smart with one of my fave lines.

He clearly sees things as they are. He doesn’t like the Targaryens but he also doesn’t elevate Robert as a god. Jaime doesn’t believe in heroes and it shows here.

13. Then we end with a particularly ominous note.

“One day I’ll return and repay all traitors with the only coin my family knows. Fire and blood” - Viserys.

These are the last words in the video. A threat. It really does not paint the Targaryens as tragic characters pushed out of their rightful throne.

And this is where I want to talk about the character drawings. Every pose from the original three dragons (Aegon and sisters) is the most villainous thing in the world and the music behind their conquest is intense and dark. Their faces are often lowered but with their eyes glaring up and shrouded in shadow. Their smiles are sharp. Their body language is arrogant. It is victims of the conquest like Lorren and Torrhen who are given more humanized designs.

On the Targaryen side of things, the most humanized design belongs to Orys Baratheon who has much kinder eyes and a more open expression. And the there’s Viserys and Daenerys at the end who look like scared children more than anything. But the Targaryen dynasty that is their birth right doesn’t appear to start out on a great foot.

This kinda all backs up my point that if Daenerys wants to break the wheel, she will have to reject and correct the legacy of her family. The show clearly does not view Aegon as a great hero. So if they mean for Daenerys to be a hero, I hope they have her recognize the history and take steps to correct it (maybe even destroy the iron throne, plz?) And if she doesn’t recognize her history or tries to emulate Aegon, she could be headed down a bad path.

I love the Targaryen family because, like lots of my favorite Westeros families, they are SCREWED UP and have lots of interesting characters, and I look forward to exploring them more in my Fire and Blood post. But if anything, this video just backs up my thesis about unreliable history and what Dany will have to do if she wants to be a good ruler. Break that wheel! It was forged in fire and blood!

#game of thrones #house targaryen #fire and blood #daenerys targaryen #Jaime Lannister #Varys #viserys targaryen #sansa stark #Aegon Targaryen #game of thrones season 7 #game of thrones season 8 #game of thrones meta

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iinterminatis · 5 years

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fifteen questions, fifteen mutuals

① ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? ummm... p sure it’s my great-great grandmother for my first name (emma) and i know my middle name is also a grandparent, but i’m not sure if it’s great or great-great lol

② WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED ? OOF, um........... earlier today lmao

③ DO YOU HAVE KIDS ? NO lol, i have a dog and two horses. BUT, i do run a horseless 4H group, and i have 12 children ranging in age from 8-17. so TECHNICALLY i have kids

④ DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT ? ummm... i don’t think so tbh

⑤ WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE ? SMILES and eyes. i spend a lot of time looking at people’s faces bc artist instinct, so that’s usually what i notice first

⑥ WHAT’S YOUR EYE COLOR ? blue-green

⑦ SCARY MOVIE OR HAPPY ENDING ? ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

⑧ ANY SPECIAL TALENTS ? this is where i’d say “drawing!!” but drawing is definitely not a TALENT i fucking EARNED THIS SHIT so ?????

⑨ WHERE WERE YOU BORN ? michigan

⑩ WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES ? horseback riding, figure skating, writing, pc gaming, i paint/show model horses and run a horseless 4H group..... lots lol. too many

⑪ DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS ? a dog named Lucy, and two horses- an OTTB named Johnny and a Welsh Pony cross named Alex

⑫ WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED ? horseback riding (been doing that for a v long time now) and figure skating (since i was like... 2 lmao)

⑬ HOW TALL ARE YOU ? 5′7-ish

⑭ DREAM JOB ? comic book artist !! rn i do freelance illustrating and paint model horses

⑮ FAVORITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL ? i can’t even say art bc art is my entire degree so idk man idk

tagged by : STOLENNNNN tagging : steal it pls

#||..the VOICE in your HEAD

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ts1989fanatic · 5 years

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The 16 Best Taylor Swift Songs to Listen to

It's hard to believe Taylor Swift has been famous for over a decade now—a staggering level of fame that has seen gossip, girl squads, and high-profile relationships come and go. Known for her narrative songwriting, Swift boasts a massive discography broken up into "eras" by her loyal fan base. From her early country beginnings to the dark pop of 2017's Reputation, here are the 16 best Taylor Swift songs.

"All Too Well"

Widely considered to be her magnum opus, "All Too Well" tells the cautionary tale of a romance gone terribly wrong. Listeners follow Swift and her lover (feverishly theorized to be Jake Gyllenhaal) as she paints a picture of domestic upstate bliss devastated by a breakup. The nearly six-minute track peaks halfway through, when Swift unravels and drops the line: "You call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest." It's dramatic, hyper-specific, and gut-wrenching: Taylor at her finest.

"Our Song"

If any song sparks joy, the third single from Swift's eponymous debut album is it. Full of charming lyrics with an equally delightful music video (The tulle! The roses! The makeup and curls!), "Our Song" is a showy display of her burgeoning superstardom.

"Blank Space"

Described by Swift as an answer to the media's "psycho serial dater" narrative, "Blank Space" boasts lyrics like, "Got a long list of ex lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane," and "Darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream." Gone are the sweetly wide-eyed love songs: "Blank Space" is 100 percent biting cynicism.

"Enchanted"

An epic love song about the magical moment you first meet someone, "Enchanted" is wistful, dramatic, angsty, and...about Owl City's Adam Young??? Who later covered the song and professed his mutual enchantment???? But literally NOTHING came of it???????? I still have so many questions. It also launched one of her fandom's most beloved memes.

"Tim McGraw"

Taylor's debut single is an ode to the songs that transport us back in time. No wonder it cemented her status on country radio—the track bears the same name as country music megastar Tim McGraw, a ballsy and genius move for the then-newcomer.

"Last Kiss"

Whomst among us has not cried over their ex to "Last Kiss?" The tune is simple, with each loaded lyric sung in clipped phrases until Swift hits the drawn-out bridge: "I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep / I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe." Oof.

"Holy Ground"

The song that should've been a single but never was, "Holy Ground" opens with driving drums and the word vomit "I-was-reminiscing-just-the-other-day-while-having-coffee-all-alone-and-Lord-it-took-me-away," making it hard not to get swept up in Taylor's relationship nostalgia.

"You Belong With Me"

Unrequited love and high school pretty much go hand in hand, as illustrated in this Swift classic. There's something freeing about the melody that makes you want to sing it at the top of your lungs. One listen to the pleading lyrics "Why can't you seeeeee? You belong with meeeee," and suddenly it's 2009. Ah, simpler times!

"Shake It Off"

"My ex-man brought his new girlfriend, she's like 'Oh my god,' but I'm just gonna shake." That lyric? Could move mountains.

"Red"

Our songstress takes her favorite lip color and applies it to a whirlwind romance that's like "driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street." The bouncy tune is a bit coy, a bit romantic, and a full-on banger.

"The Way I Loved You"

Hidden on Fearless is this sleeper hit about dating a perfectly nice boy who turns out to be, well, boring as hell. Instead, an unimpressed Taylor daydreams about her ex and their batshit-cray romance of yesteryear, singing, "I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain." "Rollercoaster kind of rush," indeed.

"Style"

Pop legends Max Martin, Shellback, and Ali Payami join forces with Swift on this moody disco track. The impeccable production is backed by flirty lyrics like, "I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt." After some back and forth ("I heard that you've been out and about with some other girl," she accuses; "What you heard is true, but I can't stop thinking about you," he admits), Swift throws caution to the wind with the "Take me home" coda.

"Picture to Burn"

The banjo! The country accent! The problematic lyrics that were thankfully changed! And who could forget the wonderfully terrible acting in this music video, featuring Taylor's IRL BFF Abigail Anderson.

"Delicate"

New relationships are a balancing act: You weigh how much you like someone against the real possibility of it all blowing up in your face. The stakes are high, and Swift knows that: "Is it cool that I said all that? Is it too soon to do this yet? 'Cause I know that it's delicate. Isn't it?"

"Wildest Dreams"

I live for The Drama™ and nothing is more Drama™ than the heartbeat intro, string orchestra, and old-glamour vibes of "Wildest Dreams." Makes me want to stand in a nice dress/stare at a sunset real bad.

"You Are in Love"

Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff helped out on this bonus track from 1989 (which is reportedly inspired by ex-girlfriend Lena Dunham). Swift sings about a relationship that’s stable and sure—a contrast from her previous stormy love songs. Focusing on details like “The light reflects the chain on your neck” and “He keeps a picture of you in his office downtown,” Taylor reminds us it’s the little things that can make us fall for a person.

ts1989fanatic did your favourite make the list, mine did my #1 Taylor song came in at #15

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hyenyoon · 5 years

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Tagged by: @seraphhic (˶◕‿◕˶✿)

Are you named after someone?

No, but my name means Treasure so technically I am named after some good booty (๑＞ڡ＜)☆

When was the last time you 😢?

Aww a few days ago, I'm a crybaby so it happens often hahaha

Do you have any kids?

Kids can't have kids! Unless you count my kitten babies...

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Yasss its part of British culture, sarcasm is just everyday life.

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

The way they carry themselves, perhaps their aura?

Eye color?

My eyes are actually the only thing I love about my appearance, they are dark turquoise on the outside rim, green for the most part, and warm brown around the pupil. My Darling tells me my eyes are like an enchanted forest (˶◕‿◕˶✿)

Scary movies or happy endings?

I'm a horror fan, I think happy endings are so overdone. HOWEVER I also have a soft spot for romance and all that jazz so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Any special talents?

Oof. Probably linguistics. I can speak 2 languages fluently, 1 conversationally, and I can understand 2 more but not in a lot of depth. I actually love languages and etymology and travelling and poetry!

Where were you born?

My parents used to tell me they found me on the amber speckled beach in my hometown by the seaside, so I'll leave this one as a riddle ☆～（ゝ。∂）

Hobbies?

Watching anime and YouTube and playing video games with my Darling! Also drawing, reading manga, learning about lotsa stuff, and sewing/embroidery. I let go of my hobbies for a long time but I'm trying to get back into them!

Do you have any pets?

I have a ginger tabby called Eevee who is my firstborn son, and my Darling and I have a black cat called Yuki who is our precious princess son!

How tall are you?

164cm

What sports do you play/ have you played?

I used to be really good at running but I don't really exercise anymore. I run away from my problems maybe, exercise my patience hahaha! I do like ice skating though I don't do it often.

Dream job?

I'd love to be a freelance artist, drawing, painting, making clothes and plushies, writing and illustrating stories and poetry... All from my dream forest cabin in the mountains by the sea (˶◕‿◕˶✿)

I tag my new followers! @usagifluffy @lunardesir @virtualprincesskitten and all my usual babes, y'all know who you are ☆～（ゝ。∂）

#tag game #personal #atulismanore #treasure #pets #cats #cute pets #art #painting #drawing #poetry #plushies #recovery #anime #gaming #manga #otaku #otakugirl #about me

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domain-of-friendship-blog · 6 years

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10: Potpourri

"Hey... wake up. We're here."

A soft voice and a gentle nudge caused Sunset to stir.

Instinctively she began to stretch, only to be quickly reminded of the confines of the car as her hands reached the ceiling. In the few years she'd spent in the world on the other side of the mirror portal, she hadn't had occasion to take any long road trips like this, and so wasn't used to sleeping in the car. As a result, she found herself dimly surprised she had nodded off at all, let alone stayed that way for nearly the entire trip.

Groggy and stiff, the pillow that had been mushed between her face and the window got tossed over her shoulder into the back seat as she fumbled with the door handle for a second before pulling on it and stumbling out.

The daylight reflecting off a series of large buildings made Sunset squint. They looked surprisingly modern and industrial, composed primarily of corrugated metal and painted brick, the gaps between them bridged in places by wires higher up and pipes running along the ground. The small parking lot into which they had pulled was otherwise empty, tucked away in a nook between two of the buildings.

Freed from her prison, Sunset reached as high as her arms would go, her efforts rewarded when her back emitted a satisfying pop.

"You need a minute?" Tank pointed his thumb at a set of double doors on the nearby wall of the building. A sign next to it read Singularity Labs - Operations Center B. "Your friend should probably be in here somewhere with Penny and the doc."

Sunset shook her head. "Let's go."

The doors opened up into a hallway lined with what looked like offices and conference rooms, judging by the messy desks and long tables respectively. Tank poked his head into one of the former. "Hey, where's Doc Mobius?"

The woman inside looked up from some papers on her desk. "Oh, hello, Mr. Abrams! He should be in conference room A at the end of the hall. He's expecting you."

"Thanks!" He flashed her a smile before turning away.

Sunset tilted her head at him as they continued down the hallway. "So how do you know all these scientists, anyway?" she asked.

Tank patted the pommel of his sword over his shoulder. "After I found Lightbringer here, I wanted someone to analyze it for me and ended up bringing it to these guys. When they realized how unique it was, they decided they wanted to see the thing in action to collect more data, so they asked me to be their go-to freelancer whenever they need stuff done. Doesn't hurt that they were impressed with me for finding it in the first place," he added with a smirk.

While that sounded like a story she needed to hear at some point, an entirely different idea pushed the thought aside, an impish grin creeping its way onto her face. "So what you're saying is they were really pleased with your big sword, is that it?"

"I mean, I guess that's one way to - " Tank stopped mid-sentence as the realization struck him, narrowing his eyes at Sunset. "...really?"

Sunset stifled a snicker.

"...and the thaumic flow has ceased completely? You're sure?"

Voices carried into the hallway from the open door of conference room A. It was largely undecorated, featuring the same brick walls painted white, linoleum tile floors, and drop ceiling as the hallway. Sunset and Tank quietly stepped inside, noting three figures staring at a marker board as they did so. The better part of it was covered in complex-looking equations that Sunset doubted she could decipher on her own in a hundred years.

"Our instruments all confirmed it," said one of the three, idly twirling a marker in his hand. "And we're getting similar reports from the other sites."

"But what does it mean?" asked another, her purple wings twitching nervously.

"It means somebody ought to be looking behind her," said Tank.

In an instant, all three whirled around.

"Sunset!"

"Twilight!"

The two girls immediately dashed toward one another, colliding with a quiet 'oof' as they embraced.

Instead of her usual outfit, Twilight wore a slightly oversized white lab coat, a pair of holes cut hastily into the back for her wings. Her long purple hair was damp, suggesting she had showered recently, for which Sunset was slightly envious.

Twilight backed up only just far enough to look her friend in the eye. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine," Sunset insisted, offering a reassuring smile. "Just a little stiff from the long car ride is all."

"Splendid work, my boy!" Mobius clapped his hands together. "No troubles on the way, then?"

Tank shook his head. "There was a minor kerfuffle with a bandit when I first found her, but nothing beyond that."

Twilight's pupils shrank. "You got attacked?"

"Uh... kind of?" Sunset grimaced apologetically. "But we took care of him pretty quickly, so..."

"I can imagine you girls have a bit of catching up to do, so why don't we come back to this later?" Penny set her marker down on the table. "Have you two eaten? I can send for some food if you'd like."

Tank's eyes lit up. "Actually, food sounds like a great idea."

"Yes please!" Sunset agreed.

*******

Sunset and Twilight sat across from one another, happily munching away at their first proper meal since their arrival. A platter of deli sandwiches, half empty, sat in the center of the conference room table. It was flanked by a bowl of fruit, pitchers of various drinks, and a large bag of potato chips, each one more depleted than the last.

"Oh, before I forget... Have a look at this, Sunset."

Twilight wiped her hands with a napkin and reached into her pocket, producing a familiar device.

"The magic sensor?" Sunset asked through a mouthful of sandwich, which she finished before continuing. "I'm surprised that thing made it through the portal in one piece."

"I am too, but I'm really glad it did." Twilight held it out to Sunset. "Do you see anything strange?"

Sunset peered at the interface for several seconds before replying. "No, it looks normal to me. The only thing it seems like it's picking up right now is Tank's sword."

Twilight blinked, glancing down the table at him for a moment. "I was wondering what that was. Do you know why it's reacting?"

Sunset looked up at Twilight. "Because it's a magic sword that glows and fires bolts of light on command," she deadpanned.

"Uh... okay." Twilight hesitated, fiddling with her glasses for a moment as she attempted to get her train of thought back on the rails. "Anyway, I had to recalibrate the sensitivity based on the density of this world's ambient magic. See what happens when I turn it back to the settings I was using when we were at school before." She fiddled with a couple of dials before showing the sensor to Sunset once again.

Sunset nearly choked on a mouthful of fruit punch. "What? It's reacting to everything! The whole display is lit up!"

"That's because this world is completely full of magic," Twilight explained. "It's literally everywhere - in the ground, in the people, in the air... and now it's in us, too. Energy always flows from high to low concentration, and it seems magic is no different."

Sunset leaned back in her seat, idly tapping the rim of her cup. "Is that why we're stuck ponied up like this? It doesn't usually happen on its own, or last nearly this long."

Twilight nodded. "That's my best guess. The people here are accustomed to it, but we're not, so our bodies are reacting to the sudden influx of magic by using our pony forms to burn some of it off." She glanced over her shoulder at her wings, flapping them gently to illustrate the point. "I don't know what would happen without them, but we seem to be fine so far."

"Well... we do, at least."

Sunset hadn't meant for that to sound quite so dark. She winced as she watched Twilight's gaze fall to the table and stay there. With a sigh, she stood up and moved to the seat beside Twilight, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Hey... we'll figure something out, I promise. We always do."

"I've... been trying not to think about it too much," said Twilight in a low voice, "but it's a stroke of luck that we're both here now, isn't it? The others could be anywhere - lost, hurt, scared and alone..." She shivered at the thought, leaning closer to Sunset.

The two suddenly grew quiet as something a little different began to fill the air, interrupting another conversation going on nearby.

"Fair enough, Doc, but I don't... think that... uh." Tank trailed off as he began looking all around the room. "Wait a sec. Where is that music coming from?"

*******

RARITY: I once thought that I knew what my fate had in store Now the future is shrouded in haze Though my life has been spared, am I now to be trapped In this world for the rest of my days?

FLUTTERSHY: Though the people are nice and the animals warm Still I can't help but feel a little cold Somewhere out there my friends might be lost and alone Who knows what their tomorrows may hold?

RAINBOW DASH: I don't care how much danger may come I will fight for as long as it takes This weird world better bring on its best I won't lose when my friends are at stake!

APPLEJACK: I'm sure scared, I'll admit, but I gotta be strong Home has never been so far away But my friends trust that I'll always be by their side That I'll do all I can, come what may

PINKIE PIE: Yeah, at first I thought maybe this place might be fun But I sure got myself in trouble fast There is sunshine in me keeping my head held high But I don't know how long it'll last...

SUNSET SHIMMER and TWILIGHT SPARKLE: This world seems ever vast and unknown But no matter the fight, we won't fail Friendship binds us in all that we do When united as one, we'll prevail!

*******

Sunset and Twilight went quiet once again, hands still clasped together.

Tank blinked. "...What the hell did I just witness?"

Penny tilted her head, the sandwich in her hands long forgotten. "I... haven't the foggiest idea."

Mobius adjusted his glasses. "Fascinating...!"

Sunset took a deep breath as she let go of Twilight and turned to their hosts.

"I'm going after them," she declared.

"...Uh." Tank quirked an eyebrow. "You're what now?"

"Five of our friends are still out there somewhere," she explained, crossing her arms. "They don't know any more about this world than we do, and if that bandit was any indication, there's every chance they're in danger. We're going to rescue them."

Penny set her sandwich down on her plate. "Sunset Shimmer, are you really sure you know what you're proposing? There are hundreds of portals all across Nexus; if what we understand so far is accurate, they could have emerged effectively anywhere."

"Such as the far reaches of the Frontier, hundreds of miles from civilization!" offered Mobius with just a little too much excitement. "Or the blistering Kasarosian desert, the frozen wastes of northern Itantea, or even the dense jungles of - ow!"

He stopped as Penny kicked him under the table and pointed at Twilight, whose face was gradually draining itself of color.

Sunset shook her head. "I don't care. Those girls were there for me at the lowest point in my life, and I don't know if I'd have made it out otherwise. They never gave up on me, and I'd be throwing away everything I've learned about friendship if I turned around and gave up on them."

Tank stood up. "You've got spirit, sure, but that's not going to be enough. You have no money, no clue where to go, and basically no combat experience as far as I can tell. If you try to go on some grand adventure to rescue these friends of yours, all you'll do is get yourself killed."

Sunset smirked. "Then it's a good thing I have an ally who can help me with all that, isn't it?"

Tank sighed, raising a hand to his forehead for a moment. "Look, hon. I sympathize, don't think I don't... but traveling the whole world looking for five people is going to take a very long time and a very large amount of money, and I don't have either of those things right now." With another sigh, he crossed his arms. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

Sunset's ears folded back as her confidence faltered. If Tank wouldn't help her, it wasn't terribly likely anyone else would, either. If she had to do this on her own, it could be years before she was ready to even set out looking for them...

"Oh, pish posh! Of course you can!"

Tank blinked. "Uh. Doc, what?"

Mobius stood up and pressed a button on a nearby radio. "Bring it in, please."

"Right, uh, right away sir," came the radio's slightly muffled reply.

"My boy," Mobius began as he turned back to Tank, "if the tale these girls tell us is true, we are at the forefront of a phenomenon bigger than any in recorded history, and I believe their presence will be required for us to get to the bottom of things! As such, Singularity Labs is prepared to offer you a most handsome commission for retrieving them safely."

Twilight raised a hand to her cheek. "Wait, but... weren't you just going on about how dangerous it'll be?"

"Oh, I make no illusions about that," said Mobius. "Scientific breakthrough is rarely without risk! A fellow scientist like yourself should be familiar with that, I would imagine."

Twilight bit her lip as the incident at the Friendship Games resurfaced in her mind. "More than you know..."

If Mobius noticed the melancholy in Twilight's voice, he gave no indication of it.

"So, uh." Tank put a hand on his hip. "Exactly how 'handsome' are we talking here?"

Mobius smiled as an attendant entered the room and placed a fabric bag on the table before backing up. "Have a look for yourself!"

Sunset leaned over the table for a better look as Tank opened the bag and peered inside.

He gulped. "Yeah, that... is a very large amount of money."

Sunset's eyes widened at the contents, a multitude of brilliant, finely cut gems in a variety of colors. Each one appeared to display a number when viewed at a certain angle. This was their currency, then? The largest denomination by far were the colorless ones she assumed to be diamonds, more numerous by far than any of the colored ones.

"Our offer is this," said Mobius. "There hundred thousand up front, plus another hundred thousand upon the safe return of each of the first four girls. The last will be another three hundred thousand."

"...Dude." Tank stared into the bag. "You're... literally offering me a million gems."

Penny crossed her arms. "Uncle, you had better be absolutely certain about this. I'm sure I don't need to remind you how tight our budget is this year."

"That won't be a concern for long once I start sending reports on all this to our members on the Council," said Mobius. "And, I might clarify, that offer is for both of you together," he added with a look at Sunset.

Sunset shook her head. "I don't care about the money. We can spend my half on whatever we need for the job."

Mobius grinned. "So what do you say, my boy? Think about it - your decision here today just might make history!"

Tank stared a moment longer at the bag of gems in front of him before turning to Sunset, her face hardened with determination.

He shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Sunset's shoulders slumped as she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Splendid!" Mobius beamed, his pure white eyes practically sparkling with excitement.

"So what happens now?" asked Twilight.

"We need to look for clues before we can begin the search in earnest," explained Penny. "It won't do to go wandering willy-nilly. Singularity is part of a network of laboratories I can call on for information; I plan to gather and catalogue as much local news from them as I can."

"The sudden appearance of brightly-colored teenage girls with wings and pony ears must have made a splash somewhere or other," said Tank.

Twilight perked up. "Oh, I'd be happy to help with that!"

Penny nodded. "I was hoping you would."

Tank turned to Sunset. "Meanwhile, I'm going to head into town and get you some gear with our down payment. You're going to learn how to fight."

Sunset nodded. She didn't relish the prospect by any stretch of the imagination, but she would stand by her decision - if her friends needed her, she would do everything in her power to save them.

"But we should start on all this tomorrow," said Penny. "You two have had a rather trying time of things, I'd imagine. Let me show you all to your rooms so you can get some rest."

Sunset rubbed her neck idly. "As much as I'd like to get started right away, that car trip wasn't exactly relaxing..."

Penny turned to Mobius. "You, meanwhile, have work of your own to do. Once she hears news of anomalous behavior from the portals, the prime minister is going to want an official statement from the lab, and it would be in our best interest to have something prepared ahead of time."

"Too right, you are," agreed the doctor. "No time to waste!"

With that, he scurried out the door and down the hall.

"That should keep him busy for a while," said Penny. "Now then, let me get you two set up over in the guest quarters. There should be plenty of rooms next to the one we gave Twilight..."

*******

Sunset stared down at the plain white pajamas she had been issued, finding herself impressed that they were genuinely comfortable.

The term "research campus" she had heard bandied about earlier that day suddenly seemed rather apt; outfitted as its facilities were for daily living, Singularity felt very much like a well-stocked university, albeit with significantly fewer lecture halls. It made enough sense in hindsight; the place was a few miles out from the nearest actual town, having been built around a naturally occurring portal, so such amenities were far too useful not to have on-site.

Her gaze shifted to the night sky out the window. She hadn't noticed the sun setting; as far as she could tell, it had just gradually grown darker over time until the stars came out. She made a mental note to ask someone about that later, as pondering it on her own was making her shudder a bit. This wasn't just a different planet or anything like that (although that would have been plenty enough to give her pause); it was a completely different... dimension? universe? plane of reality? Whatever she wanted to call it, it operated under very different rules than she was used to.

Granted, she was less of a stranger to the concept than most. She had done it once already when she found a way to escape Equestria, but if anything, her foreknowledge only made things more frightening. The context could hardly have been more different; she had been working alone before, for one... and having done at the very least a modicum of research beforehand, not only did she have a fair idea of what to expect from the other world, but she had also maintained a degree of control over her movement to and from it. None of those things were true here.

If that scenario had been like stepping into a wind tunnel, this was more like getting swept up in a hurricane.

She shuddered again.

Contrary to her earlier complaint, she had ended up spending most of the afternoon looking around the facilities of Singularity Labs and answering curious questions from the scientists. While she and Twilight had been reassured that they were by no means being held against their will, they were strongly advised not to leave the facility proper. It was a recommendation Sunset had little trouble taking - where would she even go, and to what end? - but it meant that for the time being there was little else for her to do with her free time.

Unfortunately, though answering questions all day had left her plenty tired, she found herself unsure if she was actually ready to sleep. Instead, she quietly opened her door and poked her head out into the hallway.

The building was predictably quiet this late at night. Twilight was in the room adjacent to hers, and Tank had been given the one opposite, across the hall.

Would either of them even be awake?

Sunset crept quietly over to Tank's door and knocked. A few seconds later, it opened.

"Oh - Sunset?" Tank blinked. "I figured you'd be asleep by now. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, no, uh. Everything's fine," said Sunset, running a hand through her ludicrously long hair. "Just... not quite ready for bed yet, I guess."

Tank took a step back, opening the door further as he did. "Did you want to come in?"

It felt odd to be entering a guy's room late at night, but Sunset stepped inside nonetheless. As Tank closed the door behind her, she realized this was the first time she'd seen him outside of his armor, which was propped up against the wall next to the desk. Instead, he was wearing just a green t-shirt and shorts, which had a side effect of making the scarring on his cheek much more prominent. Sunset had made a point of not bringing it up in case it turned out to be a sensitive subject, but now she could see that it stretched much further than she expected - not only down his neck but over the collarbone, leading out of sight beneath his shirt. What could have left a scar that big?

She shook her head. It really wasn't important right now.

Tank took a seat on the bed and motioned for Sunset to take the chair at the desk. "Nervous?"

Sunset held up her hair with one arm for a moment as she took her seat. "At the risk of implying I haven't been ever since I woke up in a crater on an alien world? Yeah, I am."

Tank chuckled. "Fair enough. I guess I'd probably be more worried if you weren't."

Sunset tilted her head. "Have you ever done anything like this before?"

"You mean, taking on a rescue mission? Sure, a few times." Tank leaned back, propping himself up with his arms. "But nothing on a scale anywhere close to this. Doc wasn't kidding when he said your friends could have ended up in some really scary places."

Sunset busied herself with plucking a couple of bright red hairs off her pajama pants instead of replying.

"...Let me level with you for a minute, Sunset." Tank sat up. "Nexus is a large and dangerous world, and it's likely going to take us a long time to find all your friends. There is every chance that we won't be able to bring them all back alive, and you need to be prepared for it if we find out we were too late."

A chill ran through Sunset's body, causing her to shiver. Like Twilight, she had been doing her best to keep her thoughts away from the heavier implications of their situation, but she knew she was going to have to address it eventually. She had faith in them, of course she did... but anytime they had been in danger in the past, they had gotten through it by working together and relying on one another.

Separated as they were... she was a lot less confident.

"I know," she said finally, her fists pressed firmly into her thighs as she spoke. "But I'm not giving up on them, no matter what. I owe them that much."

"There's that spirit again." Tank smirked. "Still not good enough all by itself... but it just might pull you out of a dark spot someday. Never let go of it."

Sunset nodded, but said nothing else. A moment of quiet passed between them.

"Well, thanks for that, I guess. Sorry if I disturbed you or anything," Sunset said finally as she stood up. "I'm gonna go see how Twilight is doing."

Tank rose to his feet as well. "No, no, you're fine. Just remember to get some sleep, alright?"

"Of course." Sunset made for the door, but stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot. Tank?"

"What's up?"

Sunset turned to him and smiled. "Thanks for your help."

Tank shrugged slightly, smirking again. "Hey, don't give me too much credit. You saw how much we're getting paid for this, right?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I meant in general, but sure, that too."

Tank seemed to hesitate for a moment. Taking a step forward, he held out his hand, his smile more genuine than usual. Sunset looked down at it for a moment and smirked as she too stepped forward, gently wrapping her arms around him. Caught off guard, he tensed for a moment, but his smile soon resurfaced as he returned the hug.

The two waved to each other as Sunset closed the door behind her on her way out.

She soon found herself staring at Twilight's door. A part of her felt a little guilty for hoping her friend was still awake when she should really be getting some sleep, but she knocked nonetheless. A few seconds later, a pair of purple eyes peeked out at her from behind the door.

"Sunset? What are you doing up?" asked Twilight.

Sunset crossed her arms. "I could ask you the same thing."

Twilight pulled the door the rest of the way open. As Sunset stepped inside, she glanced over the desk in the corner, which featured a pair of open textbooks and some scrap paper covered in notes.

Sunset blinked, raising a suspicious eyebrow. "Wait, you... didn't somehow bring your homework with you, did you?"

"No, of course not!" Twilight shook her head. "I'm working on translating my formulas for the scientists here so they can adapt the principles behind my magic sensor to their technology. They think it might help us figure out what happened with the portal."

"And did they tell you they needed this by tomorrow morning?"

Twilight's ears drooped. "Well... not exactly..."

Sunset climbed onto Twilight's bed and sat with her back against the wall. "Then I doubt they meant for you to lose sleep over it."

"But this is really important," insisted Twilight, her wings fluttering as she spoke. "They came to me for help even though I barely understand what's going on, and I don't want them to think I'm not taking it seriously."

"My statement still stands, though," said Sunset. "You won't be much help to them if you're dead on your feet tomorrow, now will you?"

Twilight bit her lip and looked over at the books on her desk, a thought suddenly surfacing in her mind. "Hey, I could say the same to you. Aren't you supposed to start training tomorrow?"

Sunset rubbed the back of her head. "Well, yeah, but..."

Twilight smiled softly. "You're nervous."

Sunset huffed. "Of course I am. Who wouldn't be?"

"That's my point." Twilight climbed onto the bed and took a seat next to Sunset, a yawn escaping before she could continue. "Well, that and... you're not alone."

Sunset sighed, her gaze drifting to the ceiling. Sure, she was nervous about the prospect of having to fight without all her friends by her side (and using a real weapon to boot), but the more she thought about it, a part of her relished the thought of finally being able to do something about the situation. The prospect of going from being largely helpless to having at least some control over her situation was reassuring.

She gasped as something heavy fell onto her shoulder. Warmth filled Sunset's cheeks as she realized it was Twilight; without a problem in front of her to solve, the day had finally caught up with the poor girl, already out like a light.

Immediately, Sunset began pondering how to sneak away without disturbing her friend, but she was interrupted by a yawn of her own. To be fair, she decided... if Twilight wasn't bothered, how much did it really matter?

In moments, her head rested atop Twilight's, the both of them sound asleep.

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To be continued on Fimfiction!

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