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stevebillyrecs · 4 years

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Not-So-Fluffy Holiday Season Recs

Ho-ho-ho, it’s that time of the year again! Where we all drown in thoughtful gifts, family bonding, and mistletoe kisses! If you’re looking for something other than just pure fluff (like me) but still want to get your holiday season fix, this is the rec list for you. That’s not to say that there won’t be any fluff, just that it’s not the sole focus of the story!

Included: Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Eve fics containing family drama, smut, heavy plot, or just some good ol’ angsty pining. Also, still a whole lot of fluff in between the non-fluff. Not included: Fics about any other, especially non-Christian holidays… because I couldn’t find a single one. Sad!

24 fics under the cut!

mistletoe and other holiday propaganda by brawlite / @brawlite & ToAStranger / @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger (54k, E)

Everybody wants something for Christmas. It just so happens that the only way for everyone to get what they want is for Billy and Steve to pretend to be dating over Christmas break. It’s really the only option.

Yule Shoot Your Eye Out by eternalgoldfish / @eternalgoldfish (3k, T)

Steve moves to Indianapolis to avoid Hawkins, but Billy doesn’t get the memo. Now it’s Christmas, they’re snowed in at work, and Steve is giving up on holidays. Merry Christmas, I could care less.

been crawling series by kate_button / @un-buttoned (8k, E)

The crop top was right there on the main aisle in the women’s section. Steve’s not entirely sure, like, why it exists, but he’s not disappointed about it. The rest of it came together pretty quickly (and cheaply) after that. So anyway, that’s how he finds himself drinking jungle juice out of a red solo cup looking like the twenty-two-year-old-man version of Karen Smith, animal ears and too much skin, bada boom, costume. I’m a dog. Duh.

You Get the Mistletoe and I’ll Be Your Santa, Baby by LazyBaker / @granpappy-winchester (2k, G)

Steve’s looking at him and Billy’s wearing Steve’s itchy and warm handmade I love you sweater, looking right back. They’re sharing a blanket.

nothing is finite (in the evening light) by Philosoferre / @babyhargrove (22k, T)

“It’d be convenient,” Billy adds. He’s looking at Steve expectantly, but he’s still a little guarded. “And, uh. Road trips, you know. They’re supposed to be fun and shit. Don’t make this a bigger deal than it is, Harrington.” Steve finds himself smiling; he doesn’t bother trying to hide it. Billy narrows his eyes curiously. "Sure,” Steve says. Or, Steve and Billy go on a road trip to Hawkins for Christmas break. Both of them might be very much in love.

If You Kissed Me Now by socknonny / @socknonny (1k, T)

When Steve kisses Jonathan under the mistletoe at the Byers’ Christmas party, it’s only for a joke. But for some reason, it sets Billy off, and Steve won’t leave him alone until he understands why.

Christmas in the Benz by flippyspoon / @flippyspoon (6k, E)

Steve escapes a crappy Harrington Christmas only to find another crappy Christmas refugee.

Under the Moon by ImNeitherNor / @imneithernor (3k, T)

“Hargrove?” The voice yanks Billy back into the present and he stands up fast enough to make himself dizzy. He blinks twice, shifts his boots in the snow, and looks over to where the voice had floated from. Standing in his Members Only jacket with that fucking bat over his shoulder, Steve looks at him like he’s seen a ghost. Billy clenches his fists and notices how Steve’s eyes trail to the blood on his mouth, the blossoming color on his cheek. “You’re bleeding,” Steve points out, like Billy doesn’t know that. “Really fucking observant, Harrington,” Billy curls his lip up and flicks his tongue out, over the split, and Steve’s eyes follow it like they always do. It’s a visceral thrill up his spine but anger eats it up. Steve is off limits and, as much as Billy wants to lick into his mouth and feel those lean muscles against his own, he isn’t stupid.

I don’t want a lot for Christmas by r0nj4 / @a-station-on-your-way (1k, M)

Steve buys a Christmas present and has mixed feelings about it.

well damn, billy, i can't control the weather by obsceme / @hartigays (7k, T)

narrator: and there was only one bed all of us, collectively: (gasps) and there was only one bed

Last Christmas by shocked_into_shame / @bornwithoutsin (2k, E)

It’s Billy and Steve’s first Christmas together, and Steve will not stop singing that fucking Wham song. Billy doesn’t mind, though, because Steve agrees to make it up to him.

Thankful For by ChrisLeon / @vgorodye (8k, NR)

The ad read: ‘No one to bring home for the holidays? Looking to piss off your parents? I’m your guy. 22 y.o. ex-con, never graduated high school, proud owner of a Camaro one year younger than I am. I can play anywhere from 18 to 29 depending on if I shave or not. Currently working as a line cook and late nights at a bar. If you’d like to have me as your strictly platonic date for Thanksgiving, but have me pretend to be in a serious relationship with you to torment your family, I’m down.’ Steve knew it was bad idea. He clicked on it anyway.

Five Days (To Midnight) by Blink_Blue / @winters-blue-children (7k, E)

It's been months since Steve left Hawkins and walked out of Billy's life. He's back for the holidays and Billy gets one last chance to make things right. They have five days together. Five days left of the year. Five days to cherish.

Time after Time by lemonlovely / @lemonlovely (10k, E)

“Really, Harrington. Stop avoiding the question. Tell me.” Those blue eyes flashed like an animal's in the dark depths of the Camaro. He repeated himself, enunciating like Steve was particularly slow. “Why. Would I have seen. Your wallet?” Steve glared down at Billy, feeling like they were caught in some kind of a staring contest that he hadn’t actually initiated, but also didn’t particularly want to lose either. Which seemed to happen a lot when he was around Billy – and that hadn’t been a lot for a few months. He’d been avoided like the plague, or maybe it was the other way around. Jesus Christ, apparently Billy was really gonna make him say it, as much as Steve didn't want to. He grit his teeth together. “Because.” Steve said. “I think I might have left it in…the backseat of your car. You know. That night. And I need it back.”

Deck the Fucking Halls by XxmerthurcatxX / @callmelilyshameless (700, T)

Billy hates Christmas but he loves Steve.

Mountain of Dreams by socknonny / @socknonny (1k, E)

Steve's drunk, and someone is singing.

Rivers 'Til I Reach You by tracy7307 / @tracy7307 (10k, E)

“I know lifting's a bad idea but I’m feeling.” Shame twisted up in Billy’s gut, and he toyed at his lasagna with his fork. “I don’t feel as. I don’t know. Confident.” His muscle mass was not as bulky as it used to be -- his abs and biceps just a shadow of what they once were. He had a soft little belly now. And then there were the scars. Dark pink floral patterns of scars all wound over his back, sides, and abdomen. Suddenly the thought of shirtless summer weather struck dread in his heart. For now, long-sleeved henleys and sweatshirts provided the perfect way for him to hide. It was literally the only time he’d been thankful for winter. “Hey,” Harrington said from across the table. He paused until Billy looked up to his eyes. His tone grew delicate and serious. “I’m not fucking around, okay? You. Look. Good.” And the way that Harrington looked at him -- brown eyes soft, his gaze lingering on Billy’s face. On his eyes. Well, maybe he meant it. “Yeah?” Billy asked. He felt his face heating. “You think so?” Harrington took the last bite of his lasagna. “Definitely.”

I Play Along with the Charade by moonflowers / @eatingmoonflowers (7k, T)

Billy'd been keeping an even closer eye on Harrington after that night at the Byers' - only natural, right? Thing is, watching and wondering never was enough for Billy.

in the wilderness life becomes by lymricks / @lymricks (3k, T)

Back in Hawkins for a winter break, Steve and Billy remember what it was like and learn about what it could be. Or, three old memories of Hawkins and one new one.

Bah Humbug, Billy Hargrove by LaVeraceVia / @laveracevia (14k, E)

“It’s okay, Billy. You’re not in any danger. No one can hear us,” Harrington says, and something about his tone—it’s not right. It’s too calm. Too…what? Certain. It’s too certain. Steve Harrington doesn’t talk like that. He means to say are you fucking high?, but what comes out instead is, “Who are you?” “Would you believe me if I said I was your guardian angel?”

merry christmas (i don’t want to fight tonight) by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald (1k, T)

Billy stands alone by the wall, beer in hand, a string of lights twinkling cheerfully above his head. Across the room Stacy Brent corners Steve under the mistletoe, pointing at it with one artfully manicured nail and smiling suggestively. His stomach turns and his blood heats. He chugs his beer, wipes his hand over the back of his mouth, jaw clenching as Stacy leans in.

Tell me, baby by socknonny / @socknonny (2k, M)

Steve finds Billy chopping down the worst tree in the entire Christmas Tree Farm.

A Love Thing by tracy7307 / @tracy7307 (2k, E)

Even five months after recovering from his injuries, Billy still has residual effects from the mindflayer. It's Christmas. Steve wants to help.

Happy Holidays From Your Least Favourite Homosexuals by bry0psida / @bry0psidawrites (1k, T)

Steve's family haven't had any contact with him since he came out as bi. He gets wind from Robin that he's being excluded from the family Christmas Card. Billy has the solution.

#harringrove #harringrove fics #harringrove fic recs #stranger things #reclist #trope:christmas #trope:thanksgiving #trope:newyears

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desperatefrenchwriter · 4 years

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Sola Gratia (7/?)

Rating / Warnings : General audiences, no particular warnings.

Fandom : Bram Stoker’s Dracula, BBC’s Dracula, various Dracula and vampire lore.

Part 7/? (2219 words)

Author’s notes : Rated A for Angst

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“Won’t you invite me in ?”

I slowly turned my head to face him, the tip of my nose touching his for a second.

“Do you think this is how it works ?”, I whispered. He inched back, probably picking up the anger I tried to conceal in the softness of my tone. “Do you think you, who has haunted my every nightmare, every dark corner, every space behind my back, for months-” I took a shaky breath. “Do you think you can invade a place I feel most safe in, threaten my dearest friend, threaten me, and hope a gift will make up for it ?”

I clenched my jaw. His expression, as he has leaned back into his seat, was unreadable.

“I have spent days in the hospital, terrified that you would find me and finish the job. And I couldn’t tell- I couldn’t tell anyone why I felt so unsafe because frankly, who would believe me ?”

Tears welled up in my eyes, still he said nothing. Had he spent so much time apart from any humans he forgot how to understand emotion ?

“I am terrified, right now, because I know you could… snap my neck, or bleed me dry, and I couldn’t- I couldn’t do anything about it !”

I started to cry silently, unable to stop the flow of tears running down my cheeks. He seemed almost paralyzed. I took the chance, and got out of the car, slamming the door behind me. Fumbling for my keys, my fingers were so shaky I dropped them. As I picked them up, I heard the other car door open, and froze, slowly turning back to face him. He circled around the car, but kept a distance between us.

“I cannot begin to imagine what you went through because of me.” He looked and sounded completely serious, which was a strange color on him. “There is nothing I can say that would be close to an acceptable apology, but I do want to make amends.”

He handed me the box, keys still on the lock. The chain glimmered under the streetlamp’s lights.

“I won’t invite you in”, I maintained.

“And I will not insist.”

I hesitated a little, and first pulled the key from the lock, slipped it into my pocket. As I took the box, my fingers brushed against his, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Are you cold ?”

I could have a fire lit, if you want.

“I’m fine”, I replied, once again having no time to protest as he put his jacket on my shoulders. “I’m literally ten feet from my door, Vlad-”

“Hah, she called me Vlad !” A semi-triumphant look plastered on his face.

“This doesn’t mean I trust you, or like you, for all that matter”, I snapped at him.

“And I will make my peace with that.” He put a hand over his heart. “For now.”

“You are insufferable. I’m going to bed.”

He still had a somewhat… sheepish look to him, head slightly tilted to the side, like a grounded puppy. Still. I couldn’t move past the flashes of teeth, blood and feral growls layering over his face. I suddenly had to inhale a sharp gust of air, and turned back, the box held against my chest by my injured hand, the other looking for my keys. I turned back, and climbed the short flight of stairs to the entrance of my building.

“Sleep well, Lady Cetero.”

Can’t promise anything. I buzzed myself in, and hurried to the stairs without a second look behind me, turning all light on as I went by. As I climbed the steps to the fourth and last floor, I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest. Not only because those stairs were a nightmare, though. On the doorstep, the meowing on the other side of the door had me smiling. That little monster was going to be unbearable.

Giving the usual kick to the door panel to get open, it creaked on its hinges, yet the incessant yelling of the hairball at my feet covered most of the noise.

“Hey, shut it, dumbass, you’ll wake the whole building”, I told him, locking the door behind me.

Following his little strut to the kitchen, I gave him his much expected dose of kibble.

“You fat idiot, you need a diet. I love you so much. Babie.”

He purred hysterically as he ate, and I kept on my incoherent baby talk for a while, mindlessly running my hands through his shaggy fur. God, what a day. I sat on the floor, removing my heels, and resisted the urge to throw them out of the window. Gift from Leah, gift from Leah, I muttered under my breath as I put them away in the hall closet.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I dialed Leah’s number, who picked up before the first ring. I reassured her, told her I was home, safe, and tired. As soon as she started taking her usual gossip-y tone, asking about Vlad, I bid her good night, and hung up on her crystalline laugh.

I dragged my feet to my bedroom, throwing the jacket on my desk chair. I grumbled as I tried to unzip my dress. God, who decided to make clothing you can’t take off by yourself ? Rich people, probably. Or people in a relationship. As I finally succeeded to pull the tab down, I heard knocking on my window. A panicked scream escaped my mouth as I noticed the dark silhouette standing on the emergency staircase, outside. Him, again. I sighed, and climbed over my bed to open the window a crack.

“What the hell do you want now ?”, I barked at him.

“You forgot your briefcase”, he told me, holding it up for me.

“Oh. Thanks.” I hesitated before opening the window wider. “This is not an invitation.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it”, he smiled as he passed me the worn leather bag. “Although, if you still need help with your dress-”

“Get out of my balcony.”

I could swear he winked before he disappeared. By that I mean, literally vanished. I leaned out of the window, and felt a soft stroke against my cheek, and a bat, flying off. Well. Something to add to the list. I closed the window, and sat back on my mattress. Sleeping was going to be a challenge, tonight.

~ - ~ - ~

The sound of my alarm dragged me from sleep. Buried in my thick duvet, head incased in my pillows, I groaned for a good minute before I found the energy to set my phone off. Outside, everything was still dark, which made getting up that much harder. Zardoz meowed in indignation when I had the nerve, the hubris to move him from my legs, where he’d spent the night.

My hand felt sore, and I figured I had to redo the bandages, if only to assess the damage. It wasn’t too bad, two cuts to my palm, and one across my thumb, the rest being small, superficial scrapes. I disinfected the whole, and carefully placed fresh bandages, making sure I’d be able to actually use my hand this time.

I dragged myself to the kitchen, and the sacrosanct bean juice machine. It did make disgusting coffee, but then again, I was very much used to it. As it rumbled, having the whole table vibrating, I served His Royal Majesty his morning dose. This time, I set it into a training ball, so that he’d have minimal exercise. God, I could barely picture the sorry state I’d found him in. A small, half dying kitten, at the corner of my building, now a year and a half ago. His harrowing mews of distress attracted me, and after a significant amount of vet bills, he was mine. Leah had the idea for his name, as we were in a weird movie binge-watch party, and Sean Connery’s red underwear made some lasting impression of us. By that, I mean she almost choked to death laughing.

Bringing my cup back to my bedroom, I threw some clothes on, and slipped my feet into my boots. Thursdays were usually not that busy for me, but my absence during the seminar meant I had to catch up on some classes, both to my dismay and that of my students. I finished my coffee with a wince. The things we do for energy. At least, wasn’t coke. I checked the contents of my briefcase, wrapped a scarf around my neck, and was out, but not before a final kiss on Zardoz’s belly, who endured with minimal complaints.

Greeting Mrs. Mills, checking her mailbox way too early as she always did, she asked if I had any breakfast, and cursed at me when I answered by the negative, as she always did. And as I always did, I wished her a good day, before storming out. I climbed down the stairs, checking my watch for the next train, and froze as soon as I raised my head back up.

“What the hell are you still doing here ?”, I exclaimed, my voice coming out a bit more squeaky than I would have liked.

“Good morning to you too”, the Count cheerfully replied, handing me a paper bag.

“What’s that ?”

“Oh, don’t sound so suspicious, it’s breakfast”, he sighed.

Squinting at him, I took the bag, and peeked inside. Warm, buttery looking croissants.

“I didn’t know what to pick, I went for ‘timeless classic’. Is that alright ?”

He seemed to genuinely care. I sighed.

“What isn’t alright is you standing at my front door at six thirty in the god forsaken morning. The croissants are fine.”

“Well, perfect then !”, he exclaimed. “Come on, I’ll drive.”

He opened the passenger door once again.

“What do you mean, you’ll drive ? I’m going to class. I don’t have time for whatever shenanigans you have planned.”

“I know, I’m driving you there.”

Knowing I wouldn’t win this argument, being still half asleep and on an empty stomach, I threw my head back, sighed, letting out a “FINE” that seemed to satisfy him, as I slipped into the car. He sat behind the wheel, my university’s address already in the GPS. Worried me a little. How much exactly did he know ? Was it all in my blood ? Gods, that would be very telling of my academic situation. I leaned back onto my seat, deciding that if I had to put up with him, I didn’t need to make conversation.

“Are you angry, for some reason ?” He really did seem puzzled.

“Dear Lord, you actually have no idea, do you ?”, I sighed.

“I thought it would be gallant.”

“In the twenty-first century, waiting for a woman you barely know, whom you tried to murder a few months ago, is considered a bit creepy, my guy.”

He remained silent, excluding an outraged mouthing of “my guy”, which almost sent me in a fit of laughter.

“Maybe you will have to ‘update’ me on your modern manners, then”, he proposed after a short silence.

“Yeah, maybe.”

What in the goddamn fuck was happening. Three days ago, I had nightmares about the guy, and he was now my glorified chauffeur. Well, not that it really did much for the lingering feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.

“So, did you just wait in front of the building, hoping I’d come out eventually ?”

He laughed. “Would you call me a stalker again if I did ?”

“Obviously.”

“Then no.”

I had to say, he was a little funny. Not that I would admit it under torture, but still. The sky started to take a pink color, lighting the few clouds in bright orange.

“You don’t burn in the sunlight. What’s up with that ?”, I asked.

“I don’t sparkle either, if you want to know.” He didn’t let me enough time to react to the terrible implications of that sentence. “Maybe it’s easier to believe you are only unsafe in the dark.”

I sat back, watching the first rays of sunlight come through the windshield, giving his eyes an almost silver color. I noticed a soft smile form on his lips. He wasn’t horrible to look at, when he wasn’t in a bloodthirsty frenzy. A sharp profile, that commended authority, high cheekbones, and a strong jaw. His hair was still long, in controlled, soft waves, mostly slicked back, except for a few strands, falling casually in front of his face.

“Lady Cetero, you will have me blushing soon”, he teased.

Ah. Fuck. “I don’t like you clean-shaven. It looks weird.”

He laughed, and I turned my eyes to the road, trying to ignore the rising heat to my face. Curse me for blushing so easily.

“I’ll let it grow back, then”, he told me, almost apologetic. Soft.

I shifted further into the leather seat, a smile forcing its way to my lips. “Hrm.”

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Taglist : @carydorse @angelicdestieldemon @bloodhon3yx @thewondernanazombie @battocar @moony691 @mjlock @thebeautyofdisorder

#dracula x oc #dracula x human #vampire x human #vampire #Sola Gratia #Sola Gratia part 7 #dracula bbc #dracula netflix #dracula bram stoker #dracula castlevania #slow burn #angst #enemies to friends to lovers #enemies to lovers #dracula fanfiction #dracula fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction

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i-am-elita · 4 years

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Education as an equalizer; my thoughts on the UNIMA selection list

Isn’t it ironic that in Malawi the most important equalizer when it comes to inequalities, also happens to be the sector that is facing some of the highest inequalities? Yes, I am talking about education!

Education has long been recognized as a human right necessary for the greater fulfillment of many others such as civic, political, economic and social rights. Although primary education is compulsory in Malawi, in my view I would argue that, equality and equity within the system is not. This is quite surprising given how research shows that education (particularly for girls) is one of the most effective and least expensive ways to reduce poverty and to catapult growth! Okay. Fine. But, what am I getting at with all this?

Well I recently caught sight of the newly released UNIMA selection list and one observation in particular struck a chord in me. But before I get into explaining all that, firstly let me start by congratulating all who have recently been selected to UNIMA to pursue studies in various programs! I am so excited for every one of you. Actually, I know how nervously expectant you might be feeling right now because 10 years ago (oh my days, it’s been a whole 10 years already??!) I too was selected for UNIMA and that set me on a whole trajectory (more than just academically) which quintessentially has contributed to the person that I am today.

Now back to the topic at hand, for those of you who have had the time to scan through that selection list, can you for a moment recollect with me what stood out to you. For me, what I noticed right off the bat was the schools where the successful applicants have been selected from – a majority of the selected students are from private high schools or mission secondary schools. Typically the selection list is often skewed in this manner every year, but this year you can observe with me that it is steeper skewed than most. Now, let me be forthright by applauding the selected schools for maintaining comparatively good standards for the benefit of whom they are educating. However, I cannot help but think that not everyone has an opportunity to go to one of those schools. In fact the substantial lot of adolescents in Malawi are currently enrolled in community day secondary schools (CDSS) where academic resources such as libraries and laboratories are in poor shape (if existent at all); where teachers are few and classrooms are overcrowded; where students are excluded from technologies such as computers and where school funding struggles to trickle from the top-down. If you read between the lines of the UNIMA selection list, you will see that it is telling a story – sadly it is a story of gaps and inequalities.

Let’s not give a deaf ear to this story because education inequalities between, for example, a CDSS in rural Malawi and a high school in a peri-urban suburb, is a rough but informative indicator that inequalities will/do re-surface in many other areas of our country and not just here on a university selection list. Education inequalities have a tendency to re-surface in people’s access and attainment of a long list of things such as land, property, information, employment, financial assets, resources and opportunity, just to name a few, as well as active citizen participation (or lack thereof depending on which side of the divide one falls); If you look closely at these mentioned here, they are all catalysts for development. Therefore, strengthening our system so that Malawi’s education disparities are narrowed is so RELEVANT for sustainable development not only for change in the present but for the generations following behind us!

What would it look like for all youth in Malawi to have equal and QUALITY education (because by no means should equality mean compromising quality – that would just defeat the purpose)? I think its about time at national and community level that we need to start to demand and prepare for it (the weakness with the 1994 FPE policy was not the lack of demand but the lack of preparation to meet the demand). But more than just asking ourselves what would it look like, I think the more important question is what would it take?

#education #sustainabledevelopment #malawi #system #equality #quality

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kazekohitori · 3 years

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This is a four part fanfic I wrote for myself and my friends to help deal with the pain of the end of Castiel and Supernatural.

Please read CastielXStacie Chapters One and Two, CastielXAllanah Part One, and CastielXStevie before continuing.

CastielXAllanah Part Two

Allanah took Castiel back to her house where she thought they could better analyze the situation. She explained along the way that, in this world, Castiel was a character in a tv show played by beloved actor Misha Collins. Sam and Dean were played by two Texans who, after portraying brothers for so long, were very much like brothers in real life. The creator of the show, Eric Kripke, had left after season five and that was why the writing had taken a turn for the worse. Castiel listened intently, everything she said had all happened to him in the exact same way. Could the writers of this show be prophets? He didn’t recognize the names as such but maybe in this universe there was a different list of prophets inscribed into the angels minds.

And what of the angels? Were there angels here? Allanah said she had never seen one but couldn’t in good conscience exclude their existence. There had been no angel radio communications; in fact Castiel’s angel senses could not pick up any vibrations of the supernatural. No angels. No demons. No witchcraft or magic. This world seemed to be void of them. That, or his senses weren’t functioning properly.

Castiel had sat at Allanah’s computer the rest of the afternoon and evening reading news articles looking for signs of abnormalities that could be tied to his arrival here. He had found nothing. Deciding instead to focus on what was in front of him he looked into the show following his recent experiences. He had been interested in the love Misha Collins’ fans had for him and all the good Misha had triggered in this world. Allanah had gushed about what she knew of Misha and how kind he was, stating that was one of the reasons she loved the character Castiel. Not only did Misha portray a memorable angel, he was practically an angel himself.

Allanah went about her evening rituals while the angel did “research”. She finished her chores about the house, played with Emma, made dinner for them, put Emma to bed, and did the dishes all while Castiel sat hunched over the computer.

After her evening routine was complete she approached Castiel with a bottle of wine and two glasses. “You drink?”

Studying her he sat back, “I- uh... sure.”

Setting a glass down next to him she poured a glass for him, then one for herself. Holding her glass up to his when he took it, she said, “To new friendships.”

A small smile crept to his lips as he watched her take a sip and then followed suit. He only tasted molecules but it wasn’t unpleasant. He had learned with each “tasting” of human consumables he could discern the different molecular structures and, in a sense, taste. He liked sweet foods such as cereal and chocolate candy bars but the love he once had for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches was gone. This wine, to him, had semi-sweet undertones, like chocolate, with a hint of grape jelly. With each sip it started to grow on him.

Allanah went to sit on the couch in front of the tv where he joined her. “Shall we watch something?”

He gave a small nod, “if you want.”

She flipped through her tv’s menu for something he might enjoy, “anything in particular?”

He watched her take a sip of wine. Her lips pressing to the glass as the red liquid flowed in and over her tongue, her throat muscles bobbed with the swallowing action. Her neck had a graceful length and dip to it. And the way she held her head, as though some invisible crown lay upon it. “A queen of her domain,” Castiel mused, “not one easily trifled with.” And yet she had allowed him, what he considered himself to be, a stranger, into the bosom of her home. There was an easiness about her. She didn’t make him feel as if he were a stranger. She had welcomed him home, offered him a room to stay, with it’s own tv, access to a computer and the internet, and some spare clothes (apparently from an old boyfriend) for him should he wish to change, all without asking anything in return or expecting anything of him until he could ascertain the situation he now found himself in. Her kindness, he thought, was not found in every human. She was part of the rarer breed.

Allanah side-eyed him, “Hello? Any preference?”

Castiel withdrew his attention from her, focusing instead on his glass as he brought it up for another sip. “No. What ever you wish is fine.”

She opted for Criminal Minds and settled herself in for a riveting episode. However, shortly therein she felt his eyes upon her again. The angel on the show had a habit of awkwardness and staring. She had always considered this endearing. Now that she was on the opposite end of it she wasn’t so sure. Being so heavily scrutinized she couldn’t enjoy the show. She was tempted to snap at him but knew that would be detrimental to their budding friendship or, hopefully, she thought, romantic relationship.

She glanced at him, taking in his relaxed form sitting beside her on the couch. Would he ever take that trench coat off? It hindered her view of what lay beneath. She imagined his muscular arms around her, caging her to a wall as he pressed up against her, kissing her deeply then turning his mouth to her neck. She would pull his shirt from his belt and hastily unbutton it, pressing her lips to his when he lifted his head. She would then work on his belt to free his manhood from the confines of his trousers and squeeze his tight ass as she ripped his boxers from his legs. She imagined herself dropping before him and licking- Oh GOD! Could he hear her thoughts? Like in the show? Oh, Fuck! What had she done!

Her face turned a bright red as he watched her. Perhaps he was staring too much. He refocused his attention to the tv show. He wasn’t interested in it at all. What he really wanted to do was snuggle into her. To bathe in that warmth she had so freely given him on the street. To indulge in the scent of her and, if she’d allow it, to taste her wine soaked kiss.

“Mama?” A small voice from the bedroom roused both of them from their thoughts. Allanah left to check on her daughter while Castiel downed the half glass of wine he had left. Returning with Emma in tow, Emma ran to Castiel and jumped up on his lap while Allanah went to the kitchen to get Emma’s sippy cup. Emma started playing with Cas’ face, which he, surpringly, let her. He held her loosely to keep her from falling and smiled contentedly at her. Emma giggled and smooshed his cheeks together giving him “fish lips” and giggling louder when he moved them as such. She pulled at his ear as she readjusted herself on his lap, when he pulled away she reached for his nose instead. Again he pulled away but still smiled. She bopped him on the nose and he acted as though she had given him a knockout punch, throwing his head back and crying out in pain. Then he looked back at her and smiled. She did it again, and he again obliged.

Allanah returned having watched their game from the kitchen, “Emma, be nice,” a motherly tone in her voice. Emma giggled before taking the sippy cup and settling herself into Castiel’s lap, laying her head on his chest. If Allanah was ever jealous of her daughter this was it. Being a child, Emma could do things like climb into strangers laps and no one would bat an eye, but if Allanah did that she was sure to get some strange looks. “The innocence of youth...” she thought.

Allanah reached for Emma, “Sorry about that. C’mon Em.”

Emma moaned her disapproval, digging herself farther into Cas’ embrace, throwing her small arms around his chest and burying her face away from her mother.

“It’s okay,” Castiel stopped Allanah’s attempts to collect Emma. He folded his arms around her, cradling her to him.

Now Allanah really was jealous. But instead of saying anything she simply pouted her lips, poured herself some more wine, and watched the tv.

Several hours passed with the three of them on the couch. Emma had fallen asleep in Cas’ lap but every time Allanah tried to remove her she would wake and make a fuss. Castiel did not complain, instead reassuring Allanah he enjoyed having the small life on his lap. Allanah herself had started to become sleepy and considered feigning nodding off on Cas’ inviting shoulder.

Suddenly Allanah’s phone started going off with messenger notifications. She went to the kitchen to retrieve it and see what was going on. Stevie was sending messages one after another.

Stevie: YOU GUYS!

Stevie: OMG

Stevie: YOU GUYS!!!

Stevie: HES REAL

Stevie: IM LOOKING RIGHT AT HIM!

Stevie: HES HERE IN MY HOUSE!!

Stevie: HES REAL

Stevie: YOU GUYS!!!!

Stevie: AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Allanah was the first to respond.

Allanah: What do you mean? Who?

Stevie: CASTIEL! HE’S HERE IN MY KITCHEN!

Allanah: How

Stevie: Idk but he is! We just kissed!

Stevie: I thought he was a dream but

Stevie: HE’S FUCKING REAL!!!

Allanah typed back.

Allanah: I know he is. I’m looking at him right now.

Stevie: What?

Allanah: He is on my couch with Emma.

Allanah: How is he with you?

Stevie: There’s two of them?!

Before Allanah could respond Christina chimed in.

Christina: Make that three

#supernatural #spn fanfiction #spn finale #castiel fanfiction #castiel

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veliseraptor · 4 years

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2019 Fanfiction Round-Up

I’ve done one of these every year since 2016, so here we are again. At this point I’d feel weird if I didn’t do it, even if it takes a long ass time to do.

Total Year-Long Wordcount: Here as of 8:20 PM, 421,602 words - which includes some essays and original fiction but is, by and large, mostly fic.

If you’re curious, that’s 35,133.5 average words per month, and 1,155 words per day. The month I wrote most was 48,006 words (January) and the least was 21,550 (October). I may go into more stats later to compare to my 2017/2018 spreadsheet, because that’s the kind of loser I am.

This year I wrote and posted: This isn’t exact, because it includes chapters of things I wrote as separate fics, but probably something around 60 fics.

Overall Thoughts

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted?

Less, by a substantial margin. There are a lot of potential reasons for this (a new job that takes a lot more energy and time, me making a concerted effort to socialize more, taking on more difficult projects that require more time/work/effort, a two month horrendous depressive episode) but I’m trying to tell myself that it doesn’t matter why, and it’s totally fine that my total amount written doesn’t match recent years’. Over 400,000 words is still a lot of writing.

What’s your own favorite story of the year?

This was a hard year, so I’m going to be self-indulgent and pick a few. I remain really, really proud of the fact that I wrote gather frankincense at all, and pretty proud of how it turned out also. good lord turned his back on me was one that I wrote basically all in one go, and I was really pleased with the Natasha POV and getting to write in her voice - I do that shockingly rarely, and haven’t in a while. I really liked both writing that fic and the arc of it - what it did as a story.

Finally, continuing with the trend of “small fandom fic” which...I wrote a substantial amount of small-fandom fic this year, which pleases me - how this grace thing works. It was in the works for a long, long time and finally was finished this year - it’s the (for lack of a better word) softest Doctrine of Labyrinths fic I’ve written, and quite possibly ever will write.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

I wrote in two different fandoms that I hadn’t written in before or hadn’t written for years. Okay, in fairness I did some Doctrine of Labyrinths writing last year, but this year was really the bulk of the recent writing I’ve done for it. Writing for Lymond was a substantially bigger risk. Glad I did it, and I learned that I could do it, but...

I wrote a fic for someone else in second person, which was certainly a risk in a different way.

Overall...I learned that while I can write in first person still, I deeply prefer both third and second person overall. One of those isn’t surprising; the fact that I’ve come to actually really like second person sometimes is more so.

From my past year of writing, what was….

My most popular story of this year:

As usual, excluding my multichapter stuff because that skews results a lot - by hits it was how the dead walk; by kudos it was Seams and Scars, and by both comment threads and bookmarks it was Mirror, Mirror. All interesting! Seams and Scars is the most surprising to me, but also pleasing considering how goddamn long that fic took me to write (I’m so glad I finally finished it this year).

Most fun story to write:

Five Hundred Ways to Discorporate a Demon. Aka the most light-hearted “repetitive character death” fic I’ve ever written. It was just...writing Good Omens fic this year in general was a lot of fun. It’s a departure from my usual voice, and my usual wheelhouse, but probably because of that was really enjoyable to explore. Though in a weird way good lord turned his back on me was also a lot of fun, in the sense of...it was one of those fics that was easy for me to write. It came out smooth and in a way that I liked basically right off the bat, which is rare and a great feeling when it happens.

Story with the single sexiest moment:

This was kind of a challenging one, actually, because what I find sexy sort of fluctuates based on what I’m in the mood for at the time, but I might go with the sex scene in The Waxing Moon, partly because, as I discovered writing both that fic and An Ever Expanding Circle, I apparently find cocky Thor really sexy. I sort of resent this. (So does Loki.)

Most “Holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story:

Yeah, I’m going to go with no good doing what I’m told, aka the one where I had a bunch of existential angst about “is this too much? am I going too far?” which...yeah, is always a sign of something considering how high my bar for myself has gotten.

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:

I have a hard time with this question every year. In some way, every story I write shifts my understanding of the characters, or at least deepens it. I guess maybe After the Fire - I dug into Curufin’s head more there than I have in a long time, and since I last did my understanding of him has changed generally. This fic developed more of that changing understanding.

Hardest story to write:

The Compassion of the Wicked. Even more than gather frankincense, that fic fought me, to the mat, and almost won a number of times. Writing the sex in it was an adventure - I think I noted when I finished it that this is possibly the least explicit fic with explicit sex that I’ve written. Also possibly required the most research, and by “required” I mean “I chose this.” And writing Joleta was...it took me some doing to figure out how to write her, which surprised me a little.

Anyway, the whole thing was just. A whole barrel of struggle. I’m pretty pleased with the end result, but yeesh.

Biggest Disappointment:

As usual, in myself, for not working more on my WIPs and not finishing we live until we die. I wanted that to happen this year, I really did, and while I suppose it’s not surprising it didn’t (there was a lot of planning that needed to happen, and continued to need to happen), I’m still disappointed.

Biggest Surprise:

Other than “the fact that I wrote Lymond fic at all” and “the fact that people actually read the Lymond fic I wrote”? Probably the continued and aggressive expansion of the Where the Devil Don’t Go verse. I thought it was over after I wrote drown my woes in a lake of fire but then it turned out that there were (checks) five more installments I was going to write, and two more in the works, and one other that is on Tumblr but not cross-posted.

I did not see that coming at all.

Most Unintentionally Telling Story:

I never really know how to answer this question. I guess sometimes there is an obvious one, usually meaning “Jesus, Lise, how fucked up can you get” and in that sense it would definitely be no good doing what I’m told, but...I actually think in some ways it might be how the dead walk. It isn’t...exactly the same as my issues, but there are some ways in which it aligns with them in ways that are different from the ones I usually work with when I’m writing Loki.

Favorite Opening Line(s):

1. The first thing that Felix noticed about Malkar was his hands. (The Anvil and the Chain)

2. The moment he was left alone, Maeglin stumbled to his feet, untethered the nearest horse, and set off back toward the smoke and flame still visible on the horizon. (how should I begin)

3. For the first month and a half after Rocket’s friends arrived on Midgard, along with the remains of Asgard’s population, Loki avoided Gamora with the skill and determination of a mouse evading a fox. (came through the jaws of Death)

4. In the summer of the Year of Our Lord 1000, there was a false alarm, brought about by millennial fever both Up and Downstairs, that the Apocalypse was imminent. (Mercy)

5. A long while ago Loki had read, in a book that was now ash, about the formation of storms. (we haven’t slept in years)

Favorite Line(s) from Anywhere:

1. I was lying on my stomach with shackles on my wrists and ankles and the water was rising. Someone, somewhere, was crying. It might have been a ghost. It might have been me. (As I breathe, he burns my lungs like fever)

2. Like my fear of water, fear of Malkar ran in my blood, and was as much a part of me. (The Road to Mourning)

3. “I am not in the mood for indulgence. Is there a purpose to this pageantry, o my Pasha?”

“Save that it is my pleasure?” Gabriel regarded him with a touch of amusement. “You would rather I tied you to a whipping post and had you flogged?”

“You would gain marks for consistency,” Lymond said. (gather frankincense)

4. “Because you are the flaw. You are the fault along which the stone splits. You are what is wrong.” (Mirror, Mirror)

5. “Would you rather I were?” Loki said, and there was something soft and vicious in his voice even with the lingering rasp that made the hair on the back of Clint’s neck all stand on end. “I think not. I am aware that you do not want me here. No doubt you would rather have Thor. That is fine; I would rather you had Thor, too. Don’t think I am not aware of the long and manifold list of my failures. That does not mean I want them enumerated to me by you.” (the enemy of my enemy)

6. “I am too beautiful to die,” Celegorm said with confidence.

But you are going to, Curufin thought. We all are. Condemned as surely as if we were Secondborn. Maybe not now, but... He held his tongue and simply said, “oh, naturally.” Celegorm wheezed a laugh and closed his eyes again. (After the Fire)

7. And yet he misses Thor. No, that is wrong: saying he misses Thor is as inadequate as it would be to say that he misses breathing. He is that central, that vital, that involuntary.

If anyone asked, Loki thinks he would tell them that was why he was running. To prove that he can. (These Vagabond Shoes)

8. The smile, when it came, was sharp. “O Castitas,” Lymond said, “Mater et Virgo, extingue carnales concupiscentias! But enough. For whom this mummer’s show? Do we not know each other better now? For certainly I have known flesh of your flesh, blood of your blood... and she drew mine.” (The Compassion of the Wicked)

9. There was a way Thor had of saying things that made them inarguable. Loki had no idea how he did it - it was as though he spoke the words and it just was, like the world bent itself to suit what he said, only it bent itself so it was as though it had always been true. Loki had always found it maddening. (Speak every man the truth)

10. Everyone got a bit twitchy in the 1300s. People started getting suspicious of the dark glasses. They seemed to think Crowley was hiding something, which he was, but that wasn’t any of their business. (Five Hundred Ways to Discorporate a Demon)

11. This was what the Grandmaster did. He showed you a door, or what looked like a door, and then yanked you back just when it seemed to be in reach. Or proved that it had never been there at all, and what had you been thinking to try to get away, anyway, after everything he’d done for you? (preacher man won’t cut no slack)

12. “You can’t help me,” Loki said, breathless. “There is nothing left to help.”

“That isn’t true,” Thor said weakly. “You are here, aren’t you?”

“Here,” Loki said. “Yes. But I am - I am not myself. I am a cobbled together patchwork of Odin’s making and the Grandmaster’s making and the making of the Void. And yours.” All the feeling had gone from his voice. “You want your brother back. But that person doesn’t exist. If he ever did.” (where I make my home)

Top 5 Scenes from Anywhere You Would Choose to Have Illustrated:

There are a lot of pieces from Mirror, Mirror that I would love to see, but maybe especially the one where Loki is looking at his reflection and notices how sick he appears, when the shadow appears behind him.

Gabriel making Lymond kneel in gather frankincense. Look, I am who I am.

Thor sitting next to ghost!Loki from it slips between my fingers now.

Curufin kneeling (SHUT UP) in front of Finrod with wounded Celegorm in his arms from After the Fire. It could be very Pieta. There’s a lot going on there. I just want it.

Steve and Loki at the top of the waterfall from into the light of a dark black night, just before Loki dives over.

Fic-writing goals for 2020:

Finish we live until we die. This is probably the biggest, most concrete one on my list.

Write! More! Lymond fic! I have three ideas and I really like all of them - I just need to stop having staring contests and psyching myself out and actually do the writing.

Whittle that WIP list down to at least under 70. Under 65 would be even better.

That’s really all. I’m keeping them modest. Also here is “try to chill out, a little, about your pathological productivity problem” but that’s an ongoing project that maybe doesn’t count for the spirit of this question.

#fanfiction round up #confessions of a frustrated writer

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calliecat93 · 4 years

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Top 10 Disney Couples

Last year for Valentines, I did a post on some of my favorite all-time ships. I wanted to do something like that again this year, so I decided to do Disney specifically. I’m only gonna count the main animated features (with one exception), so no Pixar but maybe I’ll give that its own list next year. Also, because I put this ship on my list last year, I’m going to exclude Rapunzel/Eugene (they’d be Number 2 otherwise) so that I can talk about some other pairings that I love. And trust me, when it comes to Disney, I got plenty.

Okay, here we go~

#10. Milo Thatch/Kida (Atlantis the Lost Empire)

Atlantis is one of the most underrated Disney films ever, and same with this pair. Okay so I guess technically they didn’t get together since there wasn’t a kiss or anything... but come on! While their intentions were all in the second half of the movie, it was just so... sweet to me. Milo had it rough through the whole movie with so many people belittling him. Even though he made friends with the crew and doing so got them to do the right thing, they were still pretty harsh on the poor guy in the start. He had been mocked due to his dreams, but never gave up even when his inexperience and dorkiness got in the way.

Kida though? She seemed endeared by him. Just like Milo had a curiosity in finding Atlantis and learning of their culture, Kida was interested in Milo and the world he came from. She might be the very first person aside form Mr. Whitmore who acted kindly to Milo right off the bat and asked him to help her save her people and culture. Milo didn’t go for the money, he went because it was his grandfather’s dream, and in turn his dream. They were so cute and fun together as they learned about each other's worlds, and of course, Milo did everything he possibly could to save Kida after she and the crystal bonded, as well as the entire city. Even at the risk of his own life. And just that hug between them at the end and Milo choosing to stay in Atlantis. Just... beautiful. This pair might be subtle, but it's just so sweet and respectful to each other and I just love them.

#9. Duchess and Thomas O’Malley (The Aristocats)

I think this was one of the first movies I ever saw in my life. My mom said I used to watch it all the time as a kid anyways. Heck, pretty sure this movie is why I love cats so much.

Anyways, this pair is cute. Duchess is a classy lady, while Thomas is a swinger. But they just have this natural chemistry the minute that they met. They don’t judge each other from their different walks of life or anything. You can tell that Duchess was charmed the second Thomas first came on. But what sells is, while thrown off for a moment, when Thomas realizes Duchess has kittens? He pretty much goes into dad mode instantly and tries to keep them happy/protect them. I mean he didn't have to help Marie when she fell out of the milk truck at that point, but he did it because it was the right thing to do. He wasn't one of those assholes who got thrown off cause the girl had kids. Heck, that seemed to bring them closer together.

But yeah, it’s just nice and charming to me. There’s nothing real deep about it, but IDK. There’s just something endearing about it to me. Maybe t’s due to Eva Gabor’s performance as Duchess, which also kinda helps with a pairing later on. But I just find them charming and Thomas showed to be a good guy and a good father figure. Sometimes you don’t need a lot of depth for a pair, you just gotta make the sense of romance come off. Disney has always been good at that, and this pair demonstrates that.

#8. Cinderella/Prince Charming (Cinderella)

So to be fair this one has little to no development. Which is kind fo a thing with some of the early Disney films n it’s things like this that Frozen pointed out... even though it kinda fell into the same cliche, but ah well. But you know what? As I said, Disney is usually pretty damn good at making you like a pair, even if it’s out of focus. This one is a prime example. We don’t see much of the Prince, but at the same time there is so much there.

Throughout the movie, we saw Cinderella belittled and abused by her stepfamily. She’s treated like a slave and gets her dreams literally torn apart right in front of her eyes. But she tries to remain kind and hopeful, and the Fairy Godmother rewards her for it. She gets the one night at the Bal. She didn’t go intending to find love, he went because for one time in her life since her parents died, she could have one night of happiness. That was all she wanted. Then Charming saw her. It was him who got struck with love at first sight It was him who walked out on th other girls and approached her. A prince noticed this girl who felt that she was a lowly servant, and danced with her. FOr Cinderella, that had to be so touching and amazing that can we blame her for being so in love after? After someone finally, finally gave her some long overdue affection.

Yeah in RL this can be dangerous. But it isn’t RL. It’s a fairy tale. Cindy earned her happy ending. And if we needed genuine proof about the Prince, A Twist in Time showed that he was indeed a good, heroic person. He didn’t judge Anastasia off her looks. When he found out the truth, he went to find Cinderella and remembered his love for her. He never cared that Cindy was a servant or anything. He loved her when he saw her, and clearly loved her for who she was. Cindy found someone who would give her the love that was so cruelly denied form her and she got out of her abusive family through it. Is it perfect? No, and I can give the remake points for doing a better job at developing the romance. But even so, it’s just s beautiful pair I loved since like... three years old. As such IDC what anyone says, I will always love them.

#7. Belle/Beast aka Adam (Beauty and the Beast)

It might be a surprise to some, but... I’m not a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. I just feel like Belle, compared to Ariel and some of the later princesses is a little too boring. I still love her though. She’s bookish and kind and is seen as weird by her town, but she pursues what she enjoys anyways. She refuses Gaston’s advances as, while she had expressed wanting love, she didn’t want it with a brute like him. She wanted to choose herself. Then The Beast happens.

People tot his day still like to throw the Stockholm Syndrome card around, but it is idiotic. Belle never caved to Beast when he acted like a brute. But he did see that he wasn't a bad person when he saved her from the wolves, ad she chose to tend to him because she’s a good person. Yes, Beast needs her to break the curse, but Belle doesn’t just cave in either. Beast has to change himself to earn Belles's affection, and over time he does. He learns to be kinder and sure it’s a work in progress, but he does try and he does become better. It goes form needing Belle out of necessity, to genuinely falling in love with her because of her kindness towards him. Belle made Beast a better person, and once she saw the person he truly was, she fell in love with him.

But even then, despite those feelings, Belle decides to leave because her father needed her. Beast, instead of trying to force her to stay, allows her to go. That’s how much he loved her at that point. He loved her enough to let her go, even though that meant he’d be doomed. But it’s through that act, that selflessness, that allows the curse to eventually break. Because of Belle, Beast broke away form being a monster and spared Gaston. Because Belle saw the good in Beast, she stood up to Gaston and went back to save the man she loved. Because of that love, the curse was broken, and Beast became Adam once more. Belle saved Adam. Even if I’m not a huge fan of that film, it’s such a beautiful demonstration of the power of love and they truly deserved each other. A tale as old as time, indeed.

#6. Miss Bianca/Bernard (The Rescuers)

THIS IS THE MOST UNDERRATED DISNEY SHIP EVER.

I love these two so much. Again, its a rather understated pair, but it just works. Bernard is the nervous janitor of the Rescue Aid Society, but he clearly believes int heir cause as shown when he sings the anthem outside. Bianca is the Sweedish representative who has many admirers, but her heart is set on her job. She takes a liking to Bernard because she sees that compared to pretty much everyone else, he believes in rescuing those in trouble with the same passion as she does. He also shows how much he cares for her by being worried about her going to save Penny. Not because she’s a girl, but because he wants her to be safe. That clearly touched her and is why she picked him to be her co-agent.

They both work well together, Binca encouraging Bernard and being the charmer, more relaxed one. Bernard is frequently nervous, but he has a clear knack for the job and does it well. By the time they are on the way to Devil’s Bayou, it’s clear that they’ve acknowledged their feelings for one another. Ther’s no major arc or anything, it’s just two individuals feeling mutually attracted and feeling comfortable with their feelings. They work very well together and manage to rescue Penny, and later Doby in the sequel. The sequel retains the same charm, and the end where Bernard finally proposes makes me smile big every single time.

It’s just a lovely pairing that works so well and it is soooo underrated. It needs more love.

#5. Tiana/Prince Naveen (The Princess and the Frog)

I love this pair so much. It’s a classic ‘came from two different worlds’ story. You have the hard-working and ambitious Tiana and the lazy, spoiled Prince Naveen. Tiana is a good person, but she tends to put work over everything else and never lets herself relax. Naveen is a fun and intelligent man, but he’s spoiled and doesn’t know how to do anything, which caused his parents to cut him off. Due to this, Naveen got himself cured and he ended up passing it onto Tiana.

It is through each other that they find what is missing. Naveen has someone who actually pushes him to work and to realize his own flaws. How he doesn’t know how to act in the real world, even though he shows that he has plenty of skills if he tried. Having someone like Tiana who didn’t fall for his charm and pushed him to actually do things got him to better himself, and it clearly drew him to her. With Tiana, Naveen helped her see that there is more to life than working hard. It’s okay to take a step back and to find things like love. Her dream will always be there, but love will only come around every so often. It helps Tiana ease up and believe in things like wishing stars again, and it paid off for her.

Even at the end, when it looks like they’ll never become human, they accept it. Naveen almost gives up his freedom to marry Charlotte not to turn human again but to let Tiana fulfill her dream. Tiana realizes that she loves Naveen and even if it means losing what she wanted, she’ll still have what she needs, just like her father did. But it works out as once they get married, Tiana is now a princess and their kiss breaks the spell. Tiana got her dream. Naveen did everything he could to make that dream happen, including work with his own bare hands. They got the thing they both wanted and needed, and it’s just beautiful. Neither one are perfect, but their love is genuine, and I adore them and their journey,

#4. Hercules/Meg (Hercules)

I just realises that 5-2 are all from Musher and Clements directed films. Huh. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. Those two are so good at making likable couples. Even if they only have to much time to develop them, they make them good and their live believable and I love them. Hercules and Meg are no exception.

Unlike other heroines, Meg is a little older and less innocent. Herc is the more innocent one this time around. Herc is a good-hearted guy trying to figure out who he is and wants to be a hero to reunite with his God family. He saves Meg where despite some clumsiness, he pulls it off. Meg is clearly amused and Herc is lovestruck by her beaut. But of course, Meg is with Hades due to selling her soul to save her lover... who left her for another woman. Meg is cynical and hurt, and considering she pretty much gave up her soul for a man who left her without so much as a thank you, it’s hard to blame her.

Even though Hades makes her get close to Herc to find his weakness, Meg ends up falling for him due to his kindness and genuine heroic heart. She’s in denial of it because of what she experienced, but he wins her over. So much so that even if it means eternal servitude, she refuses to help Hades anymore. Unfortunately, it only gives Hades what he needs to break Herc, and it hurts them both. But despite clearly being heartbroken by the deception and being powerless, Herc trie to save everyone anyways. THen Meg sacrifices herself to save him and restore his power, making Herc realize she did really love him. Herc grew to love Meg because she was smart, funny, and she made him feel less alone. Seeing that she was willing to die for him, despite all that happened, really showed how strong that love truly was. Meg again sacrificed herself to save who she loved, and Hercules proved he was a hero by going to the Underworld himself to save Meg. He was willing to sell his own soul to let Meg leave, and this act got him his full Godhood restored.

But the best part? At the end despite finally being deemed a True Hero and being back at Mount Olympus, what does Hercules do? He gives it up. For Meg. He finally found the place he came form... but it wasn’t where he belonged. He belonged on Earth. The place that raised him. The place he found Meg. His parents are stunned, but clearly happy for him and grant his wish. They finally get to kiss, and it feels so earned. Hercules found someone who loves him for him and can fill the void. Meg found some genuinely kind who would never leave or hurt her. That's the best way to describe this pair, genuine.

#3. Ariel/Eric (The Little Mermaid)

In many ways, this pairing set up the basis for many pairings to come.

Ariel is a mermaid who wants to be human. Eric is an adventurous prince wanting to enjoy life. One fateful night, Ariel stumbled upon his ship and it was love at first sight. Not just on her end either. When she saved him, Eric got one glimpse at her, but could only remember her voice. He wanted to find this mysterious girl again (a fact many critics seem to ignore) and thus the stage is set. After Triton destroys her grotto, Ariel takes Ursula’s deal and becomes human, and gets her chance to woo Eric.

These two are just adorable. People still get on Ariel for her choice here, and yeah she fell in love super fast. But she already wanted to be human, and I think some of her feelings were more infatuation than real love at first. But once humans, we see that Eric is a genuinely nice guy. Even though he thinks Ariel isn’t the girl since she can’t talk, what doe she do? He takes her to the palace anyways because clearly, she needs help and shelter, and he’s willing to give her that. I think that’s what gets Ariel to truly love him, seeing that he’s a good person and kind of her ideal vision of what humans are like. Then Ariel, despite being mute, is just so charming and weet that Eric ends up feeling attracted to her. So much sot hat once Grimm points it out to him, he gives up on his curiosity over the girl who saved him and is about to turn his affections towards Ariel. Sure Ursula messed that up, but it showed that no, he didn’t fall for Ariel because it turned out she was that girl. He fell in love with Ariel because of who Ariel was. Just as she fell for him because of who he was.

I truly did not care that their romance was rushed. It was genuinely charming and sweet. They were both good people, and seeing two good people happy is perfectly fine. Especially at the end where once she found out what Ursula was doing, Ariel went after them even though she couldn’t swim in her human form. Eric, despite being human, went to save Ariel from Ursula, and she, in turn, saved him from getting blasted. Then Eric finished Ursula once and for all, nearly getting killed int he process but this proves himself worthy to Triton. He grants Ariel legs, and the two can finally be together. The critics and ‘feminists’ can say what they want, they are adorable and just good for each other and as I said, are the template for so many couples afterwards. I love them, dang it!

#2. Aladdin/Princess Jasmine (Aladdin)

IDK what it is about these two! They’re just so... perfect! IDK how to explain why, but I’m gonna try.

Like I said, Musker and Clements are just really good at making likable pairs. Aladdin is a street rat striving for more. Jasmine is a princess who wants freedom. When they meet, its true love. It doesn't even feel like Aladdin fell for her cause she was pretty, it truly feels like he saw his soulmate for the first time. Then the two find a common link in feeling trapped in their lives. They both want more. Want to create something better for themselves. And they find that they may just be able to get that through each other. But then Aladidn is arrested and Jafar lies that he was executed, breaking Jasmine and essentially ensuring that she wasn’t going to leave again.

Then Prince Ali shows up. Jasmine is angered because he appears pompous and because her everyone si trying to make decisions about her without her consent. She isn’t a prize to be won. Ali, of course, is Aladdin, and once Jasmine tells him off, he realizes how the persona he’s putting on is wrong. He acts more like himself, showing that he likes Jasmine not because of her looks or money, but because she’s a fun, strong-willed person. Once she sees this and suspects he’s Aladdin, she goes with him on the magic carpet. A Whole New World is one of the most romantic scenes in any movie period. You will never be able to convince me otherwise. It ends with Jasmine realizing Ali’s identity, and while he still lies, Aladdin acts like himself and Jasmine falls for the person he truly is.

But of course, Aladdin is still lying. So he still needs to prove himself worthy after. Which he does by defeating Jafar despite having only his street rat skills to aid him. But he accomplishes it masterfully. He realizes that he can't live a lie or force Genie into servitude just to fulfill his won want. He frees Genie, but he didn't need his magic by then. he more than proved himself to the Sultan, who lets Jasmine choose who she wants. I think he’d have done this long before if not for Jafar’s hypnosis, and the smile of Jasmine’s face is just beautiful. She chooses Aladdin, and it is indeed a whole new world for both of them. It’s just so genuine and pure and I love them.

So... back at the top, I said there was one exception to the ‘strictly form Disney animated features’ rule. Why? Because I just could not leave this one off. It would feel wrong because it is one of, if not the, most perfect and longest-lasting couples in all fo entertainment. Who am I talking about?

#1. Mickey and Minnie Mouse

As the old saying goes: it all started with a mouse.

Mickey and Minnie is so freakin pure it makes me feel the warm fuzzies if I so much as see a photo of them. Really, anything they are in together makes me feel that way. For over ninety years, these two have graced pretty much every media form ever and have been together in some fashion throughout it. They have the same birthday and last name for crying out loud! This was destiny!

Both Mickey and Minnie are sweet and endearing. Mickey is the face of Disney and while I know some find him bland and one-note, there’s always just been this charm to him. I love how much of a sweetie he is, and he does have his mischevious streak. Minnie over the years has become more sassy and stern, letting her not just be Mickey’s girlfriend. But no matter what changes the two have been through, their utter love for each other has never faded away. You can put them in anything in any setting, and they will be head over heel for each other.

I mean even their longest-lasting voice actors, Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor, got married due to these roles. Mickey ad Minie got married in real life. It really showed too. You could just tell that Mickey and Minnie, Wayne and Russi, were just so in love and it made you love them. It’s something that’s gonna be hard due to Wayne and Russi’s passings, but true love is eternal. That love will always exit through Mickey and Minnie. Even when Bret Iwan and Chris Diamantopolis took over Mickey, you still feel the love between Mickey and Minnie and I’m sure that whoever takes over Minnie will also keep that intact. That love is immortalized, and I will continue to love every second of it.

Mickey Mouse is the one who started it all, but Mickey and Minnie are the ones who started Disney’s pure love stories. I think that’s something that Disney has always been good at. Sure the romances can be rushed and happen at first sight. Even they’ve made fun of themselves for it But they’re just so good at it. As they say, don’t fix what ain’t broke. Maybe give it a fresh coat of paint, but don’t fix what doesn't need it. I look forward to seeing future Disney pairs, and I will cherish them all, both old and new Happy Valentines Day everyone~

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mobius-prime · 4 years

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184. Sonic the Hedgehog #116

This is a very exciting issue, everybody! First of all, it sees the return of Rouge, who so far has only had one cameo within the comics since the majority of the Sonic Adventure 2 storyline was skipped. And second of all (and perhaps more importantly), this issue marks the exact halfway point in the Archie Sonic preboot! Yes, that's right, up to this point we have read exactly half of all available preboot issues (excluding a couple here and there that either contained noncanon stories or were just made up of reprinted older stories). It's kind of exciting! You could joke that it's all downhill from here, but I would disagree, as some of the comic's best years are still ahead of us, something which most preboot fans would likely agree on. So hold on tight - it's gonna be an interesting 183 more issues to come!

Operation: Off Switch!

Writer: Benny Lee Pencils: Ron Lim Colors: Josh & Aimee Ray

So remember how I mentioned that Eggman has been mysteriously missing as of late? Yeah, well, turns out he's kind of been hiding this whole time. Sonic and Bunnie find themselves called to Station Square by the city's president, who informs them that he's found some information they will find significant.

Their mission takes them to the ruined city of Old Megaopolis in Mobius' northern hemisphere. Interestingly enough, there's actually a ruined Statue of Liberty there! I know that Mobius has analogues to almost everything on Earth, but this is a bit much, don't you think?

Apparently, even this city is very small compared to New Megaopolis north of here. Bunnie and Sonic decide to split up - Sonic heads off to look for Eggman, while Bunnie goes in search of Rouge. Sonic quickly finds himself dodging various attacks such as missiles, clearly put there by Eggman to stop anyone from disrupting his plans. Of course, he makes it through, and emerges into a room where Eggman has set up a really stupid-looking robotic body for himself, which basically amounts to a small metal dome-like thing with a lot of arms and a primitive Eggman head in the center. He tries to hit Sonic with the arms, but he dodges most of them, and easily slips a lit stick of dynamite into Eggman's metal mouth before making his getaway.

Well, I'm sure that takes care of that problem, right? There's no way he's coming back now! None at all!

Bat Fight!

Writer: Karl Bollers Pencils: J. Axer Colors: J an A Ray

Yes, "an," not "and." I don't know what Josh and Aimee are up to, but they have a different way of listing their own names in the credits pretty much every time they show up.

While Sonic is busy blowing things up in another part of the city, Rouge has been irritably pacing in the confines of her cell, mad at herself for getting caught earlier when she first entered the city. Suddenly, her cell opens, and she suspiciously steps out to see the silhouette of Bunnie standing nearby, greeting her. Mistaking her for a cyborg created by Eggman and sent to kill her, Rouge doesn't hesitate to start beating Bunnie up. Bunnie, naturally, is not pleased with this, and fights back.

They basically just spend several pages duking it out, with no real dialogue between either of them. It's been quite a while since we saw a story that was nothing but fighting like this - that typically happened in the earlier issues, when a "____ vs. ____" special was a much bigger draw than it is now. The fight finally ends when Sonic shows up, baffled at why they're fighting at all.

I mean, yeah it was Rouge's fault, but it's not really surprising given that she had every reason to mistrust a half-roboticized figure coming at her while she was still a prisoner of Eggman. Honestly, what I'm more interested in about her is how the hell she even came to be an agent of Station Square's military in the first place. The only piece of Sonic media I'm aware of that actually explains her initial recruitment is Sonic X, but in this universe, Station Square was presumably not even aware of the existence of Mobians until Sonic and co. visited the city for the first time a mere few months ago. How did a Mobian even get a position as one of the city's agents in the first place? As far as I remember it's not ever explained either, so I suppose we could just assume that she was made an agent under similar circumstances shortly after the events of the Sonic Adventure arc and leave it at that.

Ultimate Power (Mid-logue: The Lesson)

Writer: Ken Penders Pencils: Dawn Best Colors: Aimee & Josh Ray

This story is exactly what the title implies - we're taking a hard break from what was happening before with Knuckles, Dimitri and Mogul, to look at a memory from Knuckles' childhood. Presumably because of his Chaos-ness, he experiences this memory in third person as though he's standing there watching everything play out before his eyes. He sees himself as an eight-year-old with his father, as they watch a group of mysterious strangers enter the Chaos Chamber. Knuckles is eager to learn more about the Chaos Emerald that keeps the island aloft, but Locke merely brushes him off and tells him to stay put while he takes care of the problem.

We've already been over Locke's terrible parenting before, so I won't rehash it here. Green Knuckles finds himself baffled as to why he's been thrust into this sudden flashback, but follows his past self as he in turn follows his father into the Chaos Chamber. The intruders turn out to be some of Robotnik's own roboticized scouts, who have landed on the island in search of a new power source for their broken-down ship. Locke tries to warn them away peacefully, but when they try to take the Chaos Emerald for themselves, little Knuckles jumps in, trying to tackle one of them. He's batted aside like a mere nuisance, which pisses Locke off. Locke zaps them all with energy drawn from the emerald so they fall to the ground smoking and disabled, and goes to check on his son, who is coming to, dazed from the blow.

With the flashback completed, Knuckles comes back to himself in the Brotherhood's base, listening to Remington on the screen asking him to come to the hospital to deal with their current hostage situation. Honestly, I'm not even entirely sure what this story is for, because while Knuckles acts like he's learned some important lesson from reviewing this memory, I really can't see anything in it that's relevant to his current situation. But there is an important milestone issue coming up soon, and I think that this story may have been used as filler to take up some space so that the end of this arc could coincide with it, since both Knuckles' and Sonic's stories converge in that milestone issue. You'll see what I mean in a few…

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #sth 116 #writer: benny lee #writer: karl bollers #writer: ken penders #pencils: ron lim #pencils: jeff axer #pencils: dawn best #colors: joshua d ray #colors: aimee r ray

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quills-and-golden-ink · 6 years

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Welcome one and all to the second part of the Monthly Guide to Monsters! The talented @downwithwritersblock and I have teamed up to bring you some quick and easy guides to some of the world’s most infamous creatures.

The guide will include: basic background, historical information, abilities, how to defeat them, and portrayals in media. They’ll probably also come with some short stories or prompts!

For this week, I’ve been tasked with probably one of my favourite mythological beings: vampires. These will be posted on Mondays and Thursdays, excluding this week (since I’ve been busy with stuff). We hope you enjoy!

Monster Guide #2: The Vampire

Definition: A vampire is an undead or immortal being from folklore that subsists by feeding off the vital force (usually blood) of the living. Vampires are typically creatures that bring about mischief or death. For a long time, vampires were synonymous with demons. Many cultures actually classified vampires as being corpses that were possessed and animated by a demon.

Description: Many early tales described vampires to be bloated; with ruddy, dark, or purple skin, and almost always wearing some kind of dark shroud to hide themselves in (that they usually bring with them from their own grave). It wasn’t until the 19th century, with our more modern day lore that we started to see the classic frail, or gaunt and pale vampires that we have grown used to seeing in the media.

Abilities: These change from culture to culture, although many of them were birthed by Bram Stoker's Novel “Dracula” (which were, btw, super OP). Included are some of the most common abilities associated with vampires (you’ll notice that “glittering in sunlight” is absent because of this).

Usually immortal, or with at least a very prolonged life span

Increased abilities such as strength, speed, sight, hearing and smell.

Flight

Some hypnosis, telepathy, illusionary magic.

Shapeshifting (typically into a bat)

Vampire’s Baptism: the act of healing one with a vampires blood, or turning one into a vampire through mutual biting

Regenerative healing

Immune or really unaffected by conventional or normal means of attack (like being punched, stabbed or shot)

Night vision

Preventing Vampirism: Vampires eventually caused a bit of hysteria in some cultures, so we see many examples throughout the world of people trying to prevent the rise of the undead.

Some ways found to prevent the rise of a vampire were:

Buried upside down or flipped over.

Some cultures places scythes or sickles beside graves to satisfy the demons they thought would possess the dead. Why? Don’t know but that’s sick.

Religious symbols, like wax crosses or pieces of pottery with biblical messages like “Jesus Christ Conquers” were commonly placed on corpses to prevent vampirism.

Some took the practical route and decided that separating or destroying the tendons in the legs of the deceased would also keep the dead from rising.

Shooting a bullet through the casket right before burial was also common

Some would put pieces of steel or silver over the corpse’s eyes, in their mouth, in their ears, or in between their fingers.

Pushing Iron needles through the heart was also said to stop a vampire from rising.

Decapitating after death.

Curing and Killing:

Garlic was said to keep away vampires

Crucifixes and rosaries were typically said to keep a vampire away.

They could not cross onto sacred or consecrated ground (like a church)

It’s also said they could not cross over running water (no bridges for vampires)

Some folklore says that they lacked shadows and would not show up in a mirror or a photograph (some folklore states that this is a reflection of their lack of a soul, although it could be due to the use of silver in these things)

Sprinkling mustard seeds along the roof of your house was said to keep vampires away, but if it didn't, you’d be alright becauseeee

Vampires, in many myths, could not enter a home without first being invited in. Be careful though, they only need the one invite. After that they might just be able to come and go from your house as they please.

Wild rose stems or hawthorn branches could potentially harm them

In many legends, vampires are warded off, and sometimes even harmed by silver. (Old mirrors were commonly backed with silver, and old photography also used silver specks, which might be the reason they’re not seen in them)

Holy Water or other items blessed by a priest were said to keep them away, and possibly even hurt them.

Vampires were said to be nocturnal, and were very vulnerable or damaged in sunlight. It might have even been able to kill them.

Being set on fire can kill just about everything, and vampires were no exception.

@downwithwritersblock‘s favourite way to stop a vampire: Arithmomania. An expression or type of OCD in which the person who suffers from it feels compelled to count either their actions or the objects around them. In many cultures around the world, especially in Eastern Europe and in Asia, it’s said that if you place small seeds (usually poppy seeds), sand or a type of grain like rice beside the grave, or in front of the vampire, they would compulsively have to count it, and that would keep them busy until either you kill them, or until the sunrises and the light kills them for you.

Decapitation was also a very common method in both preventing, and killing vampires.

And of course the most famous of all; A wooden stake through the heart. Many cultures will also tell you that the stake has to be made out of the same kind of wood as the cross that Jesus was crucified on.

History: Here we’ve included two of the most famous “real life vampires” in history! Up first we have...

Vlad Tepes (or as he’s more commonly known: Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad Dracula).

Born between 1428 and 1431 and died in either 1476 or 1477.

He was Prince of Walachia 3 times between 1448 and his death

The second son of Vlad Dracul, who ruled Walachia

Imprisoned in Transylvania, held in Visegrad from 1463 to 1475.

Vlad II got the name ‘Dracul’ when he joined ‘The Order of the Dragon’, a ‘monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility’ in middle Eastern Europe (aka it was mainly Germanic states).

Dracul(a) means ‘Dragon’, and in more modern Romanian it means ‘The Devil’

Vlad III’s prefered method of execution was impalement. Hence the nickname ‘Vlad the Impaler’

Rumours and stories of Vlad spread fast, in fact, books about his cruel acts were best sellers in the German speaking territories.

However, to his own people, Vlad was usually seen as a warrior and a hero.

Bram Stoker was the one to turn Vlad into the legendary vampire with his well known book “Dracula,” published in 1897. It relied on many of the ancient myths of blood suckers found in Romanian folklore. The novel was very loosely based on Vlad, considering Bram Stoker didn't actually know a whole lot about Vlad and Walachia.

Bram Stoker is also among the first to change the traditional vampire into what we know today. His book is, or at least part of the reason that the image of vampires shift into one that is pale and thin, the lack of a reflection or shadow probably starts with his novel as well.

Secondly, we have my favourite: Elizabeth Bathory, aka “The Blood Countess.”

Considered to be the first female serial killer.

The accusations change a bit depending on the story, but, Elizabeth was a Countess who was accused of taking, torturing and killing hundreds of young girls. She was accused of some pretty gnarly torture methods like covering people in honey and ants, or burning and then dunking people in freezing water, not to mention mutilation. She was accused of cannibalism. She was also said to drink the blood of her victims, earning her the nickname ‘Countess Dracula’. Some also say that as a regular part of her beauty regimen she would drain the blood of young virgin girls, and bathe in it to help keep her young and beautiful. Sometimes I like to call her the inventor of the first bath bomb.

The highest number of victims she was accused of was 650; however, this, like many parts of her story are questionable, and from unreliable or iffy sources.

Vampires in Media: This list is absolutely massive, so I’ve included twelve titles. This includes books, tv shows, and movies, but excludes video games.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV show, movie, comics)

The Vampire Chronicles/Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice (movie and book)

Carmilla (1871 novel, cute lesbian 2014 youtube series, movie)

The Vampire Diaries (TV Show)

True Blood (Book series, TV show)

Van Helsing (Movie, TV show)

Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897 Novel)

30 Days Of Night (movie)

Twilight (Book series, movie)

The Originals (TV show)

Angel (TV show)

Blade (Movie)

And my personal favourite, which doesn’t fall under any specific monster, is the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. Would highly recommend. It’s 13 books in the main series, and features all sorts of awesome and well-known supernatural entities such as (but not limited to): werewolves, vampires, half-demons, witches, sorcerers, demons, angels, and necromancers. Fun 18+ supernatural mystery read (with triggers for violence, gore, and explicit sexual content however. Reader discretion is advised.)

Prompts:

1. “You’re so coldblooded!”

“Uh, yeah? I literally don’t have any blood?”

2. “The worst part about being a vampire is not being able to take selfies. Do you know how much I miss looking at my own beautiful face?”

3. “I suppose the best part of this whole ordeal is not having to spend so much time in the vanity.”

4. “I’m scared to do my eyeliner.”

5. “Werewolves have it so easy! What’s the big deal with turning into a wolf every once in a while? I’d slaughter a country if it meant I could go outside and enjoy the sun. Even as a four-legged mutt.”

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kob131 · 5 years

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Weiss Vs. Mitsuru Death Battle

First off, let me address some points that really irritate me.

‘Persona characters can beat up Gods!’

No, that’s SMT you’re thinking of.

Persona characters aren’t that strong. With Nyx, SEES only ever fought the Avatar (which is never stated how strong it is) and the actual Nyx was only fought by Makoto. In fact, if you take a look at the details of each ‘god’ incident: Makoto sealed Nyx, Izanami’s true form was only ever defeated by Yu and Yabbadoth was only truly defeated by Ren.

Even if we consider them the last two ‘gods’ (we’ll get to that): They aren’t defeated by anyone except the main characters. All of whom are treated by the narrative as being FAR more powerful than their members combined.

Even then, only NYX is an actual god. The others. Izanami and Yabbadoth, are effectively giant Shadows. That’s because Shadows are constructs built by humanity’s collective unconscious and Izanami and Yabbadoth are created from the people trying to ignore the truth and the people warped desires for peace of mind respectively. This is also why they are defeated so easily while Nyx is never defeated: Shadows can be harmed and destroyed by Personas as they are the same kind of creature. Nyx is neither and plays by a completely different set of rules.

Hell, the likes of Izanami and Yabbadoth are really unimpressive when you compare them to the likes of Metatron or Lucifier in SMT. Those guys can legitimately destroy the world like gods while Izanami and Yabbadoth can struggle to effect the world so it kind of tells me Atlus considers them lower in power than Gods (backed up by how Nyx can actually destroy the world.)

Why am I bring this up? Because I know people are gonna point to Erebus as a gotcha and everything I just said about Izanami and Yabbadoth also apply to Erebus (as it’s the collective desire for Death.) And the wild card thing still applies as Aegis gained Makoto’s Wild Card power (and in fact is stronger than Yu.)

‘Erebus is said to crush mountains!’

Said. Never shown. The only possible way for us to quantify this is through using Erebus’ in game stats. And while a STR stat of 80 is strong...Junpei outclass Erebus at Level 99 with 82. So unless anyone has proof that his Persona at least can bust a mountain, I can only assume that the statement was made to be dramatic. Especially considering this statement was said about 4 seconds before Elizabeth one shots this thing.

Not like Weiss is excluded from this bullshit.

‘Aura is infinite!’

That’s stupid and is blatantly untrue.

‘Weiss’ Summon can stop Artemista!’

That’s debatable at best as I don’t know how Aura relates to Personas.

Now let’s actually discuss this battle.

First, I wanna discuss both of their summons. Weiss is able to summon the Armor Gigas, which is a Grimm-possessed suit of armor about three times her size with immense strength (been shown to easily tear apart stone floors with the force of it’s massive broadsword) and durability but is rather klunky and slow. And the Queen Lancer, a giant bee-like Grimm with inherent aerial mobility along with projectiles in the form but it’s not as durable as the Armor Gigas (shown when Hazel punch a Dust blast at it and it dissapated without any shown damage before hand.) And finally the Boartusk...which is pointless. They also take more time to summon than a Persona but

Mitsuru meanwhile has Artemtisa whose rapier doubles as a bladed whip, can use ice attacks as well as being shown to quickly freeze objects around it (as shown in the Persona 4 movies like in the second one where it stabs into the Hierophant shadow and freezes it after being weakened as well as in the third movie where it froze the petals from the Strength Shadow.) In regards to the ice attacks, in Persona 4 Arena she’s shown to be able to create simple constructs from the ice like spears or a mirror. It can also use status effect moves such as Marin Karin and Tentafuroo to disable and cripple the opponent as well as a full power single target healing spell in Diarahan. She can also temporarily boost the power of her next magic attack with Mind Charge by 2.5 times it’‘s normal strength, And finally it has complete ice immunity, meaning ice based attacks do not work on it as well as being immune to non-Shadow enemies.

Issue is that Artemisa is never really shown to be very durable. It’s usually batted away and dissipated with one hit by stronger shadows (albeit in it’s weaker form as Pentelusa) and if we really wanna include gameplay, it has the lowest possible endurance stat in P3. It’s also locked into ice attacks which makes Artemisa’s attacks more predictable, it’s status effect attacks have a base success rate of 25% (if someone can give me the claculations for how the LUCK stat affects the success rate, I’ll adjust with Mitsuru’s 51 LUCK stat). And Artemtisa is weak to fire, which at the very least involves taking 50% more damage. I’ve also never seen Mitsuru and Artemisa act in tandum with each other, with Mitsuru usually treating Artemisa as an extension of herself rather than a separate entity to Mitsuru.

In short: I believe Mitsuru’s Persona is generally better than Weiss’ summon in a direct comparison due to being more powerful and having more skills than the summons but in terms of being used by others, while it is definitively more powerful as well as having a natural immunity to ice, the fact that the summons can act independently of Weiss means Artemisa can be limited in usage.

Now let’s move onto the skills of the combatants.

Weiss’ summons are in fact just an extension of her actual power, a Semblance (ie superpower) known as glyphs which allow her to create platforms in mid air to move around on as well as use as basic shields (she did so in her brief fight against the Boartusk ) Then using a finite resource known as Dust, she can make her glyphs turn dark and effectively change gravity, making the person stick to the top of the glyph. Her glyphs have also been known to add force behind people or objects, such as in Volume 3 Episode 4 where she was quickly launched from glyph to glyph Weiss also has acess to other forms of Dust, including Ice Dust in which she can create icicles to attack her opponent or walls of ice which have been seen to be able to trap a complex sized scorpion’s stinger within it for a few minutes. She’s also a skilled rapier user as shown through her victory over the Armor Gigas.

Mitsuru has...everything I listed above above with Artemisa, alongside being a skilled rapier user as well (I’d argue better than Weiss but not by much seeing as she’s shown to be effective against lesser Shadows but rarely fighters greater enemies with her own rapier.) Her Persona is her skills aside from her weapon usage.

In terms of skill/versatility, I’d say in a straight rapier fight Weiss would lose but combine that with her glyphs and dust and she’s able to fight on a more even ground with Mitsuru using her Persona as well.

In terms of mobility:

Weiss has access to her glyphs which can be used to leap about in mid air using them as platforms as well as gravity dust allowing for more flexible movement, not to mention how the Queen Lancer is capable of being used as a pseudo ship to move around on.

Mitsuru has...nothing special I can remember. She’s not especially agile nor do her skills give her any extra mobility.

Next we have defensive ability-

They both suck.

Weiss’ track record of losing 1v1 fights is due to her opponents being able to dish out a lot of damage (The WF lieutenant being a buff chainsaw wielding fighter, Flynt’s Trumpet requiring the force of Yang going berserk to break through and Vernal straight up blasting through her ice wall AND Armor Gigas).

And Mitsuru’s Persona dissipates after one good hit while she isn‘t the best at taking hits herself (being disabled from pain by a grazing lazer beam that cut her leg by the Fortune Shadow in the second movie.)

Neither person is good at enduring hits.

Intelligence...

Um, both are consider top of their grade and trained to take control of large corporations. Mitsuru makes more detailed plans but Weiss is able to adjust better...

... I honestly say this is a tie.

Experience.

... This is highly subjective. Neither one began their training at a definitive time, Mitsuru is three years older but by virtue of how tiring the Dark Hour is she can’t fight shadows everyday unlike Weiss with Grimm but Weiss is also younger...

You can see why I have a difficulty making a judgement.

Stamina

Well, Weiss’ best stamina feat is fighting Grimm for an entire day, getting a small amount of sleep before proceeding to fight the White Fang as well as more Grimm...

But Mitsuru’s best feat is her fighting off the hordes of Shadows in the final Persona 3 movie which were more intense and more numerous.

I dunno, I say any difference between the two likely wouldn’t make a difference.

You can understand why I’m a bit nervous about this battle.

The combatants have similar backgrounds, similar feats and similar skills so they’re very matched in a lot of regards and the few things they do have over the other seem to be countered by their own weaknesses (like Mitsuru’s sheer power would beat Weiss down easily if Weiss didn’t have better mobility options and more tools to work with.)

It’s also a reason why I find the reactions around the announcement rather infuriating as when you remove the iffy factors from both sides: the battle doesn’t have a clear winner yet.

All I know is: I hope Weiss loses so Ben and Chad don’t get burned at the stake and so I can shove it DB hater faces about them being biased.

#death battle #rwby #persona 3 #weiss schnee #mitsuru kirijo

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fyrapartnersearch · 5 years

Text

Harry Potter Originals; M// or F//

Back to the grindstone. My name is Jupiter, I'm 21, and I'm looking to roleplay original characters in the Harry Potter universe! I only write with people who are 18 or older, very preferably 20+ as well. I'm fine with side pairings of any gender combination, but I'd prefer the main pairing to either be M// or F//. I can shoot off replies a few times a week depending on my work schedule.

My post length varies between novella or multiple paragraphs depending on what we agree on; if we don't write novella, my first few posts tend to be very lengthy as I ease into everything, and then it tapers into around 4-5 paragraphs or so. I won't write with anyone who writes less than three paragraphs; I'm not hyper stingy with length, I just value quantity and quality in relatively equal measure. It also kind of sucks when you write a huge post and only get a paragraph in response. Just tell me if you'd rather multi-p or novella. I write in third person, past tense but I can do present tense as well if that's what you prefer. Doubling tends to be my default (either two M// relationships, two F//, or one of each) but it's not required, so let me know off the bat if that's not what you usually stick with.

OKAY! Christ, that's a lot to get off my chest right in the beginning. I'm not going to shove everything into little words to skirt under the 300 word limit because my thoughts are far too disjointed for that, but I'll list the ideas I've got as incentive to read on: modern wizarding world, Triwizard Tournament (but different), prophecies, mysteries, bigger things afoot? Wow! So interesting! More context under way if you're intrigued.

AGAIN, THIS IS A HUGE AD. MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES.

Other things to mention before getting into the meat of my ad and just dump all of my ideas in one spot. As a general rule I don't write anyone younger than 20, both because of the nature of my RPs and because it just feels weird to me to write about kids in school despite the fact that Hogwarts is pretty much the objectively best thing about the series' setting! So no students. I would, however, totally be down with writing professors in Hogwarts. I’m kind of itching for it, tbh? Could be fun. I’ve been mulling over a professor character, one from either Hogwarts or Beauxbaton.

Smut is good, but like doubling, not required. It goes without saying that any and all characters will be adults, of course. My limits underage characters/pedophilia, incest, nonconsensual/dubious consent, bestiality, gore, mpreg, A/B/O, toilet kinks, sexual abuse, things of that ilk. I also only write vers characters in bed I've spent way too many years playing with partners who only play bottoms in smut scenes, so I'm all burnt out on that, man.

I'm a very big pinterest user and extremely hooked on aesthetics, so moodboards are to be expected on my half. I think practically everyone who roleplays nowadays is a big fan of pinterest, at least from my experience haha. As for face claims, I do prefer to use them! It's strange, though — I was so fervently against them for so many years as a roleplayer since I've got such a clear idea of characters in my head that it's impossible to find an actor or model to fit the image, and it used to break my immersion in roleplays if I was writing against a particularly well-known actor or model (and it still does to a degree, I try to stay away from the main hollywood actors like Chris Evans haha), but now it helps ground me a little more for some reason? I feel more like it's a world of our own when I have a clear face to look on. In any case, as I said above, I prefer face claims, but I won't be upset if you'd prefer not to use them. Whatever you’re into is fine!

Now! Onto the good stuff.

I'd love to write a setting in modern times as opposed to the original late '90's, exploring how the wizarding world and wizarding laws have shifted with the advancement of muggle technology; I'd imagine it was much easier to keep magic under wraps before smartphones came into the equation. Maybe the wizarding world is under stress or extreme restriction due to this.

A reinvented Triwzard Tournament would be extremely fun! Now, I know the tournament was banned after Harry's foray into it since Cedric was killed, but hear me out: maybe it's reconstructed due to the fact that the previous tournament went the way it did because of the whole Voldemort situation. I'd really prefer a tournament held between school alumni as opposed to students anyway, both because it just makes more sense with the nature of the game as well as the fact that it means we wouldn't have to be writing kids. Maybe even the professors to touch on the school pride while still keeping the heart of the games intact? Or something else completely, I'm just tossing out ideas. This is sort of the main thing I'm aiming for at the moment since I'd really love to write a tournament and it gives us a lot of freedom to work with different ideas/settings/situations.

I like the idea of exploring lives post-Hogwarts since the main series doesn't really get into that (excluding Fantastic Beasts, which I can't stress enough how uninterested in I am. Similarly, I am VERY critical of the world-building JK's done with expanding the universe, particularly with how sloppily she handled other cultures and their relation with her lore and would rather adjust things for our own take, so keep that in mind before contacting me). The main series is mostly set in Hogwarts, so I'd love to do something to explore the Wizarding World as a whole.

I do also like the idea of a muggle getting wrapped up in wizarding stuff for whatever reason. The main series establishes that there are at least SOME witches and wizards that coexist with muggles, at least enough to have kids that are half-bloods. And again, yeah, I guess the FBaWTFT series does touch on this, but I'd really love to have a regular muggle thrown into the main cast for whatever reason somehow. Maybe they've got a magical relative or something or wizards need a non-magical person for plot related reasons?

Something to do with prophecies could be very interesting — after seeing all of those prophecies kept under lock in the Ministry (before they were destroyed, at least, lmao), it got me thinking of what the extent of prophecies were and if all of them were as severe as Harry's, or what another prophecy could be. It could be fun to explore something with our own characters in that vein?

I enjoy serious/darker plots, so I'd like to have a bigger plot that our characters bleed into! I’m not looking for a more mundane or slice of life roleplay. We could throw all of these ideas in a bowl and see what comes from it. None of these thoughts of mine are a prerequisite for contacting me, however. If you've got an idea of your own, I would more than love to hear them.

If you're the type to just message me saying "I saw your ad and am interested in roleplaying with you." or anything with something like 1-3 lines in your intro, don't bother messaging me at all. I delete any and all messages of the sort. Just introduce yourself to me, what you're interested in or if you have ideas of your own, what your limits are, if you want to do multi-p or novella, and if you've got any pre-established characters or would rather make one for the roleplay.

Told you I had a giant ad! Kudos to making it this far. My email is [email protected]. Sorry if you prefer messengers for OOC chit-chat or initial plotting, I strictly use email for everything!

#oc rp #multiple paragraph #long term #email #harry potter rp #smut rp #submission

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jacktherph · 5 years

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Hi Jack! We’re an 18+ Original Character Pacific Northwest Gothic RPG and were hoping you had time to give us an opinion please and thank you so much

hi there @thepinesrpg! i’m happy to give you an opinion. since you didn’t specify private, i will post this on my blog. feel free to ask me to take it down if that was a mistake.

NOTE: all opinions expressed here are mine, jack’s, belonging to jack. i make no claims to knowing what is best for every group – i only offer advice based on my experiences, what i’ve seen in the community, and my personal knowledge. no one person knows what is best for you or any group other than yourself; because you were the one who put all of this together in the first place. so take everything i say as a suggestion, and remember that you have accomplished so much!!

i want to point out before the opinion that this isn’t just a shoutout, it is a very big rec!! thepinesrpg is a great place to form a muse in a creative yet familiar supernatural environment

and if you have any questions, want feedback on something specific, or want elaborations on anything said in this opinion, don’t hesitate to message me!!

start: 13.15 | pause: none | end: 13.40TOTAL: 30 minutes to read all pages excluding skeleton bios, lore pages, informational pages, etc. (this isn’t an indicator of anything, I simply time myself)

So first impressions by the main are excellent. Your header image is minimalist but with that slight movement from the gif that it doesn’t draw attention to it repeatedly but also it’s not cluttered and an eyesore as some headers often can be. The contrast of the dark green with the white shades of the background create a good balance too. Personally I’m a BIG fan of sidebars that include a lot of worldbuilding information like the calendar, the weather forecast, etc. I will say though it IS a lot of scrolling. Ideally finding a theme with two sidebars would be perfect to kind of give a balance to what you’re looking to have included but I know they can be hard to find while still including everything you want out of the theme itself -- so that’s not a big issue.

The one thing that I’m against is the length of your sidebar description. It’s catchy, sure, but three paragraphs is a bit long compared to other rpgs. I’d recommend bringing it down to one paragraph with your favorite parts and then including a generic statement at the bottom. I actually ended up putting one together myself (which you’re free to use if you want to take my advice on condensing it, otherwise feel free to ignore it) below:

They say it’s the quiet ones that you have to watch out for ― that the most dangerous people wait in silence to strike. Places are like people in that way. With big cities it’s all noise… but towns―towns are quiet, aren’t they? And this town ― Blackwood Pines ― made quiet danger an art form. But you’ll never know about the accidents, the disappearances, the murders or cults or hauntings until you move here. That’s how we like it. So why not stay a while? Take in the sights, breathe in the mountain air. If you’re brave enough see what kind of trouble you find… or what kind of trouble finds you.

I’m also wondering if it wouldn’t be more prudent to reduce your sidebar links to your primary focuses? I feel like Tasks and Events can be brought up to the Post Acceptance tab. In what I’ve seen the existence of Sidebar links is for those things that don’t really have a PLACE on a main link bar, or that would extend one subsection way too far. Reducing it to your mobile nav, trigger list, announcements, discord, and inspo blog might help you seem less cluttered in the long run.

I love love love your Plot. It’s well-written, well thought-out, and just overall cuts right to the chase and gives me the information I need while also encouraging me to keep reading to learn more. My recommendation would be to move the timeline of events to its own page. I get how it builds on the plot but thinking ahead it would be an excellent page to include RP Events and Plot Drops, but you don’t want the plot page to seem too long. I love the timeline idea but adding it to its own page highlights both the Plot and Timeline separately as their own informational pages.

Your Guidelines, not gonna lie, are HELLA long. Many of those points can either be condensed into one statement or brought together with other points. I’d say just go over them as admins and see what is redundant and what could be worked out with less words. The reason I say this is because a lot of times long rules pages -- while personally something I like, as it proves the RPG has structure behind it -- can be a huge turn-off for potential members. God knows why, but they just are. You can still say everything you have with less wordage!

Just so y’all know -- your FAQ link redirects back to the main. Don’t know if that’s on purpose yet or not.

So your Character Masterlist page theme… shows a LOT right off the bat. I can get why that’s appealing but have you considered down the line when you have tons of members keeping all of that information in line and constantly updated? It can be really time-consuming. Finding a page theme that has room for the FC, name, and species (and player, but that’s optional i.m.o.) would make it seem much neater and then you can link to pages with all of that additional info as well as character biographies. This is partially personal preference but also just what I see from groups like yours in the rpc, while also taking into consideration the amount of work you’ll have to do down the line.

As a whole your worldbuilding pages are great! I’m not gonna comment on your lore because, well, it's YOUR lore. But I am seeing a lot of different page theme codes and while it can be helpful in differentiating the different info… I’ll warn you that it can alienate potential members. There was a bit of discourse about this a while back in the rpc and while I couldn’t give less of a fuck about what people think so long as my info is presented well, as someone with attention issues it is a little hard for me to keep focus when there’s just so many different layouts changing; some unnecessarily. Some people just don’t like it -- which is silly -- but it can take away from people’s experience if they have attention and focus issues like I do.

I’m a big fan of how all your forms are on one page?? Hiatus, Connections, Application; having all of that in one place makes it very easy for members and newcomers and honestly can we make that the standard?? I’ll happily pitch it.

There is only one thing I’ll request y’all DO change, and this is something I’ve spoken to other rpgs about before. I’d like for you guys to go through your pages and take every instance of “MALE” and “FEMALE” and replace them with “MEN” and “WOMEN.” It’s a common language mistake but does wonders for showcasing the inclusive environment I know you admins are striving for here. Especially since you do have a Non-Binary section as well.

Overall I’m a HUGE fan of your rpg. It’s not my personal cup of tea but I’m a sucker for lore, worldbuilding, and tons of info and history to suck up before I’ve even started thinking about a character. Many RPGs with these types of in-depth info pages are limited only to skeletons and I think your choice to have open characters and apps is a great one. There’s a lot of long-lasting potential here as well as great and juicy Events and Plots. You guys should be very, very proud. And you should also know that there are groups of people who are NOT as excited about extensive lore as we are. It has the potential to alienate some just looking for a place to make a muse and write in a new setting--which is what you guys are at your core. Whether you’re fine with that or maybe want to go back and see if there’s anything redundant that can be erased or condensed -- that is completely up to you guys. I had my own lore-heavy RPG and know the pros and cons firsthand.

I can see you guys being around for a long time and I urge you to keep up the amazing dedication! There’s a great admin team here and that’s apparent from the first page. Good job guys!!

Jack

#rph #rpc #opinion #rp opinion #thepinesrpg #jack does rph things #answered #rec

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two-are-the-trees · 5 years

Text

Deeper Analysis: “It’s a Good Life” from The Twilight Zone

Ok so I mentioned in my last Twilight Zone episode countdown that I was going to talk further about this particular episode, which happens to be, in my opinion, the scariest episode of the entire series. It’s an episode deviod of outright visual horror, devoid of aliens or robots or voices from the grave, and yet it remains utterly bone-chilling for audiences even today. And perhaps it is especially today’s audience that can really begin to understand the horrible significance of this story.

The episode begins strangely. Rather than showing us a short scene to introduce the characters and setting before Rod Serlin’s introduction, Rod comes out and addresses the audince directly, claiming that this episode of The Twilight Zone is “somewhat unique.” He states that a small town has been cut off from the rest of the world by a “monster” and then goes on to explain how the monster can create and destroy things according to his every whim using only his mind, and that everyone in town lives in fear of his power and cruelty. This opening is jarring and unnerving right of the bat, as Rod Serling’s strange emphasis on the importance of this episode indicates that even the host himself regards this one with a particularly serious air. We are left, too, in suspense about who or what the monster actually is, as Rod Serling saves this bit of information for the very end of his introduction. And rightly so as we learn, much to our surprise, that the monster is merely a child, a child that happens to have psychic abilites. Immediately the uncanny atmosphere with which the episode began increases tenfold as we are left to wonder what terrible events could have unfolded for Rod Serling to unflinchingly call this child a monster.

Well as it turns out, a child with psychic powers is actually the perfect recipe for a monster. Anthony, the monster in question, being a child with a limited sense of how the adult world operates and with no sense of responsibility, abuses his complete control over this town. Characters mention that they are running low on certain supplies like soap and alcohol, specifically because Anthony, being a child, sees no need for these things and therefore doesn’t allow them into his closed-off town.

It’s also clear that Anthony has had his powers from an early age, as it appears he has been raised with this power in mind. He has no compassion, empathy, or consideration for others, an indication that he has never been disciplined or extensively educated in these matters for fear of his powers. Because of this, he uses these powers however he wants, which usually involves torture and violence. He creates horrible creatures like three-headed gophers, mutates farm animals, and kills any animal he doesn’t like. When he “makes TV” for all his neighbors, he creates a violent program of one dinosaur brutally killing another.

But the most terrible part of this episode is Anthony’s violence against other humans in town. All of the adults are petrified by Anthony, and force themselves to smile all the time all constantly repeat that anything Anthony does is a “real good thing” no matter how horrible. The reason for this is because Anthony can read peoples’ minds and if he hears any “bad thoughts” in anyone’s head, he will do unspeakable things to them. In one scene, Anthony recalls a time when someone had a bad thought about him and had to “make him go on fire.” He also dulled his own aunt’s mind and severly limited her mental capabilities for the same reason. Therefore, all the townspeople have essentially brainwashed themselves into behaving in a cheery manner all the time to avoid accidently thinking a bad thought. The images of some of these people forcing themselves to smile and say “It’s a real good thing!” even through their tears of anguish is devestating to watch and creates an escalating feeling of tension and fear. This all comes to a head when one man finally snaps, hoping that someone will finally work up the nerve to kill Anthony, but alas no one does and Anthony turns him into a nightmarish jack-in-the-box, which still retains the man’s lifeless head.

Anthony’s power and violence is entirely dependent on his whim and is impossible to predict, hence the reason why he has so thoroughly enslaved everyone in his town. He claims, “I hate anyone who doesn’t like me!” and doesn’t hesitate a moment to punish or exclude those who don’t line up in accordance to his every petty desire. At the end of the episode, he decides to make it snow simply because he wants to, not understanding, or not caring, that it will ruin half of the town’s crops, dooming everyone to possible starvation.

Rod Serling ends this episode by simply saying “no comment.” A wise move, perhaps, as it encourages the audience to do a little more thinking if they want to find a meaning in this episode for themselves. And while there are a lot of different people, places, and periods in history we can draw comparisons to, I think the scariest notion of all is how many comparisons we can draw between the monstrous Anthony and one Donald Trump.

Firstly their upbringing or “privilege.” It’s no surprise that Donald Trump clearly did not recieve an education on tact or compassion during his childhood. Growing up wanting for nothing in a wealthy family (with a 1 million dollar from his dad I might add) Trump obviously has tremendous amounts of power and privilege over others inherently, in the same way that Anthony has had his ability to control others from an early age. Trump and Anthony use this power and privilege in a similar way; bullying and intimidation. Trump has been known to show cruelty toward disadvantaged groups (the poor, the disabled, refugees, the list goes on and on) and has no compassion where it is required of him (mass shootings, the California fires, ect.) much like how Anthony shows cruelty toward animals. They seemingly lack any sort of empathy. Obviously there are those in positions of power that do have empathy and compassion, however, those who were raised with unhindered power with no discipline or instruction on how to behave will exhibit behavior like that of Trump and Anthony.

Secondly is their threatening and manipulative nature. Seeing as how I am writing this post during the third longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a shutdown caused entirely by Trump’s unfounded desire to build a border wall that no one else approves of, I already have a pretty solid comparison. Trump’s tendancy to gravitate toward drastic measures, much like how Anthony constantly threatens violence, has everyone in a constant panic that he will upset the delicate balance of government. Trump has caused foreign relations scares in the past with his feuding with North Korea and he threatens that he will continue the government shutdown indefinitely, leaving thousands of government employees without pay and sending the economy into a spiral. Much like Anthony’s drastic displays of power, Trump’s constant threats leave the public in a constant state of unease.

Lastly, and this was the comparison that first led me to think more about this episode in the first place, is the very clear way in which these two figures cannot or choose not to understand anything that lies outside their selfish desires. Trump’s arrogance is plain; his giant gold towers and planes with his name in bold lettering on the side, his engaging with people personally on twitter when they insult him, his outrage at the many many unflattering pictures of him in circulation. His self-obsession is exactly comprable to this spoiled child in The Twilight Zone, as Anthony outright states that he hates people who don’t like him and gets incredibly angry whenever something doesn’t go his way (again, Trump’s government shutdown *cough*). They both ignore the needs of those around them, as Anthony does not provide things like soap and Trump does not provide things like healthcare or comprehesive rights for underprivileged groups. And no comparison can be clearer than the terrible effect these two have on the environment. The fear in the townspeople’s eyes as Anthony ruins all of their crops with his desire for snow reminds us all of the impending disasters that will come with climate change and Trump’s lack of environmental protection policies.

So perhaps I should end this discussion as Rod Serling did, by simply stating “no comment,” but I do have to note that I find it more than a little distressing that there are several notable and significant comparisons that one can draw between Anthony “the monster,” a dangerously spoiled and selfish child with no understanding of how the world works and a tendency for cruelty and destruction, and Donald Trump, the current president of the United States. And clear too are the comparisons between the townspeople who back down at the opportunity to finally stand up to Anthony and the conservatives who refuse to call out Trump for his irresponsible and reprehensible actions.

Perhaps, for our own peace of mind, these speculations are best left in The Twilight Zone.

#Gothic #The Twilight Zone #analysis #sci fi #my thoughts

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dressed-up-messed-up · 6 years

Text

Morbid Fantasy

Being a strange child by nature, one would consider Blair to fit in amongst the townsfolk of Halloween Town. They seemed to like the same things as she did, what with all the black and organge, the spiders and organs that were frequent on a simple walk down the street. The dead and dying plants would be considered beautiful, dreadful, a fitting addition to a picture.

Everyone seemed to be morbidly disfigured, or at least terrifying in looks. Small, beast eyes and scraggly hair was popular on the witches, with the vampires having pale and shallow skin, hiding in their inky capes.

Most would assume that she’d feel right at home. After all, she was a skeleton, a terrifying monster that could adjust how she looked and how others saw her. She could easily change her form so that she was no longer Blair Skellington, but instead she could become a clown, a dancer, even her grandmother.

However... she felt out of place. A puzzle piece to a different puzzle that was taken from its original place and shoved into another, which was an ill fit.

Everyone noticed when she began to walk down the street that day. Her clothes were vastly different to that of the dark, muted colors. Instead, a soft pink made her presence well known.

The monsters around her moved out of her way, conversations falling into hushed tones. She knew very well what they were talking about - 17 years of the same topic, and one tends to know when they’re being spoken about.

“ -heard her father is from that blasted Valentines Town, or whatchamacallit. Sure, he may seem odd over there, but at least he stayed over there-!” A brazen witch whispered it loud enough for Blair to hear.

The skeletons hands clenched on the bag she carried, feeling the leather twist, feeling it begin to tear a bit. They had the audacity to talk about her father as if he was the freak, the monster that roamed the halls.

She missed him terribly. The last time she was able to see him, she’d been 16, and he’d made the journey to see her on her birthday, bringing her plenty of gifts and hammering into her head that he did love her, he just couldn’t be there in Halloweentown.

She understood. She was there when an Incident happened, and her grandfather was forced to tell Dad to leave, at least for a bit. For his safety.

Her footsteps became rushed as her face started to burn. She really shouldn’t think of such things when she was on an important mission.

Grandmother had requested that she take the materials and blueprints to Grandpa, who was currently in a meeting with the Mayor. Blair had lept at the chance of escaping the sad, silent tomb that has become her room.

It wasn’t long before she burst into the room, her black hair flowing with the wind as she slowed to a stop near her grandpa.

As expected, the Mayor was in a panic, examining their blueprints and lists of what they had for the upcoming Halloween.

“We’re still 200 pumpkins short of our goal, our illusion castings are still only at 50% efficiency, and we can’t even grab the correct colored decorations!” The Mayor wailed, throwing up some very familiar pink and red streamers.

Blair’s skull turned a soft pink, feeling embarrassment creep up on her. “Those are mine, Mayor. I’m sorry for the confusion, but I broght you the right ones!”

She held up the black and orange streamers, gently setting them on the desk in front of her. Whilst the Mayor looked like he would rather not touch it (considering he himself turned pink after touching Blair’s cup), while Jack smiled down at her from his seat.

“Thank you, Blair. Anything else I should need or want?” His smile was calm, relaxing.

Already, Blair felt her worried and grievances wash away, feeling free to bring a chair close to her. She dug out a small pan of cookies, which she herself had baked.

“Grandma suggested I bake you cookies, since you might be here for a while...” she snuck a sly glance at the Mayor, who was now pouring over the new blueprints.

“That sounds like a mighty fine idea!” Jack stood. “I suggest we take a cookie break, which should last as long as there are still cookies!”

The Mayor seemed downtrodden immedietly, “But what about-“

“They can wait,” Jack leaned toward the Mayor, allowing them to see eye-to-socket. “We really should take a break. A couple of hours won’t be too long.”

The Mayor seemed like he wanted to object again, but the look he was receiving let him know that that kind of objection would not be taken kindly. He huffed, gathering his things into a suitcase and moving his way out of the meeting room.

Blair set up two goblets and the plate of cookies in silence, missing the angry look from the Mayor and the worried look from Jack.

“How is your day, my little bat?” He sat down, snatching a cookie from its plate.

“It was uneventful. I went and talked with Mom today,” here Blair shrugged off her jacket, resting it on the corner of the chair. “Grandma kicked me out of the house, essentially.”

“She tends to do that when you’ve been hiding in your room for the past few days.” Jack’s mouth curved into a grin, which Blair matched.

“I wasn’t hiding in my room! I was simply lying on my bed with my thoughts. A truly terrifying feat, mind you.” She took a sip from her goblet, gently setting it back down.

“Uh-huh, is that so?” The Pumpkin King seemed to be challenging his grandchild, watching her tense a bit as she took another cookie.

“I’m fine and dandy, but I don’t think the same can be said for you-!” She proded his shoulder with her finger, gently shoving it back a centimeter.

“I’m tired because I’ve been working,” he leaned back. “Now your excuse is-?”

She stood up straight, crumbs falling off the front of her shirt. “I was reading, which I can’t seem to do in public.”

“Well, why not?” The old skeleton tilted his head, watching her cautiously. He didn’t want her to snap shut.

“Because it’s romance. Something that apparently only our family can tolerate. I like reading about how the hero falls in love. I’m sick and tired of being forced to read horror stories by the others.” Blair folded her arms, unfolding them soon after to snatc another cookie and much on it angerly.

“That does seem to be a problem. Should I bring it up?” Jacks voice was calm, easily soothing her.

“No... I don’t want the others to think I’m telling on them.”

“Well, then, is there anything else I can do for you before I finish this cookie?” Jack carefully stood, brushing Blair’s jacket free of crumbs and helping her put it on.

“Do.. do you think I can go see Dad, this time? If I have to go alone, I will, but...”

Jack could see the sadness in Blair’s sockets. She missed her dad, quite a bit, but he was too far away to simply go for a stroll to see him. Visits from either were difficult, rare, and precious.

“Maybe. I could even send your Mother with you, so you won’t be alone. I don’t think it’s fair to exclude your father from another birthday party. He was so heartbroken in his letters.”

This made Blair giggle as she buttoned up her coat, warmth covering her immedietly. “I still feel bad.”

“So do I. Now run along, I’ll need to talk to a lot of monsters in order to set this up, okay?” jack stood to his full height, putting his hands on his hips.

“Yes, Grandpa!” Blair bounced on the balls of her heels, ready to rush out and dance.

There was a possibility!

“Alright, Alright,” he picked her up, hugging her tight and spinning her once before setting her down and watching her bolt outside, her cheery demeanor returning to her.

“Good grief, she reminds me of her mother.” He mumbled, turning back to call the Mayor back, along with a few other monsters.

@theskellingtons

@darkmatternova

(It’s 2 am pls forgive the fact that it’s all over the place)

#my fanfic #no editing i die like this #blair #angst #wtf happend to Roman?#hearts were everywhere #maybe ill write it when its not 2 am #the fantasy she lives in is the fact that her parents might get back together in one place #roman and skelly still love each other #jack skellington

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agentdagonet · 6 years

Text

Echoes, Ch. 17

Find it here on AO3

Find it here on tumblr: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Fic Summary: Feet dangling off the edge of the bed, hands still resting on the earpieces of his glasses, Eggsy opened his eyes.

And promptly shut them again, screwing them shut like a child who had the distinct misfortune of biting into a raw lemon. Breathing harshly in his nose and out his mouth, trying to stave off whatever delusional panic had befallen him, Eggsy reopened his eyes.

‘Harry?’

Or: The Hologram Story Nobody Asked For

‘So you’re Arthur now?’ Roxanne was texting someone idly on her phone, but glanced up briefly to make sure he’d heard her.

‘So Merlin says, though I’m not entirely certain how that’s going to work. I’ve been out of the loop for nearly a year and the organisation seems to have not suffered from my absence.’ Harry spoke softly trying not to wake Eggsy, who was dozing on and off (he kept jolting awake as if startled, and then pretended not to look at Harry briefly before allowing himself to relax again) across the cabin.

‘The Organisation’s changed a bit since V-Day, but I think it’s in the ways you tried to bring about yourself. I think the Knights who were left decided that, in light of V-Day, you’d been in the right for far longer than they’d like to admit.’ She closed her eyes and frowned to herself, shaking her head slightly before turning to face Harry. ‘I think you’re going to do just fine, Harry. Forceful enslavement or not, you’ve always cared more about the quality of one’s character than the things Kingsman valued under the… previous administration,’ a cough from the cockpit, ‘Merlin excluded.’

‘I meant to ask about that- Merthur?’

‘All Eggsy’s fault; I’m sure you’re quite proud.’ Roxane smiled, a bit of mischief in her eyes- Eggsy had gone unnaturally still, but Harry wasn’t looking at him for the moment.

‘For more reasons than I could rightly list off the top of my head, but causing Merlin headaches? It’s a Galahad tradition now that all his hair is gone.’

‘Which is all your fault, Harry.’ Merlin called back, tossing a wad of paper blindly behind himself and still managing to hit Harry in the leg.

‘I’ve never denied as much, but I will say that it’s lucky that your head is so well shaped. I’ll gladly buy you any wig of your choosing.’ Harry tossed the paper back, but Merlin batted it away single-handed

‘I would immediately break into your house and shave your eyebrows off, followed by a very distinct prick shaved onto the back of your head.’

‘... The fuck did I wake up to?’ Despite not having fully fallen asleep, Eggsy looked adorable dishevelled; hair stuck up on end and shirt askew.

‘Sleeping beauty awakens!’

‘Fuck off, Roxalot, or I’ll tell Merlin what’s missing from the Milwaukee mission.’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Leave me an’ my blackmail in peace, Merthur.’

‘No longer applies, lad; it’s Merlin. Just Merlin, once again; or I’ll sabotage your next batch of lighters.’

‘You wouldn’ dare; replacing me would take way more energy than dealing with me ever could.’

‘Well, at least you didn’t try to claim I held some sort of affection for you.’

‘OI!’

Harry watched the byplay with great interest, and settled back in his seat with a small smile. It was a blessing he never knew to ask for, to see Merlin connected with someone outside of himself. Harry had felt incredibly guilty, imagining a Merlin without him to pull him from his comfortable lab and hidey-hole in the kennels.

He’d have to share those spaces with Eggsy, if he hadn’t found them on his own already. A Galahad’s work is never done.

They eventually made it back to Headquarters, napping intermittently and restlessly, and it wasn’t until they touched down that Harry fully comprehended what had happened. He was back on home soil, with people he hadn’t dared to believe were alive, and he had been established as dead for over a year- he guessed he’d set himself up in the mansion but still-

Where am I going?

‘You’re comin’ home, ain'tcha?’ Harry hadn’t realised that he’d spoken aloud, intending to keep the fact that he hadn’t really thought this endeavour through to himself. Or, perhaps he had but then forgotten, or decided to simply allow the rest of them to figure it out- he was an invalid, after all. Those were all lovely excuses.

‘I couldn’t possibly intrude- you certainly have to have adapted to the space by now, if you’re living at the house.’

‘Harry. Listen. You ain’t intruding- it’s your house, bruv. Yeah, I stay there more often than not, but I-’ Eggsy paused, rubbing the back of his head and looking away. ‘I didn’t really change anythin’ I just kept shit lookin’ nice. And with your weird blue people walkin’ about it felt wrong to not keep it good as I could.’

‘If you’re certain-’

‘Shut up, I’m gettin’ a cab, and we’re going home.’

Harry could pretend not to see Merlin smirking at him from his periphery, but it would be a waste of time- he could already feel the tips of his ears burning and giving him away.

‘Just get Arthur settled and bring him back in one piece, Eggsy.’

‘What if we just left you as Merthur and then Harry and I went out and about as the Galahad Duo?’ Eggsy waggled his eyebrows and pointed some finger guns in Merlin’s direction. Merlin, for his part, simply nodded toward Roxanne- who proceeded to knock Eggsy upside the head with a smirk.

‘Your fantasies have to simply stay that, Eggsy- fantasies. We need an Arthur more than you need a partner in crime to ignore the advice of Merlin and the other Handlers with.’

‘Sometimes their advice is shit and I ain’t letting shit go wrong and hurt people if I can help it. I’m replaceable, I chose this- they didn’t.’ It’s incredibly sobering, for Harry to see Eggsy go from the not-quite-adult he’d taken out of the police station to a man who would sacrifice himself to save another.

Or, more accurately, how sobering it was for Harry to actually see the Eggsy who ended up in lock up in the first place; to see him hold his own and stand firmly in his beliefs. This was why he’d failed the dog test, and Harry’d decided to appreciate it and admire it instead of disparage his values.

But the moment was worrisome, too- to take a stray comment made by another Knight in jest so seriously meant that it was a raw wound- something prodded incessantly by those who ought not to.

‘That’s not the point, Eggsy-’

‘I’ve got to take Harry home- I’ll see you lot tomorrow.’ It’s curt, obviously an excuse to get away from them- but for the life of him, Harry couldn’t make himself speak and break the tension.

It wasn’t really his place, anyway- but to be both an observer and an excuse was an awkward place to be. Harry settled for trying to wander off, but Eggsy was quicker than his thoughts, apparently, as he had already begun walking toward the train and Harry was left trailing after him. He was unable to stop himself from glancing back toward Merlin and Roxanne, who were looking to one another with guilt written across their faces.

They hadn’t just stumbled blindly into this breaking point- they’d pressed the button themselves and purposefully- but to what end?

Eggsy couldn’t bring himself to speak- not even to apologise to Harry, who he had just put into a very awkward position. But he knew that if he opened his mouth, all the wrong bits would fall out first. Instead he just gestured here and there until they made it to the house- and tried not to stare at Harry having a Moment. He stood on the step for several moments, a small smile tugging at the ends of his lips, before following Eggsy inside.

And freezing again.

Harry felt like he was walking into a dream. An alternate universe where Kentucky had never happened. Where Eggsy was Lancelot and he was Galahad and everything still made sense.

Nothing had changed. Well, nothing of import. The loo door was ajar, revealing Mr Pickle and the butterflies that Harry suddenly realised he had seen just as immaculate when he’d hacked into his own house. He hadn’t even thought about the rest of the house, assuming that Eggsy had made himself at home and kept the bathroom the same as an unfortunate reminder of their last conversation. Well, he knew what people said about assuming- it made an arse of you and me. For all that Eggsy had said at HQ, he hadn’t really understood.

He was startled from his reverie by a glass appearing in front of his face. Eggsy shrugged one shoulder, half of his mouth pulled into a sympathetic smile, and waited until the glass was grasped firmly before wandering back into the kitchen. Moments later he heard humming, something he didn’t recognise, and finally relaxed- Eggsy would be fine. He just needed some time, and space.

Harry could give him those things, and thus trudged up the stairs toward the guest room, intending to settle and start trying to process everything himself. One issue with that: the guest room was lived in. Incredibly lived in. The sheets were rumpled, odds and ends sitting on the nightstand, a set of trainers tucked beneath the end of the bed, a jacket hung off the back of a chair; a set of Kingsman glasses sat on the desk. The closet doors were open and an array of street clothes were plainly visible, and a smaller collection of Kingsman suits tucked to one end.

Eggsy was living here. Why hadn’t he laid claim to the rest of the house? He’d had to have seen Kentucky’s gruesome end, and thus known Harry was… gone. He’d obviously been talking with the holograms; though how much or how often was still unclear. Eggsy had no reason to- Harry blinked. A cenotaph. Eggsy had made the house a bloody cenotaph and tucked himself as far into it as he could manage, made himself a footnote in a place he should have been a chapter. Though, perhaps he hadn’t known that. Maybe he didn’t understand how entirely he’d managed to brighten Harry’s monochromatic life. Well, there was time now to change that. More than he’d ever expected to have in his line of work.

But first he had to solve the mystery of Eggsy’s Knighting. Something told him that asking Eggsy directly would yield no results- especially as he was acting at present- so he’d have to pull a Merlin and obtain some records. He had a lot to catch up on, he knew, but what better place to start than where he’d left off last?

#dagonet writes #kingsman fanfiction #fanfiction #kingsman

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