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sincerely-sofie · 5 months

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Dadnoir Musings: The Fanfic

Lord help me I’m back on my nonsense. Finally making this monstrosity public.

Word count: 6,930-ish

Summary: Fragments of Dusknoir’s interactions with and thoughts on Kip and Twig (especially Twig) throughout the events of the game, leading up into the start of The Present is a Gift.

It was meant to be simple. He would travel back through a passage of time alone, the sableye making the journey separately to spread rumors of a renowned explorer before he'd quietly enter the areas that were handfed awe-inspiring stories of his exploits. He'd do a number of good deeds along the way to validate the rumors, and in doing so he would gain the loyalty and aid of an entire population in tracking down the grovyle and human that had gotten dangerously close to securing another time gear before vanishing entirely after their retreat.

He had heard reports of the grovyle being sighted in this time period. It was good news, certainly, to have reliable sources verify one another— but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had at the reports. They always identified the grovyle, but never the human. Easily the most stand-out member of the trio of rebels— even moreso than the Legend in their ranks— and suddenly the only one unaccounted for. He didn't know much about humans and how hardy they were, but the grovyle’s habit of whirling her out of reach of whatever strikes were sent her way implied a distinct fragility— perhaps she'd been disposed of in the window of time that they'd lost track of the rebels.

He hoped that was the case. Everything would be so much simpler if it was. Still, he instructed the scouts to search more diligently for the human. He wasn't foolish enough to hope for much of anything anymore, and the fact that he found himself clinging to the idea of not having to execute the human himself left him wary.

Something wasn't right.

He entered the lively settlement of Treasure Town with a sense of dread weighing heavy on his shoulders.

***

His cover story gave him a particular level of sway over the local exploration guild. Not only did they eat up every word he said with an unmatched trustingness, they provided access to their outlaw reports and records of suspicious activity. There he was— the troublesome grovyle was reported enough times to give an area he was likely frequenting, but not an indication of his next move or where he'd hide away after brushes with danger. Dusknoir needed to wait and gather more information. The grovyle was rash— it wouldn't be long before he showed his hand.

In the meantime, Dusknoir would continue building Treasure Town’s trust in him.

That didn't prove very difficult. The townsfolk were exceptionally welcoming. They bore no doubt in his cover story. The Guild’s recruits were almost sycophantic in their hero worship, as were their elite, save for a team of two— and even then, the team that seemed wary of him appeared more cautious out of nerves than actual suspicion.

They were a young pair of recruits— much younger than the rest of their peers. Where the other recruits seemed at least well on their way to entering adulthood, these two were evidently the youngest apprentices in guild history. Team Venture was composed of a timid but eager mudkip and an odd charmander who seemed completely flabbergasted by basic social customs.

Kip was endearing in his overzealous enthusiasm— his excitement whenever Dusknoir interacted with him and his partner was palpable, and he introduced himself by name almost immediately upon meeting him. Another indicator of the two’s youth, then— he was so young he didn't quite grasp the finer details of when and where you should give your name. One might find the misstep offensive, but Dusknoir was flattered by the boy considering him such a close friend.

The charmander didn't give him a name. In truth, she didn't give him much of anything— she hung back when Kip and Dusknoir spoke, never really saying anything, just watching him with a confused look like she was trying to remember something long lost to time. She was a studious character— Kip didn't attend many of the workshops the Guild put on, but Charmander arrived early to and left late from every last one.

“She wasn't the one to ask to form a team together— honestly, she kind of rejected the idea at first,” Kip admitted to him while waiting for his partner to return from one such event, “but I think that now she likes exploring even more than I do!”

“Funny how things play out like that,” he replied.

“She's amazing. I'm so lucky to have met her. She's my best friend.”

He watched as the mudkip fidgeted happily with his scarf, a slight blush on his face. Ah. Definitely a bit of lilipuppy love on his end. He couldn't help his chuckle. “And how did you two meet?”

“Oh— um. She was passed out on the beach one day, but I thought she was dead when I found her and I— uh— I screamed so loud she woke up,” he stammered. “It wasn't a very cool way to meet, but I'm glad I got to meet her at all.”

“I'm sure any would react as you did were they to stumble upon a possible corpse.” His brow furrowed. “Why was she passed out on the beach in the first place?”

“She doesn't know. She's got amnesia, if you haven't heard— she doesn't remember anything about herself before waking up on the beach. Well, anything but her name and how she used to be a human.”

“What?”

Kip startled at the sharpness of his tone. “She… she doesn't remember anything but her name, and how she used to be a human? Is everything okay, Dusknoir, sir?”

It couldn't be. This was a coincidence. He hoped desperately that it was a coincidence. If there was a human in the time he had traveled from, then there surely had to be humans in the time preceding it. This was another human, unrelated to the one that had evaded detection for the last year or so. It was a simple coincidence.

Kip watched him nervously.

“Apologies, I… I was simply caught off guard. Humans turning into pokemon is a concept that I thought was only the stuff of fairy tales. That combined with humans having been long extinct makes your story seem a bit peculiar.”

“Oh! Yeah, it does seem strange, doesn't it? I don't know if she's misremembering or not, but she's pretty intent on how she wasn't a charmander before waking up on the beach. She took a while to learn how to walk, though, and she doesn't know how to control fire like a normal charmander— so it makes me feel like she's telling the truth.”

Dusknoir hummed, lost in thought. Kip ran off to greet his partner when she exited the meeting hall for whatever seminar was put on that week, and she caught him in a hug and showed him a stack of notes she'd taken during the seminar. Kip stifled a laugh as he looked over the pages— Charmander demanded he tell her what was so funny, and he meekly explained that her spelling was even worse than her handwriting.

“Dude! Not cool! I didn't even know how to read any of this stuff last year. I'd like to see you write a paper in English after barely getting any time to learn it!”

They wandered off, chattering all the way, leaving Dusknoir to recall the mannerisms of the human who had all but dropped off the face of the planet and recognize their echoes in the child resting her hand over her friend’s shoulders as they walked to the guild dorms.

It was a coincidence. Simply that.

(The thought that the human he'd been trying to… dispatch for so many years was only as old as Charmander sat like a block of ice in his belly.)

***

He tried to get more information on this mysterious recruit, and his efforts to find any background beyond when she first arrived at the Guild yielded nothing. It was as if Charmander never existed before appearing on that beach— no records of her prior residence, birth, or heritage were to be found— no one had ever even known she existed before Kip brought her into town. He wondered if it was a conspiracy between them— that the girl was playing dumb and the boy was lying to cover up what he knew— but couldn't place any stock in the theory. Kip was as guileless as they come, and he had seen Charmander attempt to hide surprises from her partner— she was an atrocious liar. They were genuine in their cluelessness.

He learned more that personified the child than he would have liked while posing faux-idle questions to the townsfolk.

(“That lil’ charmander girl is the sweetest thing. She's got the etiquette sense of an overturned stump, make no mistake, but she means no harm by it, y’hear? Keeps coming by to my storehouse to hide presents for her friends— asked for a second lockbox and everything so her partner wouldn't know she was collecting up his favorite things to give him later on.” The woman laughed. “She loves playing with my little one, too— it's the funniest thing, seeing her try to play with her. It's like she thinks she's made of glass. I keep telling Charmander she can be a bit rougher, but she still treats the girl so gingerly!”)

(“Ah! Charmander, you say? Yes, yes, she's quite the character. Loves wordplay, that one. Sharp mind, if a little dense at times. Always asking about the finer points of merchantry. If she weren't already apprenticed at the Guild, we'd consider taking her on ourselves!” A pause as his brother interjected with his own comment. “Ah! I'd forgotten about that. She's made such a habit of paying for those two’s groceries. She's always so mischievous about it— almost treats it like a prank. Keep in mind she's never told those boys or their mother who keeps paying for their things, and she's sworn us to secrecy about it— you'll not tell a soul either, yes?”)

(“Charmander is… well, she's one of our most promising recruits, alongside her partner. I've had my misgivings— those two have shown their immaturity at the worst of times, to the point of near disaster, mind you! If it weren't for Team Skull, I shudder to think of what would have happened… But they've got good hearts. Charmander started out one of the worst-performing recruits in the Guild’s history, but she's made leaps and bounds of progress. It's easier to look past her age when you see the stacks of pages of notes and research she produces— though it's significantly harder when you see the severity of her spelling! She gave me a paper where she'd listed several questions about expedition protocol, once, and I was appalled by the sight!” A nervous flutter of wings. “Everything she writes is phonetic! Horrifically so! Her handwriting is no better. It's to the point I've debated calling on a tutor to stay at the Guild for a time to provide lessons. I shudder to think of a recruit ever rising to the point she and her partner have with such deplorable writing skills. Should I ever meet her parents, I have strong words to give on the importance of education!”)

It was a coincidence. It had to be. She was a former human who had arrived in town at the same time that the fugitive human had disappeared, but that wasn't enough to be incriminating. He didn't want to think about the alternative. In his questioning the townsfolk, all he learned was how utterly normal this child was— how she had the same quirks and charms as any youth would, despite her constant efforts to seem mature and keep up with her older peers.

She and her partner asked him if he, in all his travels, knew about the cause of her dizzy spells and visions. There it was— the Dimensional Scream, and another nail in Charmander’s coffin.

It had to be a coincidence. If it wasn't, then this child's blood would need to stain his hands if he wanted to continue on himself, and he was starting to doubt how much he wanted to live a life with that fact haunting him.

It would have been easier if it was just death he was facing. He could handle the thought of dying, grim as it was. But he faced no simple looming threat of death, but one of complete and utter erasure from existence— if the grovyle succeeded, it would be as if he never lived in the first place. The same fate would be dealt to Charmander. If the existential terror wasn't enough, Dialga’s visceral descriptions of what erasure felt like were unsettlingly vivid. Dusknoir would simply have to remind himself that an execution would be swifter, less painful— even, in a twisted way, more merciful than what Grovyle was so resolutely seeking.

She wouldn't suffer, and he wouldn't be stricken from all of time and space. It would be a twofold victory, grim as it was— if it ever came to that. He didn't even know if this was the exact same human who could discern Dimensional Screams. All signs pointed to her, but if he refrained from learning anything more, he could claim ignorance. He could leave her in this time and simply dispose of the grovyle, and she would remain as she was, blissfully unaware of her origins.

He just had to stop asking questions. That's all he had to do.

Charmander came up to him one day with a newfound hesitancy in her posture. “Hey, so— I really appreciate you telling me about the Scream a while back. And how you came to help me and Kip when the Manectric Tribe came along, and you scaring off Team Skull, and all that, too.”

“Think nothing of it.”

“I don't really get Pokemon stuff, but I know names are pretty important, like, as a trust thing.”

“That they are.” Don't. I don't want to hear—

“So I figured I could give you mine? As a symbol of, like, gratitude or whatever.”

“There’s no need.” Stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it, don't tell me anything, I don't want to know—

“Nah, I don't mind.” She smiled widely, puffed out her chest, set her fists on her hips. “It's Twig! Nice to meet you, or whatever you're supposed to say when you… um…” Her prideful posture fell, giving way to concern. “What's with the face? Sorry if I messed that up, I don't really know how things are supposed to— I just thought…”

Of course. Of course he was wrong to hope. When was he ever right to cling to such things? It was her, and he'd known it all along, but he stubbornly refused to accept it.

“I'm sorry, man. You don't have to look so upset.”

“Whatever would give you that idea?”

“You're crossing your arms to hide the fact you're frowning.” She furrowed her brow. “I'm not stupid, Dusknoir.”

You are, though. You're so, so foolish, and you don't even realize it. I could have moved on from here without ever confirming who you were, and you ruined it.

“Apologies,” he murmured tersely. “I'm just a tad overcome. I need a moment.”

“Oh. Yeah, no worries.” She awkwardly reached out and patted the back of his hand as she passed. “I’m gonna go and… I dunno, do some sentry duty. Sorry again if I messed stuff up.”

You should be. You did. Legends and Life, you'll regret this even more than I do when the time comes.

***

It was rather jarring to see the same human that Grovyle had been so determined to keep out of harm’s way laid so low by his own hand. Dusknoir’s appearance at Crystal Cave sent the fugitive packing, and he was left to tend to an injured Team Venture.

Twig shoved his hands away as he assessed the damage. “Don't! Don't, I'm fine— Help Kip! He's— I don't know if he's going to…” Her voice broke, and his heart followed suit at the pitiful sound. “Please. You've got to help him.”

It took a moment to locate the mudkip in question— Twig had evidently been making efforts to lead the fight away from where he had collapsed behind a large stalagmite, unconscious.

He had seen injuries, he had seen gore— but he had never seen so much of them on such a small body.

Twig wasn't overreacting in her fear of whether or not her friend would survive their encounter with Grovyle.

He knew enough first-aid to ensure Kip didn't bleed out in the moment, but lacked the supplies necessary to do much else. Twig was bundling Kip up in her arms before he admitted as much to himself, starting the trek out of the mystery dungeon on shaking legs— and only managed several strides before falling to her knees with a pained groan. She didn't protest when he lifted her into his own arms and resumed the journey with more haste than she could muster in her state— only curled tightly around her partner, to the point that her tail brushed her jaw, promising over and over again that he would be okay.

***

Chimecho received the two recruits and administered the care that Dusknoir was unable to provide, ushering him out of the room so she would have room to work in the cramped Guild infirmary. Left in the silence of the main floor alongside the unsettled guild members who had gathered together when they learned of Team Venture’s state, he found himself standing before the infirmary door, numb. Slowly, the guild members dispersed, the quiet tension in the air left unbroken as they awaited news of their friends’ fates. Chatot remained, noisy in his silence as he alternated between pacing and leafing through paperwork that he never gave more than a few moments of attention at a time. Dusknoir eventually had the sense to seat himself a ways away from the infirmary door and began sifting through the events of the last few hours.

He hadn't pursued Grovyle. He had the opportunity to corner the fugitive— there were a number of dead ends in Crystal Cave, any of which he could have driven him into and had the upper hand in a confrontation where he might capture him— and he didn't take it. He squandered the perfect chance to finally do away with the greatest thorn in his side in favor of assisting another of the trio he'd been tasked with dispatching. He could only hope that Dialga didn't learn of his misstep— there would be hell to pay if he did.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Chatot’s startled squawk as he shot over to the infirmary door when Twig stepped onto the threshold, though not fully through, heavily bandaged and with a pronounced limp. “What are you doing up and about?! You need to remain in the infirmary until you've been given a clean bill of health! I won't have you running about jeopardizing yourself— think of— think of what horrors that would do for the Guild’s image! Get back in there immediately!”

Twig gave him a weary glare. “I'm not going to sit around and watch while Chimecho stitches Kip back into one piece. Move over, man.”

Chatot opened his beak to protest once more, but froze upon glancing over Twig's shoulder— catching an eyeful of Kip’s injuries, judging by the way his feathers flattened against his body in fear. “A-Alright, just this once, then. But sit down! You look faint. I don't want to have you falling and giving yourself a concussion on top of all this!”

“Pretty sure I already have a concussion, Chatot. I also can't sit down unless you let me through the doorway.”

Chatot complied, fretting over her until she laid down on the floor and set her legs up against the wall to combat her supposed faintness that Chatot was so worried about. “Dusknoir, I'm dreadfully sorry, but please keep watch over this recruit for a moment. Chimecho will no doubt need more material for sutures shortly— I must seek supplies in town.” He didn't wait for a response, simply shot up the ladder leading out of the guild in a flurry of wings and panic, leaving Dusknoir and Twig in an vacant chamber.

She closed her eyes, falling so still that she seemed to be asleep. Recalling her mentioning a concussion, he reached over to rouse her— but her sudden words made him freeze with his hand outstretched.

“Chimecho doesn't know if he's gonna make it.”

He couldn't muster a response to that.

“You’ve— you've been around, you know lots of stuff. You've probably seen injuries way worse than those. Kip’s— he's gonna be okay, right?” He watched as she opened her eyes, fixing him with a teary stare as she waited for an answer. “... Right?”

He couldn't look at her. “His injuries are severe,” he finally murmured.

She turned to stare at the ceiling. He did his best to ignore the way her breaths stuttered and hitched, turning into quiet hiccups and whines as she rolled over and shifted to press her back against the wall and cry into her knees. Distantly, he wondered how she managed to cry so quietly, even when every whisper of a sob shook her entire frame with its intensity. He intently avoided pondering what had motivated her to develop such a skill.

It wasn't easy to ignore an injured, distraught child weeping only an arms-length away from him. He found himself unwillingly reminded of the sableye when he first took them in— Twig's situation was different, but the end result was almost the same— a child left adrift and frightened in the face of tragedy. Where the sableye had each other, though, Twig was left to weep without five siblings to answer the slightest whimper with unflinching support. Her partner— her only true friend amongst the Guild, from the sound of things— was on death's door, unable to come to her aid and offer the same words of comfort she had repeated to him as Dusknoir brought the two back to the Guild.

Despite himself, he reached out and set his hand over her back. She stiffened under his palm, and he nearly pulled away, but she caught hold of his thumb on her shoulder and held his hand in place. Her tears continued. He didn't say anything when she curled up tighter and her sobs picked up in volume, too startled by the memory of one of the recruits describing something to him.

(“Twig really doesn't like being touched. Not most times, at least! One time I patted her on the back because she beat my best sentry duty record, and she whirled around and almost took off one of my petals! Like, oh my gosh, I totally freaked! Kip said that she barely lets anyone touch her— you've got to be a real close buddy for her to be okay with it, or else it really freaks her out— but I didn't think it was that bad! Eek!”)

He kept his gaze fixed on the opposite wall and tried not to think about how she felt bonier under his hand than one so young had any right to be.

***

Kip survived, adorned with a number of scars that would remain for all his remaining days as a mudkip. Twig was glued to his side during the days in which he was allowed to exit the infirmary and rest in the dorms, and she became his crutch whenever he struggled to walk about the Guild to build his strength back up after so long being bedridden. The other recruits flocked around the two and made their concern known, offering to help with anything they needed as they recovered.

Kip asked for help checking a particular book out of the Guild library and sending word to Chimecho that the numbing agent was working a bit too well, and that he couldn't feel the fin on his head whatsoever. Twig didn't ask for anything— suddenly every bit as stoney, stern, and stoic as Grovyle had appeared in confrontations once they were separated— and said little over the following days. When one recruit waddled up to her after a workshop with carefully written notes and an apology for how he couldn't write as many pages as she always did on account of how fast the lecturer spoke and how slow his paws were, though, she pulled him into a hug that he meekly returned.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you—”

“Aw, shucks, it's really nothing! Don't mind it at all. I know how much you love those workshops. Me, though, I was lost as soon as the lecturer flipped the first page on her big ol’ chart thingy! You mind explaining how traps form in a mystery dungeon? She kept saying that it was important to know for this workshop, but I didn't go during the one where it was taught.”

She launched into a lecture of her own, more animated than he had seen her since her encounter with Grovyle, and Dusknoir was tempted to applaud the young man for so cleverly distracting her from her wounds.

***

With a trap laid for Grovyle, Dusknoir watched for the right moment to spring it. It didn't take long— the fugitive was gullible and impatient, a dangerous combination of traits that ensured Dusknoir wasn't left waiting for long.

Grovyle was secured— albeit perhaps roughed up a tad more than was totally necessary to capture him— and that meant he had to resolve the other loose end before he departed for his home era.

He called Team Venture forward, out from the back of the crowd where they always lingered. He only had to bring Twig closer, but to summon her alone would raise suspicions at this most critical of moments. She was slow to come up to the front of the crowd and made her way there leaning heavily on her partner when she finally appeared. Evidently, her refusal to rest and recover from her injuries had backfired, leaving her in a worse state than Kip was despite her having the lesser wounds at the beginning.

He only needed her. He could leave Kip behind and have a single child’s death weighing on him for eternity instead of two, if only they would stop clinging to each other for one measly second. He gave a speech describing his gratitude, waiting for the moment when she would shift her weight off of his side and onto her own two feet so he could grab her and be off— and there it was. He seized her in a hand and shot back into the passage of time, realizing too late that Kip was dragged along by her fistful of his scarf.

Great. Of course.

He caught hold of the boy when Twig’s own grip came loose and cursed whatever Legends were watching and no doubt laughing at his luck.

***

He really should have expected Grovyle would have another trick lying in wait before the execution. He'd hoped that Kip and Twig at least would remain unconscious for the act, but Grovyle's hissing and spitting curses his way roused them, and they were pulled along with his escape plan as a result. Dusknoir was going to kill him personally if things continued to sour thanks to him. When they had the three cornered— along with Celebi, even— he found himself possessed by the urge to twist the knife.

It was cruel to reveal Twig’s identity to Grovyle in order to stamp out any bit of resistance in him, but Dusknoir would be lying if he said it didn't give him some awful sense of catharsis to see the horrified guilt in his face— he finally realized just what he'd done by beating a child unconscious and nearly doing the same to a second one in Crystal Cave, and Dusknoir took a certain glee in his regret. Twig’s look of disgust at the reveal only drove the knife deeper. Good. He deserves it. He put out a hand and sent a shadow snaking along the ground, ready to take the wretch out—

— and Twig tackled Grovyle out of the way of the attack, putting herself in the range of the strike. He fumbled, dampening the worst of the blow before it hit her, but she still let out a sharp cry in response. Legends and Life, he would rather put the two youths out of their misery with something quick, but that was made difficult by their insistence to throw themselves in harm's way as living shields for the one target he wanted to suffer.

Fine, then. He reached out to snatch Kip up and snap his neck, but Twig surged into Dusknoir with such force she managed to throw him against a tree and lit a barrier of flame between them and her allies.

She kicked off of him, further dizzying him thanks to her using his eye as her chosen springboard, and landed ready to dash back to her group— but stopped short when she saw the long wall of fire between them.

(He'd never seen her use any sort of attack before that incorporated the flames she could manifest as a charmander— only ever using her fists, teeth, and even fallen branches to strike— and he suddenly recalled how he could count the hours at the Guild by how many times she'd let out a startled yelp when she'd see her own tail. Back then, he thought she'd simply never grown accustomed to an extra limb. It was with a bitter, weary laugh now that he realized she was afraid of fire.)

He reached out, hand outstretched to take her by the throat.

Kip sprang up from the ground that he had tunneled into and headbutted him hard, whirling around to douse the flames and shove his partner forward. “Come on, come on, we've got to get out of—!”

Grovyle snatched the girl up as he sprang for the passage of time, not even sparing her partner a second glance as he leveled Dusknoir with a deadly glare when he passed. Kip was only pulled along by Twig grabbing his scarf and pulling him into her arms as they darted into the passage of time, Celebi swiftly shuttering it and vanishing in a shimmer of air.

Lovely.

***

Grovyle hadn't told Twig what would happen to her if their efforts to restore Temporal Tower succeeded. Of all the things he'd done, this one failure to act was his most repulsive misdeed by far.

She was baffled by Dusknoir's question of whether she truly didn't fear erasure, looking to Grovyle for answers. He stuttered and stammered, resisting her request for the truth at first, and Dusknoir, for all his willingness to see his instructions to kill these two as just business a few seconds ago, concluded that it would be a lovely vacation to throttle Grovyle in particular.

One last attempt to dispatch Twig as kindly as he could was once again foiled— Grovyle passed on the burden of his mission to a child who just learned she was giving up her entire existence to change a future that was uncertain— and he forced Dusknoir into the passage of time.

***

Erasure was less painful than he expected. It was less like being ripped apart by every second he had lived and more like his very soul was slowly being brushed away, like he was falling asleep. Twig had gone through with her part, then. He hoped the event of her disappearance wasn't too frightening for her or Kip.

Dusknoir could feel himself slipping. He could barely summon the words as he asked, “Grovyle… My life… did it shine?”

Grovyle must have been just as exhausted as Dusknoir, but he smiled despite it. His hand shook as he reached out to grip his arm. His voice trembled with effort as he fought to speak. “Extraordinarily.”

It was a pitiful scrap of comfort— meaningless, really. But that simple response, combined with the sun rising behind the collapsed forms of his unlikely allies moved him to tears.

Okay. If this was how he was struck from all of time and space, it was okay. He would be able to accept it.

As dawn broke for the first time in decades gone uncounted, Dusknoir stopped clinging to the world about him, and let himself drift away completely.

***

To return to existence was unexpected. To be given a second chance at life by Dialga himself was even more unexpected. But perhaps most unexpected of all was how much he hated this bright future’s refusal to admit all of the terrors that had taken place on its soil.

Grovyle and Celebi felt similarly. The decision to immigrate to the Present was unanimous, heightened by Grovyle's late realization that if they'd been restored, Twig likely was as well— Celebi couldn't open a passage of time fast enough for his liking once the idea hit him, and he bolted through it the moment it was vaguely safe to traverse.

“… He's certainly eager to move in.”

“Dusknoir, dear, you know full well he's not leaping at the opportunity to pick out wallpaper.” She turned to the passage, face pensive. “It's been so long since I've seen them in this timeline… I'm almost afraid. How do I look? Are my antennae straight? Are my wings as dazzling as ever?”

He gave her a flat stare.

“You have no appreciation for beauty! Hmph!” She feigned anger for only a moment before glancing back at him, worried. “If you'd like a moment, Dusknoir, you can wait here and prepare yourself. I know you didn't part on the best of terms with our two little explorers.”

“I doubt they're very little anymore.”

“You're right! Oh my goodness, they must be full-grown by now… I'm going through, dear, but you come on out only when you're ready.”

He waited for a feeling of readiness to overtake him.

It never did.

All he could do was take a breath and enter the passage.

He was greeted by sunlight, dappled shadows, treetop canopies rustling overhead, and Twig's startled command for Kip to get behind her.

She was barely any taller, covered in scars he didn't remember her wearing when they last parted ways, and she had her fists balled up in front of her and ready to lash out the second he approached. Grovyle stepped forward and tried to explain, and her look of frightened fury gave way to confusion, then frustration.

“There's— No way. There's no way he did any of that. He's just trying to get our guards down again.” She cast a vicious glare his way. “What, was Primal Dialga a cover? Were you really working with Darkrai all along? Too bad, we beat your real boss months ago! Get out of here before I—”

Kip stepped forward, brushing aside his partner's threats with a smile. His words were sincere and simple. “I knew you were too nice to be faking it. All the times in Treasure Town, Amp Plains, Crystal Cave— I told you, Twig. C’mon, you owe me five-hundred poké!”

She sputtered for a moment as he simply held out a paw expectantly. She reached into her bag and begrudgingly slid a large coin into his waiting palm. He gave her a smug smile as Dusknoir looked between them.

“Do you two often bet on the intentions of those you meet?” He asked, unsettled by the well-practiced exchange.

“It’s a joke. Mostly. And we don't do it too much,” Kip answered.

He was scared to hear the answer he was certain he already knew. “And what started this routine between you?”

To his surprise, they didn't respond by pointing to him. Twig crossed her arms and murmured, surprisingly hesitant, “We got… um. Don't know if there's a specific word for it in Pokéspeak, but we thought we were talking to Cresselia, and it turned out it was very much not Cresselia that we were talking to. We started up the joke to deal with that.”

“A Cresselia that wasn't Cresselia— who would impersonate a Legend?”

Twig gave him a once-over, her suspiciousness giving way to exhaustion. “You know that Darkrai dude I mentioned a bit ago?”

The explanation that followed wasn't as horrifying as the manner in which it was told. Kip admitted his fears as he explained their subsequent clash with a Legend who masterminded Dialga's decay, but Twig dismissed hers. The blatant attempt to put on a brave face and minimize her own anxieties— anxieties which still clearly affected her, judging by the way she avoided eye contact and her tail’s flame fizzled and hissed while burning an anxious magenta— brought to mind a memory he'd almost forgotten.

(A bloody child shakily shoving helping hands aside, sobbing for him to ignore her wounds and tend to her partner. A refusal of aid in favor of assisting another.)

His hands curled into fists, and he looked away. Twig tensed and took a half-step closer to Kip, and the sight killed him.

***

Kip offered their motley trio a place in his and Twig's home as they searched for more permanent lodgings. They accepted, much to Twig's poorly hidden chagrin.

Everyone else had retired for the night— curled up in makeshift beds pulled haphazardly together out of blankets and pitiful amounts of straw insufficient for any real mattress. Grovyle snored loudly, sleeping deeply for perhaps the first time Dusknoir had ever been around to see, and Celebi had tucked herself tidily into her bed, breaths whistling lightly as she rested. Kip was doing the same a short distance away. Twig, meanwhile, sat at a table across the room, pretending to look over papers she must have read ten times each by now, glaring up at him every time she leafed through the stack anew.

The implication that she didn't trust him around her unconscious friends and had taken up watch to protect them wasn't lost on him.

She did this for multiple nights. She'd reached the point that she was nodding off in the daytime, exhausted by her nightly vigils, but she still kept them up. He had attempted to fake sleeping earlier in the night so she'd allow herself rest, but she remained awake even then— and so he swiftly gave up the ruse in favor of his typical pattern of sleep. Each evening, she'd take up her post at the table and start skimming papers with feigned interest, keeping an eye on his every move and tensing whenever he so much as twitched.

He deserved each terrified glower she gave him. His knowledge of his guilt didn't make it any easier to see one so young carrying the world on her shoulders.

She was grown now— likely nearing an evolution, if the reddish scales now dotting her skin meant anything— but she still had the eyes of a haunted child when the nights were long and her watch over her friends wore on her.

She finally slipped up one evening, her head settled on folded arms over the table’s surface, eyelids drifting closed until her breathing finally evened out and she fell asleep. He sighed with relief, but the reassurance that she'd finally get some rest was short-lived.

She flinched in her sleep, murmuring fearfully, fingers twitching against the tabletop she'd slumped over.

Uncertain of what to do, but called to help all the same, he rose and pulled a blanket from the meager sheets comprising her empty bed. She relaxed when he draped it over her, her hands no longer balling into fists and her tail’s flame glowing a warm, peaceful white instead of flickering between aggressive violets and panicked magentas.

She looked smaller as she slept— as if in her slumber she forgot to puff herself up and pretend she was self-assured and confident. She looked like a recruit too young to keep up with her older peers and too naive to understand the danger she threw herself readily into.

She looked like a child.

She looked like a child, but she'd never had the chance to truly be one. Between running for her life in the Dark Future, to taking on a schooling far too intensive for those her age, to waging battles with Legends and shouldering whatever trauma she'd garnered from all of it— she'd never been allowed such an opportunity.

(He was part of that. He was part of the reasons she'd never been able to grow up as a child should. He'd been part of the wretched selection of foes who robbed her of her youth.)

Dusknoir tugged the blanket higher around the girl's shoulders. She sighed a cozy, content sound, and he left for a late night walk.

He didn't mention the blanket come morning. She left it unspoken as well.

(She took a glance at her post the next evening and turned away, electing to sprawl out in her bed and snore almost loud enough to put Grovyle to shame.)

(It was a simple thing. Meaningless, really, and no great signifier of any faith that had been rebuilt. But it moved him near to tears regardless as she dropped off to sleep before any of the rest of them. She trusted them all to keep her safe and be safe in turn— and he was encircled in that trust.)

(It wasn't the unwavering faith of a child, but it was something, and it was something that meant the world.)

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glitchy-anime-fan · 3 months

Text

This might be just me, maybe I’m missing something, but I feel like some people who criticise EPIC!Odysseus for killing an infant but drawing the line at sleeping with Circe might not be taking into consideration how literally every event Odysseus has face since Troy has affected him as a person and how much guilt he’s continually facing.

To preface; THIS IS NOT ME HATING ON OTHER FANS!! I’m not trying to bully anyone or make fun of anyone, this is just something that has been in my head and I need to rant about it. This also only pertains to EPIC’s depiction of Odysseus, not any other interpretation of the character/story!

[minor grammatical edits made on 2/25/2024)

I saw a discussion on here the other day where the parties involved were talking about the changes made between the original Homeric story and EPIC. One of the main points of contention that I remember was how one of them said it rubbed them the wrong way that Odysseus was fine with killing an infant but didn’t want to sleep with Circe. I can totally understand why this may be an odd choice of morality to make, however, we have to keep in mind that the Odysseus from the Troy Saga is VERY different than the Odysseus in the Circe saga. Troy Saga Odysseus appears to be far more confident in himself and his plans; one could even argue that he’s a bit cocky. As stated by Odysseus in the ocean saga, NONE of his own men died in the battle which would add to Odysseus’ confidence and pride. This is vastly different than the grief stricken Odysseus later in the story, but more on that later.

Now the infant scene in question doesn’t necessarily set in stone Odysseus’ moral/ethical code; one could say the situation itself is an ethical dilemma (a problem with no one right answer). Odysseus is told by Zeus, king of the gods, that if he doesn’t kill Hector’s baby than Odysseus’ entire family (perhaps even kingdom) is in grave danger. However, Odysseus doesn’t make a decision right away, I’m mean the entire second song of the saga is Odysseus mulling over his options; kill an infant or risk his families safety. Neither option is preferable and I think “Just a Man” is meant to show that Odysseus isn’t a man who would readily kill a child, no questions asked, just because he was told to. In “The Infant and the Horse” Odysseus is ready to comply until he discovers that the “foe” he’s meant to kill is an infant. I mean, he literally pleads with Zeus to give him another option;

[ODYSSEUS, ZEUS]

I could raise him as my own (He will burn your house and throne)

Or send him far away from home (He'll find you wherever you go)

Make sure his past is never known (The gods will make it known)

I'd rather bleed for ya, down on my knees for ya (He's bringing you down on your knees for ya)

I'm begging please

Oh, this is the will of the gods

Please don't make me do this, don't make me do this

This part alone shows that Odysseus is, in fact, NOT fine with killing a child. Again, the second song in the saga is Odysseus going over his options and even asks for forgiveness when he finally makes his decision. I don’t know about you all, but I don’t think someone who’s okay with killing a child would ask for forgiveness. In this situation it’s very likely that Odysseus made the choice to protect his family and kingdom above all else, which I feel like is a valid choice in this situation. Odysseus was told, by a god, that him and his family would be killed should the baby live, I highly doubt Odysseus at this point was readily willing to try and call Zeus’ bluff.

It’s also not like the action didn’t affect Odysseus later. Again, I’m sure someone who wouldn’t have a guilty conscience about such a heinous act would ask for forgiveness. Similarly, two songs later in “Open Arms”, Polites brings up Odysseus’ guilt at the end when he says “I see in your face, there is so much guilt inside your heart”. Odysseus is clearly guilty about what he’s done, once again reinforcing that he is not “okay with killing an infant”. You can also pick up on it in the way Jay sings Odysseus’ songs following “Just a Man”; Odysseus seems to be more distracted or distant likely due to the shock of his own actions.

Similarly, we have to take into consideration literally every new traumatic incident Odysseus is faced with between the Cyclops and Ocean sagas. In the Cyclops Saga, Polyphemus kills a large number of Odysseus’ crew which would make this the first heavy loss Odysseus’ army would have faced since the war. I can imagine that this loss would have been a huge blow to Odysseus’ pride given the fact that none of his men died in the war. Similarly, since Odysseus is their captain and king, it’s fair to assume that Odysseus may see the deaths as his fault adding to his guilt.

Not only does he lose many in his crew, Odysseus also loses his best friend Polites which greatly effects Odysseus throughout the rest of the musical. In “Keep Your Friends Close” when the crew is scheming to open the bag of wind from Aeolus, they say “Everything's changed since Polites,” referring to how much Polites’ death not only effected Odysseus but also the crew. Odysseus becomes more and more closed off and distrusting which makes sense since it seems Polites was the one that mainly pushed Odysseus to be more open. This is another death that Odysseus can tack onto the growing list of reasons his guilt is eating him alive.

Side note: Odysseus also looses the support of Athena, his patron goddess following “My Goodby”. Athena has been someone who we can assume (given Athena’s story during “Warrior of the mind”) has been guiding Odysseus since he was a child so, even if Odysseus is no longer happy with Athena’s view on being a good warrior, it likely hurt him on some level to loose her. We have to keep in mind; Odysseus also thought of Athena as a friend not just a goddess and has thought this way since he met Athena. If we assume that Athena and Odysseus have never had a fight this bad until “My Goodby” then I think it’s fair to say that the outcome of the fight would negatively impact Odysseus. He may be too prideful to admit it at the time, but I can only imagine how awful it would feel to loose the support of a friend and patron deity at the same time.

I think one of the biggest blows yet for Odysseus comes during “Ruthlessness” when Poseidon and/or the Laestrygonians sink and kill everyone but Odysseus and his immediate crew mates (as in, the crew on Odysseus ship as apposed to those on the other twelve ships). As I mentioned earlier, throughout the ten years Odysseus and his army were in Troy not one of his men died. This changed when they faced Polyphemus, and only worsens when Poseidon attacks. Odysseus goes from having a crew of 600 (at the start of the musical) to 43 following this attack. Not only does he loose nearly all his men, it’s directly Odysseus’ fault it happened in the first place. Poseidon tells Odysseus directly that they “totally could have avoided all this had [Odysseus] just killed [Poseidon’s] son”.

Had Odysseus just listened to Athena at the time and killed Polyphemus, there would have been no one left to tell Poseidon about the attack; the god likely wouldn’t have known. Likewise, had Odysseus not let his hubris get the better of him and not told Polyphemus his full name, even if Poseidon found out his son had died or was left blind, he wouldn’t have known who did it. The whole situation is directly Odysseus’ fault and Poseidon is very clear in letting him know that. This obviously is going to add to Odysseus’ guilt exponentially since this time it truly was his own actions that lead to this scenario. Not to mention that had Odysseus just apologised, Poseidon might have been gracious to the crew.

Now there’s no saying what that would look like for Poseidon, maybe he would have only sunk one or two ships or maybe he was lying, who knows. The main point is that Odysseus was given another chance to get out of this peacefully, but he can’t swallow his pride long enough to say “I’m sorry”. Odysseus instead tries to talk his way out of it and Poseidon isn’t having it; this is another instance of Odysseus’ actions resulting casualties. All of this happens before the Circe saga mind you.

So let’s review all the instances that would be causing Odysseus guilt so far:

He’s been forced to kill a child to save his family and kingdom

He’s lost his best friend and a chunk of his crew to Polyphemus

He’s lost the support of his patron goddess who he has also seen as a friend since childhood

He’s lost 90% of his crew (give or take) due to his own actions

You cannot look at this and tell me that it would not greatly affect your mental health in any way. Odysseus is being weighed down by an immense about of grief and guilt as the story continues. It gets to be so much that in Puppeteer Odysseus tells Eurylochus that while he would like to leave Circe’s island, he can “hardly sleep now knowing everything [they’ve] done”, directly referring to the guilt that keeps weighing on his mind. By this point in the story Odysseus is so wracked with guilt that he would rather risk his own life to save the few men he has left that add anymore to his guilty conscience.

I see this as one reason why Odysseus rejects Circe’s advances. Odysseus went to save his men who were transformed because he already can’t sleep and doesn’t want to add any more guilt onto his mind. Do we really think he would change this stance just so he could sleep with a goddess? The thought of cheating on Penelope would likely cause Odysseus just as much guilt as leaving his men. This situation poses a similar dilemma to the very beginning of the story; Odysseus can either comply and free his men or not. In this moment Odysseus is in a lose-lose situation, however, he doesn’t let that stop him from trying to essentially create a third option that doesn’t add to his guilt.

And he’s successful this time.

Unlike he pleaded with Zeus, is seems that for one reason or another Odysseus is successful in pleading with Circe; he is able to create a third option for himself and his crew. He’s able to create a reality where his remaining crew survives and Odysseus doesn’t add anymore to his guilt.

Again, this is not about the original story, or other interpretations, this is solely based on what we know from EPIC. In short; Odysseus pleaded and begged with Zeus not to make him kill Astyanax, to give him a third peaceful option but failed. Odysseus is given a whole song about his own moral struggle in the options given to him and is then haunted by the guilt of his actions. He is then faced with the death of his crew due to his own actions, becoming not only a point of further guilt but also a shot at his pride. Odysseus looses Athena’s favour and looses Polities. While Odysseus may have begun to cave to Circe, I believe it was ultimately his love for his family and his desire to not add to his guilt that made him reject Circe.

Odysseus was never okay with killing an infant, he felt guilty likely from the moment he made his final decision. By the time he meets Circe, Odysseus would rather attempt to talk his way out (something that hasn’t actually worked till now) than add to his guilt. I’m truly not sure what I’m missing that, in the context of the musical, this isn’t obvious. Maybe it’s because I’m taking EPIC as its own story and not a one-to-one with the source material, who knows.

Sorry this got really long, I just needed to get it out somewhere before it plaques my mind anymore. Once again, I’m not trying to hate on anyone or bully anyone, this is just my own opinion on the matter!

#greek mythology #tagamemnon #epic the musical #epic the circe saga #epic the ocean saga #epic the cyclops saga #epic the troy saga #glitch rants #I feel like this was an intentional timeline for the musical #maybe it’s just me #idk

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bababaka · 7 months

Text

Shipping Wars - Bade x reader

The prompt:

Person A, B, and C are famous. Their fame is growing and they are hesitant to come out as a poly couple so they just pass it for a really good friendship. Thing is, the internet being the internet started a shipping war. Some ships A and B some B and C some A and C. It’s starting to do some fights online. One day, they get tired of being asked questions about it and decide to come out as who they are.

Warnings: Aged up Characters. My writing and grammar. Some anxiety but nothing too much. Me not knowing how Twich works. I didn't truly revised it so...

Word count: 3.143

An -> I tried writing in portuguese and then throwing it into the google translate. Lotta work, let me tell you. Nah. It was a valid experience, though.Don't know if i'd do that again. Anyawyas. Love Bade and yeah. Here it is.

You liked what you did.

Entertain and chat with people on the internet who have the same interests, while playing some silly game or one that you've waited your life to play. Was funny. Interesting. Laugh and freak out on the internet with others.

In your five years on the channel, you've created a loyal, funny, and comfortable community. But, well, things started to take a bit of a left turn after the channel's first year.

The shipping war.

And the more time passed, and your popularity increased, the bigger the fight became.

@Yn'slapdog

Jpg.net

Get yourself someone that looks at you like yn looks at Jade.

-> @Thatonetheaterkid

uuuhm i wish! Thats real love right there!

-> @Yn'slapdog

Yyyyes! They are the reason i believe in love!

-> @Beck'sBack

whaaaat? Why? They are not a couple! Stop being a delulu! Jade is dating Beck!

Jpg.net

I mean! C'mon! Look at them people!

-> @Badeisreal

duuuude! Yes! Their chemistry in that movie was just off the charts! And that scene was improvised by the way!

-> @Jade'sbottom

it was IMPROVISED??? WHAT? OMG! THAT IS MY FAVORITE SCENE! THEY ARE MY FAVORITE COUPLE!

-> @Badeisreal

Right? Same! Also, i heard they are going to play as a couple in a new movie AGAIN!

-> @Jade'sbottom

jsjfjrkfkekfjdkdjdk Santa is bringing my gift

-> @Yn'slapdog

...its may…

-> @Jade'sbottom

….Santa is late…

-> @Astarion'slittlebitch

ok. Guys. Take a breather. It is a crime you guys haven't mentioned Beck and Yn.

They are so darn cute in yn's streams!

-> @Imyourfather

YEEEEES! BECK BRINGS YN SNACKS ALL THE TIME! AND EVEN PLAYS SOMETIMES!

-> @Thatonetheaterkid

...i don't watch their streams… not really my cup of tea.

-> @Y/n'slapdog

You should though! There's a lot of damning evidence there! INCLUDING JADE MAKING COMPANY TO THEM!

-> @Beck'sBack

we back at this again?

-> @Thatonetheaterkid

oh, please! Jade and Beck are actors!!! They are meant to pretend!!! Fake! If they played a couple and didn't seem in love they'd just be out of job.

-> @Badeisreal

There's somethings you just can't pretend tho!

-> @Imyourfather

yes. There is. Thats cinema for you.

-> @Theoficialdreamer

What if they are just all good friends though? I mean. They do live in the same house. Maybe just roomates.

-> @Yn'slapdog

...get off my thread….

- Boom! That's how it's done! Pay up, guys! I warned you not to doubt me. I am a god.

You got out of your chair, jumping in front of the camera and computer, which showed the end credits of the game.

"I can't believe it! How many people have zeroed in the first time like that?"

"Few. And now they're part of them! What a legend. Mad respect."

"Look at theeem! Dancing with joy! How cute! I can't even be sad about losing the bet."

Yourmom donated $500.

Spideeey donated $500

"Ah! Come on!!! Really?! Noooooo!"

"Just pay, man. Accept that it hurts less"

"Ugh. Next time, I'll win the bet."

Mastermind donated $700

"You guys should just give up at this point. Yn is invincible"

Damn right i am! - you finally finished your extremely petty celebration. You did an event of ten challenges, and in each challenge, if you won, a group would pay you. If you lost, your subscribers would choose a punishment.

But, you were amazing. And didn't lose even once. Inside, you were scared to death of what they might ask. Your fans were cool. But they could cross some lines.

- So, that was the last challenge, right?

You waited and read the comments until you received a definitive answer from one of your moderators.

"Congratulations, Yn. You completed all ten challenges exceptionally."

Yn'srock donated $500.

- Sweet! I'm buying a new mattress after this! Mine broke.

Before the chat could react inappropriately to your speech, Beck appears at the door, out of view of the camera, but unfortunately his voice is audible.

- I heard screaming. What happened? - Normally, you would brush him off and get back to your stream, but, throwing caution to the wind, you turned your attention completely to him.

- What happened? It happened that I'm amazing and you owe me, baby!

- No.

- Ohohoho! Yes! - Beck joins you in front of the computer, the credits rolling on the screen. The actor's delicate, pretty face contorts, eyebrows furrowed, mouth contorted, and a defeated sigh.

- How? You didn't even like AllSouls.

- Nope. But, a bet is a bet, I did it and now you gotta pay. The chat already did.

And that's when you turn your attention to your computer and notice the chaos in the chat.

Damn it.

This happened whenever Beck or Jade appeared on your streams. Sometimes it could be restrained. Like the times Jade remained by your side, almost sitting on your lap, throughout the stream. Or Beck would join and play with you. Your fans would get used to their presence.

But, well, there were moments, phrases, actions that turned your lives into a complete mess.

This was one of them.

"They are so cute!"

"Ooooh! Bet?? Bet what?"

"BABY??? I'm sorry, WHAT?"

"Bet, hm? The sexy kind?"

"Beck's so hot. Lucky yn"

"Wait??? Beck Oliver?? Wth? Im new someone explain to me"

"They live together. Jade West too."

"And they're also dating"

"Stop spreading fake news!"

"C'monnn! Admit it they'd look amazing as a couple"

"Guys! Stop! We don't know a thing! Respect their privacy please!"

- OK! OK! Let's stop, guys.

Beck laughed awkwardly. He had read the comments.

- Hi, chat. Long time no see.

"Yeah! You should come over yn's streams more often!

"Oooh! You guys should play one of those games for couples"

"You should do pvp. I'd bet on Beck."

- Ok! Ok! First. Stop betting against me. Learn your lesson, I'm the best.

- Cocky. - He murmurs.

You continue, ignoring Beck. - And second, it's no big deal. Just because Beck played a million times and couldn't finish it without dying, he thought I couldn't. Well, you thought wrong, bitch!

-Okay, okay! I lost, you won. Satisfied? - Beck rolled his eyes, but the smile he had tried to suppress gave him away. And you couldn't stop smiling.

- Not even close! - you had plans for Beck. Your back and neck were extremely sore, and your boyfriend had talented hands.

The internet and the outside world were unaware of your real relationship with Beck and Jade. They speculated, of course, but everything the three of you said was the same thing.

"Chat, we're friends. Stop."

"No, no. Beck and I are just good friends. It helps a lot when we play as a couple"

"We're not a couple."

"No."

"Just friendship."

"Are you stupid? Do you need me to draw? Friends!"

"F-R-I-E-N-D-S! We're just friends!"

It was a recurring question. Jade couldn't always stay calm. It was quite common for her to lose her cool actually. She was always like that, short tempered.

You met Jade and Beck in high school. And before you even finished your senior year, you were together. It was complicated. Painful. Difficult, but in the end, everything was resolved. And you have remained together ever since.

9 years later, and here you all were.

You've decided to try streaming. After 5 arduous years, you got your first million subscribers.

Jade and Beck pursued acting careers. And, along the way, they won a few awards here and there. Their goal was the Oscar. And you supported them more than anything.

They also created channels on YT. They weren't active like you, but every now and then they would record vlogs and other stuff.

Jade posts a "things I hate" videos series. And would terrorize unsuspecting civilians.

Beck talked about cars, and his hair for some reason. Both recorded backstage videos, and rarely, about life inside the house.

That was the problem. You appeared with a certain constancy on each other's social midias. Whether it was a video or a photo.

And that caused a stir. Which turned into ship wars.

- Hello, darling. - you threw yourself on the couch, next to Jade, who was smiling at the phone. - what you're doing?

- Ah, hey. - Without hesitation, she snuggled into your arms. - Nothing much. Just seeing how my last video is doing.

- The cover one?

Yep. - She shows you her phone, a soft smile in her face, and her eyes just at ease. - You look cute playing a guitar.

- Well, thank you. I agree. I should play more to you and Beck. - you say cocky. Jade huffs at that.

- Sure.

- Anyways, babe, i was thinking. You, me, Beck, dinner? I'm cooking.

That got Jade's full atention and she stops staring at her phone to look at you.

- That sounds interesting.

- I was hoping to come off as romantic.

- It didn't.

- Not even if I say it'll have candle lights?

Jade cocks her eyebrow at this.

- Kinda lame. Overused.

- Right. Right. What about me serenading you and Beck?

- Cute, but corny.

- What about me doing your and Beck's favorite food, serenade you and make a reference to "the scissoring" at the end?

Jade goes silent at this. And you realize that you had hit the nail on the head. You knew your girlfriend.

- Well, now i have expectations.

- Worry not. They will be met.

- It better.

Lucky - cover by Jade West ft Yn

2.3 M views

140.787 comments

Thecurupira

Dude. I was just listening to this song! Definitely adding to my playlist. you guys ar releasing it on Spotify? I MUST LISTEN EVRYDAY

Littleprincess24

At this point they're just mocking us. WHY CHOOSE THIS SPECIFIC SONG??????

Zeldainmasteros34

KSNFKDNCKDNFKDNCKDNCKDK IM DYING JADE IS SO HOT! AND HER VOICE!!!!

Whydidithavetobespiders

That's love.

Look at how they look at eachother.

I rest my case.

Kieranhotttt69

Yn can play the guitar??? And sing??? That's so hot of them ngl

Luke2385

Idk who i want to be. Yn or Jade.

The interviews with Jade and Beck all had something in common. The dreaded question.

- You are a couple in your newest film. Extremely in love. But, what about in real life, is there someone special?

Jade had improved a lot. The patience. Manners. And with Beck by her side, she could control herself.

- No. There's nobody.

- Really? But you are so beautiful and young.

Jade gritted her teeth. Fists opening and closing. Beck rushes in to interfere. He smiles, which many magazines call "the masculine charm".

- Haha. Life is like this. What can we do? We haven't found the right person yet.

The interviewer pauses. Her eyes slightly closed gains a manic shine. They had fallen right into the trap. It was like a predator, salivating at the sight of its defenseless prey.

- But, there are rumors that Yn, a famous streamer, who lives with you, has some involvement with one of the two. Is it true? Jade, on your channel, a cover was recently posted in which you do a very romantic duet. What can you say about it?

But, Jade West was never prey.

- Wow. You don't have intelligent questions to ask so you repeat the same question that a million people have asked? Do you think you will be the person to have a different answer? Do you think you're so special? Well, you're not. And I'm going to speak slowly, so that you can get into your fucking empty head, Yn and I are friends. Beck and I are friends. Nothing more.

The reporter was lost for words. She stuttered awkwardly and didn't know how to redirect the interview, completely embarrassed.

Beck sighs. Jade got better. She hasn't changed completely.

- I think this interview has come to an end. - Beck says. There's nothing he could do now.

The reporter didn't hesitate to jump out of the room. The silence that followed was uncomfortable. Jade crossed her arms. And she stared at the floor. Her leg starts to bounce. Nonstop. Until she can no longer bear the silence, the crushing feeling in her chest. - Are you angry? - she says, hesitantly. Beck sighs.

- No. It's okay. It was not your fault. She wasn't very kind.

Beck lifts Jade's head, his hand gently on her chin.

- It's fine. Come here. - and pulls her into a hug.

- This sucks. - Jade murmurs quietly.

- Yeah. It does...

- Hello losers. Another video. This time we're grocery shopping. - Jade starts talking to a camera.

- Do you really have to record it? It's just grocery shopping. - You asked. Not seeing why she would want to film your outing.

-I want to record so i will.

- Fine. - you shrug.

- Are you guys ready? - Beck comes into the living room.

- Yes. Say hi to the camera Beck.

- …Why are you recording? We are just grocery shopping.

- That's what i said!! - you chime in, excited to see you aren't alone in the matter.

- Oh my god! Because i want to! I don't have to, but i want to…You two are annoying.

- Why thank you. I try my best. - you smirked. You did enjoy being a little shit.

- Fine. Let's go. Get to the car.

Grocery shopping wasn't something you did together all the time. Mainly because someone was always busy. But it was faster when the three of you did it together. Beck was the driver, Jade was just picky about what she'd eat, and you were the muscles(though actually, you were the one who has more experience shopping. Jade just likes to try to spite you. Never works.)

- Ugh. I hate lines.

- We know. - Beck answers it.

- But the public doesn't.

- No, i think they do. You already made a video talking about it. - at this, Jade turns to the other actor.

- I did? Wait. You watch all my videos?

- Every single one of them.

- Uh.

- Why are you surprised? What kind of booy- Beck unmaskedly interrupts himself with a cough, and tries to recover. - what kind of roommate would i be if i didn't?

You thought that save was horrifying. And you tell Beck as much, mouthing it to him. He pushes you lightly, whispering a "shut up", you just chuckle and stay on the line.

- Hey. Yn. What you are doing? - Beck asks. Interrupting you. Stoping you from beautiful and precious slumber.

- Napping. Or trying to.

- You sound like an old person.

- Perhaps because i am old.

- You are only 30 years old. Stop being dramatic.

- Nah. I need my old people nap. Bye.

Unfortunate for you, Beck called Jade and they decided to take a picture of you. And make fun of you.

Though Beck insists you look cute napping like an old lady. You didn't know how to take that. And Beck considered it as a victory.

- Hello, old lady. - Beck greets you in the corridor to the kitchen. You huff, annoyed but also not completely awake. Until a thought comes to you.

- Wait. If i am your lover AND an old lady. Does that mean I am a cougar?

You can hear Jade's booming laughter from the kitchen.

Beck just rolls his eyes and gives you a peck on the lips.

- Yes. It does. Good morning, by the way.

You smile cheekily.

- Good morning.

You and Beck head to the kitchen then, where you see your gorgeous girlfriend still in her pajamas, brewing her black coffee, hair disheveled. Beautiful.

She comes to greet the two of you, though when she gets to you she adds a little jab. Of course.

- How is my favorite cougar? Slept well? No pain in your back?

- Yes. I slept just fine.

You decide to let it slide. You needed coffee first.

Your breakfast at first was supposed to be calm. Quiet. Your phone however does not comply to it, beeping and beeping.

- Hey. I thought we agreed on no phones today.

- Yeah yeah! Sorry. I just. Forgot to… - as you grab your phone and take a look at what it's bothering you and your partners, your humour just sours.

Hundreds and hundreds of comments on your picture sleeping. On Beck's account. Just tagging you. Again. And again.

All fighting to know who was right about your love life.

Honestly, you were tired of it.

- Babe, are you okay? - Jade asks, noticing your change in mood, the frown, the twisted lip, the distant look. You look up from your phone.

- We should come out. - this quiets the kitchen. Jade with a hand on your arm, Beck still with a piece of toast in the air, on its way to his mouth.

- We should just come out. - you repeat. - I can't take any more of the speculation, the murmurs and buzz.

- Everyone would continue, even if we actually revealed our relationship. They would still gossip and be super invasive. - Beck replies, leaving the toast completely aside, and focusing on you. His face is serious. The lighthearted and fun atmosphere becomes more sober and heavy.

You have already discussed this. More than once, but in the end, you agreed that it wasn't worth the hassle, and you didn't owe other people anything.

And here you were again, debating the subject. This time, however, you found yourself unable to continue hiding.

- But, the media never stops talking and being invasive. It doesn't matter what we do. - Jade speaks up. She sighs, looking away for a moment. - I'm tired of having to lie. Aren't you, Beck?

Beck stares at the table blankly, letting his hands move repetitively along his legs.

- What if this affects our careers? - he asks. You quickly speak up.

- It won't get to that point, and if it does, it would only be temporarily. Our careers would recover. - you say, placing yourself next to Beck, Jade doing the same. And you try to lighten the atmosphere. - and if needed be, I can become your sugardaddy.

This makes them both laugh. And Beck turns to you.

- You'd make a terrible sugardaddy. - he says with a slight lift of his lips. Still stunned. He looks at you and Jade.

- Are you sure about this?

You and Jade share a look. You nod.

- Yes we are.

- With you, I can face anything.

You were in the living room. Your leg wouldn't stop shaking. The camera was in front of you. Jade was adjusting the lights, Beck was in the kitchen, getting water for you. It was now. The moment of truth.

Shit. What if you were making a mistake? What if you got ahead of yourself? What if it actually doesn't turn out okay? What if you are judged and shunned by everything and everyone? What if-

- Hey. - You were interrupted by Beck, beside you, placing a comforting hand on your thigh, and a charming smile on his face. - Everything will be fine. We are doing this together.

You allow yourself to breathe. Jade finally finishes the final adjustments and plops down next to you on the couch, while Beck hands you a glass of water. Your girlfriend snuggles next to you and kisses your cheek.

- I love you. - and all your tensions are gone. You melt into a puddle of love for your partners. You were together. You weren't going to face the public alone.

- I love you too. - you reply, completely smitten. You turn to Beck. - both of you.

- You know I love you two.

You shrug.

- It's always good to hear.

Jade laughs.

- You are so sappy. - she says and you smile teasingly.

- And you love it.

- Do i?

You push her and turn to start the video.

- Hey, guys! Welcome! And today, we have something to announce.

Yn, Beck Oliver and Jade West admit their relationship as a throuple and the internet goes crazy!

@Yn'slapdog

Ksjfjrnfjdnssosndkdksksjdksdbdj

@Beck'sback

...i guess this means we'll have to stop fighting…? Love wins…?

@Astarion'slittlebitch

...gotta admit this was not on my prediction chart bingo of this year…

@Badeisreal

Yn is one lucky motherfucker. Good for them. Hope theyre having fun living my dreams T-T

@imyourfather

The true bissexual dream lol

#bade x reader #Jade x reader #Beck x reader #victorious #Jade West #beck oliver #Poly #fanfic #my fics #Beck x Jade x reader

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susandsnell · 6 days

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Ooooh, Becky Albright + College for the headcanon meme (Hiiiiiiii <3)

send me a character + thing if you wanna know my headcanon for them and that thing

Got a bit long, so below the cut!

Becky's college experience at Gotham University was - well. It was hard to be much worse than her high school experience was (though elementary gave it a run for its money), so it was an improvement. It wasn't quite the fairy tale she'd promised herself to get through the worst days, but she'd like to think she's mature enough to have not been disappointed with that. People would talk to her in class and not call her names, at least not to her face (though enough too-long stares and microaggressive comments kept her away from most social events). She was even asked out a few times, although it took a while for her to actually show up to a date given how many times she'd been subjected to boys pretending to ask her out as a cruel prank. Some were even— well, nice—but connecting with people while contending with fractured trust and a tendency to seclude herself in her studies was a tenuous prospect at best.

Friends were about the same; there were people she spoke to, and some she even shared interests with, but a grimace or a missed invitation were enough to make her withdraw again for weeks at a time. Likewise, so were continued medical complications. It was around this time that she adopted her puppy, Harper, for some consistent - and easier - company.

During her undergraduate degree, Becky double-majored in criminal justice and psychology. More schoolwork was always a boon for her; it gave her something to throw herself into, something guaranteeing results and instant validation through grit and dedication. Something a lot easier to navigate than other people, in other words. These were useful pre-law subjects, and she'd long had the plan to be a criminal defense attorney. (Do something useful, exercise her intelligence. Stand up for someone the way no one ever stood up for her.)

Interestingly, on more than one occasion in the course of her psychology studies, Becky did encounter a name on a few (hotly contested) publications that would later frequently intertwine with hers: Doctor Jonathan Crane, a former faculty member, who'd apparently left a few years prior under rather clouded circumstances.

Law school followed the achievement of outstanding grades (though a scholarship and a part-time job at one of the campus bookstores helped matters significantly), and while Becky was always a good student, nothing could have quite prepared her for its demands. The first half of her fall semester was miserable; an extensive and challenging workload was one thing, but coupled with the new lingo and the brutal competition between students, and Becky was left doubting her place in the faculty, or her future as a lawyer, the way she'd never doubted before. That professors often passed over her for cold-calling, and condescending academic advisors made comments about her "not over-exerting herself" while the disability accommodations centre warned repeatedly that "law school isn't for everyone" certainly didn't help matters; less than promising midterm results seemed to put a nail in the coffin.

But Becky's resolve to prove herself was stronger than that. She doubled down, sought out mentors and tutors, traded summaries, and stopped at nothing to succeed. The first thing to go was her social life, but this was nothing new; unfortunately, such rigours did have a ricochet effect on her physical health symptoms, which she wound up neglecting more than she should have. Harper was always well taken care of, though; the loyal pooch was as staunch a companion and study partner as there ever was, and even won over the affections of Becky's roommate, a cold and sharp-eyed but fair-minded LL.M by the name of Janet Van Dorn. (Janet would later help Becky improve her legal writing skills extensively.)

Becky's effort paid dividends at time; though her grades were not what they had been in undergrad and high school, she did manage to score a decent internship in her 2L year, as well as one-on-one mentorship from up-and-coming superstar prosecutor, Harvey Dent. (In Nolanverse settings, Becky attends guest lectures and mentorship meetings with GU Law Faculty alumnus Rachel Dawes.) She still never quite could get a handle on tax or property, but she passed, and despite the ups and downs, despite the aching loneliness that never quite went away, things actually seemed to be looking up for Becky Albright, just this once.

Then, just at the start of her third year, the Scarecrow unleashed his latest batch of fear toxin on Greenvale, a city in the Greater Gotham City Area. Becky happened to be visiting her family there for Labor Day weekend.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

(Thanks so much for sending this!!! Ily!!)

#becky albright #batman #jonbecky #jonathan crane #bat-tag #coco has Law School Scars and will inflict them on her lawyer blorbos

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timeagainreviews · 6 months

Text

Putting the Mid in Midnight: Wild Blue Yonder

If I were to mention the film “The Horror at Party Beach,” no one would blame you for having never heard of it. In the annals of horror history, it left minimal impact on the genre. Why then were audiences asked to sign a “fright waiver,” before being permitted to see the film? Because it was never about the audience dying of fright. It was a dare to the viewer, one almost as old as cinema itself. William Castle used to start his films with a warning to the more delicate members of the audience. Reports of people fainting during “The Exorcist,” or more recently “Terrifier 2,” create a buzz around those films. Can you survive the horror or will you wind up in the hospital? The only way to know for sure is to buy a ticket! This is why when Russell T Davies issued a warning that “Wild Blue Yonder,” was possibly too scary for the kiddies, I saw it for what it was.

While I don’t doubt there was some concern that certain children may be disturbed by the imagery and tone of last night’s episode, it feels more like Davies asking audiences to just go with it. Similarly, Davies also asked us to just go with the idea of David Tennant returning by first introducing us to Ncuti Gatwa. “This isn’t a forever thing or the show moving backwards. Just go it.” After seeing how tumultuous the fandom has been since *checks notes* 1963, it feels like Davies’ tactic to unite the fandom is to encourage them to just go with it. It also feels like Davies is riffing a little, trying new things. “Wild Blue Yonder,” is an engaging exploration of the new while also referencing some of the old. Yet despite all of its experimentation, much of it feels like familiar territory.

First and foremost, I would like to state that I admire the hell out of this episode. On the rad vs trad debate, this puts one giant foot down for rad. With that said and out of the way, we need to talk about that intro. When it comes to the race of Isaac Newton you might say the show should be educational and therefore accurate in its depiction of race. But pretty early on, Doctor Who abandoned all pretence of being educational. And more recent attempts at being educational have left us with Jodie Whittaker spouting off a Wikipedia summary about an asteroid. You could also argue that this is a different type of education. A lesson in what it feels like to see your own people played by someone white. Considering Doctor Who’s history of brownface, I’m gonna say y’all need to chill the fuck out. Just go with it.

My only issue with this scene is much like the issue I had with the Children in Need special. The humour just falls so flat for me. It was a big thud on arrival. From the Kaled anagram sequence to mavity, it just doesn’t work for me. Part of me wonders if this isn’t in part because David Tennant and Catherine Tate were never on set with Nathaniel Curtis. There was no chance of improving with improv. I mentioned last week that some of the representation stuff also felt clunky. It’s weird too because when the show isn’t actively trying to make me laugh or view trans people like myself as valid, it comes off as funny and validating. Sylvia’s tuna masala and or Donna’s love for Rose do such a better job at both, yet they’re the quieter moments of the show thus far. It’s ironic to me that the more powerful moments of the second Davies era have been understated.

It’s easy to write this overstatement off, however. Thinking back to the 50th anniversary special, Clara’s line of turning people into frogs fell flat for me at the time. Now I look back at is as kind of charming. And furthermore, these big events like Children in Need, Christmas, or anniversaries get away with a bit of excess. The humour is more broad because they expect more people to be watching. It’s a time of merriment. It’s also part of why I appreciate “Wild Blue Yonder,” so much. Davies was attempting a weirder “Midnight-esque” episode in the middle of a highly publicised media event. He knew it was a bit of an ask for some audience members. Once again, it feels like an invitation to the rest of the fandom to allow room for exploration. If Doctor Who and the fandom are currently fractured, do we really need to put it back together in the same shape? Does it even need being put back together? Why not just fill the cracks with some seeds and see what grows out of them?

Since “The Star Beast,” aired, I’ve seen some people complaining that the sonic screwdriver has become too OP. Apparently, making sonic barriers is less believable than joining two cut ends of barbed wire. While I do understand that the sonic screwdriver can be a crutch for bad writing, I also understand it to be incredibly cool. Like, I’m sorry, cool beats your need for locked doors any day. If you need absolute realism in what you watch, might I suggest the window? It’s a freaking magic wand, people. Let it be magical. Doctor Who isn’t hard sci-fi. If Doctor Who’s sci-fi were a cheese, it would be brie. It looks hard but it’s gooey at its centre. You can argue that the sonic screwdriver being capable of repairing the TARDIS is too OP, but it’s also the device which removes two major plot conveniences in this episode- the TARDIS and the sonic screwdriver.

The Doctor and Donna are doing this one without a safety net. They’ve both been pared back to who they are as people. I had a feeling going in that this episode was going to have a smaller cast. It feels like Davies taking a stab at a sort of “Heaven Sent,” narrative that dissects the Doctor and Donna. In other ways it feels like an homage to Davies' own pared-back classic “Midnight,” which has gained cult status as one of his best scripts. In the short stories of Robert Aickman, readers are often left unaware when exactly things get strange. His protagonists walk through their worlds unaware of exactly when things turned hostile until they’re in the thick of it. In the same manner, much of the opening scenes of “Wild Blue Yonder,” leave us waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does, you may not notice right away.

Coming directly off the tonal whiplash of the Isaac Newton scene to a scenario so dangerous that it set off the H.A.D.S. system, it’s nice that the episode eases into its weirdness. The TARDIS’ eerie recitation of the song “Wild Blue Yonder,” echoes through the air with a reminder from Wilf, via Donna, that the song is not a jolly anthem, but a declaration of war. So we sit in the mystery of this gigantic ship sitting at the edge of the universe with its shifting corridors and its slow robot, as we try to ignore the clanking sound just outside the ship. It feels a bit like Doctor Who doing a haunted house in space, but you’re not exactly sure why. It’s Amityville in Space, but good.

With no sonic or TARDIS at his disposal, the Doctor can’t just point his magic wand. Even worse, the Doctor doesn’t even have the benefit of the TARDIS’ translation circuit. Whatever language this civilization uses on their ship, it’s not one of the 57,000,000,205 languages the Doctor can speak. But one language the Doctor can speak is mathematics. The Doctor may not have his tools, but he still has his mind. Deciphering the base ten of this unknown species, the Doctor can begin piecing together what is going on in this ship. Perhaps if he can figure out why an airlock had been jettisoned in the past, it might give a clue to what is happening. If he can remove the threat from the ship, the TARDIS might return. Otherwise, he and Donna could be forever stranded on this ghost ship hovering over nothingness.

If this ship is haunted, we’re about to meet the ghosts who call this place home. The Not-Things arrive quietly. So quiet that the shot establishing two Doctors and two Donnas in separate rooms initially seemed like a bad edit. When did the two of them get split up? It’s hard to remember. But we’re pretty sure the Doctor who licked the goo on the circuit is the real deal. Tasting things to figure out what they are is a classic Tennant move. The Doctor pretending to have a bad reaction to the goo evoked the Fourth Doctor pretending to go mad with power over the Key to Time. I wonder now if that wasn’t the Doctor testing a theory in the back of his mind because Donna was feeling a bit off. The Doctor has shown in the past that he knows when his companion is compromised in some way. Last week we were given early warning signs that the Doctor was becoming increasingly wary of the Meep.

Having the characters note a fluctuation in the temperature or the line “My arms are too long,” felt right at home with things like “Don’t blink!” or “Hey, who turned out the lights?” Their visible breath as an omen of ill tidings sits comfortably next to having two shadows or marking your skin to remember the Silence. I love how Doctor Who can turn everyday things like statues, shop dummies, or seeing your breath into danger. Those are the moments for the children hiding behind the sofa. One of Doctor Who’s greatest strengths is its ability to use allegory to help children face real fears. These are the modern equivalent of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

For a brief moment, I worried the Not-Things were going to spend the whole episode with Donkey Kong arms. While an effective and trippy visual, it would have started to look goofy after the initial shock had worn off. Watching “Return to Oz,” as an adult, I’m no longer scared of the Wheelers, but as a child they had me covering my eyes. Seeing the Doctor and Donna in these twisted forms was disturbing and creepy. I can see how this episode will stick with younger members of the audience for years. I also imagine it as future fetish fuel, but that’s unavoidable. In the words of Community’s Dean Pelton- “This better not awaken anything in me.”

Watching the Doctor and Donna drive away from these twisted angry giants reminded me of Leela and K9 fleeing guards in “The Sunmakers,” or even bits from “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” I also got whiffs of “Sin-Eaters,” from the Titan comics line. While the sharp teeth and asymmetric contortions of the distorted Doctor and Donna do a lot to sell these monsters, it’s the performances of the actors that tip the scale. Other than the times we’re not supposed to know who is who, they feel like different characters. It started tricking my brain into thinking of the Not-Things as completely different actors.

An issue I have seen come up about the Not-Things is their special effects. If you were worried that the Disney+ money was going to make the show look too polished, worry not. While many of the shots in this episode were very good, and I love the continued use of practical effects, some of the effects of the Not-Things were a bit naff. But much like the Power Rangers effects from the acid ocean scene in “The Halloween Apocalypse,” I found it charming. The only one shot from any of these sequences that I would call bad is the shot of the Not-Thing Doctor with his head between his legs. It should have either been cut or reworked.

It’s hard to talk about the plot in this story. Mysteries are looming, but for the most part it’s a series of chases punctuated by “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” paranoia. But that isn’t to say that the screen time is wasted. Davies uses this as an opportunity to explore the Doctor’s emotional state after the events of the Flux. Something which hadn’t seemed to affect the Doctor much since the end of “The Vanquishers.” It’s also interesting to know Davies hasn’t forgotten that half the universe was destroyed by the Flux, as Chibnall seemed to have forgotten immediately after. A friend even texted me today saying how Davies treated the Flux more seriously than Chibnall, and I don’t disagree. I felt like he did a better job explaining what actually happened during the Flux. Perhaps it was bad writing, or perhaps I had already given up hope on the era, but I had no idea that the Flux had anything to do with the Doctor. I’m not even joking. It wasn’t even apparent how much of the universe had been destroyed until last night. I learned more about the Flux from a couple of lines of dialogue than I did from six episodes of “The Flux.”

After the Doctor and Donna suss out who is who, they manage to put a little space between them and the Not-Things first by way of a line of salt and ultimately by a glass door. It was at this point in the episode that I made the strongest connections to “Midnight.” The doppelgangers watching Donna and the Doctor’s every move, reading every thought, to mimic them perfectly was a lot like the creature on the Midnight tour shuttle. In both stories the creatures even reach a point where they begin studying their prey. Noting every minor movement and tic. In both stories, formless creatures are looking to hitch a ride in someone else’s body to wreak untold havoc elsewhere. Because of these similarities, I see this story as a spiritual sequel to “Midnight.” A sort of loving homage to the Tenth Doctor and Donna era.

The Not-Things dwelled in the vast nothingness at the edge of our universe growing to despise our boiling noisy existence. Like the song “Wild Blue Yonder,” their response to our shouting into the void is a declaration of war. They seemingly hate us for our existence. When the mystery ship arrived, they saw it as a perfect vessel to bring destruction to the universe. The Captain of this ship must have figured this out as it was she who set their demise into motion. Realising that the Not-Things have a harder time mimicking or noticing things that move slowly, the Captain set the ship’s robot on a very slow course to set the ship on self-destruct. She then threw herself out of the airlock to prevent the Not-Things from fully taking her form.

The Doctor and Donna’s discovery of the horselike Captain’s body as the source of the clanging against the ship demands a bit of discussion. In yet another clunky attempt at trans inclusion, the Doctor and Donna try and work out the pronouns of the Captain. The Doctor affirms to Donna that the Captain was a she, but gives no basis as to how he arrived at this conclusion. I find this noteworthy simply because it actually plays into a transphobic meme that says when trans people die, archaeologists will misgender us by our bones. Because by what means did the Doctor know the Captain was a she? He couldn’t even read her language. What if she was the first trans masc horse Captain? Are we really not gonna stan a horse king because of how his bones look? Obviously, I’m taking the piss. But I do feel like this illustrates the responsibility one takes on when they aim toward validating representation. A simple line to clear up how the Doctor knows this would help because otherwise, he’s just guessing with no reasoning to back it up.

Another weird aspect of this episode was the aforementioned glass door. If I had a quid for every time a Doctor Who 60th anniversary special ended with characters being separated by a glass door in a spaceship, I’d have two quid. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. Also weird is that this episode marks the second time since we met the Fourteenth Doctor that the TARDIS enters a location by slamming into a wall. The first time being the Children in Need special “Destination: Skaro.” I would say this feels significant, but the TARDIS does land smoothly next to Cyber Dog at the beginning of “The Star Beast.” Another crash landing which could also mean nothing would be the TARDIS slamming into the tree that drops an apple on Isaac Newton’s head. Speaking of meaning nothing, what even was the point of that scene? Was it all to set up the mavity joke and the Doctor’s queerness? Or did it have a greater meaning? If not, they really should have just cut it all together. Perhaps air it as a minisode the day before “Wild Blue Yonder.” As an episode opener, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

After the Doctor almost escapes with the wrong Donna, the TARDIS gets a chance to show off its new ramps by using them to eject Not-Thing Donna like a middle-aged bowling ball. Our little android friend, now sped-up to real-time pushes the destruct button and takes the ship and Not-Things with it, thus finishing the Horse Captain’s brave mission to save the universe. I was sad we never really got to know the little robot. Its design reminded me a bit of Marvin the Paranoid Android from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” I was ready to love its personality and then mourn its sacrifice. It’s weird that in some ways, the fan theory that we would see twisted versions of the Doctor did come halfway true. Only in this version, there was no evil Matt Smith or Peter Capaldi. It’s been a bit interesting to see the fan theories come so close yet remain so far away.

Bookending the episode is another scene removed from the main storyline, only this is a book I actually want to read. Returning the TARDIS back to the Cyber Dog location where it was last seen, we get our first glimpse of Wilfred Mott since “The End of Time.” Sadly, it’s also the final time Bernard Cribbins will grace the screen of Doctor Who ever again. This brief cameo was all they were able to film before Cribbins passed away in 2022. I think it’s safe to assume that most of us got a bit teary-eyed seeing ol’ Wilf one last time. As the Fourteenth Doctor said “I loved that man.” I’ve never met a Whovian who didn’t love his character. Seeing Wilf waiting for the Doctor and Donna to return, still believing in the Doctor after all these years, is exactly how you want to remember him. An ever-loyal soldier who doesn’t leave his post. And so shall he never leave our hearts. It was bitter-sweet, but I’m so glad we got to say goodbye.

Ultimately, this episode kept me engaged throughout its entire runtime. But where it falls short of “Midnight,” is in its inability to create the same level of tension. Perhaps it has to do with the special effects revealing so much under bright lighting. There is less left to our imaginations this time around, and therefore the scares are more on the surface. This doesn’t automatically make them uninteresting, only less engaging. It reminded me at times of the special effects from the new “It,” film series. At times it was creepy and at other times it felt like something from a computer. I’m still deeply interested in the dread the Doctor felt after introducing superstition at the edge of the universe, where the rules of reality are less defined. That seems like a bigger plot point that furthers my belief that RTD plans to continue breaking Doctor Who wide open. If I were to compare the quality of “Wild Blue Yonder,” to previous Doctor Who stories, I would go with “The Idiot’s Lantern,” or maybe “Flatline.” Both of these are episodes I enjoy but they aren’t earth-shattering either. As I said in my “Eve of the 60th” article, I would settle for competent and competent was what we got. I'm still very excited for what's to come.

#Doctor Who #Wild Blue Yonder #Fourteenth Doctor #David Tennant #Donna Noble #Catherine Tate #Not-Things #TARDIS #Russell T Davies #Wilfred Mott #Bernard Cribbins #RIP Bernard Cribbins #60th anniversary #Doctor Who 60th Anniversary #Isaac Newton #Nathaniel Curtis #BBC #timeagainreviews

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bubbleonice · 7 months

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timothee and kylie were spotted talking and laughing at the innovater awards in New York. and she is wearing the matching cartier bracelet that he has in necklace form. are you sure they’ve broken up?

I have gotten many many many asks today about this particular situation. I don’t have time to reply to everyone at this moment, I appologize. ❤️And I also do not have my cards with me at the moment. However, I still want to comment a few things because I can feel the stress this is causing some of my readers. I feel the collective energy and worries.

I myself am still firm in my reply as to they have ended things. I pulled some cards of this a while back and I believe I said things ended right about the time Paris Fashion Week ended, actually a little before that. But it also can be around December. I stay firm to that reply.

I also said eventhough they end things, we will probably not know of it until months later. And form KJ side, they will still make it seem like they are together.

But to be fair, I also don’t want to say: I am absolutely right and always right. There will always be a possibility I am wrong. I do not want to get anyone’s hopes high. And we should ‘t really pray upon anyone’s misery such as a break up. But this has never been a real relationship. It was a hookup turned into a pr show. So I am even unsure about when I say things ended, that might lead to someone actually believing they had a thing for real.

So just to say a few words in comfort, I want everyone to trust their guts, stay calm and think a little about this:

- if it was indeed a real relationship, wouldn’t we have seen more candid photos accidentally snapped by fans or someone from the street? Two young people dating would be all over the place, resturants, concerts, movies, shopping, walks in the park…etc!

- the few times we have actually seen them together were always in arranged settings with lots of cameras. How does this apply to a couple in love wanting to be lowkey? And when they come out as a couple, why go in hiding when events over? Does it make any sense?

-every allerged sightings of them spread on internet were never proven by photos. But by robot accounts, telling a story. And no one else ever validates those stories but this one storyteller. And they are always very much about they are all over eachother, they look so good, they are so in love. Like why does anyone need to sound like they are convincing anyone?

-remember the Kardashians run many media and social media outlets. When I recieved these asks I had to go online to see what you are talking about, this award show. And from my knowledge Timothee was at the award show presenting an award and Kylie was there to recieve an award. They were invited for two different reasons. And now the tabloids are calling it a hot date! And Timothee being there to support Kylie. See hiw they manipulate the public into believing something that wasn’t the case? They did not even arrive or leave together. What does that say to you? How easy it is to make one thing seem like something completly different, right?

-In addition, Kylie was forward an award for her fashionline which she just launched, I think 1 day ago? This tells me she was not nominated, this award was purchased and paid for. This is planned. Her seat next to Timothee and at the same table as Martin Scorcese was probably arranged the same way. But did we see any loving interactions? Kisses? Hugs? Even a glance at eachother? No.

All I want to say is have faith and trust your guts. This is a media game. If someone is truly in love and truly a couple, there would be much less doubt. They won’t be trying this hard to show it off to the world. And they would be much more genuine and cozy around eachother. We would see more unstaged photos than actually staged ones. And no doubt, we can expect more to come.

Bless you all❤️❤️ I’ll reply to the rest of my asks this weekend. I wish everyone a pleasant day.

#celebrity tarot #intuitive readings #tarot reading #timothee chalamet #kylie jenner

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sroloc--elbisivni · 9 months

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usagi yojimbo high school au

in the spirit of adding more planks to the tiny raft that is shipping Kenichi/Mariko/Usagi. here is the ridiculous American high school au that has been bringing me joy since like. march?

they have been going to the same school together their entire lives. the rumors about them are already insane. usagi and kenichi tried to kill each other behind the gym once and kenichi almost got kicked out of school. if you talk shit about one of them in front of the other you WILL get hit. if you talk shit about either one of them in front of mariko she'll roll her eyes and refrain from comment. no one knows the truth.

you might think the swords thing gets translated as a sport but i think the best translation is music. usagi is a french horn player. that's not relevant i just need you all to know that. he and kenichi competed over first chair trumpet in middle school and now usagi gets all the cool solos.

the neko ninja are theater kids. also not really relevant. also brings me joy.

the way the jotaro drama gets translated is. they are dumb high schoolers. mariko and usagi hooked up. mariko thinks 'oh okay we're dating. this is locked down. step one complete time to get kenichi in on it'

mariko forgets to tell usagi this is the plan

usagi sees someone's post about mariko and kenichi kissing in the hallway and goes through the five stages of grief about it

and when mariko shows up to talk to him goes 'it's fine :) i'm very happy for you. you're both my friends and i know you will be happy together.'

mariko goes 'oh no' and realizes she needs backup

while she and kenichi are making a plan of attack

usagi asks his lab partner kinuko to the school Homecoming dance.

(they started out as 'UGH you're so annoying i hate you' and now they're getting along. really well actually.)

mariko enters a state of doubt of 'maybe he just. didn't want to do polyamory. that's that's valid' and starts to doubt her own memory of events

kinuko hears from someone else the Drama of how usagi got dumped by mariko

(i wasn't DUMPED, usagi says, loudly. no one is listening to him)

kinuko figures out she's the rebound and she's not really interested in that. so they go to the dance. it's a nice time. at the end of the night she tells usagi they shouldn't date

she does NOT tell him about the guy who spent all night glaring at them from a corner

kenichi tries to track down usagi and explain to him what's going on. starts out poorly with 'listen i KNOW you were dating mariko first she TOLD me--' and then usagi just goes oh :( oh you both agreed she should cheat on him. okay.

kenichi attempts Dip Kissing.

(on chizu's advice.

sometimes she kisses usagi on the cheek to blot her lipstick and he doesn't even look up from whatever he's working on)

it goes Poorly. so kenichi decides. okay i will just not let you go until mariko gets here.

usagi, being usagi, goes i can still beat you in a fight.

mariko arrives and the two of them are just brawling behind the gym again.

they're idiots. things work out eventually.

#sroloc babbles #usagi yojimbo #kenmarsagi #or however we're tagging that

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b-courageous1010 · 10 months

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Day 17: Imposter Syndrome

I want to talk about imposter syndrome real quick. I touched on it a while ago but with recent events, I realized I will probably deal with it my entire life. Before, I gave tips on combating imposter syndrome, but this time I want to talk about the different types and provide some insight into how you can change your perspective. In essence, imposter syndrome is basically how you perceive yourself.

Self-defined Imposter:

The natural genius – These people were often told they were smart from a young age. They're used to performing well relatively quickly. Because of this, they also set their internal bar for success incredibly high. When they cannot do something quickly and easily, they become anxious.

Perspective change:

Practice internal validation - Nobody should have more power to make you feel good about yourself than you. When you practice internal validation, you boost your confidence and realize that your positive energy must come from within.

Tip: Affirmations are a great way to practice internal validation.

Self-defined Imposter:

The perfectionist – Set unrealistic goals for themselves. When they fail to reach their goals, they experience unhealthy self-doubt.

Perspective change:

See yourself As a work in progress: Accept that growing involves making mistakes. If you are not making mistakes, you're probably stagnating.

Try to look at them as opportunities to learn something new.

Self-defined Imposter:

The Soloist – Takes independence a little too far. They may see asking for help as a weakness and try to do everything on their own. They fear that asking a question may reveal that they are not up to par with the job.

Perspective change:

Realize there's no shame in asking for help - If you don’t know how to do something or struggle to solve a problem, ask a coworker. Asking good questions is a great skill, but it takes practice. You won't know if you don't ask.

Wrap up:

Separating my performance from my identity: While my career is significant and will continue to be a central pillar in my life, I am learning how to separate my identity from my performance. This is due to me letting my job consume all areas of my life almost.

I got much work done and now understand the scoping process more. I thought my boss would give me negative feedback, but he didn’t. It shows that things are sometimes far worse in my head. Imposter syndrome will probably not entirely disappear; changing your perspective can help ease these feelings.

#soft black girls #leveling up #imposter syndrome #soft black women #self love #self care #mindfulness #100 days of mindfulness #self improvement #self love journey #self impowerment

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lena-in-a-red-dress · 1 year

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What are six Supercorp arcs from the series you wish the show would’ve expanded on or just done in a different way? And how would you have written them?

Hm. 6 is a lot of arcs. But I'll give it a stab...

1) Cadmus. Ive always felt that they were built up more than they followed up with. I would have loved for them to be a big bad, rather than a b-plot bad. With Lena playing a big part in taking them down.

2) Lex. How the show handled Lex was such bullshit. Even before Supergirl became the Lex Luthor show, the writers' biggest mistake was making him a villain for Kara rather than allowing him to remain Lena's villain. Because that's what he always should have been.

3) Rift. I think I've talked this one about half to death, so I probably don't have to go into anymore detail, but yeah. They went kind of screwy with Lena's reaction and her Non Nocere angle, where I think it would have been more impactful if they had kept the fallout more emotional and internal to Kara and Lena as characters. Like, it should have been the undercurrent of the season, not the catalyst for someone going evil.

4) Crisis. This one is easy-- keep Lex dead and not merge/rewrite the realities. The continuity was absolutely ruined by Crisis and I'll never forgive them.

5) Children of Liberty. I feel like this one was disappointing because they took a very real and valid issue and turned it sideways to mimic current events. The writers tried to loop Guardian into the plot there, and ultimately failed to make the angle engaging whatsoever.

6) Red Daughter. There was no fallout for this one. Kara absorbed Red Daughter and absolutely nothing came of it. She didn't change, in either personality or abilities. So what was the point? Idk. I think they could have utilized Red Daughter in a more meaningful way while she was alive too. I would have liked her to have room to grow as a person, rather than being treated as a prop to support Lex's plans of world domination. Maybe let her interact with Lena more. Maybe let her have doubts in Lex and start breaking away from him even before she learns the whole truth about him. Let more of Kara's personality/identity emerge to shift her allegiance to the side of good, and let her disagree with Lex's methods, if not his purpose.

----

This being said however, I don't think there's been a single arc since S2 that I've 100% been okay with, that I don't think I couldn't have done better. That might be a little egocentric of me, but it's the truth. I'm really good at seeing an idea and immediately expanding on it to suit my likes and dislikes to create content I wanna see-- canon be damned.

#supergirl #meta #my thoughts #six arcs #supergirl redo #that would be a nice option #if any single writer had asked me....#would have fought tooth and nail to fix any one of these

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wednesdaypasta · 1 year

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Asuka Langley Sohryu analysis

VERY LONG POST!!!!!!!

This essay is purely for my own autistic ass, make of it what you will lol.

Asuka is often viewed as a conceited, narcissistic and deeply flawed character in NGE. I don’t believe Soryu is truly as horrendous as others perceive her to be, perhaps that is due to my own projections or simply me giving her the benefit of the doubt, so I’ve decided to take it upon myself to truly understand every aspect of her traumas, her actions throughout the series and finally her death. I want to know what caused her to become such a self loathing yet egotistical child. every tiny detail of her personality can be traced back to specific events, she's been created with such detail and precision, it's hard not to want to delve deeper into her story.

Prior to the traumatic events of NGE Asuka had a horrific home life. She was neglected by her mother who was busy with work, leaving Asuka feeling irrelevant. This sparked an overwhelming need for attention, which followed her from early childhood right until her last breath.

Kyoko Sohryu (Asuka’s mother) was a key scientist in the German division of Gehirn. (What would later become NERV’s third branch.) She was the subject of the contact experiment with Unit-02, where during this experiment part of Koyokos soul would bond with the eva, causing severe mental damage. This led to her becoming incredibly unstable and psychotic, believing one of Asuka’s dolls was her daughter rather than Asuka. As a result of her mothers insanity, Asuka felt even more neglected and abandoned. She was replaced by a doll, not even a human, but an inanimate object.

At Kyoko’s most deranged she pleaded Asuka to die with her in a double suicide, to which Asuka, in an act of desperation to be loved, agreed. Her mother instead hung herself alongside the doll. Asuka was so replaceable to her own mother that she wasn't even worth being killed. In later life Asuka grows to feel utter contempt and disgust towards her own weakness; she was completely vulnerable and desperate to be loved, so much so that she would have died. She’s extremely black or white. If he can’t be loved, she should die.

The Asuka we are first introduced to doesn't seem to carry much of this weight at all. She’s bright, bubbly, feisty and fun. Her presence brings a much needed lift to the show with dance routines, montages and general playfulness from both her and Shinji. How can such a broken character appear so confident? Asuka uses her ego as a safety net, she wants to appear as confident (if not bordering on narcissistic) as possible to hide the fact that she is very much still an insecure child. If she doesn't appear vulnerable, no one can hurt her. Her confidence will project onto those around her and she will be the most loved girl in Japan, right? She is the best Eva pilot by far, they need her. These thoughts are enough to keep her not only alive, but living.

Obviously this doesn't keep up, as we see Shinji strike Asuka’s nerves more and more with every episode that passes. Shinji is the counterpart to Asuka, everything that he lacks, she will overcompensate with. His nonchalant, pessimistic, self pitying attitude is everything she hates. But shinji isn't all too dissimilar from Asuka at all, his ego is absolutely huge; if he isn’t happy, why should anyone else be, he's not loved so everyone should die. Everything that Asuka pushes onto herself, Shinji pushes onto others. This causes a very expected clash between the two. Part of me believes that Asuka potentially sees in Shinji what she could have become if she had not been chosen to pilot unit-02. Someone merely existing, an insecure child whining at any given chance about doing this, that and the next thing. Someone ‘useless’. Asuka demands to be used at any given chance for recognition and validation, even at the prospective cost of her life/sanity.

While Shinji is the embodiment of the internal threat of her deep rooted shame, insecurities and fears, Rei represents the external threat that she can and will be replaced. Rei is the golden child, she does as she’s told, she fights well. This can be proven in episode 22 after Asuka has yet again been defeated by an angel, her sync rates drop. This comes as a massive blow to her fragile ego. To make it worse, Ritsko notices Asukas mental disturbance and orders Rei to shoot the Angel, leaving Asuka literally in her shadow. This is when the mindrape (i hate that term but i can't think of anything better to describe it as) occurs, leaving Ritsuko no choice but to start looking for a replacement pilot. Rei ends up saving her by using the spear of longinus. This absolutely destroys Asuka, how could she be shadowed, let alone saved by someone as spineless as Rei? She's being replaced yet again, bringing her back to square one in regards to her Mothers horrific passing. At this point both Shinji and Rei are performing better than her, proving her to be useless. The very thing she berated Shinji for from the beginning.

Kaji and Misato also play some of the most important roles in Asukas life, being her only acting guardians. Kaji is the only person we see Asuka actively regress back into a childlike state with. Her pleas to be recognised and loved by him are overwhelmingly upsetting. Screaming that she is an adult, that she wants to have intercourse by him and be viewed as somewhat of an object is a desperate cry for help. She wants to prove that she’s no longer an insecure child, but her ways of doing so only prove that more. While Kaji never made advances on her, he equally enabled it to an extent. I believe that sex is what Asuka perceives as the most adult thing she can comprehend, so she yearns for it with an adult figure to not only prove to him but herself that she is no longer the sobbing infant at her mother’s dangling feet. Kaji seems somewhat aware of her past, which may be why he never put his foot down with her. He knows that the harsh rejection of her advances would cause the spiral that eventually came due to her sync scores dropping. Pleading for intimacy may also be (in her mind) one of the least shameful ways for Asuka to beg for validation. We never saw Asuka in this state with any of her classmates, leading me to believe that she uses Kaji as he is somewhat of a parental figure to her, as fucked up as that is. She needs him to validate and praise her as she never got that from either of her parents, but would never hurt her pride by saying that blatantly therefore relying on sex to get her point across. When it’s revealed that Misato had previous relations with Kaji, this obviously hurts Asuka’s ego to an extent. She views Misato as a fully fledged woman who, like Rei, is capable of what she is not. Asuka’s battle with the constant sexualisation of herself is one of the most misunderstood parts of her character. A lot of people seem to believe it was used as fucked up fanservice, but i wholeheartedly think it’s a very jarringly real way to portray how neglect and abuse can affect a young girl, regardless of how uncomfortable it is to watch firsthand. It rounds out her backstory fully and adds a whole other level of depth to her character for individuals to identify with.

At the end of Evangelion we have a broken, soulless and decayed Asuka. She is no longer the abrasive, confident and overbearing character some of us (guiltily) adored. Only a miracle could bring back the determined character we know and love. Thrown into unit-02 for safety, Soryu is left comatosed only for her mothers voice to wake her. Kyoko can be heard saying the words ‘You’re alive!’ several times. This implies that the maternal part of Kyoko's soul was the one trapped inside unit-02, and is now cheering Asuka to fight, to live! However, another voice joins in, begging Asuka to ‘Please die with me!’. Both these voices mix together, thus suggesting that the insane Kyoko and Maternal Kyoko have merged together inside the Eva. Regardless of her mother chanting to die with her, the voice telling her to live on shines through and provides the motivation to have one of (what I consider) one of the best battles in cinematic history. Asuka comes to the realization that she was never truly alone. Her mother was always watching over her, watching her pilot the eva. Everything she had ever longed for was truly validated in that moment. She fought with a might that we had never seen before, she truly gave it her all. It feels so incredibly bittersweet to see her truly at her happiest, screaming out ‘mama!’ as she brutally tears mass unit eva’s to shreds, smashing their heads in, ripping off limbs etc. The whole scene is so authentically Asuka Langley Sohryu. The sheer shock, the horrifying events unfolding while she has a wide grin on her face. She was actively risking her life knowing she has the validation she has craved since he was a toddler. Everything I have spoken about in this essay truly comes together in this heart wrenching scene; her screaming about useless shinji, her crying out for her ‘mama’, her overbearing confidence in herself. Even in her last moments she was determined, not to prove to anyone else but herself that she was useful. She says through gritted teeth and a struggling breath ‘I’ll kill you’ thus proving how she was genuinely set on being seen till her very last moments on earth.

I firmly believe that Asuka is one of the most well thought out and genuinely complete characters I’ve ever seen in fiction. While she is not the most ‘likeble’ she provides a very important role in making Neon Genesis Evangelion the show we know and love. Anno has done a fantastic job of creating a character that is so easy to hate yet so easy to relate to. As previously mentioned, some of this may be projection but I truly do feel she is a character anyone could pick apart and find some sort of self in.

#long reads #long post #evangelion #eva #neon genesis evangelion #evangelion analysis #evangelion essay #asuka langley #asuka

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