On the Hound.

His name was Elah Revontulet, and even before he met Salem he was a fairly notorious figure among historians and classicists: a brilliant young man who had utterly ruined his reputation in the field by pursuing dangerous crackpot theories about a religious connection between ancient demes—the nomadic fauni communities of the Taiyin Steppe, in southeast Anima—and grimm. Following the exposure of his faunus status and his subsequent expulsion from Mantle’s Ambergris College several decades before the Great War, he disappeared into the disorderly ranks of conspiracy theorists, grifters, and dedicated mystics who comprise Remnant’s occult communities.

It was there that Elah first developed an interest in silver. In life, he did not have silver eyes—although his eyes were a striking steely color that caused occasional excitement in the occult circles he traversed—but his aura was silver, and his semblance, Giddy Flame, produced sinuous ribbons of greenish, cold-burning flame which seemed to both repulse and fascinate the grimm.

He used it to walk among them, studying them, learning them and being learned by them in turn. His early interest in ancient fauni worship of the grimm returned in force and became entangled with his philosophical thinking on the nature of silver to synthesize a new theory of metaphysical symbiosis between silver and grimm. After the passage of the Interdiction—Mantle’s brutally repressive ban on free expression—Elah left the city behind, built himself a camp, and began to live full time in the Coldfire Waste, the vast snowfields to the northeast of Mantle.

It was around that time that he began to consume atrum, and not long after that, the horde he had been studying—which had begun to see him as its person, rather akin to what a companion animal might be to a person—brought him to Salem’s attention.

She fascinated him; and the pair of them spent most of the fractious decades preceding the Great War and the war itself entrenched in the Coldfire Waste, collaborating on what might be delicately described as outrageously dangerous alchemical research. Just two years after the ratification of the Vytal Accords, Elah—who was by then nearly sixty, and quite ill as a consequence of having spent the better part of the last thirty years imbibing atrum—died. Salem buried him in the heart of his horde’s territory as per his dying request and returned to her home in Alukah.

A little more than a decade later, he turned up on her doorstep again—still evidently in his late fifties and in grievously poor health, but alive and no worse for wear for having been buried under the permafrost for thirteen years. The cumulative effect of their experimentation, together with the touch of the void in Elah’s aura and its interaction with the sheer quantity of atrum that had built up in his body over the years, had left him as mortal in death as he was in life; some disruption or another in the realm of the dead had ‘killed’ him there and sent his soul and self tumbling back into his body.

This made for a somewhat unpleasant existence, but there was really nothing to be done except live (and die) with it. Each time he returned again his eyes shaded closer to silver; beyond this, his peculiar form of immortality left no physical mark upon him. His body continued to age while he lived and—if not frozen—rot while he died; thus his physical condition deteriorated slowly but surely as time wore on.

By the present day, his body was in such poor shape that he would die again within minutes of revival, and Salem had resigned herself to keeping him in cold storage until the end of time. Then Cinder inadvertently gave her reason to question her long-held belief that silver eyes could only harm grimm and to make her first attempt at grafting grimm parts onto a human. The wheels began to turn; she hit upon the idea of providing Elah with a living body he could inhabit for more than a few painful minutes at a time.

Thus, the Hound came to be.

The experiment was not a complete success, but it will also not be the end of it: the Hound’s regenerative and transformative abilities are under Elah’s control, and once he gets the hang of it he will be able to rebuild himself, regrow the hound, and dig himself free of the rubble of Atlas.

Put It On My Tab: Chapter 10

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!reader

Tag:

@vbecker10 @wordsfromthemoon @harlequin-hangout @harpy-space @tild3ath @gone-batty-fics @princessbl0ss0m @dakotali

Warning:

Banter, Fluff, Wit, Book-nerdiness, and more floof

Summary:

Everyone deserves time off, and the vigilantes of Gotham are no exception to the rule. The boys decide to take a weekend to let loose. Who knew a few drinks would lead to a stranger in bed?

Author Note:

A huge thank you and shout out to @harlequin-hangout for the amazing banners you made for me.

If you’re new to the story, please check the master list for the previous chapters!

Jason watched her turn her mug in circles, press a napkin to make it smooth, and shift her plate as if to find the perfect lighting to make her pastry most photogenic. One half of her lower lip was imprisoned by her teeth, the other half jutting out to the side. It was not hard for him to conclude that she was nervous, which made him curious. What does she have to say about what Cici said? How serious could it be? Maybe she’s embarrassed about the bill? Wait, if she brings it up I can insist on paying!

“So ,” Y/N finally spoke up after what felt like hours of silence. “I have been in a dicey situation because of the Joker and his gang of clowns. Wrong time, wrong place, sorta deal.” She paused again, but shorter this time. “I have been hit by his Joker Venom, but I was treated in time. It was a gas and it wasn’t one of the more lethal variants or long enough exposure to be permanently disabling. It’s…not something I talk about either. Cici wasn't trying to lie or cause trouble the day you came in. She was trying to help me out, because I recognized you.”

Great , she recognized me right away and I was just chasing 1’s and 0’s in a useless IP address! His lips scrunched to the side as he slouched in his seat, his pride was thoroughly bruised. 

“Don't pout, I was having a bad day, well week, and she was just trying to help me jot deal with another thing, and ended up blurting that out. So no, I’m not some lunatic because of it and yes, I’m perfectly normal, because who isn’t a little traumatized when living in Gotham City, right?”

“I would say ‘or insanely rich’, but they tend to be the actual targets and commoners like myself end up in the crosshairs.” She hesitantly added, seeing no flare of anger or annoyance, she sat up and took a bite of her flaky pastry of choice. 

“Are you sure ‘perfectly normal’ is the best term for you?” He grumbled. “You recognized me and did your damndest to be unrecognizable, why? You even got your friend in on it and made me think you're someone,” his voice steadily grew louder and his tone harsher as he sat up straight while she steadily shrank back into her seat, ducking her head to avoid looking at him. Shit , not what I wanted to do! “ Forget it , who am I to get pissed at a little white lie? I’m no stranger to bad days either.” Like being held hostage and left for dead by the Joker. He quickly deflated back in his seat. His foot lightly nudged against hers, making her jump and look up. “I also think anyone who isn't traumatized living here is either off their rocker or they've only just moved in.” His gaze softened as he smiled, coaxing her to relax with him again.

“Being rich comes with its own style of batshit crazy.” He rolled his eyes. Like throwing cash around for giant galas to make yourselves feel better about ‘charity’ which will obviously attract all the other criminals in Gotham. The only difference between them is that one group is considered legal.

 “Speaking of rich, you’re a Wayne, right?” Jason’s eyebrows shot up quickly before crashing down and furrowing together. “Cici told me, I was helping her with the drinks that day and she told me to not call it.” She quickly explained. “But that aside, what do I call you? Little Lordling? Littler Wayne? Wayne Jr the second? Wayne 3.0? There are a bunch of you, right? You're the second one, I suppose you'd be Wayne 2, or are you 3 because Bruce Wayne would be 1?” She thought aloud, watching his left eye twitch with each nickname she came up with. It was still oh so satisfying to see.

“Yes, I am an adopted son of Bruce Wayne and no , you can’t call me any of those.” His voice shook as his smile became a little strained, a little bit of a grumble in the undertones.

“Aww, not even ‘Little Lordling’? I thought that one would’ve won.” She pouted. The way her lower lip puffed and pushed out was adorable, but Jason needed to be strong. There's no way he was going to let anyone call him that. It would be the end of him if any of the other Bats heard of this. “So what do I call you by, oh nameless capeless savior?”

“How about you just call me by my name? Which you could’ve just asked me for instead of doing all this.” He rolled his left hand in the air as he gestured to the oddity that was this conversation

“It is absotively posolutely rude to demand such information! To ask without offering something of equal value is simply barbaric!” She scoffed and he snorted while trying to stop himself from choking on his drink. “Also, where's the fun in that? Now you'll remember me the next time you see me, you won't be so thrown off.” The smug grin on her face was frustratingly adorable and pleasantly annoying, he was not sure if he wanted to wipe it off her face or give her something else to gloat about. 

“And charging someone for asking questions is not memorable enough?” One of his eyebrows rose up in question. “I feel like we’re well past dinner and a movie first.”

“Who says that's my cup of tea? Maybe I'm a video games and books kind of gal?” She raised an eyebrow of her own in challenge to him.

Damn, games and books? “Well you’re in luck. I’m a bit of both myself.” He smirked. 

Oh that is cheating! You can't go looking like this, be a Wayne, and be into those! I’m trying to ask you for 4k, not a wedding ring! Her eyes narrowed as she leaned in closer. “There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.”

“‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen, not bad.” Jason took a bite of his sandwich. Not bad, not bad. “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm,” he calmly replied.

“‘The Song of the Lark’, huh, ‘a bit’ is what you said, right?” Y/N sat back. “Consider me impressed again, Wonder Boy.”

“Quit calling me that,” he grumbled as his eye twitched.

“I have nothing else to call you.”

“Then call me by name.”

“I don't have your name.”

“You could ask.”

“That’d be rude, of course. We haven’t properly met.” She smirked.

“And how do we properly meet?” He leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table.

“Dinner and a good book.”

“Are you asking or telling?”

“That depends, do you prefer me to ask or tell?” She leaned in closer as well.

“Doesn’t matter to me, so long as you say yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes,” he grinned. “I guess it’s settled then. Now all I need is your number.”

“Wait, what? My number?” She sat back a little in surprise.

“Yes, your number, how else am I going to get in touch with you?” He extended a hand towards her and she, still confused at what just happened, robotically handed over said device, the screen unlocked. He quickly sent himself a text through her phone and saved his number in hers. “Thanks, sweetheart, I’ll be sending you the details later. On that note, I gotta run. See ya,” he winked and finished his drink before heading out, Y/N sitting there mouth agape and utterly confused. The bell chimed again before she could even process any of it as she quickly cleaned up and got behind the counter once more, the rev of a motorcycle fading into the distance.

Hey Clashblr, check these out

Since there's a few of you around now that are still getting into some of the deeper cuts, I thought I'd put together a post highlighting some of the oft-forgotten obscure material for you to check out. Gonna stick it under a cut, 'cause there's a fair bit and Youtube links take up a lot of space on the dash.

Fasten your seatbelts, hold onto your hats, let's go yeah?

First up we have The Escapades of Futura 2000, lyrics by the man himself with music written & played by the Clash. Futura was the rapper on Overpowered By Funk, and also a graffiti artist who accompanied the band on the Combat Rock tour across the US painting stage backdrops live through the gigs. This particular upload is the 12" mix, which has a good extra minute over the version released last year on The People's Hall.

Here we've got the complete double-sided 12" 19-minute experience of This Is Radio Clash - the track we all know and love to open, then the more commonly remembered B-side Radio Clash (almost identical, not quite the same), then things get real funky with Outside Broadcast, and Radio Five ties it all together. Those last two have never seen a reissue on any compilation whatsoever, probably the most obscure tracks in their entire official discography.

This one's Robber Dub, a remix of Bankrobber from Mikey Dread (not to be confused with Rockers Galore, his other remix that actually features him on vocals). Featured on Super Black Market Clash but interestingly not in the "complete" Sound System box set, an omission that's always perplexed me.

Speaking of, I'd thoroughly recommend checking out both of the mentioned collections if you're not familiar, between Super Black Market & Sound System you've got every officially-released song other than those two Radio Clash extras - so, with that in mind, let's dive into the real offcuts that never even made it onto a record.

How's about seven and a half minutes of Topper playing around with a drumkit & piano to start us off? Some people still don't believe this is even The Clash, that someone scrounged up some random sounds and stuck it on a bootleg, but that's bollocks because I'm pretty sure bits of it ended up in Hell W10, their endearingly crap short film from '81 (watch it here, it's a 50-minute London crime drama). What people are wrong about is that it was ever going to be on Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg, because this is the real tracklist; relatedly, there's alternate mixes of most of those tracks around if you care to look for them, they're not hard to find, except for the high-quality acetate rip that surfaced two years ago that has been scrubbed off the face of the fucking internet, from the 20 minutes I just spent searching it seems even Internet Archive wasn't able to withstand the might of CBS. Anyway...

OK, so technically this one has made it to a record, but that record was the Vanilla Tapes bonus disc of the 2004 reissue of London Calling, it never actually got beyond demo stage. Honestly I doubt they ever really expected or intended it to, sounds to me like the band having fun in the studio, but fun it is. There's actually a few demo-only Vanilla Tapes tracks I could stick here, but this is long as fuck already so instead I will simply give you the lot to peruse at your leisure.

Sticking with demos that eventually got an obscure release, this one is from the Give 'Em Enough Rope sessions but wasn't heard until the On Broadway compilation in '91. It's a solid number of course, they hardly put a foot wrong, but it's nothing groundbreaking.

This is from that same compilation, from the same sessions, it's a cover of the classic soul tune and I like it. Understated, gentle but with that pained passion in the vocals Mick carries so well, and that nice subtle bass is a sweet touch.

Our last couple of tracks are live numbers, and this one's a special one-off performance with the great Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, from the 10th June date of their infamous Bond's residency. He wrote it specifically to perform with the band, six minutes of cantankerous complaining about just about any ideology you care to name while the band (and their sound man, gotta credit those perfectly-timed dub echoes) give a strident backing. Topper was on fucking fire for those gigs, just listen to that kick drum.

And finally let's close out where they began, way back in '76 with Keith Levene. This one's probably my favourite of their earliest offcuts, but personally I prefer an even earlier version of it that Youtube doesn't seem to have, from their third ever gig (and first known recording) at the classic Screen on the Green punk showcase. Five of the thirteen tracks on that setlist never made it to the studio, plus it includes the original lyrics to I'm So Bored With You, and it's all here.

m!MC x Epel Felmier

Info: You work at the farm with Epel's family and sleep over there sometimes. Since Epel left for NRC, you video call sometimes. This is a little while after Vil promotes Epel's family's apple juice during Chapter 5.

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 5 OF THE MAIN STORY!

TW: None

You waited almost impatiently for Epel to get on the call. Yeah, he was busy or somethin' but still! Suddenly the phone picked up and Epel's face appeared on the screen.

"Heavens to Betsy, Epel, ya took forever, y'know!" You said, but there wasn't any real anger on your face. He laughed. "Howdy, Y/N. It's been a month of Sundays since we've spoken, huh?"

You waved your hand in a dismissing way. "Sure has. But has your Meemaw told ya yet? 'bout the apple juice? Ah was fixin' to tell myself, but your Meemaw insisted." You demanded.

"Ya kiddin'? 'Course she did!" Epel responded. "Ah'll reckon you're livin' in high cotton right 'bout now!"

"You're right 'bout that! Ah dropped one of them crates with apple bottles today. Your Meemaw looked madder than a wet hen an' she scolded me! She hardly never gets mad at nobody." You complained with a frown.

"Ah reckon it's busier than ants at a picnic over down yonder then!" He exclaimed. "Meemaw ain't never got mad at me unless Ah did somethin' real bad."

"Yep. I'm worn slap out right 'bout now. Say, how's school? Ya get to get all gussied up every day like them rich folk?" You inquired. Epel's face became annoyed, so you were sure you'd touched a nerve there.

"It's not too bad here, but my housewarden— Vil, he really is too big for his britches! Always tellin' me ta do this 'n do that. He thinks the sun comes up just ta hear him crow, Ah tell ya. An' Ah won't lie to ya, the vice housewarden here, Rook, he's kinda creepy. Halfway off his rocker." Epel said. His mood seemed to be much better now that he'd gotten that off his chest.

"Well, ya didn't call me up to talk about my school life, didn't ya? Besides the farm, how've ya been? Ain't nobody been botherin' ya, have they? 'Cause Ah'll tan their hides if they have." Epel said with a scowl on his face.

"Aw, don't you worry 'bout me, Eps. Ah would beat 'em up myself if someone tried." You chuckled. "Same goes for you, matter o fact."

" 'Course not. 'Bout everyone here is so uppity an' full of themselves." Epel huffed. You heard muffled knocking, so you assumed it was on Epel's end. He looked alarmed and called out, "Yes?" You couldn't hear the response, but Epel looked back at the camera for a moment.

"Gimme a sec." He replied quickly and he moved out of view. You could hear Epel's voice and someone else's, but you couldn't tell what they were saying. "Eh— Rook?! What do ya— I mean, what are you doing?!" You heard Epel's outraged cry. You were now worried and thoroughly confused.

"My apologies, Monsieur Cherry Apple, I heard you talking to someone and I was curious." The camera on Epel's end shook as the phone was picked up. Epel's face reappeared, but he was looking away. "I'm chatting with a person back home." His voice was calmer now.

"Oh, mes excuses, monsieur! I did not intend to barge in on a conversation with someone from your hometown. If I may, who is it?" Epel was right. This guy seemed a bit creepy, though you were used to oddballs. Epel sighed loudly. "My boyfriend. Here, lem— let me introduce you guys." Now that was weird. Epel sounded totally different.

A face appeared on screen beside Epel's, a guy with straight-cut blond hair. "Oh mon! What a pleasant face!" Rook said with a smile. "May I know your name?"

"Y/N. You're Rook, right? Epel was jus' talkin' 'bout ya." You replied. Rook's smile broadened. "Oui! Good things, I hope?" He inquired. Ain't no way you were rattin' Epel out to this guy. " 'Course." You said. "By the way, that hat o' yours is cattywampus. Do all y'all wear hats like that over yonder or jus' you?" Rook seemed totally confused and Epel had to translate.

"He said your hat is crooked and he asked if everyone wears hats like yours over here." He turned to the camera and added, "No, the only one who wears a hat like this is Rook, as far as I've seen." Rook looked very surprised. "Your speech pattern is very interesting! It's quite like speaking another language, in a way."

"Whaddya mean? It ain't that hard to understand. I reckon ya only got one oar in the water if you can't tell the difference 'tween a different language an' an accent." You retorted. Epel looked like he was holding back a laugh. Rook either didn't seem to realize he'd been insulted or he didn't comment on it and brushed it off.

"Can you leave now, please? I'd like to get back to talking with Y/N before we eat su— dinner." Epel said. Rook nodded. "Of course, Monsieur Cherry Apple! I've invaded your space for long enough. Au revoir, you two!" You heard the door close and Epel breathed a sigh of relief.

"Say Eps, what's with you hidin' your accent?" You asked. He looked miffed. "Well, our housewarden, Vil, right? He said Ah ain't allowed to use it an' Ah gotta speak "properly". But since he's housewarden, Ah gotta follow his rules. On the bright side, Vil's gonna be a senior next year, so he won' be able to be housewarden cuz he'll be gone most the year." Epel said. The last bit seemed to cheer him up. "Ah'll be happier than a dead pig in the sunshine when that happens."

"That's good, I reckon. Say, it's gettin' late an' your Meemaw's gonna have me liftin' juice all day tomorrow, so Ah should get some Z's." You said, reluctant to end the conversation, but knowing you'd be as a steering wheel on a mule if you stayed up all night. "Alrighty. Ah should probably be gettin' ready for supper here anyhow. 'Night then." Epel said.

You nodded. " 'Night, 'Monsieur Cherry Apple'." You said with a grin. "Aw, don' ya start callin' me that too! It's already annoying as it is comin' from Rook, Ah don' need ya chimin' in!" Epel exclaimed, his face scrunching up with a frown that was— you would never say this to him out of respect— very cute. "Ah, don' worry, Ah was jus' pullin' your leg." You said while laughing. "Alright, alright, 'night." You said, tapping the screen and ending the call, smiling to yourself.

Boo!! Hi again~~ Here's another post for you guys! Disclaimer here: I have never spoken French in my life so all of the French above was entirely the product of Google Translate. I also have never used country/southern speech before, so I was attempting to mix that with the dialogue I remember from Chapter 5 as well as copious research. I am not fluent in either French or country slang/terms, though writing this was incredibly fun!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post, and sorry if it was a bit long. For those who are fluent in French or speak with a southern accent, if I made a mistake somewhere in this post, let me know, please! I hope you enjoyed regardless! Bye~! 🧡

Down Will Come Baby

(Paul x Female!Reader)

TW: implied drug use (mentioned)

For the lovely anon who was my first request. I hope you like it and I thoroughly enjoyed the research for this 🙂 gifs made by me.

Paul was usually the one out of the two of you who handled substances better, whether alcohol or weed, but that didn't mean he wasn't incapable of having a bad trip or getting too intoxicated.

It was never a shock to come home to find Paul spread out on your bed with a cheeky grin and a joint lazily held between his fingers. 

No matter how often you told him to use the front door, he seemed to like sneaking through the window more. Something about it being mysterious and sexy.

Although the scene in front of you screaming anything but that, well, maybe mysterious but definitely not sexy. 

Paul was lying on your bed with the remnants of a used joint on the floor beside your bed. His hands were curled around the bedpost as his body was tightly stuck in the fetal position.

Wafting the smell from the room, you frowned noticing his eyes were shut tight, and he was mouthing words to himself. He looked terrified. You had never seen him like this before.

"Babe?" You call out gently, hoping to get his attention enough not to spook him any more than he already seemed. His lips stop moving as his head turns slightly, indicating he'd heard you. "What's going on, Pauly."

The blond kept his eyes closed but managed to face your direction as he let out a whimper. "I'm in trouble," he whispered with a paranoid breath. "If I let go, I'll fly up to the moon."

Biting back a snort, you realized it was a bad batch of weed. Paul sometimes got pretty paranoid when he smoked too much or had a bad high. 

Usually, he was able to sleep it off but seeing the tears rolling down his face, it was evident that this time wasn't like the rest.

"Shit," you hissed, taking off your jacket. You throw it into the corner of the room before climbing onto the bed near Paul, who immediately latched onto you like a terrified child.

"Please don't let me float away" your boyfriend was freaking out, not realizing he was firmly on the bed with no real way to fly off, nor would he logically be able to get out of the house because of the roof.

"Don't worry, baby, I won't let you go," you promised as you gently pried his hands from you, struggling when his two hands suddenly became like tentacles. 

You pried one hand off only to get caught by the other. For being so high, he sure did move fast.

Kissing him on the forehead, you left him whimpering for a minute while you gathered all the pillows, sheets, and blanket you had. Pilling them together in your room, you quickly formed a fort.

Moving back towards the bed, you crouched and brushed Paul's hair away from his face. You know from experience that bad highs can be scary, and your boyfriend was actually a very sensitive person.

Blue eyes slowly appeared from behind their lids as the blond began to open his eyes, the fear he was feeling was still present, but they softened upon seeing you in front of him.

"Come on, my little rocker," You smiled, pulling Paul to the edge of the bed, hushing his cries before throwing his arms over you and practically dragging him to the entrance of the blanket fort.

Climbing into the fort, you tugged your boyfriend in after you and pulled the blanket down when you were both fully inside. The darkness pulled a whimper from Paul, who was once again holding on for dear life.

Situating yourselves comfortably, you moved Paul to lay his back against your chest as you fully held him on you. Leaning back on the pillows you had stacked, you grabbed your phone and played the only thing you could think of to calm him down.

Baby sensory videos.

Pushing the phone into his hands as fruit started to dance across the screen, you felt his body begin to relax. His hands clutched the phone closer to him as he seemed to come back down to earth.

Letting out a sigh of relief, you let yourself relax, too. You'd had many nights where it hadn't been this easy. Paul, too has been through it when you go off the deep end during a particularly scary high.

All you can hear is his little giggles as you gently rake your finger through his hair while holding onto him, so he doesn't 'float off.' A smile pulled at your lips as he began to hum the tune to the baby video.

Frowning, you suddenly realized the song playing was the tune of 'Rock-a-bye baby' you rolled your eyes at the irony of the song and Paul's needing to come down.

Pressing a kiss to his temple, you began to hum along with him as a broad smile grew on his face. It was nice seeing the happy, cheeky Paul again "and down will come Paulie-" you sang with a teasing whisper in his ear as he let out a small laugh.

There was nothing you wouldn't do for your wild boyfriend, even if that meant hiding out in a makeshift fort, so he doesn't fly away to the moon when hallucinating on a bad trip.

shikisai

AO3

Pairing - Ladynoir + Adrinette

Prompt - ‘Galaxy’

Summary -

"So how come you've been staring at my hair lately? Did something change about it? Something I've failed to notice?" Her quieter demeanour encouraged the boy to gently tangle his clawed fingers in one of her iconic ponytails, letting the dark tendrils loop around his digits and his emerald greens full of an intensity that made his Lady's heart beat far more beats than was healthy.

.

"Did you know that under the moonlight, your hair looks almost blue..." His voice trailed into a whisper, his claws gently tickling the skin of her jaw before the hero decided to cradle her face with one of his hands. "...And that strands of it sparkle like the stars...?" He rubbed his thumb against her cheekbone, his faux tail tenderly looping sound her waist as she melted into his touch even further. "I just couldn't stop thinking about how you're like...like a galaxy of the most beautiful stars I've ever seen, Ladybug."

She suddenly lost the ability to breathe, so thoroughly taken aback by her Chaton's heartfelt confession and a beautiful, blush pink started to glow on the apples of her cheeks.

~(x)~ . . . "Is something the matter, mon Chaton?" Ladybug's sudden quip had the feline boy jolt out of his smitten stupor and immediately a blush pink hue settled under the rims of his mask. Thankfully, he was quick to compose himself, swinging his belt tail in a manner that was supposed to be charming and his gaze now resting on the moon that glowed silently above them. "Of course not, ma Belle~ I was simply lost in my thoughts regarding your wonderful, spectacular self!" His words held some truth hence why he was able to play off his split second of embarrassment and vulnerability and the boy assumed that his partner was more than happy to take it all in stride. Unfortunately for him, his Lady was more than observant and also, he was the scrutiny of her peripheral vision of the night. She crossed her arms and took a few steps towards him, a ghost of a smirk playing on her glossy, rosy lips when she spied the bloom of beautiful pink illuminating his sun-kissed skin. He was definitely off his rocker and she couldn't help but indulge in this side of her sweet, loyal Chaton. Indulge herself with the rawer and hidden parts of the boy under the mask. "Oh? Is that so?" She was now almost chest to chest with him, straining her neck upwards just so she could meet the bright green gaze of her unfairly much taller and larger partner. Though, with the comical sight of panic running in those big, emerald eyes, the heroine felt so much bigger. "If I'm so wonderful and spectacular, how come you've only been staring at my hair in particular? Wouldn't you have been staring at my face instead?" The way his pupils constricted to mere slits was her answer and her own sky blues simply glittered with mischief and curiosity. A side to the usually no-nonsense heroine that only her partner had the pleasure to see (as well as often fall victim to much to his dismay and her silly delight). Taking him out of his misery, Ladybug flicked his golden bell and her smile turned warm and soft. And as if she couldn't melt even further, seeing her Chaton relax and wait for the next words patiently could've turned her into goo. He was so adorable. "So how come you've been staring at my hair lately? Did something change about it? Something I've failed to notice?" Her quieter demeanour encouraged the boy to gently tangle his clawed fingers in one of her iconic ponytails, letting the dark tendrils loop around his digits and his emerald greens full of an intensity that made his Lady's heart beat far more beats than was healthy. . "Did you know that under the moonlight, your hair looks almost blue..." His voice trailed into a whisper, his claws gently tickling the skin of her jaw before the hero decided to cradle her face with one of his hands. "...And that strands of it sparkle like the stars...?" He rubbed his thumb against her cheekbone, his faux tail tenderly looping sound her waist as she melted into his touch even further. "I just couldn't stop thinking about how you're like...like a galaxy of the most beautiful stars I've ever seen, Ladybug." She suddenly lost the ability to breathe, so thoroughly taken aback by her Chaton's heartfelt confession and a beautiful, blush pink started to glow on the apples of her cheeks. She glanced at the stray strands of her dark hair in her peripheral vision, awe plastered on her face at the way the midnight locks wonderfully glittered under the moonlight and how the navy hue of the night sky gave her hair a wonderful, cerulean sheen. "O-Oh..." Was all she managed to rasp, one fist against her chest to calm her discombobulated and shrieking heart, her entire being lit in a fire that made her want to soar the skies without the power-up suits. "I...I never...erm..." She was at a loss for words, her tongue limp in her mouth and her chest squeezing to the point where she couldn't take another breath. It was a feeling that always took over when she was in Adrien's presence...and now it was happening around Chat Noir too!? More often than usual, no less!? "Sorry, did I make you uncomfortable?" Chat Noir lowered his hand from her hair, much to her dismay and averted those brilliant emerald greens of his. "It's kinda why I didn't want to say anything, My Lady. I know you don't like it when I go over the top or...you know..." The sight of his adorable pout and the need to have some physical contact with him anew sparked Ladybug's mouth back to life and she couldn't help but talk without thinking. "No! You, you didn't. You didn't make me uncomfortable at all, Chat Noir." She placed her hands on his, bringing them to her chest so that he could get a feel of just how fast her heart was beating (to get him to understand the way he affects her too because words were never her strong point). "And, I don't dislike it when you're over the top. Often, your timings are just terrible and you can be a little too persistent," A soft smile was quick to play on her lips at his sheepish expression, the heroine loving the way his faux ears plastered themselves to his blond locks and the sweet tickle of red that bloomed under his mask. She stepped a little closer towards him, the only barrier between their chests being their tightly entwined hands and their height difference more prominent than ever. Ladybug couldn't help but admire her partner even more, loving the way curiosity and adoration danced in his eyes. "Thank you for telling me this. I...I never really cared much about my own hair," She began, thinking back to how as a civilian, during her more insecure moments, she often eyed other girls' hair around her with envy. Be it her best friend's gorgeous, thick, lush hair and the autumn ombre that fired from the roots to the tips or the insufferable Chloé whose hair glowed with a healthy sheen and wore a bright, rich colour that could rival even the most expensive gold out there. "Thanks to you, I'll appreciate it more...so...thank you, Chat Noir," It was her turn to avert her eyes from his surprised face, her complexion very hot and practically matching the same hue of her suit. She could have ended it there and beckoned that they should carry on with patrol. She could have laughed it all off and he would have accepted it without a beat (forever understanding and unfairly kind when it came to her whims). But her heart decided to take over and push her brain aside for once. "You also..." She started quietly, watching him under her dark lashes and catching the way his own throat bobbed nervously. "Your hair...it's like the sun. Especially when you're standing in front of it...it's like a halo of gold...it's very pretty..." Ladybug couldn't take it anymore, overwhelmed with her feelings about everything but especially regarding her Minou. On an ordinary day, he would have been able to catch her before she leapt away but unfortunately, her hushed confession rendered him completely speechless and before either of them knew it, she darted away faster than the speed of sound. . But not before acting on impulse and leaving behind a new warmth against the shocked hero's lips. . Chat Noir lightly pressed his fingers against his lips, unable to comprehend what happened and then his knees gave up and buckled beneath him. "A halo of gold...? Moi...?" ~(x)~ There were no words in the French dictionary that could ever describe just how much Marinette Dupain-Cheng loved Adrien's hair. Especially when the sun would occasionally peak through the dreary windows and highlight his fluffy, thick golden locks as if they were formed of actual precious gems and metals which then would scatter flickers of light around the room. A beautiful diamond. She thanked all the stars in the universe that Madame. Bustier allowed them to do whatever they wanted for the next hour or so since they were actually ahead of schedule in terms of their curriculum and work. Now no one can chastise her for doodling when she should be working! And the cherry on top? Adrien and Alya were distracted by one of Nino's interesting stories to pay attention to her and what she was doing! She used her best pens and pencils, carefully trying to jot down and blend every colour she could see and every shape and expression she could capture. Alas, not even the most skilled and experienced painters out there could ever fully capture the full essence of the boy who never failed to make her fall in love with him every single day- "Is...is that me?" A familiar, awed voice snapped Marinette out of whatever trance she was in, making her literally jump out of her seat and trip over her desk, only to get caught by a pair of very strong (and very nice) arms. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, Marinette!" She was met with worried (familiar?) emeralds peering down at her as the boy held her like a bride and he didn't seem like he was going to let go anytime soon. Adrien continued to watch her with concern, his vibrant eyes scanning her face and body to detect any injuries or discomfort and when he didn't find any, he let out a relieved sigh. "Y-Y-You can put me down now..." Marinette rasped, face redder than her alter ego's suit. She was so much of a mess inside, she was oblivious to the almost sad and reluctant expression her very good friend wore, the boy placing her back down gently but still keeping his hands on her upper arms. It was then that Marinette noted that it was just the two of them in the classroom, the hands on the clock indicating that it was break time (hence why all the students have left) and the golden rays of the sun casting a heavenly glow upon the love of her life in a manner that was so familiar and roused déjà vu. A soft, sweet smile was present on Adrien's lips, the boy unable to help himself and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear tenderly, all whilst intoxicating her with those brilliant emerald eyes illuminated by molten gold. "Again, I'm so sorry for scaring you. The bell rang a couple of minutes ago for break but you were so immersed in your work, you probably didn't realise it. So I stayed behind to keep you company, hahaha..." It was his turn to feel a little embarrassed, scratching the back of his neck out of habit until his eyes landed back on her sketchbook. "I didn't mean to distract you from your drawings...they look absolutely amazing as always and I was wondering if...if you were..." "...Yes. I was drawing you. I hope you don't mind-" She was interrupted by the way his eyes literally lit up and the way he clasped her hands with his excitedly, the girl almost expecting a pair of feline ears to pop up on his hair (a bizarre thought process that keeps popping up more and more often that she'd like). "I don't mind at all! In fact, I'm so honoured that you chose to draw me of all people!" He was all honesty and sincere earnestness, a sweet rosy hue present under his eyes and the proximity between them taking away her ability to breathe. "It makes me really, really happy that you drew me, Marinette. Is it okay if I can have a closer look at the sketchbook? Please?" Oh, how could she ever say no to those pleading, large green eyes? Without a word, the heroine handed him her sketchbook timidly, averting her gaze under her dark fringe and her teeth chewing her bottom lip. She couldn't help the way her heart fluttered from the way he carefully took the book, his hands resting on her own for a few seconds and then finally indulging himself with the sight of her creation. "They were done quickly and with limited resources so they're not polished or perfect or anything." Her heart was beating faster and faster, fingers fiddling with one another as she refused to see his expressions. The last thing she wanted was to see even a flicker of disappointment in his eyes and the urge to flee so that she can scream into her hands was so high. Marinette didn't expect his gentle hand to rest on her chin, a finger tucked under and the pad of his thumb barely grazing her bottom lip. He directed her gaze towards him, making sure that she saw that there was nothing but respect and admiration for her and her work within his eyes. "Anything you create is perfect in my eyes. No matter how long you took to make them or how few the things you used. You've managed to capture me in your own unique vision and...I just can't explain how happy it makes me. You've drawn me in a way that makes me feel so beautiful. Thank you, Marinette." Just before he could say anything else, Adrien noted that there was another drawing on the previous page and he impulsively turned it over despite the designer's quiet squeak. His eyes widened once more with awe. The drawing was of Chat Noir, brilliantly created and composed with a mixture of beautiful watercolours and inks and pens. The hero was smiling tenderly on the paper, the sun shining behind his figure, illuminating the edges of his suit and the ends of his hair and a brilliant red rose in his hands (a scene that only one person out there in the world should be able to envision since she's the one he gave the red rose to). What really stood out to him the most was the crown of light that shone the most above the hero's head. "A halo of gold..." Adrien murmured out loud, not even flinching when Marinette took the book back with a maniacal giggle, hiding the drawing in her chest as she tried to come up with a couple of excuses and reasonings for why she had that kind of drawing in the first place. It fell on deaf ears as all that he could think of was how his many, many months of suspicions and hopes finally, finally came true and that the girl before him was the same one who feathered his lips with her own the night before like a fleeting butterfly. So he acted on impulse and followed his heart. "-I swear it's just a silly drawing! Hahahah! I mean sure I believe Chat Noir is the coolest hero ever and he's my favourite and that he's the kindest and prettiest BUT it doesn't really mean anything- mmMPH!?" And kissed her. . "I know I've already said that your hair is a galaxy of beautiful stars...but your eyes? They're like the universe...my universe, my Lady," . Oh. Oh. 'Eeeeeep!' . . . ~(x)~

Pretty sure it was moved to the beta editor But Tumblr doesn't seem to think it was, so...

Thread move/continuation from: this post || @hxpelessnurse ||

🩹 - Mikan

Mikan felt a sigh of relief leave her as he told her not to apologize. “Most of m-my friends are single still too,” She added. “I definitely th-think M-Mioda could use someone to… calm her down a little.” The rocker was a rather wild one, and considering her rise to fame in the underground idol world, she was quite popular with both men and women alike. Still, Ibuki seemed far too distracted with causing chaos and making music to settle down. Mahiru and Hiyoko were on their own. They seemed quite happy together and Mikan had no intentions of breaking that apart. And as for her other friends? They were all off doing other things or working in the hospitals alongside her. She could probably gather a handful of friends who would be interested in a mixer party. But she’d think about that later. Mikan listened to him talk, her eyes lighting up as he explained he’d visited Seoul before. “L-Lucky! I’ve only been wh-when I was really little,” she replied. “I b-barely remember my trip with my g-grandmother.”

“I g-guess… people with older ideologies tend to shun those who d-don’t quite fit the molds that they think s-society should have… I’m n-not upset over it. I’ve lived my whole life with p-people telling m-me I’m not fully Japanese. It doesn’t offend me like people think it should.” There were far worse things she could get upset over. He was right about people coming from different backgrounds being more interesting though. She always found patients who came from other places to have the best stories to tell. “Really? I would have n-never guessed!” She exclaimed, taking a sip of her drink. “I know how you feel. K-Kids can be really cruel for no reason. But I don’t b-blame them. They don’t know any better.” Mikan leaned back in her seat, a genuine sense of connection forming between them. Part of her wanted to ask him home with her - a bad habit she had desperately tried to rid when she was younger - but she wanted to take this a little slower than her past relationships. Minato seemed too good to be true and she wasn’t about to let it go sour so early on. “Eh… so… I know this is b-being a little forward. But I f-figured since I’d already mentioned it before… I’d really like to do this again w-with you.”

[{ 🦋 }] - "Sounds like this Mioda friend of yours has a lot of energy, A little too much. Kind of reminds me of my best friend Junpei, that guy can always bring the hype, and make any moment more vibrant with his energy."

A soft chuckle as he thinks of a few times his best buddy did what he does best, be the same outgoing dude he was known for being. There was never a dull moment with his best friend Junpei Iori around. If his buddy agreed to come, he would more than likely just come for the party to meet new friends, as Junpei was in a relationship with Chidori Yoshino, and he honestly couldn't be any happier for those two.

For some reason, Minato felt like that name sounded very familiar, he didn't know anyone with that name personally, but he could have sworn he heard it somewhere before, he just couldn't remember. Either way, this person sounded a bit overly energetic, It made him curious about her other friends she has, especially since this Mioda character sounded very happy-go-lucky, and that wasn't a bad thing either.

When they further spoke about Korean food, Minato brought up his most recent visit to Seoul, a travel experience that he thoroughly enjoyed, not just for the wonderful food, but also because of the location he was investigating at the time, good food, and constant communication with spirits was a perfect recipe for a very good trip if he ever went to Seoul again, he would definitely have to invite Mikan to join him, especially if she hadn't been there for a long time, and besides, not only did he enjoy her company, it would also be a very nice switch since he had been there only with his coworkers, it would be especially enjoyable with Mikan Tsumiki right by his side.

[{ 🦋 }] - "Really? Hmm, in that case, the next time I go to Seoul, maybe can come along? I'd be happy to have you with me on that trip."

Hearing her state something so boldly that she lived her life being cast aside due to the slight difference, it kind of amazed him. On the outside, Mikan appeared so weak and frail, but never did he think that she would be so strong after living through that for such a long time.

[{ 🦋 }] - "Yeah, I think so too. But, wow... you're much stronger than I thought, I am very glad.. I admire that about you Mikan."

A soft chuckle after Minato revealed his other ethnic origin, something that was often hard to believe when it came to it, Thankfully, just like he thought, she understood how it felt too.

[{ 🦋 }] - "Yeah, it's hard to tell sometimes, and people these days can definitely be that way. Some kids can definitely be cruel, but they'll learn eventually."

Minato was a little surprised when she asked for a second date, he honestly didn't think it would happen, so evidently, but he wasn't complaining this time it didn't take him long to have an answer, because he also wanted to have another date with her, so he smiles.

[{ 🦋 }] - "You're not being too forward, in fact, I would be more than happy to go on a second date with you Mikan, I'm really enjoying this time we're spending together, and I'm looking forward to more." He says with a smile.

Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues, 2012.

“We just love that blues bag. I always wanted to play the blues, and now I'm doing it. I get to play a scorching lead guitar, and there's not much that's more fun than that. Of course, what's really fun is the interaction with the other band members. It's just glorious. I don't think I could be happier. [...] [I]t's the kind of music I want to do. The humor and the heart are all there.” - Peter Tork, bohemian dot com, September 26, 2002

“The thing about the Stax/Volt gang — Booker T and the Bar-Kays and Otis — was that those guys were just totally fabulously thoroughly well-established in their own musical hearts and minds. We visited the Stax/Volt studios once on the road, the Monkees did, and we sat in with those guys, just jammed a little bit, not much, and those guys, just the most solid, secure musicians. You learn a ton from playing with them for 10 minutes, just finding out what music is really all about. In many ways, that’s been the name of the game for me and one of the things about the blues that has always attracted me. I could hear a blue note and faint from the time I was 18 or 19; I could never believe how I would be able to do it until more recently. It’s happening for me, too. When we’re on, and we hit the pocket at least once a night when we play, and every time it happens, I go, ‘Yeah, this is what I’m here for, this is solidity.’ When you have enough of an awareness of what you’re doing, what basketball players call ‘in the zone,’ and secure enough with the guys around you that you relax and let the music play you. I’ll tell you a secret, the secret is to play within yourself. If you know only four or five notes, play those notes with conviction. The zone is not dependent on your technical ability. If you want to find the zone, find a couple of other guys who play those same notes or like those notes; you’ll find it, it’ll hit you. You will fall in love with yourself.” - Peter Tork, 2007; published by Rolling Stone, 2019

“As I got into folk music for myself toward the end of the 50's and into the early 60's, I didn't have the confidence it took to even try the blues. It's taken me all these years to believe that a) I understand the blues enough socially and emotionally, and b) that I have the technique to play them. A well played blues NOTE, to this day, makes my heart sing. I also had the good fortune to listen to a wonderful blues band every Monday for several years. It was led by a man named Larry Johnson, not the recorded blues player of the same name, but he was good, and he knew the blues backwards and forwards.  When I'd walk into that club and the band would strike up, I'd feel my heart relax, time after time. As far as I'm concerned, the blues is not about the blues. That is, the stuff of the blues, abandonment and heartache, those are only the outward show. The blues is really all about we've all had the blues, and we're all human because of it. It's just that simple. When I hear the blues done right, I know I belong on the face of the earth.” - Peter Tork, Ask Peter Tork/The Daily Panic, 2008

“I’m having a great time. The drummer we have, Sturgis Cunningham, has such a lovely shuffle with a slightly modern edge to it - between an oily Chicago blues shuffle and just a little bit of a more well-bound, slightly hip-hopier feel - just the right combination. And Joe Boyle, our guitar player, he’ll fry you. That leaves just me saying ‘What am I doing here? You guys are great.’ I guess I’m still just a young hippie-folkie-rocker at heart, learning to play the blues.” - Peter Tork, Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2013

“Despite the success he’d experienced as a musician, both on and off the stage, playing the blues didn’t exactly come easily. ‘To be quite honest, I didn’t have the confidence,’ said Tork. ‘I didn’t think I had the technical skill. I was afraid.’ [...] For the 70-year-old Tork, his love of the blues transcends that of simply a musical style he enjoys playing. Once he starts talking about the blues, there’s an excitement and energy in his voice that belies his age. ‘The blues is not like most popular music,’ Tork exuberantly explained. ‘I don’t know how subjective this is, but there is a general trend – especially in dance music – to just pound, pound, pound you with bass. It’s like you can’t think, you can’t feel. It really is a numbing phenomenon. ‘But the blues communicates in a different way. It tells what you’re going through, somebody has been through it before. You’re not alone in that pain. It’s therapeutic and healing and there is a real sense of community. ‘It reminds us in our buried depths, no matter how bad things are, there is hope.’” - The Reporter, May 28, 2012

Pokemon ScarVio plot line is overall dissapointing; the following will contain spoilers for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

As mentioned above; I think the overal plotlines of ScarVio are dissapointing, I think Operation Starfall has a rushed an awkward start that feels disconnected from the engrossing and empassioned middle before hitting us with a fake twist reveal before crashing and burning miserably at the end. Victory road is the gold winner here; but it's also not trying to reinvent the wheel, it's just the most consistent from beginning, middle to the ending. Path of Legends I liked and was kinda hooked on as the mystic of massive pokemon with unique powers and terrifying strength that may or may not be fairytales was cool, Arven's growth was cool; but like Operation Starfall, PoL crashed at the end for me.

I will break down my thoughts more thoroughly below.

The way we're introduced to Team Star is by them picking on students to try and brute force them into signing onto the team to fill quotas; this is never addressed nor brought up again. It's literally there for us to go "No, stop; Don't bully people" and then battle them. This is incredibly ironic especially when you start beating the base guards, the grunts and the Star Squad Captains and find out that they were bullied relentlessly in the academy.

Through the captains we are introduced to the Big Boss (a faceless character) who helped them and they instigated the ethos of Team Star, their dress sense, theme songs and prepared to take on every last bully in the academy because they were just so done by the academy letting it happen. They were planning to take justice in their own hands; but in their own words, the bullies never materialised and more importantly they all dropped out quickly and quietly and dissapeared. Perception of Team Star soured and worrying the faces of the Team (the Star Squad Captains) would lose their place; Penny talks to the corrupt former director (Clavell's predeccesor) and willfully goes to Galar for a year to let them stay at the academy.

We also hear from Clavell as Clive the hip rocker student; that it seems the academy buried so much of this and actively deleted or destroyed records to maintain the academy's reputation and image. This was where I was utterly hooked and I was excited to see who B.B was and how Operation Starfall would end.

So after struggling several times to best Eri and her insanely powerful revaroom; I return the academy, where I meet the fake-out twist of Operation Starfall. Director Clavell. Who admits to being Casseopeia via pre-programmable recordings; claiming he started Operation Starfall when an attempt to try and stop the bullies in the Academy went sideways not due to TS members; but the academy itself. Noting how he had been a visiting teacher when he encouraged students to stand up for themselves and was appauled when as director, he found several records were incomplete or just missing. Through his time as director and as Clive and B.B; Clavell was able to pull the truth together and admits the code is the code and you battle.

his team hits hard and fast; it's varied with types and physical/special attackers and he has the starter strong against yours, its an amazing conclusion about the damage failing your students or allowing the legacy and image of history to dominant the truth. A unique talking point running parallel to the opening text about how the academy operates by pulling from the legacies and history of the past to inform the now.

It's only after the battle that Clavell softly and quietly admits he is in fact not Team Star's Big Boss, nor was he Casseopeia and he will strive to make sure such a great blot and shame that led to the situation with Team Star will ever happen again. No faculty member should be able to wipe their sleight clean at the expense of their students.

Then he gets squaked at by the Maths teacher and is told he has to write out apologies to everyone and is carted off. Which leads us to fighting the actual Big Boss of Team Star; Penny.

Penny can best be described as the colour beige hardcut with anxiety; that's it. Unlike Arven and Nemona; she doesn't grow in the slightest from the time we save her from the Team Star grunts who never appear again on the stairs to the academy to our time descending into the Paldean crator. Nothing changes.

So, we meet her at the trainer fields and you can more or less one-shot OHKO her entire Eveelution team (Umbreon, Flareon, Vaporean, Leafeon, Jolteon and Sylveon). There's no grand speech, other than "I was bullied and it sucked and I can't talk to people, so I made Team Star and I guess you know the rest." That's the end of Penny more or less. Outside of kinda being a foil to Arven during the conversations in the crator; Penny just dissapears from the game.

Victory road is okay; the central thing is growing and competing with Nemona. Who is fairly static, but grows to have some restraint but never a lot; both in battling and in conversation. She's fun and spunky and kind of is a strong reminder and motivator for the player to push themselves too. Nemona can be a little forgiving in some battles; but also incredibly punishing if an when you present an opening to her. This leads the player to level up and try to get a fully evolved team ASAP, as well as when to and when not to use the Terra Orb. As you might actually benefit more from your pokemon's dual-typing rather than the attack buff from the Orb. All in all is the generic, tried and true beat 8 gyms narrative; kinda cool you can do them in any order. meaning if you're crazy enough you can try and battle against gym leaders whose entire team sits beyond your trainer level cap just for funsies. That could be a ScarVio hard mode challenge, trying to build teams that can survive against such massive level divides.

Leaving finally; the Path of Legends storyline.

I like this one the most originally and through the middle; it's the ending that ruins it for me more than anything.

When we start at the lighthouse; we're introduced to Arven, a spiteful and harsh boy with the motorbike lizard. He's intense and awkward and full of a lot of emotions he doesn't quite know how to express or handle. Arven is strongly characterised, like Nemona but in different ways. We beat him in a battle, get motorbike lizard then receive a message from Sada/Turo about caring for it. Arven expresses strong emotions about hearing his parent's voice, more specifically how they don't really address him.

Once we're out of the academy; we venture round fighting the titan pokemon and the Herba Mystica, both of which are things Arven is fascinated in. The original reason given is the Scarlet Book informs that the Titan Pokemon gravitate to certain areas and the Herba Mystica has supposed healing and culinary properties. Arven expresses an interest in the taste and quality of the food; connecting to the picnicking gimmick of ScarVio.

It's only after the second Titan that Arven introduces us to the actual reason; his bestest boi Mobasstif is incredibly ill and needs aid. But Arven's tried everything and nothing works; the Herba Mystica is his last chance to save his first pokemon, his greatest companion. The game hammers this home by adding in the cutscenes of Mobasstif eating the Herba Mystica and slowly regaining his strength and control of his body. Arven often exclaiming how he hasn't seen his dog's eyes or barks in literal years; showing how long Mobasstif has been ill and unwell.

Throughout all of this Sada/Turo has been messaging us to take care of the motorbike lizard.

This all culminates in the final titan and Sada/Turo tells us to take motobike lizard to the Paldean crator; also take Arven I guess. This incenses Arven who demands answers and Sada/Turo admit they cannot leave the crator and to go the lab. That doesn't soothe Arven but we go to the lab, where we're told now that Motorbike lizard is healthy again to come to the crator for all the answers; again Arven demands something substantial and is told no.

As we exit, Arven expresses his anger and his sadness and his confusion by informing us of the thing we kind of already knew; that he's the professor's kid. What we didn't know is that he lived in the research centers in the crator most of his childhood before (at least from his perspective) being sent away. The reason Mobasstif was so unwell and injured was Arven attempted to breach the crator some years ago and was almost done in by smaller versions of the titan pokemon. To prove he's strong enough now we battle (he has all the mon he found on the PoL Titan Pokemon battles + Mobasstif) they are all level 60-62 and they can hit like trucks. It's a strong battle and Arven feels confident in almost beating the player but they still need some muscle (this is where you finish Victory Road and Operation Starfall to get Nemona and Penny open to finish Path of Legends).

Your team gets to the crator and there will be future/savage forms of pokemon from top to bottom more or less. The coolest part of this are the research notes from Sada/Turo, the conversation cutscenes with Sada/Turo AI and the automated dialogue exchanges between research stations. We start with Arven having all his burning emotions boiling to the fore-front; making him come off as a giant dick and Nemona and Penny scold and make jabs at him until we get about halfway down and a savage/future pokemon comes at Penny and the reality sets in and both Nemona and Penny realise that Sada/Turo cared more about their research than Arven.

This is actually backed up by the research notes; which kind of slowly descend into aggressive intensity about acheiving paradise in the now. Noting about how they need more researchers in one lab, to pondering the idea of having two of themselves (leading to the creation of their AI counterparts) but the one that stood out to me was when they referenced the new researcher who was as smart as them; abandoning the project entirely and 'taking the boy too'.

And when we finally came to the Zero Lab; Arven doesn't get more than 3 lines of dialogue with Sada/Turo. It feels rushed, clunky and more importantly there's no closure, no admittance of fault or oversight.

Sada/Turo is a terrifyingly neglectful parent who left a robot who has no actual closure with Arven and then fucks off to the past/future and all Arven has is some bland passed over "Mommy/daddy love you; i'm fucking off now BYEEE!" Like that is literally the biggest exchange Arven and the ghost of his dead parent trapped in a machine have. "oh, they actually did love you." Followed by the AI malfunctioning as the Paradise Protection Protocol triggers and the AI just says at the end of the motorbike lizard vs motorbike lizard (which was the most anti-climatic fight ever, even besting Penny's battle). "The time machine will keep pulling future/savage pokemon through it and cannot be turned off. Only when I enter into the past/future, will it turn off." then just goes.

Arven then just spouts off about how his parent must have actually loved him or something; which just rings hollow considering they didn't actually talk, the AI just blurted two lines out at him and then bails forever.

I had thought what we would face at the Zero lab was that the professors had found a way to travel to and from the past/future, but their technology failed and needed us + motorbike lizard to save them. Because they missed Arven and the whole conclusion was gonna tie off all of the issues of Sada/Turo letting work consume their every waking moment to the point they referred to their child as 'The Boy' in their research notes rather than Arven.

... This Installment did a lot; and I think in the end, that scattered focus did more name to the game narratively more than anything else.

Tell me your thoughts on all of this, anyone who has played and finished ScarVio. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill about the storylines?



cash smith and his theme parties. it was needless to say that dylan was sick of his father's antics, but then again, he wasn't really doing anything to avoid it. dylan thoroughly enjoyed his father's wealth and fortune. this time around his father had come up with the genius idea of throwing a "rockstar" party, which had all the attendees in their best rocker-esque costumes. dylan wasn't necessarily in the mood to dress up according to theme, so he simply just didn't. all that he was looking forward to was to find his next conquest. in the mood to get laid.

he had watched the band that his father had booked for the evening for the last thirty minutes, and the second they had come off the stage he had manoevred his way backstage to stop the bass player. just his type. "hey." he said softly, curling up his million dollar smile. "you're in like- a rock band, does that mean you got anything fun on you?" coke. or maybe molly. dylan could definitely go for a hit.

‘Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks’ by Patrick Radden Keefe

Patrick Radden Keefe tells us in the preface to in his new book, Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks, that the 12 long-form essays “reflect some of my abiding preoccupations: crime and corruption, secrets and lies, the permeable membrane separating licit and illicit worlds, the bonds of family, the power of denial.” In this, of course, the stories are similar to the concerns in his previous two books: Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland and Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. It’s a muddied world he covers, where just about everyone is tainted, though even the most sinister rogues have some mediating human qualities.

Among the more menacing group of transgressors Keefe writes about is Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, whose pre-terrorist college life displayed “a painfully American banality: cinder-block dorm rooms, big-screen TVs, mammoth boxes of Cheez-Its.” Wim Holleeder, the Dutch gangster who allegedly has a hit out for his own sister, comes across as wily and even quirky during his trial — “shifting in his chair, shaking his head, taking his eyeglasses off and twirling them like a propeller” — though Keefe makes no bones about the man’s overall brutality; and drug kingpin Joaquín Guzmán Loera, “El Chapo” — at one point one of the most feared criminals in the world — “distinguished himself as a trafficker who brought an unusual sense of imagination and play to the trade.”

Then there’s Amy Bishop, a neurobiologist denied tenure at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, who, during the last department meeting of the semester, blocked the conference room door and shot six of her colleagues, killing three. Bishop grew up in a Boston suburb where she had shot and killed her brother, and Keefe thoroughly investigates this act, and its ultimate lack of consequence (the killing was ruled accidental), as a possible precursor to the later crime. Discussing whether or not the murder was intentional, Keefe writes, “When violence suddenly ruptures the course of our lives, we tend to tell ourselves stories in order to make it explicable. Confronted with scrambled pieces of evidence, we arrange them into a narrative.” Keefe concludes that “neither story” about the killing “was especially convincing,” and this willingness to live with ambiguity and irresolution is a hallmark of his journalism.

While the profiles of people who might rightly be considered villains is riveting, I found myself drawn more to the stories about genteel rogues. There is German wine forger Hardy Rodenstock, whose hustle was to convince wealthy people that the bottles he was selling were originally from the cellar of Thomas Jefferson. When uber-conservative and wine connoisseur Bill Koch, brother of Charles and David, goes mercilessly after Rodenstock, it’s hard not to side with the “bad guy” of the story. Similarly, HSBC computer technician Hervé Falciani may have broken the law when he disclosed which wealthy bank customers were laundering money and evading taxes, but our sympathies are generally with the whistleblower, whatever his motives might have been.

The book ends with a chapter on Anthony Bourdain, who is perhaps less of a rogue than the other scoundrels in the book. Though he periodically raises a cynical eyebrow over Bourdain’s antics, Keefe is clearly drawn to the celebrity chef’s star power, this man with the magnetism of “an aging rocker,” who “transformed himself into a well-heeled nomad who wanders the planet meeting fascinating people and eating delicious food,” fully enjoying his “fantasy profession.” The story was published in The New Yorker (where all these pieces first appeared) before Bourdain’s suicide, and it ends on an upbeat note, which is undercut by the tragedy that will follow. It’s an irony one can imagine that Keefe, whose profiles display a boundless interest in other people, feels deeply.

warp why dont you like Starscream?

// So I thought it might be easier to explain this from me and not from Skywarp even though I love when he answers questions. But I havent posted something along this line in a few years so it might be time for that again.

Skywarp holds a lot of grievances towards a good handful of Cybertronians. Starscream is the one who he holds the most with. He ultimately regrets transforming his own frame and Thundercrackers to appear like Starscream even though he took it for a way out of the Academy (a place that he never liked to be at). I think if he would've waited a little longer he would've been able to get both of them out of there and they would've kept their beautiful frames that I love so so much. He says this in the Movie annual. He's been punished by him a few times in the comics even though we don't see them, we just hear about it from him. After that punishment because of him shooting Thundercracker, Warp went insane and somewhat turned into a loose-cannon because his like four issues where he absolutely starts making a stockpile of weapons in a warehouse calling out to Megatron and just doing these "missions" on his own show how much off the rocker he was. He was attacking high tech companies and got the attention of Skywatch. Its one of my fav mini series ever.

We even see that Warp applauds Megatron for thoroughly beating the shit out of Starscream and takes joy in it. He tells Windsweeper if he interfered he'd pretty much teleport his fist into his abdomen and wave.

Fast forward a few years and Starscream rats Skywarp out for being able to teleport and his inhibitor deterrence chip is in working condition and that Warp was going to assassinate Bumblebee and where to find him. That later got him badly electrocuted and thrown into jail from Prowl. In RID you can see Skywarp feeling a deeper loathing towards Starscream with his actions, he even calls him a traitor.

After Warp left Cybertron he never had contact with Starscream again. Off the top of my head yeah he never really got involved until he joined up with the Joes. Then he has to go save the world and help Starscream out. You can see he's not all that thrilled about it. But when he has to pick who to help and Arcee badgers him to go save Thundercracker. Well, he can put away those grievances with Thundercracker than the ones over Starscream. My Skywarp would honestly pick almost anyone over Starscream and that's just how he is for me.

Now, the only one he's made somewhat amends was with Monarch's Starscream. They still had their differences and he didn't feel comfortable too much around him but he still was somewhat alright with him. But yeah thats the one Starscream that my Skywarp doesn't necessarily hate anymore and it took a lot to do that. He would still not trust him because of their nature and history but yeah. Thats the gist of it really. Now, the others he has grievances with which are all Autobots, he hates way more than Starscream but you get the point XD THey have a history and that's why you see my Skywarp not liking Starscream too much even though its been a long time since you've seen him interact with a Starscream.

SWtOR AU Challenge

I was tagged by @starknstarwars​ and @cinlat​

The Rules:

The rules on this one are simple (for SWTOR players), go into the character creator and make an AU version of one of your characters. You can change literally anything about them. Class, allegiance, species, gender, ect.

OK, I’m not going into the CC because I haven’t logged into SWtOR since sometime last fall, I think. So have some art of punk rocker Ucevi done by the wonderfully talented and generous @sleepswithvillains​:

I wrote up a lot of notes about a punk rock AU for Ucevi and her friends a while back (which led to the art, lol), but it wasn’t placed in SWtOR itself.

So, building on things in Dance or planned for Dance (this is stream of consciousness onto paper, lol), AU!Ucevi wasn’t Force sensitive and ended up in Imperial Intellligence. She wasn’t suited to Zusae’s type of role, though, and instead was planted on Nar Shaddaa rather like Darmas Pollaran on Coruscant. She’s a bit of a wild card as agents go because she’s also working for the Old Man (which Keeper is aware of and accepts as the price of her connections.) In this AU, her own grandmother is alive and now acting as Grandmother with her sibling as heir apparent to the role. A cousin is the SW. Her brother is working with the Old Man so also on Nar Shaddaa.

Her cover simply bends the truth a bit: she’s from a notable Sith-blood house, but she refused to be shuffled off to the military to seek a glorious death when they found she wasn’t Force-sensitive. Her family paid her to leave the Empire, and she landed on Nar Shaddaa with a couple of other outcast friends (Joran, Tan’Koto, and one other person who hasn’t been introduced in Dance, also IAs.) They started out by playing small gigs here and there in seedy cantinas, and along the way, they pick up Vette (so she misses the tombrobbing trip to Korriban entirely,) and Jaesa (on Nar Shaddaa as servant to an Alderaanian noble on vacation because Noman Karr never met her in this AU.)

AU!Ucevi was trained in Sith Opera as well as the popular music forms. She and Tan’Koto are the lead singers, and Ucevi drums. They spend a few months listening to the most popular groups on Nar Shaddaa while limiting their early gigs to covers of popular songs. But once they get a sense of what has an audience, they shift gears and begin performing some of their own songs that blend Imperial and Huttese styles with an occasional song sung in Old Sith (Vette’s their ear to the ground and advisor and Jaesa is their keyboardist and arranger while Joran is an instrumentalist and the third agent handles all the technical side, like lighting.)

Tan’Koto, as mentioned in Dance, was good enough to get a significant role in a major opera despite being non-human. Ucevi’s voice is not quite his equal, but she has a stage presence. Together (they’ve been singing together almost their entire lives) they’re electrifying. Word gets around quickly and they begin getting gigs at better and better cantinas. Within a couple of years, they’re one of the most popular groups on Nar Shaddaa.

Which has set them up perfectly for their mission. Backstage passes are in demand, offering opportunities to target notables for Imperial Intelligence or build connections. But they do a lot of small private performances for parties and gatherings where the Hutts are doing business, and that’s the gold mine. Joran and the other agent have cutting edge recording devices that to all appearances seem to just be part of their sound equipment.

There’s a lot of potential there, but I’m probably never going to follow up on this one. But it’s fun to think about. Thanks!! Oh, and I am thoroughly enjoying AU!Ucevi in Cinlat’s Whiskey and Tihaar!

IT IS CURRENTLY

SEVEN IN THE GOD DAMN MORNING

& INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SLEEP

I DID A THING TO MAKE MY LIFE WHILE HYPERFIXATING ON BATDR A LITTLE EASIER

So as some of you may know, I’ve been writing quite a few intense rambles regarding the Ink Demon & basically proving to Tumblr that his character is brilliantly complex in the most delicious way possible.

However, since I wanna organize this stuff so it’s easier for me & anyone else who may be interested to find, I made a new tag for all of the most significant rambles I did so far talking about my favorite Inky lad.

#ink demon character studies

Cause…

I dunno, the name just came to mind & I’m running with it.

Like I said, it’s seven in the morning & I got 0 hours of sleep, so I can’t be sure if I can tell my lefts from my rights at the moment. Could be a good tag name, maybe I’m speaking some form of Latin right now, I can’t tell.

& you can definitely expect me to use the tag moving forward, I HIGHLY doubt I’m done talking about him just yet.

I am going to THOROUGHLY understand this mother fucker, I WILL BE THE INK DEMON WHISPERER!!

… Oh by the way, I started writing this at like 6 in the morning, my attention is just not on my side right now, so please excuse my tone if I sound like I am going bonkers, off my rockers even.

buzz's enormous dad energy is so refreshing. more so because he's not even good at it. every day i think about the booster dating advice like. your dad loves you so much and he is thoroughly off his rocker. he cannot help you with anything that isn't ranger related but he cares so much he'll still try. you may wish that he hadn't! but he'll try!

Before he became a vampire, Gerard was fascinated by them. Vampires became a special interest of his, and he consumed a ton of vampire media. Some of the most important influences he had were books and movies he read in high school and early adulthood.

His first exposure to vampires that truly captured his imagination was watching The Lost Boys when he was about 10. It awakened a few things in him: his love of vampires, and his romantic inclinations towards other men. He wanted to be Kiefer Sutherland and hold his hand at the same time. After that, he watched Fright Night, Vampire’s Kiss, The Monster Squad and Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. He would watch old reruns of The Munsters and The Addams Family growing up, but The Lost Boys was what really set off his vampire obsession. 

By the time he got to middle school, he started reading vampire books and horror comics. He really loved Morbius comics and read Dracula over and over in grades 7 and 8. In high school, he watched Interview With The Vampire, Dracula (the 1992 film adaptation), Nosferatu (yes, the silent film) and From Dusk Til’ Dawn as many times as he could manage. He read Anne Rice’s vampire novels, and picked up a copy of Carmilla too. He was thoroughly entrenched in his love for vampires, and it wasn’t a phase.

In college, he watched Blade and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the TV series). After dropping out of college, he watched Queen of the Damned and read Jemiah Jefferson’s Vampire Quartet books. He particularly loved Jefferson’s works. Voice of the Blood was life changing for him; it was gritty, gross, sexy, bloody, and made his skin crawl in every way imaginable. He was entranced by Ricari, the main vampire, who was a fancy European goth rocker and everything he wanted to be and everything he wanted to fuck. 

In 2004, having been out of college for a few years and in a stagnant place in life, he discovered My Chemical Romance after the breakout success of I’m Not Okay off of their second album. He went back and listened to their first album, and Vampires Will Never Hurt You got him hooked. It combined two things he loved, two special interests all in one: alternative rock and vampires. By this point he was working with and for Yves, and knew vampires were real. He had known for a while he wanted to be a vampire, he wanted to experience it for real, but this music gave him a new outlook on life. It was relatable, it was invigorating, and he damn near formed a whole new identity around My Chemical Romance and Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. He still bases his aesthetic on this era to this day.

When Twilight (the novel) came out in early October 2005, he was already Yves’s familiar and assistant and had been for a few years. The plans for him to become a vampire were already made, and the date was set for October 31, 2005. In preparation and excitement, he picked up a copy of the latest vampire book at a bookstore. He read it in a few days, and even though it wasn’t exactly Shakespeare he still enjoyed it. He was already a young vampire when the movie was released a few years later in 2008, but he appreciated the new take on vampires and some of the cheesier elements of the franchise.