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victoria-daydreams · 4 years

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Till Kingdom Come

Chapter Three: Steal Away

AN: A considerably lighter chapter than the previous ones. If anyone wants me to start taglist for this story just let me know.

Word Count: 3.2k

Trigger Warnings: None really??? Booker is kinda of an asshole, but that’s about it.

Chapter Four: Resurrection

Sabine wasn't sure how long she had been running, but all she knew that her feet ached, her back was sore, and her lungs were heavy and tight, begging and rasping for air. Sabine could feel herself beginning to slow down, her feet faltering, her legs feeling like jelly. Wheezing for air, she fell down onto her knees, her hands digging into the dirt. Sabine's hair clung to her sweat covered, blood-stained, and slightly dirty face. But with all things considered, it was a miracle that Sabine was even running in these woods, seeing how she was supposed to be dead. Marc had shot her right between the eyes.

She was dead, but then she wasn't.

It was the most perplexing thing for Sabine to wake up with a loud gasp escaping her body as she found herself on the cold, hard floor of the smithy workshop, alive. Her head felt like it was spinning with tormenting visions of being merciless struck repeatedly by tanned fists and copious amounts of blood. With her vision slightly blurred, Sabine massaged her temples, her skull feeling like it was cracked open by the butt of a gun.

Everything that she went through in the morning, was that all a figment of her imagination, an extremely vivid nightmare? It had to have been, for after the disturbing nightmare Sabine's head seemed to be flooded with strange images of foreign places that Alain would tell her about. She even caught glimpses of faces that she had never seen a day in her life.

There was a woman with ink black hair framing her face and had a steely gaze like flint that commanded respect. Then there were two men, one man had brown skin that was lighter than Sabine's and curly, raven colored locks. While the other man was lanky and had sandy blond hair. Finally, the last image she saw was another man who wore a haunted expression on his face and carried misery in his eyes.

Sabine was almost satisfied with her rationalization of her nightmare and the subsequent odd dreams she had. But that only led her to another burning question. How did she end up in the smithy? Sabine would never come into the workshop, she had no reason to, nor would she ever mistakenly fall asleep there. Did she actually die? With trembling hands, Sabine reached up to touch her face and the back of her head. There wasn't a gaping hole in the center of her forehead, nor was there an exit wound in the back, the only thing Sabine found was dried blood sticking to her forehead and scalp.

A heart wrenching wail left Sabine's mouth at the realization that she had indeed died, only to come back to life. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, her body now trembling with ragged breaths.

Sabine lifted her head towards the ceiling, "Why couldn't you just let me die?" she begged, her voice dry and cracked.

Sabine couldn't stop the tears that soon flowed from her eyes or the sobs that came from her throat as she pounded the floor with her fists. She now had to live with the awful fact that she would never be able to become free, even in the clutches of death itself. Tears streamed down Sabine's cheeks as she laid on the floor on her side, quiet sobs violently wracking her body. She remained in that position until she had no more tears to shed, Sabine could feel the puffiness around her eyes and how tired her body was from her weeping.

She wanted to nothing else but lay on the hard floor in wallow in her misery, but she knew couldn't do that.

Maneuvering herself around, Sabine slowly pushed herself up from the floor and released a shaky breath as she looked around her surroundings. The smithy was cloaked in darkness save for the sliver of moonlight that shone through the window. Slowly, Sabine craned her neck from one side to the other, staring at all the tools illuminated by the moon on the walls, countertops, and small tables. A plan began to formulate in Sabine's mind and on unsteady feet, she made her way to the door of the shed, grabbing a hunting knife off the workbench as she passed it.

Sabine knew what must be done.

When she stealthily made her way to her slave cabin and entered into it, the slaves inside nearly fainted at the sight of her. Some of them fell to their knees and clasped their hands together while others fell to the floor in veneration.

"Sabine, you're alive!"

"Is she a ghost?"

"No, she a saint. Right Mama?"

"The Lord has returned Sabine as an angel to lead us to freedom!"

Word that Sabine was alive had begun to spread like wildfire in the slave cabins. Soon enough, one by one slaves from different the cabins quietly entered the place and surrounded her, staring at Sabine in awed silence. That was until one slave pushed his way to the front and stood directly in front of her with a serious expression on his face.

"God, sent yous back to us because he gots a purpose for yous, Sabine," the middle age man began, and low murmurs of agreement resound in the shack. "So, what do yous want us to do?" he asked.

Sabine slowly turned her head to look at the sea of faces who stared back at her expectantly. The feeling unnerved her, she was not a leader and she never saw herself as one. Sabine had came back to life and now her fellow slaves think she was god-sent, when she herself was still dumbfounded on how she was currently standing in front of them when she died this morning. Nevertheless, these people were now counting on her to lead them from this nightmarish plantation and to freedom in the North.

She wasn't sure if such a task was even possible, but she damn sure was going to try.

Sabine pulled herself to her full height, "Burn it all," she uttered, pure determination painted across her face.

Slowly, Sabine raised her head and looked straight ahead of her, hearing the newly emancipated slaves softly whispering to each other. She couldn't see them, but they weren't too far away from her that she couldn't catch up with them. Sabine had decided to fall behind, making sure there wasn't any stragglers from the Martin Plantation. The smell of smoke permeated the air and Sabine felt a smile grow on her face, relief washing over her body and she began to tremble all over in sheer joy.

She was free.

All she had to do now was make it North, it was going to be a long journey there, but it was one that Sabine was prepared to make. She stood up slowly and closed her eyes, tilting her head back slightly and let out a soft laugh. Elation, that was all she could feel. But that feeling quickly dissipated when Sabine felt as though she was being watched and her eyes snapped opened, cautiously spinning around in a circle. Even with the pale moonlight shining down from the night sky, the woods that surrounded her were still shrouded in darkness and the sensation of being observed by someone or something who she knew was not a freed slave put her on edge.

Sabine frowned and turned around slightly, reaching into her jacket where her hunting knife was. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind and her mouth opened to let out a scream, but her assailant immediately covered it and wrapped their arm tightly around her throat, muffling her screams. Instinctively, Sabine tried to fight, writhing against the person and hitting their arm, trying to loosen their grasp, but it only tightened making it harder to breathe.

It wasn't before long that the deprivation of oxygen had Sabine struggling to remain conscious before everything slowly faded to black.

~~~x~~~

The moment Sabine's eyes snapped open they darted around, trying to figure out where she was and what exactly happened to her. She felt herself steadily moving and rocking, as if she was riding in a carriage with Genevieve, but with the rough fabric underneath her, it was probably more likely that she was riding in a wagon.

"How did I end up in a wagon?" she thought. "One moment, I was in the surrounding woods near the plantation and now I'm..."

Sabine's eyes widened in realization, she could only think of one possibility, slave catchers had gotten a hold of her. But how? Every overseer and every Martin was dead, there was no way the news had spread that quickly about the revolt. Maybe, these slave catchers just happened to be patrolling the woods on the lookout for runaway slaves, and she just had the misfortune of being in the right place at the wrong time.

Either way, Sabine had to get off this wagon.

Making sure to keep her breathing even, she strained her ears to identify something that would give her a hint to where she was. But the only thing she could hear was the light trotting of the horses pulling the wagon.

"Is she awake back there?" a male accented voice asked softly.

The sound of a flask being unscrewed floated into the air and Sabine instantly shut her eyes, sensing that the person in the back with her had shifted their attention to her.

"No," the man answered gruffly, and the sound of liquid sloshing around his flask could be heard.

"He sounds...French?" Sabine thought.

"You shouldn't have put her in a choke hold," the same accented voice stated. "She could've-" he began.

The man shifted his body, "What? Died?" the other man interjected mockingly.

Feeling confident that the two men were distracted, Sabine carefully slipped her hand into her pocket like she done before, this time wrapping her fingers around the handle of the knife. Reopening her eyes, she lifted her neck slightly to see the man was indeed not paying attention to her, his body was faced forward. Slowly, Sabine pulled the blade from it's sheath, gripping it tightly once it was out of her pocket. Quietly, she sat herself up fully as the man kept his back towards her, still engaging in conversation with the other man in front. It was now or never, Sabine took her knife and thrust it into the side of the man's thigh before hopping to her feet.

Instantly, the man's dropped his silver flask, the bottle clattering loudly against the bed of the wagon.

"Putain de merde!" the man cursed, as Sabine made her escape.

"What's wrong Book?" a new accented voiced questioned, as Sabine made it to the edge of the wagon bed.

The man known as 'Book' whirled around and looked at Sabine enraged, "She fucking stabbed me!" he growled, yanking the knife out from his leg.

Inhaling sharply, her eyes widened at the casual manner in which he removed the blade from his body and Sabine jumped off the wagon. She fell onto the dirt road hard, rolling several times before her momentum came to a stop. Sabine felt like her brain was racing a million miles an hour with a sudden surge of energy that fueled her to push herself onto her feet and start running. With arms pumping, Sabine sprinted away from her would be abductors, her feet slapping against the ground. She could hear heart pounding in her ears more rapidly by the second as she sped through the darkness, panting heavily.

Suddenly, a sharp crack rang out in the still night air and a white-hot pain ripped through Sabine's right thigh, the impact sent her stumbling before she fell face first onto the ground. A cry of agony left Sabine's lips, she felt as if she was burning from the inside out, the pain was almost blinding. Her whole body began trembling as a warm, sticky substance oozed down her leg, seeping through skirt of her dress. Sabine's breathing was ragged as she heard three sets of footsteps rapidly approaching her.

"That wasn't necessary Booker, you didn't have to shoot her!"

"She didn't have to stab me either!" Booker retorted, clearly annoyed.

Sabine gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her wits about her and tried to get up, placing her shaking palms on the ground. Seemingly out of nowhere, a man with a wiry build hovered above her before he knelt down in front of her. Her breath hitched, she had seen this man's face before, he was in her dreams. The man's blond, curled hair was neatly gelled in a side part and fell down his neck. The man's hair framed his pale, oval shaped face and it's features. Gray eyes, a long nose that resembled a beak, thin pink lips, and a mole adorned that the lower part of the man's sharp jaw.

The man reached his hand out to her, "We mean you no harm," he stated in a steady and calming voice.

Sabine promptly swatted the man's hand away, "Get away from me!" she spat, but held a fearful look in her eyes.

The man raised his hands in surrender, "I know this must be a very frightening time for you, but my friends and I are here to help," he assured. "We mean you no harm," he added, briefly glancing over to the man known as Booker and giving him a pointed look.

Sabine almost wanted to scoff at the man's words.

"It must be a frightening time, no shit!" Sabine thought. “I’m inexplicably alive and now I’m surrounded by three men who had just shot me," she went on. "But of course, they mean me no harm...bullshit,"

"I'm not going back!" Sabine exclaimed, vigorously shaking her head. "I would rather die than be put back in chains!" she declared, narrowing her eyes.

"How well did that work out for you the first time?" the Frenchman asked sarcastically, off to the side of her.

"Booker!" the man admonished, turning his head towards him and Booker just rolled his eyes. "We are not apart of the slave patrol, trust me," he reassured, but that did nothing to assuage Sabine's uneasiness. "Just watch," he said softly, before pulling his knife out of his belt which made her eyes widen. Slowly, he dragged it over his palm and a thin line of blood trickled from the wound. Sabine felt her breath increased as she stared at the man's hand, watching as it slowly stitched itself together. "We're like you, immortal," he finished, a small smile on his lips as he pocketed his knife.

"Immortal?" Sabine thought.

"Your leg should be healing right about now," another man stated, walking up to stand beside the man in front of her. "May we?" he asked, extending his hand out slightly.

This man was slightly taller than the one who's kneeling in front of her. His hair was short and curled, coming down just below his ears, and a thick beard. The dark brown eyes that stared down at her were filled with warmth.

Sabine hesitantly nodded her head and the two men in front of her gently rolled her over so she could sit up. Warily, she stuck her fingers into the hole of her dress where the bullet struck her and felt nothing there. A puzzled look formed on her face and she ran her fingers over the area multiple times, certain that there should be a wound, but the skin on her thigh was smooth.

Nothing was there except for some of her blood that coated her fingers.

Sabine looked down to her side and saw a small silver bullet in the dirt, plucking it from the ground and lifted it to her face.

"Amazing isn't it," the curly hair man asked, as a breath of disbelief escaped Sabine. The man placed his hand on his chest, smiling at her with kind eyes. "My name is Joe," he began, before gesturing towards man next to him. "And this is Nicky," he continued, as Nicky gave her a small wave. "Over there is-" he stated, pointing to his left.

Sabine tossed the bullet down onto the road, "Booker," she finished, staring at the unfriendly man with a slight scowl.

Her eyes scanned over his appearance, like with the other men, Booker had sharp masculine features. A sharp nose, a strong, wide square shaped jaw line that was clean shaven, and a thick mustache. His eyes was what amazed Sabine the most, they were clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, framed by his light brows. His short, dark blonde hair was slicked back and parted to the side.

Begrudgingly, Sabine had to admit that the ill-tempered Frenchman was handsome. All three men were, in all honesty.

Nicky pushed himself up from his knees, "Here, let me help you up," he offered, sticking his hand out again. Gently, she placed her hand in his and was pulled onto her feet. "You're not safe here, you need to come with us," he stated, releasing her hand.

Sabine arched her brow, "Come with you? I just liberated myself from hell on earth, I'm going up North," she corrected, shaking her head.

"I know you have undergone a lot today and you're understandably confused," Joe began. "But believe us when we say you should come with us, going off alone is dangerous," Joe said.

Sabine only shook her head again and when she went to open her mouth, she was cut off.

"How far do you think you'll make it by yourself?" Booker questioned, as he moved closer to them. "You are in the Deep South and let me tell you, the journey to the northern states is very long," he explained, now standing in front of her.

"You underestimate my resolve," Sabine countered, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"You're an ex-slave covered in blood and there's a plantation on fire with its owners and overseers dead not too far from here," he pointed out, and Sabine’s glare deepened. "You really want to take your chances with an angry, white mob?" he asked.

Sabine balled her fists and shut her eyes, sighing in frustration that this man was right, and he knew it as well.

"Fine," she bit out, opening her eyes. "I'll come with you," she added, her eyes dancing between the three men.

"You won't regret it," Joe stated, a twinkle in his eyes. "Come on, we'll help you into the wagon. We have a long journey ahead of us,"

The four of the made their way back to the wagon and Sabine hugged her jacket tighter against her, she didn't know if it was because chilly night air or her nervousness about this whole situation eating at her stomach. Or maybe both.

"What is your name?" Nicky asked curiously, from next to her.

"It's Cecile, isn't?" Booker remarked.

Sabine's head snapped in his direction, "Call me 'Cecile' again and I'll stab you in the eye," she hissed, glaring at Booker.

He raised his hands in mock surrender, "My apologies," he apologized, but Sabine sensed he didn't actually mean it. "What is your name?" he asked, repeating Nicky's question.

"It's Sabine,"

Chapter Five: Oh Freedom

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victorie552onepiecespeedrun · 3 years

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Reading One Piece pt 184: Deep Breath In The Aftermatch

Chapter 431

Thoughts:

- Luffy was on the Shounen Jump’s cover page that week! He looks great but he’s kinda too small for that coat, he has to grow into it

- They made it to Water Seven without incidents! I didn’t EXPECT any but… Straw Hats

- Zoro is looking at his destroyed sword, the one that was a family heirloom of the sword shop guy. What was its name again? Uh, give me a second… Yubashiri. Did they really have to do it to us

- Just know that I’m sad. This is sad. I guess Zoro will get a way better sword now but come on, family heirloom, destroyed by some nobody? I don’t like it :(

- Wow, Aqua Laguna really made a number on Water Seven this year

- Look at Paulie, helping civilians fix their homes and stuff :D while yelling at everybody :D we got a manager right there

- Frankys are rebuilding too (can someone tell me what did Franky spent those stolen 200M on? They still didn’t say)

- Aww, big sea horses are alright!

- Meanwhile everyone at Dock 1 wants to see pirates :D Straw hats are celebrities once again :D

- I like aftermatch chapters. It’s like taking a deep breath on sunny day and everything is good

- Ah, they like Straw Hats cause they saved Iceberg. That was mostly Chopper’s work, they could thank him actually

- Even the giants from Enies Lobby found job already! They help with heavy stuff!

- Usopp is with them :) Giants say they will help for a bit and then go back to Elbaf

- “You can go with us!” “… …I…” oh right. We still got That Mess to solve

- On the other news, Straw Hats don’t have a ship right now. What do

- “Iceberg House Site” so he has a home after all! Good. Well, what did I expect, he’s a mayor of a big important city, he’s rich as heck, he can afford a summer house or whatever

- Oh, Franky-Iceberg combo. Yeah, blueprints are gone for good

- “I’ll make this island float on the sea” I see Iceberg has big plans for the future :D well, Aqua Laguna will continue to be a problem, they can as well try and do something about it :D

- FRANKY GOT HIS 200M BERI PURCHASE

- Finally, Straw Hats’ home. They got it nice here

- Oh, they all just woke up after 2 days. Well, it was a big battle

- Lol

- Is Luffy wearing a Galley-ga Company T-shirt? Wow, that’s a great marketing

- Ah, they’re waiting for a log pose to set. They can’t leave even if they wanted

- Nami is depressed cause they got no money. Is there anyone who CAN’T relate to that (Aqua Laguna took their remaining 100M. And orange trees :( )

- Spoke too soon, we have them back :D

- :D

- Franky got news

- Uh. Tree talk

- ?

- !!!!!

- Franky will make them a ship!

- (I’m not super surprised but it’s great news!)

- “Will you guys sail with the ship that I made!?” well, duh. When will we give Franky his nakamaship tho? I’m waiting for this to happen since Foxy Pirates and that’s a LOT of time in The Recap World

- That’s so sweet :)

- Oh look, marines. Who would have thought they’ll show up :/

- Admiral Garp? He cornered King Roger when he was around? Wait, he has a dog motif. Isn’t he the guy training Coby and Helmeppo, you know, from the fpos/cs

- “Pirates are here!” “No, they aren’t” It’s like Alabasta all over again :D

- Now they made a hole in Straw Hats home! Rude!

- Don’t punch our Captain, man

- (somehow I don’t think that guy will cause problems? How did that vibe even get here)

- ?

- “I’ve heard you’ve been doing reckless things, Luffy!” !

- “Grandpa!?” !!!!!!!!

GRANDPA!?

rOP 183 rOP 185

#one piece speed read #I give up #that manga defeated me fair and square #show me what else you got One piece #spoiler #spoilers #have a nice day #rOP 184

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whirlybirbs · 5 years

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✶ ┈ PART ONE !

summary: the origins of the whole “let’s pretend to be married so the grandmaster doesn’t kill us while we try to get off this floating junk pile to stop your sister from destroying your home” bit. because it’s about time. pairing: fake!wife reader x loki, set in ragnarok. a/n: all the fake!wife reader and loki stuff? here’s 2k of their origin story. READ PART TWO HERE.

The first time you meet him, he’s tinkering with Erik Selvig’s self autonomy.

(Erik’s your boss -- a nice guy. You like him. Jane does, too. You’re running quantum decay samples for S.H.I.E.L.D. the day Loki crash lands on Earth. You’d thought you were having a bad enough day… and then the Tesseract went and spat out the resident super-villain who later opened the interdimensional front-door for the Chitauri and proceeded destroyed half of New York city. Talk about a bad day.)

The second time you meet him, you have Jane to thank.

She’s clutching the spectrometer with wide eyes and you realize in that moment, this is a lot like getting a text from an ex, except the text is the equivalent of crashing a party via falling through the roof. The Bifrost, a glittering quantum anomaly, allows for a fold in time and space. Cosmic kick-back ripples around an arrival, alerting the various quantum measuring devices in the office. The energy signature is familiar -- it’s Asgardian.

She’s pacing. You hate when Jane paces. It makes you anxious.

“I’ll go,” you offer up, “I’ll go, check out the anomaly, make sure everything’s alright --”

Jane blinks, running a hand through her hair as she chews her lip. She makes a pained sound -- the one of a woman torn between science and the unplanned visit of an ex boyfriend -- before nodding and shoving the hand-held spectrometer your way. She nods, speaking to try and convince herself:

“You’re right. No, totally. You should go. It wouldn’t be good if I saw him and --”

“Yeah, no, fuck that,” Darcy supplies, “He ditched you for space gems --”

“Infinity Stones.”

“Same shit, different name!” Darcy shrieks, “Listen, I love him but god, he needs to get his priorities in order, Jane --”

You nod, shrugging on your jacket and buttoning it. You tuck the device in your pocket after eyeing the projected address: 177a Bleecker Street.

“It’s just across town,” you chide, “I’ll hop over, check it out and call if it’s something horrible like, uh, I dunno? An alien invasion?”

“Oh goodie.”

Jane looks pale. “Tell him I say hi. Er… Maybe don’t. Don’t. I don’t wanna seem like --”

“I’ll feel it out,” you chirp, waving your hands in a gesture for her to calm down, “If he asks, I’ll tell him you’re great.”

“If he asks about me, tell him I’m still single!” Darcy cries as you close the door behind you.

Normal.

Today had been shaping up to be normal.

You’d left your normal apartment, took a normal train ride, got your normal coffee order from the normal place two blocks from the office. You arrived at your normal time, ready for a normal day at work.

And then, Thor and his brother decided to change the trajectory of your day and, subsequently, life.

Here you are, half past noon, being welcomed into the Sanctum Sanctorum by some neurosurgeon-turned-supreme-wizard to see your co-worker’s Old Norse God of an ex-boyfriend.

(You know Thor. You’ve met countless times now; the first time was at Jane’s birthday part two years ago. The night had ended in Jane calling you an Uber back to your own apartment, only after you’d gotten blackout on rum and cokes, and spent three whole hours trying to lift Thor’s hammer. Mew-mew, Darcy had called it. You woke up the next morning with a sore back.)

You’ve clearly interrupted something because aforementioned God of Thunder is on the floor, looking like he might throw up any second. You peer around the man who answered the door, squinting. “Uh...”

“Can I help you?”

“Doctor!” Thor cries with sheer excitement from his place at the bottom of the stairs. He stands slowly, staggering over and welcoming you into a crushing grip. He hugs you like he had at last year’s Christmas party. There’s no love lost. You laugh, clapping him on the back as he lifts you into the air, “It is wonderful to see you! Wizard man, this is my good friend --”

“Stephen Strange,” he juts out a yellow gloved hand out in greeting. You shake it, “You must be one of Jane Foster’s associates, then.”

Stephen Strange is an odd one. You can’t help but note the ever-so-faint fluttering of his cape. You realize there’s no wind. You opt not to say anything, just smooth down your scarf and shift from one heeled boot to the other as you exchange looks between the wizard and the God. You push your glasses up your nose as you introduce yourself.

“Just doing my usual quantum disturbance welfare checks,” you say as Thor places you down. You wave the hand-held measuring device in your hand, “Someone had to come and make sure it was Thor and not some eight-legged horse looking to stomp all over Times Square.”

Thor grins.

Stephen smirks.

“How is Jane?” Thor asks quietly, his hand gentle on your shoulder, “Well, I hope?”

“Oh, you know,” a soft shrug, giving him a so-so gesture as you wince, “Breakups suck.”

He gets this look on his face -- it’s a mixture of regret and longing and you know Jane’s decision for space has been as much as a blow to him as it was to her. Jane, selfless as always, knew he needed to focus on his current mission more than her. She’d never forgive herself if she kept pulling him from his search for the stones. Thor sighs, clearing his throat as he nods.

“I, uh, I agree,” he speaks softly, “Please, do tell her I wish her well in all her… science endeavors.”

“Of course,” you say with a smile, “Speaking of which… what’s with the drop-in?”

Stephen’s brows raise and he sighs. “He’s looking for his father.”

Your face twists into confusion. “Odin? What, is he, like, missing?”

Thor’s posture shifts then and he rolls his eyes. Annoyance floods the blonde’s shoulders and he shakes his head. His nostrils flare. “Loki dropped him here on Earth.”

You recoil. “Loki…? Isn’t he --”

“Dead? I thought so as well, but no, the snake has been masquerading as my father on Asgard for the last two years,” Thor supplies, “Speaking of which…”

Stephen jumps. “Oh, yeah, right.”

The second time you meet him, he lands at your feet with a loud groan and a bad attitude.

“I have been falling! For thirty minutes!”

You yelp, hand flying over your mouth at the sudden appearance of the man you’d watched on CNN wreak havoc on NYC. He hits the floor with a resounding thud! and looks… less imposing now, flat on the floor with wild black curls flying about. He’s swathed in a well-tailored black suit and you can’t help but think he’s the exact opposite of Thor. The God of Mischief pushes himself upwards, eyes wild with anger.

Thor hides a chuckle at his brother’s expense.

You blink with wide eyes between Strange and Thor, wondering why the hell no one seems to be as off-put as you are.

“Do you just…?” you make the same sort of gesture Stephen had just made to open the portal Loki had fallen out of with a confused look on your face, “Do that normally?”

A shrug.

He turns to Thor then, shaking hands and gesturing once more to sling open another portal.

“I trust you can handle it from here,” Stephen says to Thor, “Good luck.”

This portal, unlike the one Loki had fallen through, overlooks the ocean. You can smells the sea breeze and hear the whisper of tall grass waving in the wind. You feel a bit like you’ve opened a book in the middle of a chapter -- you’re not sure what the hell is going on and before you can ask, Loki is honing in on you like a predator his next meal. He’s standing before you, leering with an angry look that should have probably sent you for the hills.

Instead, you pull another face.

“What is this? A wretched little pest, here to help?”

“Brother --”

“Have we met?” Loki sneers, lip curling as he hisses, “Or do you simply bear resemblance to every other disgusting worm on this planet?”

You push your glasses up again. Suddenly, you’re away of the behavioral tango you’re locked in. It’s like a psychological game of chess. You decide to move your pawn.

“We have, actually,” you chirp with an uncanny amount of unamusement. Thor’s eye twitches behind you, “You tried to blow up my lab station…? But, uh, I doubt you probably remember that, huh? Yeah, you were, uh, kinda busy terrorizing my boss and half the other staff on call… No, no, I get it. I’ve gotten a haircut since, so --”

“Doctor, please, ignore him --” Thor tries, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Oh, you’re one of Selvig’s wenches then.”

That doesn’t get the rise out of you that Loki had predicted. You frown, hands in your pockets. Your body language is guarded. Loki’s lip twitches.

“That’s an awfully misogynistic thing of you to say.”

There’s a glimpse of a recoil in his eyes at that. He takes a step forward, as if to challenge you -- to which Strange clears his throat. The game is stopped, if only for a moment, and Loki’s anger is redirected towards the wizard with a new-found malice.

“And you must be the second-rate sorcerer --”

You move, hand planted on the chest of the God of Lies as he shoves past you. He steps on your toes then, scuffing your shoes and you groan -- shoving him backwards with an annoyed cry. Thor makes a face, hands moving to try and pull you from the path of his brother.

“Hey, God of being-an-asshole, do you mind?”

“Move, bug, I have a pig to gut --”

“Alright, nope, bye-bye.”

Thor’s too late and you’re thrown through the portal. The ground is yanked out from underneath you like a tablecloth is yanked out from under a tea set. The flick of Strange’s wrists sends you careening into the grass on the other side of the portal. Loki lands, quite literally, on top of you a moment later, knocking the wind out of both of you. He groans, only to be cut off by your hands shoving him off as you try to roll as far away from the trickster as you can. Loki curses, annoyance boiling over --

And then Thor calls his name.

Today is not normal.

Before you can ask how the hell you’re going to get back to your New York office building, you’re painfully aware of the weight of the situation at hand. If someone told you you’d watch the two crown princes reconcile with their father that day, you would have laughed in their faces… Mostly since this is not reconciliation. Loki looks broken at the mention of his mother. Thor is in the midst of trying to work out the possibility of having a sister when Odin flutters to the wind in golden glimmers. There’s an electric threat in the wind.

In Odin’s absence, centuries of anger comes to a head.

You’re there, stepping between the brothers --

“This is your doing --”

“I had no hand in this --”

Hela arrives on the roll of thunder, and you realize quickly that this is all very much above your pay grade.

Normal.

Today had been shaping up to be normal.

And then, you were shoved out of the Bifrost by green gilded hands amidst fleeing the Goddess of Death’s claws -- the last thing you see is a twisted look of shock on Thor’s face as you’re sent careening through rainbow light. The Bifrost shatters around you like ice and you’re sent tumbling through the universe, the weight of the situations terribly apparent as you spin and spin and spin and spin and fall.

The second time you meet Loki, he throws you out of a glimmering quantum anomaly in an attempt to save himself.

#loki x reader #loki imagine #fakewife!reader + loki WHO #loki x fake!wife #loki x fake!wife reader

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recentanimenews · 3 years

Text

FEATURE SERIES: My Favorite One Piece Arc with Steve Yurko

I love One Piece and I love talking to people who love One Piece. And with the series going on 23 years now, there is a whole lot to talk about. As the series is about to publish its 1000th chapter, a true feat in and of itself, we thought we should reflect upon the high-seas adventure and sit down with some notable names in the One Piece fan community and chat about the arcs they found to be especially important, or just ones they really, really liked.

Welcome to the next article in the series "My Favorite One Piece Arc!"

My next guest in this series is Steve Yurko, co-host of The One Piece Podcast, a podcast with a subject you can probably guess. He's also a former storyboard artist for Rick & Morty and is currently working for Netflix Animation. As a ride-or-die Sanji fan, Steve chose the Baratie Arc, where Luffy and the gang run into an East Blue restaurant with a cool chef that loves to cook and kick.

A note on spoilers: If you haven't seen the Baratie arc yet, this interview does contain major plot points. Watch the Arlong Park arc starting RIGHT HERE if you'd like to catch up or rewatch!

Dan Dockery: So a friend tells you, "I'm done with the Syrup Village arc and I'm not sure if I want to watch this next one. I think I might be tapped out on this whole One Piece thing. In one sentence, how do you get them to stay and watch the Baratie arc?

Steve Yurko: The Baratie arc laid down the foundation and created the formula of the One Piece arc as we know it.

That's pretty good!

Yeah, I’d say that, when I first started it, One Piece was my third favorite. I was more of a fan of series like Shaman King and Naruto, but after Baratie, things shifted. It was a turning point for me. I would hope that it would do the same for anyone who’s, say, previously apathetic towards the series.

How old were you when you first read it? Or watched it?

It feels weird to say this, but my introduction to One Piece was Chapter 1. Like Dragon Ball Z, the first episode I can remember watching was, like, Yamcha training on King Kai’s planet, and I’d get Goku and Yamcha confused and stuff, because I had just dived in. So for me to start a story like One Piece from the beginning is kind of rare. I was 15, I think.

So, we're jumping into Baratie, and we first see the guy with the brass knuckles, Fullbody. He's trying to act cool on a date and he's being mean to everyone else. And then we have Sanji being typical Cool Sanji and Fullbody acts up and Sanji just tears through him. How did you react? Did you know immediately that you'd like this waiter?

Well, I don't want to alarm you here, but my first thought was “Sanji’s cool!” I’d seen images of him before, and I saw his black suit and blond hair and I figured, “Oh, another crew member, probably. Looks distinct enough.” So I often have to look back and wonder “Did I like him because of his edgy coolness?” but I think now it’s because there were more layers to him. Like, he definitely stands out from the other Straw Hats, but he also has this distinct fighting style with cool reasoning. He’s a cook and he doesn’t want to bust up his hands trying to punch people in the face, so he uses his feet. So, he does like these cool capoeira kicks, which only gets better as they go along because I feel like so many anime characters, the stronger they get, the more they start to fight the same with fast volleys of punches and laser blasts. So Sanji’s kicks are a great way to differentiate himself from the main cast and other anime heroes.

So, then we have Luffy, he shows up by damaging the Baratie. Enter: Zeff. Full disclosure: In my infinite naivete when I first watched One Piece, I thought Zeff was going to be the new crew member. And then I thought Gin was going to join the Straw Hat crew. And then when Sanji finally joined, I was like, "This guy? Really? Dark horse candidate over here."

You didn’t know yet?

I guess I hadn't watched the first ED yet — when the crew slowly shows up and stands beside one another.

You saw Usopp’s silhouette appear and thought, “Eh, I’ve seen enough.”

"That must be all of them."

It happens.

So, you meet Zeff, and you learn about Sanji and Zeff's relationship, and we get a big One Piece flashback. What do you think of that? Because it would become a staple of the series to kinda pause, see what happened to an important guy, and then come back.

Such an incredible story and so gruesome and terrifying. Sanji’s original flashback is so underrated because it could happen to anyone! Like, you’d have to go out of your way to get stranded on an island, but going days and weeks without food or any real comfort? I think people underestimate how traumatizing that would be. And then Zeff losing his leg because he hacked it off for food, it’s brutal. Just thinkin’ about that, I feel it in my shins. Because that almost happened to me with a minor injury. I let a minor injury get infected, and I could’ve been close to losing a leg.

Wait, what? Gahd.

I was doing box jumps at a gym, and my shin hit the corner of this wooden crate.

Yeah, those things have no give in them.

Absolutely. And at the time, I thought it was just this dark spot on my shin. And I figured it was, ya know a bruise. So I let it be. And then I picked at the scab and I realized “Wow, that’s a little deeper than I thought. I guess I’ll go to the doctor if it gets worse.” And I kept going to the gym, wearing pants over like this open wound. And my left leg is so swollen. So I went to two different doctors, as the first one did tests and then sent me to another one. And when this doctor saw me, the look on her face said “Oh, this is bad.” So I laughed out loud about how dumb I was and the doctor turned to me and said “This isn’t funny. This IS SERIOUS.” It had gotten infected with bacteria and it was spreading, and she just took a sharpie and drew around the infected area, and gave me antibiotics and was like “You have to keep this elevated, and if the redness goes outside of this line, go to the hospital.” But luckily, I recovered, even though the doctors were like “Honestly, we thought you’d go to the hospital.” So when Zeff severs his foot with a rock, how does anyone not feel that?

Do you think that's one of the reasons Luffy is fascinated by Sanji at first? His mentor, Shanks, lost his arm and was cool about it. Zeff lost his leg and was cool about it. Basically twins.

That’d be an interesting conversation that we never got to see. Just two dudes talking about how weird it is that both their father figures did that, with only Luffy thinking it’s cool.

Don Krieg's ship gets blown in half by an incomprehensibly cool character, Mihawk, the first Warlord to appear in the show. You see Mihawk arrive — what is your reaction to him? Because it's not a case of "The villain of the villain is my friend," but rather "Oh, he did that to the villain? I hope he does not do that to us, as that would suck."

It’s almost like the good guys meeting the bad guys, and then a tornado comes in. But here’s the thing: I missed the issue of Jump where Zoro fought Mihawk. So I assumed that Zoro had just won. The greatest swordsman in the world shows up and Zoro beats him. Boom. The climax of his character arc has been achieved. Nothing left for Zoro.

He just did it.

I didn’t find out until so much later that Zoro lost. I wasn’t quite aware of what made for a captivating story yet. At that time, an obstacle appears, an obstacle gets taken out, ya move on. I almost want to apologize to Mihawk.

I love how One Piece does this though. They do it with Smoker and Aokiji and the like. It reminds me of The Witcher III when you go off the path a little bit, and you're at a Level 4 and then a Level 39 Gryphon swoops down and decapitates you. It keeps the "power levels" interesting.

Luffy starts up Breath of the Wild and goes right for Calamity Ganon. But Mihawk is like the analogy for the Grand Line. He represents it, without revealing too much. Mihawk is like a Pizza Hut demo disc of danger.

I really like that. And no one knows, to this day, exactly how powerful he is. Over 20 years later, and we're still wondering how he matches up against Shanks or Blackbeard or whatever. One Piece has so many characters where Oda hasn't shown his full hand in regards to them, yet we're totally emotionally invested in them. That's good storytelling.

He’s doing something right. And I love that Mihawk has a little character arc here, too, where he shows up nonchalantly slicing up Krieg’s ships, probably doesn’t expect much, and then he’s taken aback by Zoro’s gusto, because he hasn’t seen anyone like that in a while. And he slices Zoro down. But he respects him, when in the beginning, he clearly didn’t respect anyone around. Mihawk wants to see him be better and try to take him down one day. For him to willingly build someone up like that is rare. Like Frieza wouldn’t do that.

So, Don Krieg — what were your opinions of him at the time? Because he's a really bad guy surrounded by more morally grey guys like Mihawk and Gin.

What I like about the East Blue saga is that every main villain is an antithesis of Luffy and what makes Luffy a truly great captain. Buggy is all about treasure. Kuro is about ambition and the fortitude to be a pirate. Krieg is about might and strength, and Krieg thinks he has both of those because of his weapons and armor. But Luffy has willpower and ambition and doesn’t let the world change his views. Luffy is incorruptible whereas Krieg is willing to poison his own crew when stuff starts going south. Krieg isn’t fondly remembered, but he really serves his purpose in the story.

So, after Krieg is defeated, Sanji turns down Luffy's offer to join the Straw Hat crew. Now, he knows this is a bad idea. He's not gonna find the All Blue floating around on the Baratie. Why doesn't he go immediately?

Well, he knows it’s a bad idea but he’s completely misinterpreting Zeff’s sacrifice. He feels that since Zeff sacrificed his leg, he has to repay him by working for him indefinitely. But the reason that Zeff did that was because he wants Sanji to live on and chase his dream. That’s why Zeff took pity on him in the first place. He’s an older, worn-down man now, and he stopped chasing his dream. And now he wants to see Sanji or someone get a win. It lifts his spirit to see Sanji and live kinda vicariously through him.

So, the second time I ever cried over One Piece was during Sanji's goodbye and Zeff's "Don't catch a cold." The first time was when that little dog was trying to protect his dead owner's shop in Orange Town, but that's a different story. But this shot of Sanji on his knees thanking Zeff with all the cooks surrounding them is so iconic, and Sanji's acting like it's a gift that Zeff gave him that Sanji could never repay, while as you said, Zeff just wants Sanji to be happy. What did you get out of that? I assume that you're a human with human emotions.

I cry every time I watch that. When I first saw it, I was like “How? How is a series this good?” And there’s so much to that ending sequence. Because the Baratie is built on this rough, angry masculinity. Just these dudes being mean and fighting each other and customers all the time. There’s never a time or a place for lending a shoulder to someone else. No emotional embraces of any kind. Just everyone berating everyone. No one can open up — just stupid man babies. And then you get to this moment where Sanji is leaving and they’re all trying to be cool while playing it off. Especially Zeff, who can’t give a legitimate goodbye, but rather a “Don’t catch a cold.” But there’s so much to that statement and the facade crumbles. All these grown men start bawling.

I've never thought about it that way. There's all these little hints of kindness, like feeding the bad guys, and it's a masculinity powder keg. And then Sanji, in an ultimate display of putting his heart out there, bows to the man who saved him and the keg explodes. That's really cool.

ONE PIECE LIGHTNING ROUND!

Favorite One Piece character?

Sanji

Favorite One Piece villain?

Enel

Favorite One Piece moment?

March to Arlong Park

Favorite Straw Hat Crew pairing?

Luffy and Zoro

Favorite moment of the new Wano anime arc?

Soba Mask’s debut

If you could eat one Devil Fruit, what would it be?

Whatever Kanjuro’s fruit is

Moment that made you cry the hardest?

Sanji leaving the Baratie

Moment that made you cheer the loudest?

Straw Hats at the Tower of Justice standing across from Robin

One Piece location that you'd like to live in?

Whole Cake Island. Ya eat well, ya know, you can survive Big Mom

Favorite fight scene?

Sanji vs Mr. 2, of course

Stay tuned for the next installment of "My Favorite One Piece Arc" as we speak with Botchamania creator Maffew about his favorite One Piece arc: Alabasta!!

Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

By: Daniel Dockery

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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tsarisfanfiction · 4 years

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Acquisition (Tales From The Heart)

Fandom: One Piece Rating: Gen Warnings: None Characters: Penguin, Shachi, Law, Bepo

One of the first questions a new crewmember always asked, without fail, when joining the crew, was "how the hell did you afford this?" The question was accompanied by some sort of gesture, from wild flailing to a simple point depending on each person's general response to something big, shiny and obviously expensive, towards the Polar Tang. The submarine sat proudly in the water, the bright yellow (well maintained, of course) and identifying marks (with their jolly roger and the captain's DEATH emblems how could it not be theirs) gleaming in all its considerable glory.

A submarine was rare, expensive, and far beyond the treasure hoards of any rookie crew, and that was before they entered it to see the state of the art infirmary.

"We didn't." The admittance would always come from either Penguin or Shachi, whichever one was in earshot at the time. Sometimes they'd answer in chorus. The full story would always wait until they were out at sea, buried safely beneath the waves as the Polar Tang once again proved its invaluable worth.

Setting out from Swallow Island in a small, stolen, fishing boat (it had belonged to the father of a boy Penguin and Shachi really hadn't got on with), the four of them had very quickly realised that if they were going to travel together, let alone have any viable shot at this piracy thing they seemed to be heading for, if Law's half-answers and nervous glances were any indication, they were going to need a better boat. Without so much as a cabin to keep them dry in the rain and snow (they had to pull a stray tarpaulin over themselves when such weather occurred), it was impractical at best and suicidal at worst. Winter was reaching its peak, and if nothing else they would freeze to death without somewhere sturdy to shelter from the elements.

Penguin and Shachi had wanted to go to Minion Island, always on their horizon but never before in their reach, reasoning that as a pirate base (former, apparently), there should be something there. Law had vetoed that so fast they'd got whiplash, so rather reluctantly they had instead changed course for the other island in their triangle. Law hadn't been much more impressed with that one, apparently, but they needed provisions at least, and a sturdier boat. Not designed for long journeys at sea, their current vessel had begun to buckle and more often than not there were dredges of water in the bottom, around their ankles. It was likely that that, resulting in eternal lethargy for Law, had persuaded him to cave.

The large, grey metal boat they had seen as they docked caught all of their attention. It looked unlike any boat the four of them had ever seen, riding low in the water with minimal deck space and a thick, heavy door.

"So cool," Shachi had sighed, Penguin wolf-whistling behind him.

"How much to you reckon that'd be?" he'd wondered, despite realising that a boat that large would be too much for the four of them to control. Even as adults, rather than their teen selves, it would be a huge ask.

"We're taking it."

Law's declaration was totally absurd, but the conviction in his words had made it sound almost believable. Almost.

"Unless you've got some hidden fortune you've not told us about, we've barely got 100 Beri between us," Penguin had pointed out. "How, exactly, do you expect to afford that?" Law had looked at him as if he was an idiot.

"I don't recall saying anything about paying for it."

Oh, right. They were pirates, weren't they? Well, kinda. Penguin and Shachi didn't know if it counted when they didn't have a boat, a name, or a flag. Also, the whole piracy thing… Law's charisma had got them that far, but their resolve was beginning to waver in the face of reality. Crazy ruffians they might have become, but they'd never actually stolen anything before (they conveniently forgot that the dying ship they had just tied to the shore hadn't been taken with permission).

"So we fight for it?" Bepo had asked, finally contributing to the conversation. The mink cub had been content to remain silent for much of their time, offering himself as a bed where possible to keep Law out of the water at the expense of his own comfort and occasionally changing the course when he thought they were going wrong.

"If that's what it takes."

Fights Penguin and Shachi knew, and the prospect – plan – had calmed their jittery nerves against the idea of actual piracy. Law's own calm, measured response to the situation helped to further ground them, effortlessly taking on his duties as captain as if he'd been born to it. As far as Penguin and Shachi knew, he probably had been. They'd certainly never met such a ruthless thirteen year old before.

Luck had been on their side that day. It transpired that the strange yet alluring boat had only just been finished, and was in the dock awaiting its christening by some important official or other. The quartet hadn't hung around to find out who.

While subtlety wasn't Penguin or Shachi's preferred method of doing things, their inexperience was more than covered for by Law and Bepo's own stealth as they had silently taken down the numerous guards on the walkway from the ship to the shore and slunk on board the ship. It had smelt of fresh oil, the last hinges still settling into place. Within the narrow corridors were more guards, easily caught off guard and subdued – Penguin and Shachi weren't entirely sure what to make of them alive yet in pieces, and Law had seemed almost as surprised despite being the perpetrator – and, leaving Bepo on guard just inside the ship's entrance, Law had led the other two through the maze until they found a control room.

For all the complicated controls (hopefully there was a manual somewhere), someone had very helpfully labelled a couple of the buttons – THRUST; LOCK; DIVE. It had probably been for the self-important official to use on the maiden voyage, but the thieves had not been about to look a gift horse in the mouth. The third button in particular had brought a gleam to Law's eyes.

"A submarine," he'd breathed, looking far more excited than they'd ever seen before. "This is perfect. We're definitely taking this."

Why a submarine was perfect – and what that even meant; Penguin and Shachi couldn't claim to know much about anything more than a fishing boat – was a question for another time, as Law had pressed the button labelled CLOSE, watching the steady green light by it flash for several moments as an accompanying klaxon sounded before turning red. That done, he had then pressed THRUST, and the sudden roar of the engines deafened the four of them – Bepo having run to join them with breathless reports that the outer door had "just suddenly shut, Captain!" – before they'd felt a lurch as the ship pulled away from its berth, tugging some of the dock with it.

Unable to see what was going on – there were no windows, just screens showing indecipherable graphs talking about things that Penguin and Shachi couldn't even begin to understand – they had clutched at each other as Law waited, watching the screens with apparent comprehension, at least on some level, before deciding to press the button labelled DIVE.

For several moments, it didn't appear as if anything had happened. The ship was still moving forwards at a steady pace, and the horrid thought struck them that something was wrong.

Then their bodies told them very firmly that something was wrong – the metal beneath their feet wasn't level, as it had been, but very slightly slanted downwards and felt as if it were falling away from them. Either that, or they had suddenly lost a lot of weight and were about to float. It had not been a reassuring feeling.

It had only stopped when Law lifted his finger from the DIVE button, gravity catching up with them all at once and buckling their knees so that they fell to the floor.

"What the hell just happened?" Shachi had gasped, deciding against trying to get up. Law, sat in a chair and looking decidedly unruffled by the whole thing, had turned to look down at him with a satisfied grin on his face.

"We just stole a submarine. Now, what should we call it?"

#one piece #One Piece Fanfiction #trafalgar law #penguin #shachi #bepo #heart pirates #polar tang #tales from the heart #tsari writes fanfiction

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renaer-is-allegedly-hot · 4 years

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session 11 notes (i’ll fix them one day but i’m agro this was tea hate this)

Two minute one shot while dom pees

Adam has a floaty tube

Asyna can't turn into a hippo

Giant seahorse

Jane austen

Elizabethh and darcy my hands are shaking

Dom has 4e books

Dom was pretty out of it last session

It's afternoon

Dom is toasty

In jacob's other campaign a goat bit off his penis so the goat's name is richard byter

"at first the goat was reluctant"

"what a goat"

Last week on dragon heist

We were meandering through the city

"one of you met with an old friend, briefly"

Zoo time

Aerana knows where the zoo is in the sea ward

Raised brick gate w high walls; on top are intricate metal railing spiked stuff

Entrance is v wide, not too many people going in bc it's raining a lot

Maybe

Apparently the weather is super important and I still don't know why the weather is so important

It is currently raining

Pouring

Ticket booth in the front

Gold piece per person

Botanic repository

We walk up to the booth covering ourselves w the hoods we have

Velvet rope line but we just navigate through it like in shrek

Adam goes first

Walks in and see smiling figure, human male middle-aged, heavyset, festive outfit, "thank you for visiting - oH how's it going?!" it's volo

He's doing research for his newest obok

Hi jacob's dad

Jacob's gonna go fishing

Volo under impression he would be one of zoological experts but no

"recommendations?"

They brought monsters in from the isle of chault

Points us off to the exhibit to go

Originally zoo was not a zoo as we think of but like throwing them in a pit and being like look at them think httyd

Now it's closer to what we'd consider a modern day zoo

Lots of foliage

It's a big zoo

Like the San diego zoo

Or disneyland

Dom talks abt his brother's haircut

We can run through it

Can asyna just sprint

Aerana and asyna r gonna run

Adam cel and theo r gonna not run

Most of the zoo taken up by exhibits devoted to the island

Looking in the entryway a lot of ppl r carrying pamphlets n papers and speaking in foreign tongues like tourists or smth ig

Adam casts disguise self to make him look as fancy as everyone else

Has feathered cloak

Three major pathways

Chault exhibits for weird stuff r left

Marine stuff and some chault r forward

To the right r monsters from the interior continent

Adam cel and theo (?) go to the right

Most ppl r in pairs

A lot of biologist-type ppl; ppl who look like they're used to handling animals

First real exhibit on the right is a human woman inside the exhibit throwing down pieces of meat to lions

Is asyna a moon druid ? Yes

How did the human woman get there ? But she doesn’t notice

"does this zoo have dippin dots" - lillian 2020

Perception check, 15

There r ppl selling stuff, sees dejected gnome sitting under a pedal cart w a dingy umbrella and he's grumpy n angry

Adam walks over to him

Selling diff snacks n refreshments

He's mostly selling a fizzle pop

Strawberry flavor, blueberry, butterfly flavor

"are ur fizzle pops made w organic butterflies ? Bc I'm kinda on a diet rn"

Adam says it's disgusting

"I'll have a blueberry thank you"

Cel is gonna try the butterfly one

It's sweet; doesn't taste like blood but does taste almost nutty

So like what I would think pistachio tastes like

Fun size popsicle

Theo gets strawberry

They go to the next exhibit

A really vertical exhibit

Oneshot

Cel is gonna try and ride seahorse asyna but rolls a nat 1 for acrobatics and then a nat 1 for dex save

Smashes head on rim of the pool, bleeding out and unconscious

Healing words from adam

Climbs out of the pool

The water is now red

Three children on the other side of the pool

One of them gets really excited and pees when adam tells them that there's a chemical that turns pool water red

Asyna left the pool when the kid peed

Asyna leads everyone over to the hospital

Adam is gonna try and healing words fix cel

Cel is back to full health

One of the kids is crying scared when she finds out the water is blood

Theo is gonna go get the kids ?

Ok back to the zoo

There's a hippo exhibit

We go check it out

On the way there run into different typical zoo stuff

Apes

Monkeys

The younger ppl r around these exhibits

A lot of closed sections bc of weather like "don't worry next winter this animal will be back"

Alligators

Ringtails that r lemurs ringtail lemurs

Birds

Carefully curated trees that r uber high

Hawks and giant eagles

Oops my phone froze

Tap on the glass to say hi to the what now

Theo wants it to come say hi to her

Animal handling check, 10

Can't attract their attention but

The hippos

Asyna has speak with animals LMAO

Basically can't talk to worms

No more tapeworm talk :/

"Theo says hi . This is theo"

"everybody gangsta until they find out jacob thinks barney is a hippo" - dom 2020

Colombian drug lord one time built private zoos and the hippos broke out but now there's a hippo problem in colombia

Pablo escovar

Speak with animals is ten minutes

We're also probably fighting later

We're gonna talk to the hippos

Theo waves

One of them paddles over and tries to sniff

"hm . Can you eat it ?"

"pleaes don't"

I just remembered seaweed is not a plant it's an algae

This hippo does not have a name

Calls sister sister

"ask about juicy hippo gossip" - adam

"no but if I did I would share it"

Originally zoo was place for research

Anything else to ask hippos before we check out rare animals ?

The hippo floats away and we say bye

To the chault exhibits

Getting late but there r a lot more researchers

First exhibit has a lot of strange, unfamiliar trees

Monkeys w really big fluffy sideburns clustering around overhanging branches bc it's raining

Some of them r taking leaves and using them to keep the rain off

One of the monkeys hops off the branch

The sideburns actually extend into wings and it goes to another branch

"it's like the wizard of oz"

"adam what's the wizard of oz"

Flying monkeys

Adam walks over to a researcher and asks the most must-see

Woman who is probably from chault bc wearing strange woven beret w branches n stuff

Alien to anything they've seen

"I would point you in the direction of the behemoths"

"what are behemoths"

Adam rolls nature check

9, he doesn't know what a behemoth is

She is from chault

Behemoths r considered friends there

Asyna and aerana know where chault is

Everyone else just knows chault is v far away, almost like a nightmare story told to children

Described as a hellscape

"I'd sooner go to chault than-"

Asyna and aerana know chault is a massive island to the sw of the sword coast, home to v tropical, intensely humid climate w lots of rain + some invasions in the past but now things r opening up

We're gonna check out the behemoths

From a distance, this exhibit much larger than others, much more heavily excavated

Not so much walls as railing looking into a deep cavern

All manner of plant life brought in to accommodate the creatures

Huge lizard of some kind

Huge size category

Irl a horse is large

Humans and dwarves are medium

Exhibit says it's a macetail behemoth

Ground trembles w each step of the behemoth

Slow, ponderous

Gigantic armored lizard w tough plating on its back and spikes on the sides of its head w bony, protective coverings all over it

Massive swinging tail protruding bone swinging back and forth as it walks

Looks like that one dinosaur

We would call it an ankylosaurus

Things that go over my head : see description bullet points before this

Tail end of speak with animals

Asyna can turn into dinosaurs

"you look really cool do you have a name"

One of them looks up but doesn't really respond

Doesn't answer

Look for velociraptors

Gonna look at all the exhibits

Spirehorn behemoths

Faces almost look like shields

Triceratops

Alien to us tho

I can't believe that like as dom's explaining these everyone else can like ,, imagine it

Like that's crazy they see pictures inside their heads

Feathered behemoths

Occasionally jump around

Claws and walk around on two legs

Bloodspike behemoth

Stegosaurus, baby and two parents

Asyna can turn into a deinonychus

We have enough time for one more exhibit

We see a creature alone in its pen save for two researchers dropping treats in front of it, other has a pickaxe and is tapping the ground and scooping smth up trailing the creature and brushing it into a bin

Creature reflects rainbow of colors ? I think

Huge snail, has three eyestalks but they kind of droop down and have heavy spikes off each individual one

Cel reads description

Flail snail?

It's a big boi

Described not as a beast but as something that comes from a realm of earth

As it moves it excretes glass

Generally docile but if prodded r really dangerous bc the things it has r more weapons than eyes

Adam asks if it's a petting exhibit

The flail snail is just as slow as a regular snail

"that is the most disgusting magic resistance I've ever seen in my entire life" - jacob 2020

Everything starting to shut down

We realize we should probs skedaddle

Time to find loser boy

Rain has not stopped but has kinda calmed down

Heading straight to the wig shop

Lamps in the trades ward r lit

Brighter than what we've seen recently

Adam peers into the shop

Perception check

6, tries to get water off the window, looks empty

Theo's gonna pick the lock

25, it's a simple lock and theo gets it open easily

Shop is empty

Somewhat eerie for those without darkvision bc the mannequins

Cel will go and investigate the back room, door is locked

Theo tries opening again

23, opens easily

Immediately smells weird powder

A lot of the perfumes for preserving dyes n stuff kept back here

Cel makes a perception check

V organized, neat and tidy

Manhole cover in the back

Sewer system v advanced in waterdeep but also means there's a lot of it

A lot of ppl will build over sewer openings bc cheaper real estate

"sewer access authorized city officials only"

Adam rolls nat20 for boxes

Looking for anything necromancy related, licking things, doing all manners of investigation

Feels a small leather sack, pulls it out, kinda heavy

Opens it up, sees coins that are kind of heavier and thicker; not silver, 5 platinum pieces

Platinum is 10 gp each

Could take the platinums

Scry the money and sack

There are cupboards at the front desk

Necromancy considered suspicious, looked down upon

"ah . It's like watching anime ." - jacob 2020

"no, it's not like watching anime" - dom 2020

The art itself is not a crime but the things that occur in tandem w it r usually crimes

Discussing what to do in character

Cel insight check, 16

Earlier dom mentioned we're aware many ppl in waterdeep use the sewers to traverse unseen in the city; kinda suss the building was built on top of a sewer

Adam is borrowing aerana's warhammer

Adam hits the floor, leaves big dent and a v loud sound

Cel makes strength check w advantage w crowbar

Rolls a 12, can't get it open

Can sort of shift it up

Adam smashes a jar over the floor

Dex check, 5

Cloud of neon yellow sprays out like a cloud of dust and smoke, just the color

Covered in bright yellow dye

Theo tries lockpicking

23, lock is more difficult and takes a little longer, but eventually it opens

Once it's opened, the chains undo themselves and snake out on their own accord

It's just a dark hole

Can see a short drop that leads to a staircase

Adam holds lantern

Cel's just gonna go w adam at the front, pitch dark

Darkvision lets us see to some extent; everything is in grayscale

Lantern beam does help us see a little

Asyna closer to front as well

Leads to a room, 10' x 20'

Descending down short flight of stairs, room totally bare save for a barred door that u can see out of, also locked

Hear faintly some water

Theo rolls 23 for lockpicking

Door opens

Adam investigating room for secret door, tunnel, anything

Investigation check, 10 and 5 for investigation checks

Look around but room is barren

Nothing stashed anywhere, nothing to indicate a secret door or anything

Adam and cel step out, to immediate right extends for 10ish feet before merging into wall

Directly in front is water and like a sewer river flowing to the right

"are there any rats" "make a perception check" "nat 1"

To left, passage curves so hard to see but for at least 40 or so feet the pathway continues

Adam rolls another 5 for investigation check

We eventually get to a small stone bridge

I FORGOT I RESEARCHED THE SEWER SYSTEMS idk if I should bring it up I brought it up

A 15 intelligence check

Waterdeep's sewers are a subject of fascination for the city

You know the passageway like the one ur in often has arteries or iron doors set in them leading to different areas

Also know sometimes due to poor planning or smth some areas without walkways also have access tunnels

There's a bridge ? Nasty water under it

Over the bridge we go

Cel rolls a 22, plenty of damp areas around ,, no light in the passage, walking for a minute or so and w each step just hear a wet squelching noise; we're leaving behind wet, muddy footprints

No sign of recent mud in front of us

10 minutes go by and every once in a while pass side arteries w more sewage flowing in

This part seems relatively well planned

Can only go straight ? No other curvature in the path

Traveling south

"I'm gonna try and get that rat" - adam 2020

Adam picks up the rat for sleight of hand check

"you're able to grab up that rat pretty good" - dom 2020

Adam holds rat out to asyna and tells her to do her thing

"hey buddy"

"uh you have to cast your spell first"

"hey pal how's it going"

"let me go"

"uh we'll let you go if you answer some of our questions"

"don't even"

"no he's saying don't eat him"

"my friend here holding you is gonna take a big chomp of you if you don't answer our questions"

"have you seen anyone"

"don't know"

"I open my mouth"

"I kind of want to squeak" - marguerite 2020

Rat points north

Adam wants a piece of string to tie onto the rat like a leash

Adam is starting to feel short of breath after 10 minutes of walking

"that's either from the powder . Or the key"

Adam doesn't feel indigestion right now just that it's difficult to get air

Adam tries to tie a leash to the rat

Dex check

Nat1

Rat runs away

We go back the way we came, another 10 minutes, we pass three of those stone bridges

Cel investigation checks the dead end again, adam will give bardic inspiration

"Open sesame" - song

18, nothing there

It's a maze, we'll try naya

Adam takes out sack of platinum

Naya appears, looks around and shudders and bounds away

Following the deer

Naya is guiding back to where we originally where

Moving south again

Looks at passage back again passage then vanishes

Naya was standing on one of the bridges

First artery

It's a passage

We gotta wade through the sewer

Aerana readies weapon

Wading through, halflings get disgusting smth in their boots

Passage goes 20 ft before turning on a diagonal, turn onto passageway then it extends v far into distance

"adam's adding to the sewage right now probably" - jacob 2020

Adam's feeling lightheaded

Cel makes medicine check on adam

Rolls a 6, don't know what's wrong bud

Adam rolls around in the sewer water to get the powder off ??

I guess he is

Adam makes a constitution save, a 3

OH? OH NO

The yellow stuff is off but adam is smeared in shit

Did I make a good or bad decision

We keep going but adam feels better like fine like nothing's wrong

Oh no adam's gonna die it's like hypothermia where u feel super hot at first then u die

Passageway stretches on for awhile until coming across a rusty ironed door raised so that we'd have to step up to access it

Aerana makes perception check on the door, 20 not a nat

Hears people shouting and what appears to be a cat

Can't tell if the shouting is bad or not

Theo wrings out cape

Go up to the door, realize there's no lock; the entire lock has fallen out bc the door is so rusty

Adam checks door for traps, 12 investigation

Does not appear to be trapped, looks p old

Adam is in middle, cel towards back, aerana at front

About 25' ahead is a wider chamber and a door set into the wall, the areas are lit

We already walked through the rusty door

Massive screeching sound that came from the door when u opened it

Gotta b stealthy

Door to the right is unlocked

Adam opens the door open, looks like a storage room w different crates and sacks; bland

Some water barrels, adam pours it on himself; the rest of us also do it

Moving into room adjacent to passageway; triangle things in the wall has arrow stuff to make it easier to fire from but the room looks abandoned

Deeper in we go

Don't go that far but hit a wider room extending out 40'

Center of the room; at one point looks like there was a wall covering the room but has since collapsed; several ppl looking at us

Far corner opposite to us is an old halfling man in dark robes, clutching wound at chest, long gray braid down back staring at us as if he heard we were coming

In front of him are two smiling skeletons

It's the necromancer

The skeletons r also looking at us

They appear to be guarding him

In front of skeletons are three kenku looking at us

Bingbong is not one of the kenku

"I can explain" - adam

"we came down here and I was covered in shit and" adam casts pyrotechnics centered in between skeletons and kenku

Initiative

Aerana, 19

Cel, 17

Asyna, 15

Adam, 15

Theo, 9

Aerana

Holds attack, if kenku move within 5 ft of her she'll attack

Cel

Skeletons have bows and shortswords

Kenkus have shortswords

Will hold an action if attacked

Skeletons

Appear to b human skeletons, medium size

Lash out at kenku

One kenku able to parry away an attack, other skeleton slashes another kenku

Asyna

Attacks kenku closest to her, the one not hit

15, "what are you attacking with" "iiiiiiiii don't knowwwwwwwwwww"

Asyna turns into ape

Runs up to terrified kenku

Swings both times but it gets out of the way and hisses like a cat

Adam

Casts pyrotechnics on kenku

One passes, one fails

Failed one is blinded for next turn

Cutting words on the kenku by asyna

Kenku

Blind

Tries to escape, skeleton misses and kenku staggers away and starts feeling way along wall and runs into room west of where we are

Other one

Makes attack on skeleton, half of ribcage slashed but it's still standing

Other other one

Tries to attack ape, misses

Halfling

Stands up, tries to flee

Theo

Hits kenku that tried to get asyna, 5 damage

Has sneak attack, deals 12 damage

Arrow shot into neck, still alive but not for long

Aerana

13 damage to other kenku

"how do you want to do this"

Kenku drops dead

Skeleton turns smiling to aerana

Cel

15 to hit, 6 damage, dead

"how do you want to do this"

Pulls arrow back as far as she can "and I don't know if it's bingbong, but I'm gonna pretend it's bingbong and shoot it right through his eye socket"

"I want to keep bingbong as a pet" - jacob 2020

"kenku are sentient beings, that would be slavery" - dom 2020

Looking around we see the bodies of three other kenku and remains of two other skeletons

The skeletons attack aerana

One hits, 3 damage

Asyna

Goes into the room to follow the halfling and the kenku

Some kind of exit around

The blinded kenku is in here

Can reach halfling or kenku

Marguerite wants to hug the halfling

Athletics check to do it

Old man screams but asyna can hold him, unable to escape

Kenku still feeling around on the floor

Adam

Follows asyna

Gonna cast sleep

Kenku falls asleep

Yells over at the halfling

"can you call off your skeletons please"

Halfling

Loser boy's turn

I don't remember how to spell losser unless it's losser

Tries to escape asyna's grasp

"he does not escape your grasp"

Asyna rolls another athletics check

17, he does not escape

Theo

14 to hit, 16 damage

"how do you want to do this"

Arrow to the skull just goes really far in and the skull falls off as do misc bones

Aerana

Misses hit

Tries to thrust forward w sword but it drops and contracts, sword slipping through ribcage

Cel

19 to hit

8 damage, hits shoulder and arm falls off

Skeleton

Misses

Asyna

Waddles the halfling over to adam

Gives him a little squeeze

Adam

baned halfling

And cutting words

No cutting words nvm

Halfling

Asyna rolls a 25

Can't squirm out

"unhand me there are more of them there are more kenku"

Theo

"ok. Bye bye skeleton boy"

22 to hit

12 damage

"how do you want to do this"

Hits him in the smile; teeth knocked out and all of it collapses like a xylophone type noise as the bones hit the floor

Out of combat

Aerana ties up sleeping kenku

Adam casts charm person

Cel is gonna loot

Investigation check, 7

10 gold combined on the kenku; takes

Halfling is charmed to consider adam a dear old friend

Says he just finished work on his new purse; his fanny pack (basically)

Not sure we recognize the material

Adam says he knows who sent the kenku

"you have the stone"

"they stole it from me"

Says he randomly found a nice stone from a rat

Adam puts his hand on loser boy's shoulder and asks if he wants to work from home

Trying to convince loser boy to come with us

Declines

The purse is made out of elf skin

Bc it's supple

Adam trying to get a magical weapon out of loser boy

Has a potion that protects from necromancers

Persuasion check, 24

Goes into side closet

Damage resist potion

Aerana kills him

Wow are you ?? Desensitized ?? Are you desensitized or does it help not being able to see anything ever

Adam rummages through loser boy's desk

Investigation check, 15

False bottom to one of the desk drawers w 100 gold inside

Cel investigation checks loser boy, 13

Finds a little wand w a skull tip

Adam is gonna look at the purse

This bag is a faint gold

Adam shakes the kenku awake, wisdom 13 saving throw

Fails

Charm person

Making dog noises

"you want to take us to your friends"

"I don't know where they are"

"then let's just go back to your base"

"get back to base ? No one knows where that is"

Adam introduces himself, mentions bingbong

Gets theo and cel's names, mimics sound of a hammer hitting metal when asked his name

His name is bonk now

Asks asyna's name, asyna is still an ape

Big hairy git

Aerana says she'll trade information for her name

Adam swings warhammer into ground to threaten kinda

Adam makes 12 insight check

We don't recognize any of the voices he uses

Asks if we live in a hole

Asks if the house is nice

Copies adam's voice for the house boom

Adam asks if he knows about the puppet

"couldn't tell you if I knew"

Nat20 adam runs insight check across entire conversation

He's lying abt not knowing where his friends are

I DFJGSLGJS THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING ABT US STILL GIVING UP INFORMATION ASFKJAFD

Adam asks him why he was lying

Hear a voice we've never heard before

But this one in particular is bizarre and warped as if it's through some filter

"do you know what happens when you lie to me"

Adam

Anyone w passive perception over 9 hears a bottle break and a door slam in one of the rooms to the south

Cel hits his brain basically

Some of you starting to piece together that smth strange is happening

Pattering of footsteps from room to the south

Session over for the night

#i'll fix these later i swear #sn #11 #dnd #d&d #wdh #i'm gonna fight #salty

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pomegranateanarchist · 5 years

Text

things about the lightning thief musical

#the lightning thief #the lightning thief musical #percy jackson #annabeth chase #grover underwood #luke castellan #clarisse la rue #chris mccarrell #kristin stokes #james hayden rodriguez #jorrel javier #ryan knowles #sarah beth pfeifer #jalynn steele #original

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stolen-ass-name · 4 years

Note

Brick, rose, squash, bronze, marigold, feen, olivw, peackock, navy, lapis, coral, snow, frost, ivory, hazel, iron, black, raven, slate, penny, taeny, brown, alabaster, sand, redwood, maroon, rust, leather 🐴🇫🇮

Your love of Dion is the best thing that's happened to me all year

Brick - What are some things you dislike?

Hmm... bugs, bad movies, homophobes, peas, peppers, alcohol, cigar smoke, Hazbin Hotel and not being able to put what's in my mind on paper!

Rose - Would you consider yourself a romantic person?

Ah... A bit... I mean, I don't know if I'm able to perform romantic stuff that well, unless it's, like, self sacrifice, but I do like hand-holding and rose petals and whatnot... And I wouldn't deny a romantic date with a boy that likes me.... Also I yearn

Squash - Do you live in an agricultural setting? If so, are you a farmer or something of the sort? What kind of crops do you grow?

AH! I used to go a farm when I was little! The farmers kinda adopted me, since I could help out with work. It was like a second family, and I knew that whenever I needed a break from city life I could go there and wind down... We grew a lot of things but I mostly helped out with wheat and rye, and also in the orchards, where the apple and orange trees where! Can't turn down some equine strength when it's offered to you (っ’-‘)╮ =͟͟͞͞🐎ﾌﾞｫﾝ

Bronze - What is your favorite way to warm up when it’s cold

I lov kotatsu... But, I cannot use one whenever the other team members are around because I don't fit well under them and they make fun of me... Can't help being dumb thicc when I have horse heinds! I also like blankets (and a lot of times I steal everyone's pillows and just pile them up and sleep on them...)

Marigold - What types of flowers are in your setting? Do you have a favorite?

Ah, now that I live in the city I just see whatever government sanctioned greenery there is in parks and whatnot... But I like the random orange trees there are... And back when I lived in the farm I really liked wild clover blossoms!

Fern - Would you enjoy running a flower shop?

Hmm, I think so! The flowers are very pretty, and I really like the smell! I think bugs and bees would be a big problem for me though...

Olive - What is your Greek personality type? (sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, or melancholic)

Hmm, hang on let me look that up!

*20 minutes and a wrong test later* Sanguine

Peacock - Are you a more flashy person, or do you like to blend in?

I think nature already gave up on making me blend in... I like to be flashy tho! And it's pretty easy now too

Navy - have you ever been on a boat/sailing? does it exist in your world? did you enjoy it?

I have been on a boat but I was in the sun the whole time and got a bit sunburnt. Also my fur is black, so I overheated... But I guess if I were to be on a more comfortable boat I would go again! The sea is nice, and I like seeing the dolphins!

Lapis - What is your opinion on religion and the afterlife?

Don't like organized religion, but Christianity really went hard with the Aesthetics! Also Ancient Greek dodecatheism was fun, and so are the stories from Norse Mythology... As for afterlife, I have no thoughts... I just hope it gets better!

Coral - Do you have a strong moral code? What are some moral things that you feel strongly about?

Hmm, my moral code is pretty set on things like human rights and whatnot, but if I recognize someone has more knowledge or experience in a subject, they become easy to move and change, like sand! So if I ever do something bad, please let me know! I will listen!

Snow - Have you ever seen snow? Do you like it? What do you like to do in the snow?

Hmm, back home I had seen a lot of snow! I moved down south so I only see snow on vacations and whatnot... But snow is awesome, when it's fresh! It kinda freezes my hooves, so I have to wear special shoes, but other than that it's pretty fun to be in! I don't really like snowball fights winter sports, but I do like making snowmen!

Frost - What do you like to wear in cold weather?

Top is a regular skiing jacket. And thick caparison for the rest! I don't get cold that easily, since I can just let my back fur do it's work into he sun, but I do like to be self-reliant! I also have to hear ankle braces if there's thick snow, and I need special shoes for ice and stuff... At least it doesn't snow where I am now!

Ivory - Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which ones and how well?

I don't play any instruments, but I would like to learn how to play a harp or a flute!

Hazel - What kind of folklore/myths/stories are told in your family/community?

I'll tell you my fave, the Hulder and those ladies with the big boobs, that feed fishes, but it's been a while since I heard the story about them and I can't remember their name at all now 😂 sorry grandpa

Black - What is the darkest thing you’ve ever done?

Almost stomped some people to death, but I was justified, they were harassing a pride parade!

Raven - Can you fly? If not, do you ever dream about flying?

I can't fly, but I have been levitated by Beau-san! I like floating and stuff, but I prefer running, it has more impact!

Slate - If you could erase any memory from your life, would you do it? If so, which memory would you chose?

I would, bc some things are kinda traumatic, and I don't like thinking about them. But they're mostly movies and stuff I shouldn't have seen at the age I'd seen them...

Penny - If you could make a substantial living doing anything, what would you do?

Being a stay-at-home house-husband... And being a pro hero, but I guess I'm already doing that.

Tawny - Cats or Dogs? (or any animal for that matter)

I like both!!! All animals are good, even if some are more awkward than others, or harder to deal with, they're all good and lovable!

Brown- Where do you call home?

Number1's house, the HQ building and any of my boyfriend's houses

Alabaster - What is the most recognizable thing about you? What are people most likely to notice about you when they first meet you?

..... The fact that I'm a horse. Also the prominent marks on my face and my strength I guess... As for personality and stuff my loud voice, my anxiety and how fast I talk, I guess... That's what I've been told.

Sand - Have you ever been to a beach? If so, what’s your favorite thing to do at the beach?

Oh, yeah, I love the beach! I like swimming and running around, mostly, but I wouldn't be above making sand castles and stuff!

Redwood - How tall are you?

A little over 2 meters tall!

Maroon - What are you most passionate about?

My job as a hero, my friends and my boyfriends! Love my boyfriends. OH, and my fans!

Rust - Have you thought about becoming old? Can you become old? Are you scared of being old? What do you think about elders?

Hmm, I don't see anything wrong with being old... I would like to be the reliable old person that I didn't have when I was a kid, that would help out and tell interesting stories and stuff... I do think that elderly people should be respected, but not be kept above their mistakes! It's never too late to learn how to be a better person!

Leather - How “basass” would you say you are?

I'd say pretty badass, like, on a scale of 1-10 probably a solid... 8!

#asks #my ocs #Dion

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leswansong · 5 years

Text

(Late) Ladynoir July: When Tomorrow Comes

Day Seven: Lucky Charm

[ A03 ]

Word Count: 5K+

AN: What's this? A new Chapter less than a week than the last? Hope you guys enjoy this speedy update!

Marinette groaned at the pounding headache she had awoken too, her eyes struggled to focus on something within her darkened room. Light slowly floated into the room, her eyes slowly started to focus on the small little dust particles that drifted through the rays of sunlight, she struggled to recall what had happened the night before, she cursed herself for drinking so much the night before so that she couldn’t remember that night. Marinette groaned again and shakily pulled herself out of bed and stumbled over to one of her windows to pull the curtain open, a decision she regretted instantly as the light caused her headache to grow ten times worse. She let out a yelp at the sudden pain drawing a concerned red Kwami towards her, she waved the small creature away and muttered something along the lines of ‘I'm fine’ to her before heading over to her small dressing table to get ready for the day.

She stared at her reflection in the small, somewhat cloudy mirror, she had forgotten to remove the very little amount of makeup she had put on the night before to help blend her mask to her face better, at least she had remembered to take that off as it was sitting on the small table in front of her but the rest of the clothes she had gone out in still clung to her thin frame. She sighed to herself and started to brush her extremely matted hair, slowly she started to pull away at the large amount of knots that had managed to form in her hair overnight causing her to wince slightly from the sharp pains of her hairbrush pulling at them but it had to be done.

She gently put down the wooden, horse-hair brush down on the table at turned around at the room, even though it was dark, she could still see the mess around her. It felt a little strange for her to be the only person in the room, she looked around at the remnants of Alya’s sisters visit on the floor around her, she was going to miss them but last night had provided the perfect cover for them to slip out as the guards attention were on the hundreds of people celebrating in the streets and not on the small suspicious family sneaking their way out of the gates. Alya was going to be back in a few weeks, her aunt was going to meet her halfway to pick up the younger girls so Alya could return to Paris. Marinette didn’t know why her best friend wanted to return to Paris, Marinette wanted nothing more than to escape it, she hated the constant fighting in the streets below her window that she could still hear but she knew that she couldn’t, she had a duty to the citizens to stop Hawkmoth and Chat to help him in stopping him.

Marinette sighed and started picking up the small toys that had been left behind, a doll here, a small stuffed animal she had made them several years ago there and a few of their wooden blocks. She picked them all up and placed them in a small wicker basket leaving room for the addition of the view items of clothing they had left behind as well as the two skirts she hadn’t had the time to finish for them, she hoped that she would be able to send it to them but such a large item would prove difficult for her but it was something that she would like to do. She inspected the small doll she had picked up and smiled, she remembered making it for Ella for Christmas when she herself was fourteen. Marinette placed it in the basket with all the others before she pushed it towards a nearby wall.

She picked up another basket and headed down the steps below, today was washing day, she probably had hundreds of baskets waiting for her downstairs, all of them had to be hand washed and hung out to dry before she got to work on mending any new tears in the fabric. She walked down the last few steps and let out a defeated sigh at the sight of the twenty-plus baskets in the entry hall, reluctantly she pulled up her sleeves and picked up another basket before heading to the small laundry room to get to work.

-x-

He descended the large steps quickly and down the large hallway towards the tall green trees and purple and blue flowers as well as the large brown coffin that he had regretfully placed her within… He paused in front of her and placed his hand upon her casket, his wedding ring let out a muted ring against it and he let out a sigh before moving away from it, he had a job to do.

His high priced shoes he was wearing echoed in the large open room, it reminded him how alone he was in his own home, the white butterflies around him were his only company. He raised his finger and one landed atop it, he couldn’t feel the delicate creatures weight but he knew it was there. It spread its wings and returned to the kaleidoscope of butterflies floating around him. He headed into the centre of the room, the early morning light was twisted into light purples and blue on the floor around him. Gabriel’s eyes narrowed at the large stained glass window, its frames were in the shape of a butterfly, it had been his wife's idea, the thought of her brought a smile to his face.

He knew what he was about to do, his first ten Akuma’s had failed but then again, he wasn’t exactly trying, he just needed to know how the cat and bug worked and he now knew that. They were inexperienced with their Miraculous but the Cat, going by Chat Noir, was a skilled swordsman, he had years of training under their belt, Gabriel needed to see just how skilled this… boy was. He knew exactly what Akuma to send out today to test the boy’s skill and hopefully, the Akuma will be more skilled than the Cat eared hero, once Chat Noir was defeated his unskilled partner should be easy to take down, he would squish her like the annoying little bug she was.

He looked down at the locket in his hand, it was his own lucky charm, the small painted portraits of his wife and son sat within; they were the reason he was doing this and he was going to bring them back. this silly revolution had taken almost everything from him but he wasn’t going to let it take them, not while he still had the Miraculous. He was going to do everything he could to bring his family back to him and restore order to France, the people were going to stay in their respective classes just as they always had been.

He pulled the small box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal the pointy winged butterfly Miraculous, he carefully pinned it to his shirt and waited. The wave of emotions that washed over him were… awful, many were happy and hopeful, some were downhearted and sad, none of which were particularly strong for his desired Akuma. He needed a different emotion, one that was strong and full of uncontrollable rage, one that wanted to destroy everything around them. He closed his eyes and searched the sea of people, he tried once again searching for his son in that large ocean, he searched in the hope that he would find him and bring him home, so that his boy would be safe by his side but there was no sign of him, if he was still alive he must be out of his reach, a hopeful thought.

He turned his search elsewhere to a stronger emotion that was only just emerging, they were perfect, he had never sent his Akuma after a person feeling disappointment and humiliation before he hoped that this one would prove… useful. A sinister smile tugged at his lips as he called one of the many silk white-winged butterflies down to him, he imbued it full of all negative information it needed for it to turn into the perfect Akuma, before sending it off into the streets of Paris in search of its perfect victim. He waited patiently in the large dark room for the black butterfly to find its target, he bit back the laugh that threatened to erupt out of his throat, today was going to be a great day…

-x-

Ladybug, she was a wonderful ray of sunlight and it was very hard to focus on the rather annoyed Akuma when she was around. Her bright bluebell eyes that were able to bring life to the darkest of souls, and her hair that was darker than those souls. She was brave, intelligent, heroic, then again that last one was kinda part of the job but more than anything, she was perfect even with all her flaws. The way she had stood up to Hawkmoth when he tried to turn the very scared and confused Parisians around them against them was what originally drew him to her but that soon evolved into something more, he knew he was in love with her, her irresistible laugh just everything about her.

He tried not to stare at her as she ran across the rooftops in front of him, he hadn’t meant to take his eyes off the Akuma but he couldn’t stop himself from greeting his Lady when she arrived, now they had to try and track down Darkblade before he got what he wanted. What that was, Adrien didn’t know, he had been a little too busy matching his old fencing instructor blade for blade. He wondered what his old teacher had done to deserve his fate, although it had been years since he had seen the slim man, he found it odd and a little hard to believe that the man that he had never seen angry or even a little bit upset had been Akumatized, something had to have caused the calm man to turn but what?

Monsieur D’Argencourt was highly skilled and Adrien enjoyed his time with the older man, the task of trying to beat the better, stronger swordsmen was a thrilling one, each time he would learn something new from him, something that would help aid him in the next time he would face the older man only for the swordsmen to pull something else out of his bag of tricks for Adrien to learn. It kept what would normally be a boring lesson interesting and it helped him prepare for when he faced an actual fight against someone more skilled than he was. Adrien had been rather disappointed that he hadn’t been able to finish his lessons with him but he kept practising every day until the day came that he would return to the large gymnasium but he had accepted years ago that it would never happen.

Slowly Adrien came to a stop behind Ladybug, she was inspecting something on her yo-yo as he took a few steps towards the edge of the roof, the heartbreaking sight slowly came to view. His eyes struggled to locate something to look at, the hoards of citizens that had been turned into Darkblade's loyal knights stood in the small square in front of Notre Dame and the bumpy roads leading up to the feared Palais De Justice. They stood shoulder to shoulder with their tall, heavy, green bladed axes reaching proudly towards the blue sky above them; a twinge of regret washed over him at the sight and his leather cat ears atop his head droop as well. Ladybug slowly approached the edge of the rooftop beside him, he felt Ladybug grow increasingly more and more upset beside him as she took in the sight of the square, making him feel even worse. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into the deepest darkest hole to hide his shame.

She let out a sigh before returning to sneaking across the rooftops, she had noticed that Darkblade wasn’t among the countless turned Parisians in the street below. He silently followed a few paces behind her, he didn’t dare ask or beg her for her forgiveness yet, not until the threat had been defeated.

They headed towards the direction the knights were facing, Palais De Justice, an old home to the former Kings and Queens of France and the new home of the feared Tribunal, even he hoped he would never meet the people who governed it, they oversaw the sentencing of the people who would meet the sharpened blade of the guillotine. Once they had decided your fate there was no way to escape it, you were going to die, maybe it was before you even saw the tall wooden platform that the dreaded blade sat atop but there was no escaping it, your fate was sealed. Adrien didn’t know how many people he had grown up seeing at parties had faced the Tribunal, he hoped it wasn’t a high number and hoped it was the low low number of zero but he wouldn’t bet his life on it.

They slowly approached a small church that sat outside the grand building, Ladybug threw her yo-yo towards one of the peaks of the bell towers and swung herself towards the small rocky roof beside it. He followed her and landed silently on the uneven tiles, behind her. From the rooftop, the taller bell towers of the Sainte-Chapelle loomed tall into the sky, his eyes followed the even taller spire into the blue sky where a dark cloud was starting to form, they were definitely in the right place.

“So…” he trailed off, “How do you want to do this?”

His eyes narrowed and he scanned the large, closed steel gates. The people who were normally camped out in front of those gates watching were strangely missing leaving the area silent without their demanding cries.

“Where would you say he gets his powers from?” Ladybug asked, she too was scanning the empty courtyards.

He frowned to ponder her question, “His… His sword, I guess…” he replied sounding a little unsure.

She nodded in response, “We need to get to it then, if it is where he gets his powers is of course then its most likely the transformed Item,” she explained.

He nodded his head before turning to look at her, he took a deep breath and let the word soup flow out of his mouth. “Ladybug… I’m sorry, I- I shouldn’t have let him out of my sight, none of this would have-”

She smiled sweetly at him causing him to stop in his tracks. “Don’t be Chaton.” she whispered, his heart leapt at the new nickname, she continued, “I might have been a little upset that he got away from you but I know you didn’t let him.” She placed her hand on his shoulder in support and his feelings of guilt slowly melted away at the slightest sign of affection.“So? You ready?” she asked, drawing his attention back from the small daydream that had started to play inside his head. He looked over and noticed her yo-yo was swinging rapidly beside her as she prepared to throw it towards the chapel’s bell towers.

He nodded and watched her yo-yo launch across the large gap, it wrapped itself around the strong brickwork and Ladybug gave it one sharp tug before swinging across, leaving him to follow her like the lost kitten he was, he was so in love with that girl...

-x-

Marinette landed awkwardly on the chapel roof, she spread her arms out to try and balance herself out, her eyes looked up at the steadily growing void black clouds above her, she did not doubt that it would soon cover and all of France by the rate it was growing. She felt her hands shake slightly from the fear slowly rising with her, she had no idea what this Akuma wanted or what his powers were. From the brief overview she had gotten when she arrived, he was skilled with the long greatsword Hawkmoth had gifted him and had almost beaten her incredibly skilled partner in a one on one fight although she knew that Chat would never admit to that.

Her eyes scanned the rooftops, they were covered in the green, axe-wielding knights that had been turned but she saw no sign of the red, sword-wielding one they were looking for. She frowned and turned towards her partner as he landed beside her, he too was confused as to where the Akuma had gone, the only option was that the Akuma had headed into the building. She dreaded the thought of searching all of the rooms and corridors below her for it, she sighed and continued across the tall pointy rooftops in search of Darkblade but of course, there was no sign of the dreaded knight.

Slowly she started to lose hope of ever finding the Akuma, she had run back and forth across the rooftop several times looking for the metal-clad Akuma so many times she was starting to grow dizzy at all the turning. She froze in place and looked up towards the sky, the growing black cloud was still growing, her eyes followed it off into the horizon, the familiar blue was gone, it had been completely replaced by the horrible black void above her head. Marinette wanted nothing more than to give up at that moment, Hawkmoth knew that he had the upper hand with his Akuma hiding from the two heroes and Darkblade was showing his true power. Marinette didn’t know what would happen with the large black void above her but it was something bad, she didn’t want to see Darkblade's goal fulfilled but she was helpless in stopping him. She slowly she started to feel herself cry and she felt herself drop to her knees. She struggled to keep the tears back, now wasn’t the time for crying, she had to focus on the task in front of her.

Chat moved to stand beside her, his clawed glove rested on her shoulder giving her some hope to cling to.

“Its okay Bug… We’ll find him, I promise, we just need to look at this with a fresh set of eyes,” he explained.

She nodded, “Yeah… Just… Where could he be?”

“Maybe in the building below,” he offered with a shrug.

She smiled and nodded again, “We won’t find him in time, that cloud… I don’t know what will happen when it reaches across France but I- I really don’t want to find out…”

He nodded, “Maybe I… Should…” He raised his hand indicating that he was referring to his power.

She frowned, “Maybe… But you know-”

“It’ll take a lot out of you, yeah, that's why I haven’t done it yet.”

She sent him a small but sad smile.

Sending out the cure took a lot out of her even when it was a small amount of damage, she had at first tried to hide it from Chat, she didn’t want him to worry but soon it started to take her toll on her. The large wind and storm damage Stormy Weather had caused had started Chat’s suspicions as he watched her limp away from the fight when he hadn’t seen her get hurt during the fight and the next Akuma, The Bard, she couldn’t remember their Akumatized name only that they were an upset popular street performer had been her ultimate undoing, everyone had been reverted back to the way they had been previously and there wasn’t going to be a repeat of the story she heard when she was younger where people had danced themselves to death but the sheer number of people the bard had turned was too much for her, she had collapsed after the cure had done its job and couldn’t bring her weak legs together long enough for her to stand so she had been forced to admit to Chat what was really going on.

They were now really careful on what they destroyed and a building would certainly be one of the things that would push their luck.

Chat held his hands down to her to pull her to her feet, she gladly took them and with one sharp and skill full tug, her feet were once again standing atop the roof tiles.

“So Bugaboo? Ready to search inside?”

She closed her eyes as a soft breeze brush against her face, “Yeah Chat lets go.”

-x-

Marinette looked down at her Lucky Charm, she had no idea what to do with the sabre, she knew Chat would but he was currently engaged in a sword fight against the Akuma they were trying to defeat. Her eyes frantically searched the room looking for something, anything to use against the steel-clad Akuma before they landed back on the heavy sword in her hands, she sighed as she considered the stupid thought that crossed her mind before closing her eyes and accepting her fate. Her eyes reopened and she raised the heavy sword, she had no idea how to hold it or even wield it but she needed a distraction so Chat could either snatch the sword or use his ability on it, whatever worked, they just needed the sword destroyed.

“Darkblade!” she yelled drawing the Akuma’s attention, “I challenge you to a duel,” her voice was a little shaky towards the end of her sentence but she tried to stay strong.

The Akuma turned sharply towards her and smirked, “I accept,” he hissed back before charging at her.

The Akuma was clearly extremely skilled, Marinette was constantly trying to defend herself from his fast attacks, he was pushing her closer and closer towards the unsteady roof tiles near the edge of the roof, she was losing ground quickly, he was pushing her back two steps with every swing of his greatsword; she had no idea how she was managing to parry his strikes but she was. Her eyes frantically looked around for her partner, he was slowly sneaking up beside the distracted Akuma, she pulled her eyes off of him as quickly as she could but Darkblade had noticed. He turned his head towards her partner causing the Cat to freeze, Marinette saw her opening and quickly wrapped her yo-yo around the blade, she had seen what the sword did with one touch and she didn’t want to join the hundreds of people around her. With the yo-yo wrapped tightly around the giant blade she stomped her foot down on the loosely hanging string pulling the sword from the Knights had and sending it to the floor where it broke into a thousand little pieces, the black butterfly rose from the ashes like a phoenix.

Marinette let the Akuma float up into the sky above her a little bit before she threw her yo-yo to catch it, an action she had repeated so many times already that it was starting to burn itself into her brain. Her yo-yo sprang open releasing the purified white butterfly into the cloud above her. Her eyes returned to the now kneeling Akuma, his Akumatized form had disappeared leaving a tall, thin as well as confused man with a moustache in its place. She sent him a saddened smile before helping him to his feet, he hung his head in shame and started towards the guards that were going to help him off the roof and would assist in helping him escape the mob that would try and kill him once they found out who had been the one to cause so much damage.

Chat walked up beside her and looked down at the sabre in her hands, she spotted a smirk form across his lips out of the corner of her eyes, “You know... I could teach you how to use that, it might be useful in a fight,” he offered.

She too looked down at the spotted hilted and silver bladed weapon, “Maybe one day…” she replied.

He nodded and she let out a sigh, “I don’t know how much it's going to take out of me…” her voice trailed off.

“I know bug… I’m here..”

She smiled and nodded before taking a few short steps towards the edge of the rooftop, she liked watching the small little bugs working their way across the city fixing the damage that had been caused even if she hated the feeling of her slowly growing weaker and weaker from it. She took a deep breath and called the words, releasing the large swarm of small little bugs over the city, she felt its effects almost instantly and her legs wanted to collapse underneath her, the words of encouragement Tikki had told her replayed in her head, her body will get used to it, in time, she just needed… time…

-x-

Slowly he moved to stand beside her, the small ribbons in her hair floated gently in the wind, the hundreds and thousands of Ladybugs worked their way through the streets, a lot of people had been turned, more than they had seen, he was concerned as his partner was slowly growing slightly weaker beside him and slowly she started to sneak over closer to him so she could use him as support and so she didn’t look weak in front of anyone. A crowd of people gathered underneath them shouting their praises towards the two heroes, he smiled down towards them and waved but Ladybug didn’t, she did smile at them but her eyes were fixed on the horizon, towards the large and what seemed like an endless forest of trees.

“Ladybug?” he called, snapping her out of her spell, “Are you okay?”

“Do you-” she cut herself off and shook her head, “nevermind…” she muttered.

His smile dropped slightly and he stopped waving at the crowd below to turn towards her, “What is it Bug?”

Her own smile dropped, “Do you ever wish that this…” she trailed off, “I don’t know how to explain what I’m trying to say… But, the fighting among the people, the constant squabbling over every little thing, do you ever wish that it would all end.”

He frowned, “Honestly, I- I-” a sigh escaped his lips, “I don’t even know why there… was a revolution…” his voice got quieter and quieter with each word, resulting in her asking him to repeat himself in a louder voice. Reluctantly he did and in a much clearer voice, “I don’t even know why the Revolution is even happening…”

His eyes met the floor and he waited for her to laugh at him, he had tried to find out what had caused the king to lose his head, why his home had been stormed. He knew the Tribunal had control of who was going to face the blade but he didn’t know why they were going to meet that fate. Stray newspapers weren’t all that helpful, they only held a small part of the full story, and he had yet to find someone to fully explain to the very sheltered him what had happened to the world he had known.

But Ladybug didn’t, he watched her face turn into one of sadness then one full of concern. Silently she grabbed ahold of his wrist and pulled him away from the large and still growing crowd below them, he followed without question, he didn’t know where they were going but soon he realised that they were heading towards those large green forests. She pulled his baton from his back and handed it to him, he knew they would be going quite far because she waited for him to bend his legs for her to jump onto his back, something that she didn’t do often but something he didn’t mind, especially because he now knew what calling the cure did to her, he was surprised that she had been able to go so far without collapsing but he definitely didn’t want to push her to that. He waited a few seconds for her to get comfortable before he extended his baton. They moved slowly at first as it took them several short strides to build up the momentum that they needed to make a speedy getaway, but soon the wind was rushing past their ears as they moved past the last several buildings before they vaulted over the wall and into the trees.

Adrien continued on a little bit further before they came to a stop. He helped Ladybug across to one of the large tree limbs for her to stand on before he clambered onto the branch after her where she pulled him down to sit on the branch next to her. They watched the trees sway side to side slightly from the soft breeze, the leaves rustled against each other blocking out most of the loud sounds from the busy city just a few short leaps away. Adrien had forgotten how quiet the world was, living in Paris for so long had certainly taken its toll, visits to the family summer home had completely disappeared when the Revolution had started, he missed that place, the large lake, the birds and the annual hunt he would go on, everything he considered normal.

Ladybug let out another sigh, "How have you…”

“My father, he locked me inside the house when my mother… that was a few years before… but it got worse when the fighting started, I wasn’t allowed to even go out to the garden…” he trailed off and he realised that he had said too much.

He was surprised at how much information she had managed to wiggle out of in such a short amount of time, the night before she had paid for drink after drink for the two of them, each time he got slightly drunker and got him to offer up more and more information. He thought he was smart with how he was able to wiggle information out of her but she was proving to be a god at it.

“So…” she trailed off, “How much do you know about what happened?”

He shrugged, “All the recent stuff… about a week or so before the first Akuma but nothing else.”

“Really?” she replied sounding surprised, “I guess I have a lot to fill you in with then…”

Adrien didn’t like the sound of that, he wondered just how much he had been stopped from seeing throughout the years. He adjusted how he was sitting and prepared for the history lesson she was about to give him.

“So…” she started while biting back a yawn, the cure was really starting to get to her, “It all started with…”

Made for @ladynoirjuly2019

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stefandesofia · 3 years

Text

Stories from the Unliving Ch 5

I awoke to the sound of duck pieces hitting the water and leaving greasy pools on the surface. I sighed a muffled sigh and started going up. Dodging the incoming piece of duck, I yelled out:

“Really? I get the stones, but chunks of meat? Seriously, look at the grease spots you’re leaving on the surface! You know I can’t float in water, so I’ll have to make a raft or something to get them cleaned up!”

“Apologies! I just arrived, and you kept yelling at me for throwing stones in, so I came up with the idea to throw what I brought you from the eatery last night. Do your fish eat meat?”

“Yeah, they do, though I can’t really say how well they’ll like it when it’s been cooked in lard.”

“And herbs too. Those make it so delectable! I could not even begin to imagine what it actually would taste like, until I tried it. I do not regret it, at all! And to be honest with you, the only reason why I was able to afford the meal for me and Ceara was the money you decided to give me a week ago for getting you your books. I truly cannot thank you enough.”

“Nah, don’t sweat it. How did it go last night?”

“It was amazing. Ceara is a great listener, but even despite her inability to speak, she is able to communicate masterfully using her little board, and she makes for a great conversation.”

“Who’d’a thunk! Though she was really quite adept at using that thing yesterday, she was real quick at writing on it, and her handwriting was incredibly elegant.”

“She is incredible, and I would be honored to spend more time with her. But I really need to thank you for the money, I did not have enough for even myself before that, let alone to take Ceara to such a place.”

“If you were in that much of a need for money, you could have just said, I have more than I know what to do with. The whole thing about the Lady of the Lake and the mysterious figure coming out of the water giving out a great treasure, yeah, that’s kinda true. I have 17 chestfulls of the larger coins than those I gave you. So you ever need anything, don’t worry, I can spot you”

“Hopefully, it will not be necessary, as I have started looking for local work, defending loggers and similar tasks around the town.”

“That’s nice for you, I’m happy that you found something to do. Is that why you were later than usual today?”

“That is correct. I was out with the loggers, you would not believe it, but there were wolves in the forest, and I actually had to fight them to keep the loggers alive. I could not even fathom such beasts were roaming around in the forest. As large as horses, with claws and fangs the length of my forearm!”

“Dang, wolves really changed from my time. They are really that size?”

“Of course, I never tell lies. I had to fight off four of the beasts, as the loggers were singing their tune. It’s lucky I wasn’t alone. I was joined by a local alchemist. I never did learn her name, and she was wearing this mask, too, that looked like a bird head. All I know is, her concoctions really did help me. She would throw these little glass jars and when they burst, they would erupt into a loud bang and a cloud of colored gas would confuse the wolves and scare them away.”

“Almost sounds like she was more useful than you, doesn’t it?”

“She was. While I was taking facing off against a single wolf, she was taking care of the other 3 by herself. Though I would imagine she would have no more jars to throw after some time, so she couldn’t do it all on her own”

“Yeah, she does sound pretty amazing, doesn’t she. You didn’t talk to her?”

“I tried, but she would just stare at me from behind her mask with her head tilted, without answering. She must have thought me some brute, a hired sword and nothing more. I am not proud of the work I did, but I am proud that I am doing it. Does that make sense?”

“I think so, you’re not happy to be a sellsword, but glad that you’re on your own two feet.”

“Exactly! I still have yet to tell Ceara about this, I am sure she will be so worried that I took up such a dangerous job!”

“Why did you actually take on such a job, also, why are the lumberjacks going so far into the forest to get wood, when there is a perfectly good forest here?”

“They explained this to me. They told me that they prefer to brave the dangers of the untamed wood, rather than destroy the natural beauty that is this close to the town. So they hire us stronger people to defend them”

“I guess that makes sense. Don’t shit where you eat, right?”

“A bit crude of an expression, but true to the tale”

“Okay, but I gotta ask, where did you learn to fight giant wolves? I mean, I don’t think they’d teach you that at home, would they?”

“No, you are right, I was only ever taught to fight other armed men, not beast. But the idea is the same. You avoid the attack, and stick the opponent with the sharp end of the sword. I just had to be more careful, since the animal was more unpredictable than any man I have fought before. It not only had 2 front claws to attack with, but it also had it’s massive jaw. Why, if I was even the least bit distracted, I would not be talking to you right now. I would be standing in front of Great Selcca’s hammer!”

“Nah, you seem like a pretty capable sort. That hammer thing, though. I take it that’s whatever you believe in nowadays? Is it a deity or something?”

“How can you not know this? Selcca is the one who created this land!”

“Humor me!”

"Selcca took a hot stone out of the ground, and pounded it with his great hammer Earthwarden, shaping everything, all the mountains, all the valleys. Then quenched it in water, causing all the rivers and lakes, and seas to appear. He didn’t quench it fully, though, leaving a part up north that’s staying hot and kills everything that goes near it”

“Oh, creationism, nice, always love hearing the stories that you people come up with, it’s really incredible how many different stories you can come up with for the same thing. I mean, none of it is real, but it’s still real cool to hear.”

“I just realised something. The Valley of Death, where Selcca didn’t quench the land, you told me you have done that. You created it.”

“Yeah, that I did, and I am proud of it too!”

“But if Selcca didn’t create that, did he even create everything else? Did you create the mountains? Wait, are you Selcca? Oh Great Earthwarden! I have been talking to the actual Selcca! My lord, I am apologise for any slight I may have caused you! Please forgive me! I am just your lowly follower!”

“Ha! Nah, definitely not Selcca, I can assure you of that. Sorry to shatter your worldview, but there's no Selcca. Each reset, there’s dozens, if not hundreds different deities that you people come up with, and honestly, they are all real similar, but in my 30K years, I’ve not seen one so far, and you’d think the guy that’s stuck around for since the beginning of time for all intents and purposes would draw some attention, right? But tell me more, I am real interested in hearing the story of how the world was created this time.”

“I... I suppose. But I am truly confused. If Selcca isn’t real, how was the world created? No, you must be mistaken. And you say that Selcca never visited you, but that’s not true, He is with us every day, he created the world, so we may be our best selves on it. And if He personally has not come to visit you, then perhaps you have not done enough good deeds to draw His attention.”

“I am not getting into this right now, I have all your life to convince you. Can you just tell me the story?”

“Of course. I am, by no means, a great storyteller or a priest, so I might miss some points, but it should show you that Selcca really is with us.”

“I’m sure he is, yeah”

“The tale begins with Selcca having completed a lot of past works, all the stars in the night sky, preparing Himself for the greatest work of all - creating the land of Igresh.”

“That’s what you call the planet nowadays?”

“I am not familiar with the word, I am sorry. Igresh is the grand plate that Selcca created and populated with us. He toiled for many days and nights, gathering all the best materials for the job, all the highest quality metals, the purest clay, and making that into a ball. He heated it all up into the heat of his forge, the Sun, and striking it with his hammer Earthwarden, flattening the material into a disk, and folding it in two, and heating it up again, and flattening it again, and folding it again, and again, the very same. He would do this seven hundred time over the course of seven days, creating countless layers of ground and metal, creating the perfect place for us humans.”

“What about all the mountains and the valleys, and canyons, and all that? It’s pretty shoddy craftsmanship if you ask me, if he can’t even make a flat surface”

“Selcca wanted to provide us with a variety of features to explore, tall mountains, deep ravines, that is why he kept the surface rough while he was forging the hot plate. The then grabbed the land plate with his tongs and quenched it in the water of the sky, that is why the sky is blue during the day, of course, it’s the water that Selcca used to quench Igresh for the final time, but leaving the north most part to cool naturally, that way creating a zone where only the most foolhardy dare approach.”

“Ah yeah, the so called Valley of Death! Worked really hard to make that happen, I tell you what, and I will not let some made up person take credit for my thousands of years of work there!”

“I am not saying that you did not have anything to do there. It is very likely that you found the place up north, the Valley of Death, before it was that, and chose to put all the poisonous material there, keeping all us people safe. But the say Selcca made us, after He quenched the world place, He would then use his awesome powers, and forge the first humans. He then would assign the humans our first King, to rule with grace, dignity, pride and the approval of the people. He was called Adwen. He also assigned King Adwen a wife, a queen, to be by his side, through all that they may come to face, and help him make the right choices in life. She was called Elvida.”

“Really? Adwen and Elvida? Like Adam and Eve?”

“I am not familiar with the people you are speaking of. Are they your friends?”

“Oh man, thirty thousand years later, and Christianity is still being felt! I bet none of the old dustbags in the Vatican would ever even consider something like this happening!”

“I will just continue my telling. When He was happy with his work, Selcca took a step back to admire His creation. Once he was done documenting the process, writing down the exact steps on how to create this incredible land we all live on, as all great masters keep records of their process, He went back to work, creating more stars for us to marvel at.”

“Wait, he wrote down his process for creating the world?”

“That is correct. Of course, us people can never even understand the complexity of something so grand. But after that, Kind Adwen and Queen Elvida ruled for a hundred years, bearing many children and teaching them the ways to differentiate right from wrong, and to always make the correct choices. Since then, all our Great Kings can trace their ancestry back to the Prime Rulers and strive to be just as good, to show Selcca that we truly are worthy of his greatest creation. And if one of the Great Kings or Queens strays from the teachings, King Adwen and Queen Elvida had many children, and their children had many children, so the next in line will take the throne, and prove a better leader than the previous, who will be erased from the academies, all records of their existence will be lost, and history will forget their name.”

“That’s a little hardcore, I gotta say. Like, imagine, the people approach the king and say ‘you’re a bad king, go away’ and he just sorta has to, cause that’s what Selcca says. And then when people say ‘Hey, remember X?’, you’ll be like ‘Nah, never heard that name!’”

“Indeed, being a ruler worthy of the people and the trust they put into you has to come first. Ruling all the land of Igresh is no small task, since there is many other smaller kingdoms that the Great King and Queen rule over. You need to be mindful of all the different situations that may occur in the world today, and act accordingly.”

“Man, I gotta tell you, ruling over a country, not an easy task, saying this from experience. Literally every day, all day, someone wanted something. It could have been more money, it could have been a bigger house, it could have been more medicine, I don’t care, it was just soooooo annoying. You want something? Well, too bad! Everyone gets the same!”

“Were you a Great King, when you ruled over the land? Or a local one? I don’t imagine you as the local king. Even though you speak as though you hate it, I can tell that you remember it fondly, and have enjoyed that period in your life.”

“Don’t psychoanalyse me! I do what I want, and I always do what makes me feel happy! So yeah, I obviously enjoyed that, until I didn’t and stopped doing it!”

“I apologise if I’ve upset you, it is that sometimes you act as though you care not for anyone around you, yet you would talk to a complete stranger, and tell her your life’s story, and whatever else she asks of you. You are a better person than most people I know. And most people will not even call you a person.”

“Thanks, I guess. You do realise I technically am a person, even if I don’t look exactly like it. I can talk, I can think, I can feel. Sure, I don’t eat or breathe, and I technically don’t need to sleep either, even if I do it, cause it’s enjoyable, I started off as a person, and I am sticking to that.”

“I have personally met in my life so many people that I would not call a person even with a sword to my throat. Terrible monsters, murdering for sport, eating people, doing what they want with children. If I had the power, power that someone like you possesses, I would probably spent my life just going around and ridding the world of such monsters.”

“Getting a little dark there, buddy. Come back to the light side here.”

“Apologies! I am just appalled that someone that came from someone as pure as Selcca can act in such a way. But with time, even the purity that Selcca created can become tainted and corrupt. This just goes to show the power of us people. Being able to, for better or for worse, oppose a God’s power.”

“Now we’re talking, I knew I can get you away from your false worshipping!”

“Do not misunderstand, Selcca is still pure, and He created everything around us, however, He also gave us the spark to create and to change things. A spark that was once a part of him. It is this spark that allows us to change His creation. Some have larger sparks, some have smaller, but all of us have it. Why, I would imagine, you have the biggest spark out there, that is why you are still walking around, even after so many years.”

“Well, I suppose that’s one explanation I haven’t heard in a while, though they usually call it a blessing or a curse. I think I’m on 37 blessings, and 73 curses so far, but not a spark yet, so congratulations, you’re the first one!”

“I cannot tell whether you are joking or not. If you are not, then you are most welcome, and I am glad to have made you happy.”

“Sure, let’s say that.”

“I wanted to ask you something, could I take your measurements?”

“Errr, I guess? That’s a bit of an odd thing to ask, but sure. Are you building me a coffin?”

“I would never! Such a grim gift would just sour our friendship!”

And the young man took out a measuring tape, and took my measurements, my arms, my legs, shoulders, hips, chest, everything, and wrote it all down on a price of parchment.

“What was that about?” I asked.

“It was requested by me to do it, so I am merely complying.”

“Sure, just tell them that I like light wood for my coffins, something like a nice polished pine or even maple. That stuff is great.”

“If I do go through the coffin-maker’s, I will tell them, I suppose. Let me ask you one thing, though. Would you be willing to join me in town some time?”

“Oh god no! You trying to scare the town away?”

“It will be alright, I will give you a cloak and a face mask, and we can hide your identity. You will be able to experience how life is now, and learn what makes people the way they are in our time.”

“You can just tell me all that yourself. Or that little lady of yours, whatever her name was. I am not leaving my pond, thank you very much!”

“It’s Ceara, and you can’t stay in your pond forever! You have to come out eventually, be it because you ran out of things to do, or preferrably, because you have finally agreed to accompany your friend.”

“I can’t stay in my lake forever? Just watch me!” and I turn and dive back into the water.

#Stories from the Unliving #storytelling #writing

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wannaonestars · 7 years

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the little mermaid au! ong seongwoo

the following scenario is based on the traditional storyline. please keep note that there are many different versions of the story, and not just the disney one.

ok so you’re the mermaid/merman (your preference) who adores humans bc like it’s so cool they have legs?? the idea of having legs and being on land just FASCINATES you and you’re sneaking around the shores to watch humans

and one day you’re just swimming on the surface and saying hi to the cute seagulls when you notice the sky turning dark and the clouds getting shady so like it was basically time to go

but just then you notice a ship floating like nowhere cLOSE to the shore

even though mermaids were always called a myth and you’d get chewed out if anyone saw ur tail you’re like…I need to save them >:((

and so you swim over to save the poor souls when suddenly rain just started POURING and the winds picked up out of nowhere and then you saw a body fall into the sea

you’re like oh shIT and suddenly accelerated in water to save the poor soul

you eventually find him and you get rly alarmed bc he isn’t struggling or anything he’s just kinda lifelessly sinking

you grab him and basically turn into an underwater jet bc you’d never swam so fast no not even when your mermaid mom told you dinner was ready

getting him to shore was so difficult because 1) the human was heavy and 2) you had no legs so you had to crawl to get far enough onto land

the dude (seongwoo if y’all didn’t realize yet) still wasn’t moving and you were panicking like??? he shouldn’t be dead yet

you do the mermaid version of cpr which was to….press your lips against his to suck all the seawater out of him

a minute later you start getting dizzy because you’re getting too dry so you had to crawl back into the sea…and you proceed to go back home but you just…couldn’t get that man out of your head….

meanwhile a princess from a different country visiting seongwoo’s found him collapsed on the beach and shook him awake and seongwoo’s like…what happened??

let’s call the princess rika like that snake from mystic messenger

anywaYS

rika told him that she “”saved”” him from drowning and he’s like…oh and that’s what she ends up telling the his father aka the KING and rumors spread around the palace like crazy like everyone was like damn they probably gonna get married now

meanwhile on yOUR END you were swimming towards the sea witch’s domain to ask for a pair of legs because after being on land and feeling the frustrations of being unable to stay for too long you REALLY wanted to become a human

the sea witch asks for your voice in exchange which was…a huge price

your singing is like the only thing that anyone’s ever praised you for so giving it up would be the same as tossing away half of your identity but…u know what, in the human world no one’s gonna know u anyway

so she casts a spell and gives you the legs u wanted and then shoots u out of the sea

after you get to shore and struggle to get the hang of walking for like 7 hours you pick up some rags to cover yourself bc that stupid witch didn’t give u any clothes

you just want to explore the village and ur getting looks bc wtf ur wearing some dirty rags with sand all over and wobbling like jello but u don’t rly care

suddenly you find a boy aka sEONGWOO in a quiet part of the area just…dancing and you were like!!! oh my gOD that’s amazing how can his legs and arms move like that…

and without thinking you start…singing a melody to go along with his movements and seongwoo snaps his head around and is like??? holy moly what but a split second later he breaks out into this wide grin and just keeps dancing and going along to your wordless song with a contemporary style

you’re a little weirded out urself bc weren’t u supposed to lose your voice??

the witch from her chamber: SHIT I FUCKED THE SPELL UP

anyways ur like lol whatever my win and when u end your song seongwoo approaches you and is like…hey, who are you?

let’s pause for a second and imagine seongwoo with a long sleeved white collared shirt with the first few buttons not buttoned and like windswept black hair

anyways ur like holy triton he’s hot and you tell him your name and he starts questioning where u live and stuff and why you’re dressed like this and when you’re unable to give him a proper answer he’s like…hey do you wanna come with me? bc he figures that you might be an abandoned child

he smiles that prINCELY smile of his and says “you sing really well. i’d love to have a performance with you again.”

and then he calls his horse over to give you a ride back to the palace

listen…if u thought seongwoo driving a car was good pls imagine prince seongwoo riding a horse

when you guys get to the palace rika dASHES towards seongwoo and swallows him into a hug and you’re both like?????

rika: bABE!!! father agreed to our marriage!!!!!!!!!

seongwoo: what

rika: it’s in two months!!!!!!!!!

seongwoo: wHAT

he’s so confused because his father literally nEVER discussed this with him and then a few seconds later when he finally understood the situation he immediately pushes rika off and sprints to his father’s study to argue

seongwoo: father?? why am I suddenly hearing news of marriage????

father: well, she did save you from drowning

seongwoo: I doubt it wtf her clothes weren’t even WET…like the most she could’ve done was shake me awake dad

father: ridiculous. I believe her claims like i’ve known her for three dayS seongwoo that’s enough for me to be able to tell that she’s an angel >:0. you’re already a young adult my son you need to find a partner soon so unless you can find a better option than rika then this marriage is gonna continue.

ten minutes later seongwoo comes out upset and annoyed and without saying anything else he just leaves for his room

you follow him bc like :((( poor bab. his door wasn’t locked so you just enter and ask if he’s okay

seongwoo smiles a little and just says “yeah…” but you knew he wasn’t

you: hey…it’s okay to talk to me about it

and tbh??? you’re literally the first person who’s ever shown any hint of genuine care for him without any motives…all seongwoo remembered from his childhood was getting spoiled silly because no one dared to get on the king’s bad side

and he tells you how he’s frustrated with all these decisions getting made for him and that he has absolutely no interest in an arranged marriage with someone who he doesn’t even know and for a whole half of hour he kinda just spills to you his entire childhood and the little things that he had been annoyed with but never had anyone to tell

and then he just exhales bc like that was sO much that he just dumped on you…and this is the point in which seongwoo unconsciously develops a special bond with you

and then he lets out a little laugh and ruffles your hair and is like lol sorry…let’s get you some decent clothes to try on ok? and he calls some maids over to get ur shit together

while changing into these weird (BUT EXTREMELY PRETTY) new clothes you realize that he was the boy you saved…but who would believe you?? you couldn’t be like hey guess what i’m the mermaid who saved u but i became a human last night

like the ppl here seem stupid but not that stupid

when you meet seongwoo again at the balcony with your combed hair and pretty clothes seongwoo was like oh my god…..they look gorgeous

he didnt say that tho like this is still ong mcongity the ongth ongster seongwoo

so he just winks and said “you’re gorgeous but….well, now ur next to me buddy ;)”

you shove him a lil and he laughs and then he asks u if you could sing for him again

and he just dances to your music all night long with an expression of pure bliss and at some point he grabs your hands and makes you dance with him hehe

cue ur dumb mermaid butt falling and tripping like 99 times but seongwoo enjoys it so much that he just laughs and pretends to fall with you

the next few days is just you and seongwoo singing and dancing like whenever y'all pass by each other in the hallways he makes the uGLIEST expression and just moves his arms and legs like an octopus and that always makes you giggle so hard bc that actually reminds u of ur octopus friends fredrick and joseph back at sea

he didn’t give a flying flick about wedding preparations and always avoided talking about it by grabbing you and fleeing to the town square to perform in front of whoever wanted to watch

rika always got livid whenever she hears that both the prince and u disappeared and would stay up as late as she could to “talk about it with her future husband” but u know what seongwoo doesn’t give a flying flick about her either so it’s just “yeah yeah” before he leaves again

you two get so much recognition and love from the townspeople they’re adore the performances so much and just get drawn to y’all like they’re in a trance

it’s so much fun!! some people even joke that u two are perfect for each other lmao

seongwoo: folds his ears to hide the blushing red tips

and then it gets to the point where!!! the king!!!!! asks you two to perform for the visiting countries!!!!!!!!!

it’s such an honor but honestly you feel so pressured bc like what if your voice cracks???? but seongwoo notices your nervousness quickly and so he walks over and grabs your hands and squeezes them and just says

“i believe in you.”

and your heart just MELTS bc…seongwoo had the softest and most gentle look on his face when he said that

“i really, truly, absolutely, definitely, totally—”

“stop,,,,right there,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,” like dammit seongwoo DONT RUIN THE MOMENT

and then he takes your hand in a much more elegant manner and leads you onto the dance floor…where the two of you perform with every fiber of your being

once your song and his dance and the thunderous applause ends seongwoo turns to you with this grin that stretches across from one end of his face to the other and u rly can’t resist smiling back as widely as he is

a short while later you two are at the balcony again laughing about stuff when suddenly seongwoo goes “you know…I really wish that this could go on forever…like, just you and i dancing and singing together until my bones break”

you don’t know what to say to that bc his expression is so serious like he doesn’t look like the usual joking dude who eats ur slice of pizza when ur not looking

and suddenly u feel seongwoo leaning closer to you….like his face is INCHES away from yours and u can feel his breath on your skin…….

“if you agree to it…i can ask my father to stop the wedding so that….you and i can be together instead…”

you’re like sweating right now bc??? what is he saying???? and for a few seconds you can’t tell whether that loud thumping sound was coming from your chest or his

“you’re the first person who i’ve been able to confide in and talk to…I don’t care what your background is, I—actually, what am I saying haha this is embarrassing, never mind—”

“yes”

his eyes pop wide open and he’s like??? what?????

you make this embarrassed lil smile and just go,,, “i’m willing to spend the rest of my life with you, ong seongwoo.”

seongwoo’s entire body just flares up and this burst of joy EXPLODES within him and he’s absolutely unable to contain it so he suddenly pulls you into a bear hug and spins you around and around

and he’s laughing like…after over twenty years of being treated like a he could never be a normal person and enduring the fake kindness being thrown at him for self benefit he finally found happiness and it’s honestly the BEST feeling that he’s ever experienced

and you’re laughing while in his arms but the you suddenly say “"hey…but what if i’m a mermaid?”

he almost drops u like wHAT

but then a second later his wits take over bc hey he’s ong mcongity the ongth ongster seongwoo

and he makes this playful grin and is like “it was my childhood dream to marry a mermaid”

this is probs gonna be like the longest scenario I ever write… anyways, thank for reading this far LOL I hope you liked it!! this is probably 100 times more cliche and stupid than it already was in my head but lmfao i’ve always kinda wanted to put twists in original fairy tales. maybe i’ll do this for other members? idk, we’ll see how much inspiration I can get ٩( ᐛ )و

#ong seongwoo #ong seongwoo scenarios #wanna one #wanna one seongwoo #wanna one imagines #ong seongwoo imagines #produce 101 season 2 #produce 101 seongwoo #produce 101 scenarios #pd101s2 #produce 101 imagines #wanna one scenarios

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makingnewenemies · 6 years

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Group Picture Vol. 7 liner notes -

Jake Lee - Bleeding Gum Murphy’s Jake Lee makes his triumphant return to Group Picture after a two year absence and the treasure is worth the wait! Jake blesses us with his characteristic upbeat opener set to clear-headed and introspective lyrics. He even manages to throw in an almost spanish sounding acoustic guitar lead? Welcome back Jake!

Little Cousin - The classic yet elusive duo of Walter and Milk come back with this strange and smooth track about burning ponies? Not really sure what to say about this one but I love Milk’s beats even when they are simple and jazzy like this and Walter’s experimenting with some new styles so props to trying I guess.

Weston Bookhouse - Weston is back with this calming and catchy piece about reflecting on his life and love while driving a country road. His voice is clean and clear, the shaker is fast and steady, and that outro when he sings both up and down the octave is probably the catchiest bit I’ve ever heard him write. I got the chills the first, second, and third time I heard this song. Rumor has it he is going to record the next album in 2018 in Walter’s garage!

Slaughter Beach, Dog - A Group Picture staple at this point, and the songwriter behind my favorite album of the year, Jake Ewald seems to be able to pump out heartfelt songs like a pathos machine, and of course this tune is no different. The arrangements of this song are fun and interesting and I love his love for slide guitar.

Milk Flud - Who? Ya the beat seems pretty chill but honestlyI don’t understand the motorbike metaphor at all. Is this guy ok? Who is Max? Was that a lyric about a german shepherd in a muzzle? The thing I love about MNE is that they give a platform to the little guys like this Flud character.

Chain - Woah! Chain is a Portland band that I’ve seen play live before but this is my first time hearing a recording and woah! The music and production are so unique and Teal’s voice is like candy. I can’t wait to hear more from them and I really hope they stick around the mne world for a little while so their creativity can rub off on me a little.

Cool American - Cool American is probably Portland’s coolest band. Their cynical wit and fuzzy charm leaves every listener intrigued and wishing they lived in Portland to have a beer with them. I’m really glad they came back to GP cause I want to be associated with them when they blow up.

Sour Guy - Well this has to be the absolute best song ever written about a grad student grading papers. While this might seem like a simple acoustic song, it’s really impressive the way Kris Schobert can clearly express the frustration of spending a whole day grading papers of kids who did not at all learn the subject matter (physics!) that he so passionately tried to teach to them. Love you, Kris. I would love to take your class and I wouldn’t be on my phone!

Banned From Japan - Earl from Banned From Japan is a sweet and genuine valley rat who has admittedly never listened to any bands besides NOFX. And, Earl, that is ok with us! This punk gem not only slaps but makes me want to delete my social media and live a more wholesome life. Welcome to MNE and Group Picture, Banned From Japan!

Alex Maddox - Our childhood friend with the voice that screams major label shoe-in is currently gearing up to ditch his job and live in a van traveling around Europe, surfing and following spiritual gurus. Perhaps Houston Graves is the person he felt he was turning into. Perhaps I am totally wrong. But I am right in saying this song is equally easy on the ears as it is introspective and I feel blessed to have Alex in my life and on Group Picture since its early days.

Benjamin Ward - It was a hard year for certain people in our music community. There were several deaths and Benny experienced one directly on his Hemingway tour. With that in mind, this song is absolutely heart breaking and cathartic. Usually known for dark metaphors and understated lyrics, Benny comes softly with candid words and a direct message - “I’m just glad I had you in my life / And I will carry you and the things you do until I die.” Beautiful, Benny.

Isabel Zacharias - So I was at Russell’s house meeting his new roommate Isabel for the first time this fall and we sang Wilco and Mountain Goats songs together. Then she played this song and I was floored. I told her about Group Picture and said she had to be on it. Now I am so grateful I had some caffeine that morning and had the gumption to be so forward because now I get to enjoy her poetic lyrics and soulful tune whenever I want.

The Sal Show - Sal from Animal City! Finally a funny track on Group Picture this year! But if you follow the lyrics, they actually convey a pretty ridiculous distant concept - a bad kid magician? - and it does not only make sense but its funny! Kudos to Sal if he ever reads this. The dude can write a tune.

Jeremy Murphy - The guy in Riled and Chain, Jeremy wowed the world with his “cranberries in the cosmos” song last year and now he has topped himself! This song is weird and cool! I would say more but Jeremy and I made a bet over a game of pool and he lost and he actually owes me a personal song. So I will hold my tongue until I hear that tune!

Dakota Loesch - The other mastermind behind Animal City and Lemp Lungs, Dakota is becoming a staple of group picture and that makes me feel blessed. This year he brings us a poetic Americana tune that makes me feel three things 1. honestly kinda sexy (must be that beat and the deep bass?) 2. Kinda melancholy! (not sure why) and 3. Dakota can we party together???

Emo Dreamboat - Ben Ward of Hemingway collabs with Milk and damn this song is a true emo pop song! Ben’s voice sounds soothing and dark and Milk’s beat is moody and intricate. Is this a collab that is gunna last or is this a one off Group Picture track? I really hope they do the album cause Ben can float over a beat like an experienced rapper and we all know Milk is capable of endless beats.

Byronius Punk - Ian Farmer, the dark horse of Modern Baseball, has always had a knack for songwriting and a great voice but it was hidden behind his role as “humble bassist” in the band. His track this year comes under the new moniker Byronius Punk and makes me want to stare out the window on a gray and snowy east coast day and just fall asleep on my desktop until summer arrives.

Grimy Baby - Naka G, from Weston Bookhouse and a past touring member of Walter Etc., keeps the slop tradition of MNE alive with this smokey bluesy gem. Probably recording everything in his bedroom in Santa Cruz, Naka sings about a “sleepless luxury” but honestly Naka if this how you function without sleep then I think you’re doing fine homie.

Chase Hoyt - Usually known for guitar shredding in Ubu Roi or Chaz and the Minions of Chaz, Chase takes a new disco styled approach with his contribution to this year’s comp. A disco song would usually seem annoying but this song sounds like Ozzy or Alice Cooper made a lo-fi disco song and that is obviously awesome. Also, note the shredding that still takes place and put some headphones and listen to those bass lines!

Humphrey Orlando - Our whiskey drinking story teller Humphrey is a classic mne and Group Picture stable. He claims he wrote this song in 5 minutes but he manages to squeeze as much soul as anyone feels in a lifetime into this scrappy minute and a half gem.

Melancholy Quinoa - The infamous rap group featuring Alex Crawford, Kyle B Hart, Ben Ward, Your Homie D, and Milk Flud, made their debut last year with a song about hot boxing a jungle gym. Well, they are back blending the Emo Dreamboat’s smooth vox, Crawford’s crass lyrics about masturbating, Kyle singing for the first time, and Milk’s trap tendencies. Honestly, this slaps!!!

Daddy Collin - The figurehead behind Snow Roller and voted Portland’s “Easiest Guy to Fall in Love With” is back this year under a solo moniker. Does this mean a solo career is in the works? Snow Roller released “XXL”, one of my fav albums of the year, this summer and Collin seems to still be climbing to his peak. I got the chills when he sings “i hope you still consider me a friend”. I do, Collin, I do.

Peanut Butter Cups - Aaron Kovacs from Lauren Records does this lo-fi project that pretty much only exists on Group Picture and I really think he needs to make a full album! His songs are fuzzy, lovely, and sad and make me feel something. Please Peanut Butter Cups, give us the full candy bar!

Walter Etc. - This one is just Walter alone, singing about being on a boat or something. Honestly, it sounds like all his other songs and I can’t relate to his love of the open sea, but hey this tune is kinda catchy!

*thanks for reading / listening* - omniscient mne god

#group picture vol. 7 #making new enemies #group picture

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mst3kproject · 7 years

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Cat-Man of Paris

The first thing that strikes you about Cat-Man of Paris is the damned title. It sounds like somebody was trying to cash-in on Werewolf of London as transparently as The Wild Wild World of Batwoman was trying to cash in on Batman, but that's actually not the case – Cat-Man of Paris was made ten years later, and the story's not all that similar. Then you see that the cast includes Carl Esmond from Agent for HARM and start to think of the movie in MST3K terms. Finally, you actually watch the thing, and discover that the film itself is fucking bizarre.

It's 1895 or thereabouts, and a series of terrible murders are happening in Paris. Oddly enough, they're all of people whose existence was somehow inconvenient to rising literary star Charles Regnier. The first victim was a lawyer working to prove that Regnier's latest book contains government secrets that he must have learned illegally. He's found dead under a tree not far from where his cab driver left him. The second is Regnier's ex-fiancee Marguerite, who took the breakup rather hard. Inspector Severin suspects that Regnier himself is the murderer and sets out to prove it, but the Prefect of the police, backed up by an ancient astrological text, has a theory of his own. He believes the murders are the work of the legendary Cat-Man!

After the first murder, the police are looking at a dollhouse model of the crime scene and discussing the circumstances of the case, and the Prefect simply decides that if it looks like a cat clawed the victim, then it must have been a Cat-Man! There's no giant pawprints, no shed fur at the scene, no suspicious hairballs by the body... the injuries themselves are all he has to go on and his first theory is an ailouranthrope! The other men at the meeting think this is ridiculous, and I can imagine Mike and the bots having all kinds of fun with it. They would probably make a running joke out of the Prefect's evident conviction that all crimes are committed by Cat-Men. Unexplained murders? Cat-Man. Thefts? Obviously a Cat-Man, why do you think they're called cat burglars? Vandalism? Gotta be a Cat-Man, cats are always peeing on things and scratching the furniture. Naming a pig Napoleon? When was the last time you saw a cat respect anybody's rules?

Regnier's best friend, Henri Bouchard, also comes to believe that Regnier is a murderous werecat. Rather than wanting him apprehended, however, Bouchard decides to smuggle Regnier into Spain. There he can hide, and the world will not be deprived of his literary genius! What do a few innocent victims here and there really matter if the killer also writes really gripping legal drama? I am all for disconnecting the work from the author, but talent does not excuse straight up doing terrible things. Rosemary's Baby is a pretty good movie, but Polanski still belongs in jail.

Then there's the implication that these events are going to have dire consequences for all of France, maybe all the world... but the movie never tells us what those are. The Prefect hires an astrologer, who tells them that the Cat-Man is an omen of doom. He stalked the streets of Rome during the persecutions of the Christians and attended upon the coronations of tyrants like Ivan the Terrible. The revelation of the Cat-Man's psychic powers (by the time this comes up, the movie is so deep in bullshit that trust me, you'll just accept it) suggests that he is in fact an intentional troublemaker, not only portending chaos but actively causing it. The final reveal only makes sense of we assume that the Cat-Man was deliberately sent, by God or Satan or The Universe or something, to bring those secrets out into the open, and his history tells us there will be earth-shattering consequences.

But at the end the Cat-Man dies, the hero kisses the girl, and the credits roll... and that's it. What doom was he portending? People talk about 'the secret trial of Louis Chambret' as if it's very important, maybe something along the lines of the Dreyfus Affair, but we never learn any details. Since history tells us that there was no tyrant or religious persecution in France in the late 19th century, I can only assume that the government successfully banned Regnier's book and threw him in prison. Kinda puts a kibosh on that whole 'happy ending' thing. Either that, or the writers just straight-up forgot what their movie was about by the time they got to the end.

Even if that were indeed the Cat-Man's goal, his way of going about accomplishing it doesn't make a lick of sense. The Cat-Man says he wants to protect Regnier – that's why he killed the lawyer and the ex-fiancee, either of whom could have ruined Regnier's reputation. Fine... but why does he later attack Marie, the girl Regnier left Marguerite for? If Marguerite was a threat to Regnier's happiness, wouldn't killing Marie put a much more lasting damper on it? And why the hell did the Cat-Man go to such trouble to frame Regnier? Why dress like him? Why make sure nobody knows where Regnier is while the crimes are happening? Even if Regnier's blackouts are somehow essential to what the Cat-Man is doing, why not make sure he has them in public places with lots of people around, so that he'll at least have an alibi? And why, in Bast's feline name, did he leave Regnier's gloves at one of the crime scenes?

But that's just the big stuff. Cat-Man of Paris is a sort of weirdness fractal, in that as you look closer, it just kind of keeps getting stranger and stranger in tinier and tinier ways. Take, for example, the moment when it attempts to convince us that there is a twelve-foot housecat actually wandering the streets of Paris, only to pull back and show us a miniature street being used by the police to talk about the crime scene. This is obviously the same miniature that was used as a backdrop in several previous scenes and it appears somebody really wanted that 'giant cat' shot in the movie because it would be far more plausible for the police to use a map in this scene. Why was there a cat in the police station anyway?

Then there's the two points at which the movie tries have an action scene, both of which are ruined by the setting. There's a chair-breaking, man-throwing barfight that would not be at all out of place in a Western but is very out of place in a high society Parisian restaurant! Then there's a car chase of sorts, but in elegant horse-drawn carriages along tree-lined roads in the genteel countryside! I'm sure there must be a way to do these things right even in the Belle Époque setting, but the way Cat-Man of Paris did it is just laughable.

There's the fact that the Cat-Man commits his murders in a top hat and opera cloak. This almost makes sense if you assume, as one does for most of the movie, that the Cat-Man either is Regnier or is trying to frame Regnier. The murders happen on nights when Regnier was out on the town, dressed in formal wear. If the Cat-Man doesn't want Regnier blamed, it makes no sense at all. Related is the scene in which Marguerite, seeing a man in formal dress, invites him into her carriage on the assumption that it's Regnier and then delivers a soliloquy about the state of their relationship while never once looking him in the face and realizing she's picked up a murderous Cat-Man instead!

There's the series of hallucinations that precede Regnier's blackouts. These are of lightning strikes and stormy seas, and end in the image of a black cat on a black background, which in black-and-white film looks like a cat face just floating in the dark. It's meant to be creepy but the cat is clearly a young kitten and even in this presentation it's adorable. Besides the kitten, what do any of these images mean? The other explanation offered for Regnier's disturbed mental state is a relapse into some kind of fever he caught while travelling in the tropics, but there's nothing particularly tropical about any of the things he sees. There isn't even anything particularly feline, besides the simple fact that cats don't like lightning or water. I don’t get it. I don't get any of it!

Beneath all this weirdness, the movie is plenty bad in more traditional ways, too. The dialogue reminds me of The She-Creature, in that almost all of it is clunky exposition that nevertheless somehow fails to ever explain what the hell is going on. Sets and costumes are nice but not particularly memorable, and anachronistic in the way old period movies often are, such that it's somehow more obvious the movie was made in the 1940s than that it was set in the 1890s. No two actors are able to agree on what a French accent sounds like. Special effects are for the most part wisely avoided, but the movie must eventually show us what the Cat-Man looks like. The makeup is onscreen for only seconds but is predictably terrible.

The fine folks at Ain't It Cool News thought Cat-Man of Paris was slow and tedious and needed more monster. They're kind of right, but I also think they weren't paying enough attention. I mean, there's a book with nothing written in it. There's that ridiculous fucking giant cat scene and the bit that will have you yelling at the screen, look to the right, you bedazzled nitwit! There's a plot point that turns upon a creepy artist who likes to draw women without their permission. I mean yeah, the movie's slow, and although it's only an hour long you do find yourself wondering if it's over yet, but there's plenty of DIY-MST3K material here if you only take the trouble to look for it.

#mst3k #reviews #episodes that never were #catman of paris #40s #just fuckin weird

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