adonis otogari idol story 3

i’m kind of on an adonis kick right now so this is his third idol story! as usual, already localized on engstars. i’ve made some minor tweaks/redone translation from the localization for readability.

♪ obligatory disclaimer! none of this is mine, i’m just sharing it for my love of our idol boys. all content belongs to happy elements ♪

outside ES, on the lawn

mitsuru: Ado~! I know you’re hiding around here!

If you don’t turn yourself in, I’ll arrest you as the police~☆

adonis: …

(I’m being chased by the police while I didn’t do anything wrong. This feels strange.)

(So this is the game in Japan called “Cops and Robbers”... The players are divided into two groups, the cops, and the robbers. The former chases the latter.) (1)

(But I believe the robbers have their own reasons for stealing.)

(Maybe they have no other choice but to steal because they have to support their families.)

(The true evil here might be the circumstances that force them to become thieves…)

eichi: Otogari, maybe you should focus on the situation rather than being pensive.

adonis: Tenshouin… You’re also a “robber” in this, right?

Sorry for zoning out. I was wondering if we should simply determine that the robbers are bad.

eichi: What an interesting idea. However, the “robber” here is nothing more than a role we play in a game.

This is a circle activity aiming to develop friendships across agencies within ES…

The purpose of us Sports Survivors is to improve our stamina by playing.

adonis: While that’s true, your shoulders are heaving heavily. I can see you’re exhausted. It looks like you’re physically drained…

You should eat meat if you don’t feel physically strong enough.

eichi: Oh, sorry for making you worry. It’s okay, I joined Sports Survivors to build myself up.

I should try to overcome this.

adonis: It seems like it has become a literal surviving game for you…

eichi: I want to be strong enough so intense exercise no longer poses a threat… though I’ll refrain from straining myself.

If I really faint, ES staff will administer first aid, so it’s okay.

After all, if I were to collapse and leave the idol industry, the ES Project would be as good as dead.

adonis: All right, please be careful. Your body isn’t yours alone.

eichi: Hehe, what a word of tenderness. Really, it’s okay.

Or rather, the influential figures in the industry somehow still treat me like a child, so my resentment has built up for such things.

adonis: Sorry. I shouldn’t have underestimated you.

eichi: That’s all right. Since we’re on the same side this time, let’s work together to defeat the “cops”.

mitsuru: Ado~! I know you’re hiding around here~!

If you don’t show yourself, I’m going to look for you~!

eichi: … Well, now is not the time to chat. Our “cop” is patrolling nearby. Let’s think of a way to escape this situation.

adonis: Hm… Understood.

First… Tenma is investigating the shade we’re currently hiding in.

And to be honest, he’s strong. If we make a run for it, he will catch up to you right away, Tenshouin. 

eichi: Right. Tenma has been making a name for himself recently. I heard that he won in track and field the other day. 

I don’t think you can defeat him in a race without a sound plan, right?

adonis: Right. He’ll catch me the moment I spare any effort. He has really improved.

Things would be in my favor if I were the one to chase others. But as we’re being chased, Tenma is a formidable opponent.

So… It’s now two-on-one… We should probably take advantage of our numbers and attack.

eichi: Keen intuition. I was thinking the same thing.

I have a proposition. In Cops and Robbers, as long as there are uncaptured robbers, they can release every other arrested robber from jail.

So how about one of us acts as bait while the other escapes?

adonis: I agree. This seems to be the only way to escape from Tenma.

Now then, we need to decide who should be the bait… Please let me do it.

eichi: No, allow me. You have a better chance of getting past the police and rescuing the prisoners from jail.

adonis: But… Are you sure?

eichi: As I said, please don’t worry about me.

We have to keep the trump card within our grasp in order to win, Adonis.

adonis: … Understood. I’ll go ahead with this plan…

mitsuru: Found you, Ado!

Hmm? Eichan is here too~?

Tag, tag, tag, taaag ☆

adonis: …?! I can’t believe you have come this close while we were talking…

mitsuru: Mm-hmm, you rarely let your guard down, Ado ♪

eichi: Oh, we’re caught in the middle of a strategy meeting? This is unexpected.

Seems that things don’t always go as we desire, whether in a game or in our life…♪

adonis: Yes, you’re right. All we can do is try to live in the present.

But we can play this game as many times as we want before the sun goes down. That is us Sports Survivors… ♪

translator’s note:

i am almost certain that they meant cops and robbers. there’s no way a real person would put “police and thieves”. that’s like calling rock, paper, scissors “stone, thin wood slice, dual blades”. changed that throughout the story accordingly

title of show is one of those musicals that gets so meta it’s like a community episode half the time, but “i’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing” remains some of the best figuring your art out advice i’ve ever heard

The Quackity Meta: a Tale of Two Absolutes

More than anything else, Quackity wants control, and to never, ever lose his own autonomy. And that is why he despises Technoblade.

But wait, how is Technoblade a threat to Quackity's autonomy? Techno is all for individual freedom! He wants to eradicate the government so that no one can be controlled!

There's the question though... How do people exercise control within the framework of a video game like m/inec/raft?

“a person exercising power or control in a cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary way.”

Power on the Dream SMP cannot be translated one-to-one with real  life power. In real life, yes, a government had infinitely more power than an individual, for numerous reasons. But on the Dream SMP, the government's power is always directly tied to the power of the individuals who are willing to defend that power.

Technoblade is powerful. This is not debatable. How he uses this power, historically, has been a mix of generosity and self-interest*, although primarily the latter.

Generously, He gains resources and then distributes them to his allies during the Pogtopia Rebellion, gearing everyone up and giving them a fighting chance against Dream. However, in the aftermath of Tubbo's being appointed president, Techno turns on them, swiftly and mercilessly. The moment that it becomes clear** that Pogtopia's interests don't align with his own, he crushes them with the aim to prevent them from ever recovering.

( *I use self-interest as a neutral term here. Everyone on the SMP is selfish to some extent – it doesn't make them evil, and in fact has been treated as a positive at times, as well as a negative.

**I want to note that whether or not Technoblade knew of Pogtopia's goal of reinstating the government is unclear. It would seem that from Techno's POV that he didn't know, or assumed that it was a minority who wanted another government. But on the other hand, no one was actively lying to him about their intent, and people like Tommy and Quackity made their goals very clear.  Further doubt is cast on the idea that Techno had no idea when you take into account that he enchanted the Netherite armor in the vault with worthless enchants like Fire Res.

Ultimately, there's no way to know until it is confirmed by cc!Techno himself, and it doesn't pertain that much to this analysis, but I'm aware that it's a hotly debated topic so I wanted to address it.)

It can be argued that Techno's destruction of L'manberg, both the first and especially the second time, was necessary. It can also be argued that it was cruel and a disproportionate retribution against both culpable and innocent parties. Extant of these arguments however, how does it feature into control?

Well, we can’t talk about control without mentioning the most controlling force on the server and the other person on Quackity's hitlist, Dream.

Dream is a tyrant. I don't think anyone can really make an argument against that in good faith at this point. He ticks off every box, no matter how vague or esoteric. This makes the interactions that Quackity and Techno have with him very interesting.

Quackity despises Dream. He's one of the earliest adopters of the hating-Dream-train, to the point that some people have compared him to Cassandra, a priestess who was cursed with the vision of prophecies that would always be true, but never believed. And indeed, Quackity's apprehension of Dream comes in as early as Pogtopia, and grows at a steady pace after the fact.

But despite his rightfully calling out Dream's hypocrisies and his controlling tendencies, Quackity was largely ignored on this front, especially when the time came to exile Tommy and Quackity basically predicted the next arc – If they gave Dream this concession, they would never be able to get out from under his thumb. Flash forwards to the Green Festival, and the moment Tubbo hands over the discs, any illusion of nicety drops and Dream proceeds to destroy them, side by side with...

Technoblade has always had an amiable relationship with Dream. From their first proper interaction on the server being Dream giving Techno some hefty resources, to their snap team-up on Doomsday, they've had a smooth time, with some notable bumps.

Techno fought against Dream during the Pogtopia rebellion, but when it became clear that Dream was more invested in chaos than his other allies, Techno temporarily allied with him to summon the Withers and drive the nail deeper into Manberg’s coffin.

The only time Techno has really bothered to challenge Dream directly is when he came for Tommy in exile. Techno went to great lengths to protect Tommy, hiding him and distracting Dream.

He did give Dream the option to call in his favor and take Tommy, but there are arguments to be made that he did this more as a challenge – that Tommy is worth the favor. Again, we probably wont ever know.

The difference in their relationships with Dream is polarizing. It also reflects the difference in personality – Quackity is an aggressive, ambitious person, whereas Techno leans more towards passivity and caution. Quackity is looking for enemies to challenge, where Techno is avoiding them, people who actually stand a chance against him most of all.

Technoblade is an individual with extraordinary amounts of power. Others have pointed out that he is rarely challenged by other characters or the narrative, and regardless of the merits or flaws in that, it paints him as nearly untouchable. His being in the good graces of Dream only adds to this.

And like with Dream, the only way that people have been able to threaten Techno is when they work together. The Butcher Army, for all it's flaws, managed to capture Techno through numbers – with Tubbo and Fundy (barely) holding off Techno's blood rage while Quackity snuck off to take Carl hostage. And they would have gotten away with it too, if the other most powerful person on the server hadn't stepped in – both by pointing Techno to a totem of undying in the days before the attack, and by getting Punz to cause a distraction and directing Techno to the final control room, where he could escape with Carl.

So, if the most powerful person in the world can only be threatened by people working together, and the most common form of organization is by government, then what does it say about Technoblade, who wants the government destroyed?

People like Tubbo, Fundy and yes, Quackity, all benefit from organizing and working together. They all tend to be less armed, less ready to defend themselves, and completely unable to stand up to titans like Techno and Dream on their own. It's safety in numbers, but it's also control, and control is power.

Ranboo's insistence that Snowchester is a Government is interesting when viewed through this lens. Ranboo is another person who is insanely rich, and able to defend himself and his belongings consistently. Ranboo doesn't need other people to defend him – he's living with Techno and Phil not out of necessity for his survival, but out of need for connection with others.

This seems to be the main difference he finds with Snowchester, which has a more structured environment, geared to defend itself and it's people, if harm should come their way.

Which makes sense, considering it's founder, Tubbo, holds no earthly belongings, and Jack, another prominent member, has made a character trait out of losing his things every other day. The two of them have no conceivable way to defend themselves against people who are stronger than they are. But together, holding the keys to nuclear armaments, they can suddenly play on the field of gods.

The anarchist commune, despite having all members working together and being on good terms, aren't really an organization, they're individuals with common goals and interests. They don't need to live together to be strong, they're all already strong, they choose to be near each other because they want to.

Snowchester is not a government and has no ruler, but together, it's members hold power. They have sway in the world when they work as a collective, and most members have a vested interest in keeping themselves and each other defended because of this. Consequently, the “identity” of Snowchester becomes more prominent, resulting in the flag, the uniforms and the, well, identity.

(Now, the more perceptive among you might have noticed that I basically just compared Techno Phil and Ranboo to the ultra rich 1%, which. Um. Is a pretty serious comparison to make about in a block game rp?

And I wanna say that I don’t think this was necessarily intentional on the parts of either the CCs or the characters, and beyond that, it’s just one way of examining the text. This analysis is by no means the “Right” way to view the story, just a different one.

Regardless...)

Techno uses his considerable power to further his own goals, first and foremost. This is not inherently good or evil, it just is.

Contrast with New L'manberg's cabinet; Four people, pooling their limited power to further their shared goals. Not good or evil, just a way of exercising power.

But power is not static. Power is fluid and changing, moreso now on the SMP than ever before, and Quackity and Technoblade are fighting to define what Power means going forwards.

Techno is fighting for the status quo, knowingly or not. Individuals with power should lead the world, and those without should strive to emulate their betters. He destroys all forms of government, which strip away the rights of the individual in exchange for hierarchy and consolidated power within that hierarchy.

At it's best, this is a very freeing ideology, where nothing and no one can hold back the individual. The world is your oyster if you are willing to work for it.

But at it's worst? “Violence is the only universal language,” is the key phrase. Where does this ideology leave people who aren't strong? Where does it leave those who cannot fend for themselves? If Violence is the only universal language, then the weak have no means to speak.

Quackity is fighting to get a foothold for a contrary ideology – One that prioritizes words over violence and offers alternative methods of gaining and exercising control, such as through currency and conversation. Quackity has tried to varying degrees of success to implement this on the level of his own individual power, such as during the elections, but his attempts at employing this on a grand scale have all been short-lived.

At it's best, this ideology can uplift anyone, regardless of their strength. It encourages more communication, more commerce, and thrives under, you guessed it, strong government.

At it's worst however, it creates a brutally controlling environment. Where a few people gain absurd amounts of power through the complex machinations of a fiat currency, and are then able to use their sway and influence with governing forces to exercise power that they would never be able to hold on their own.

Again, neither of these ideologies are inherently good or evil. They both have flaws and benefits, and benefit no one more than perhaps Techno and Quackity respectively, while hindering the other.

Techno is benefited by anarchy because he holds incredible amounts of individual power. He is the strongest person on the server, he is rich beyond anyone's wildest dreams, and on a meta level, he's straight up good at the game. The current status quo puts him firmly at the top of the food chain, and this is most obvious on Doomsday, when he and the other two most powerful individuals (Dream and Philza) come together and crush the combined forces of New L'manberg. They are not meaningfully challenged in any way, whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Quackity is deeply hindered by the current status quo. He's not strong, he's poor, and he's vulnerable to anyone who wants to bully him with brute force. On a meta level, cc!Quackity just straight up does not play m/inecraf/t as much as some of the other people that on the server. (To be clear, I do not mention that as a criticism, just to contrast Techno. Neither of their levels of play are better or worse for content, they just add to the experience differently.)

On the other hand, in a government? Quackity “Law Student” HQ is suddenly on top. He's charismatic enough to debate with Wilbur “Can Talk His Way out of Anything” Soot during the elections, and come out of that arena smelling like roses. Back during the days of El Rapids, Quackity held his men back from conflict with Dream, and talked him into a corner of technical truths where Dream had to concede that he viewed El Rapids as an independent nation if he wanted to get involved with their conflicts.

And Techno, while he is brilliant and an English Major, suddenly loses a lot of his intimidation factor if he has to respect laws preventing brutal murder. Techno can certainly debate, but his go to conflict resolution is usually violence, and if you take that away, you take away the threat of challenging him. Because make no mistake, challenging Technoblade right now? Is suicide.

And this duality, this grey morality and clash of ideals, is why Quackity is my favorite character on the SMP. He isn't strong. The power he holds is tenuous and balanced on a knife's edge. It would make more sense for him to stay quiet, keep his head down, and if anything, try to change things from the shadows, where he'll be in the least danger.

But he isn't quiet. He doesn't just challenge authority, he challenges the authority; Dream, Wilbur, and of course, Technoblade.

And in all but one of those matches, he's come out with a concession from his enemy gripped between his teeth. He schooled Wilbur in the debates. He forced Dream to grant El Rapids Independence at a time when he hadn't done so for New L'manberg.

But he failed miserably when he challenged Technoblade. Quackity lost that fight in the final control room before it began. He lost the moment he formed the Butcher Army. He would have lost if he managed to kill Technoblade, and he lost still when he died.

He lost because he conceded that the only way to achieve his goal was through violence. He decided that the only way to establish himself and New L'manberg as powerful? Was to kill Technoblade. And he lost that fight and he always will. There was never a way that he walked out of that fight with the victory; Quackity lost the ideological battle long ago.

But not the war.

As of writing this, Quackity is in the process of introducing an economy to the Dream SMP, on Sam's initiative. There is no action I can think of that is wiser for him to take right now. Now, when Dream has been deposed and there's a vacuum in power; Now, when people are getting tired of endless violence and the loss it brings; Now, when people are looking for something new.

An economy is a direct challenge to Might Makes Right. Trading, supply and demand, politics. It offers a new way for people to obtain resources and a direct alternative to brute force; other methods to pay for slights and breaches of honor and etiquette. No more will pet wars be fought with iron swords and shields, but with money! A healthy sum of cash for the murder of Fungi!

If Quackity can get this system off the ground (and with Sam's help, he definitely can,) the stage would suddenly be tilted in the favor of not just Quackity, but the people who he has associated himself with most closely – Tommy, Fundy, even Schlatt. They're all business men, all scammers. This could be Quackity's world, and he's damn well intending for everyone to live in it.

We’ll have to see what Techno thinks of this - Quackity hasn’t made any moves to start another government, and an economy doesn’t inherently contradict anarchy. But it does hold a potential threat to Techno’s current power.

And as for Quackity? What will he do once he’s at the top? Will he finally become a true tyrant? Will he usher in a new age of equality and justice? Or will he eschew all of that in favor of personal riches. For once, the cards are in Quackity's favor, and we might get the chance to see what he does when he holds real power.

Fic Preview: Except Perhaps in Spring

Dear @formerlyir,

I’m your Secret Santa! I’ve so enjoyed getting to know you in 2020, and I look forward to many more chats and Snippets Mondays. I guess now you know why I was so cagey with you about what I was working on for the exchange! ;)

It’s been a lot of fun working on a story just for you, but December has been an eventful month for me, and in the end it got away from me a little. So here’s a taste of your story, “Except Perhaps in Spring.” I hope you have as much fun reading it as I’ve had writing it.

Happy New Year!

=======

As she would maintain for many years afterwards, Peggy hadn’t wanted to go to the pub in the first place.

It wasn’t that she disapproved of such amusements. She liked a stiff drink as much as the next field agent (though not, perhaps, as much as Colonel Phillips, who kept a bottle of bourbon at the back of his middle desk drawer for “medicinal purposes”).

And she appreciated that the boys from the 107th invited her along on their madcap outings—not out of a misguided sense of chivalry, or some crack-brained scheme to charm her out of her knickers, but because they genuinely enjoyed her company.

Along with their fearless leader, the three biggest troublemakers of the group were in London for one night to accept an award on behalf of the 107th. Dugan, Barnes, and Morita had been invited to accompany Steve to the award ceremony, but not to any of the PR opportunities that followed. While Steve spent his afternoon posing for pictures with various elected officials, his boys would spend theirs loitering around the SSR’s London headquarters, trying to convince Peggy to come out on the town with them that night.

Peggy was in no mood.

It had been raining in sheets all day, and her umbrella had already given out on the walk in. The cavernous underground war room was freezing: everyone was wearing scarves and gloves at their stations. 

Peggy’s office—little more than an alcove with a door, really—had sprung a leak during the night, which meant she’d arrived that morning to find a stack of finished paperwork completely drenched. Aside from shoving her desk against the wall and putting a rubbish bin under the steady drip, there wasn’t much to be done.

Thanks to some especially severe belt-tightening, there was no comfort to be had even in a hot drink: the coffee was dismal sludge, the tea in the communal bucket had been stewed to within an inch of its life, and there was, naturally, no milk or sugar to be found anywhere on the premises.

Peggy had spent most of her day hunched over her typewriter, re-typing a twelve-page report that Colonel Phillips would undoubtedly skim for two seconds before it would disappear into the SSR’s vast storehouse of files, never to be seen again.

So when the invitations started, Peggy’s polite-but-firm no, thank you was already locked and loaded, and her aim was true.

She hadn’t counted on the boys being either bored or bold enough to try their luck again as a trio, wedging themselves into her office three abreast, with Dugan as the filling in the sandwich.

“I said no, gentlemen.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard this song before,” said Dugan, grinning. 

“Me too,” chimed in Barnes. “‘Her lips said no, but her eyes said—’”

“On your bike,” said Peggy curtly.

“She’ll change her tune when we tell her who’s coming,” said Dugan. “Won’t she, boys?”

His companions gave solemn nods.

“Yep,” said Morita, drawing the word out. “She’ll come around pretty quick when she hears that we convinced him.”

Peggy glared at each of them in turn. 

“All right,” she said at last. “Who is it?”

“Me, of course,” said Howard, shoving his way in between Morita and Dugan. “See? I told you she’d be excited.”

“Thrilled,” Peggy deadpanned.

“I think she thought we meant someone else,” said Barnes.

“Someone taller,” Dugan agreed.

Howard feigned indignance. “Taller, maybe, but I can guarantee I’m a better dancer. Did you know there’s a leak in your ceiling?” he added helpfully.

“Right. All of you, out.”

The unholy barbershop quartet reluctantly took its leave.

It wasn’t the first time they’d implied that there was something between her and Steve. She didn’t appreciate them doing it in earshot of her office colleagues, though she was certain there must be talk already: Steve’s last visit to HQ had ended in a legendary bust-up between them, after she’d interrupted him with Private Lorraine, mid-embrace.

She wasn’t only angry that he’d kissed someone else. She was angry that he’d kissed a woman he barely knew, after he’d made himself out to be a different sort of man. She’d felt foolish for believing him, for liking him, when he’d told her he was waiting for the right partner.

She was angry that he’d had the nerve, afterwards, to try and brush it aside, pretending it hadn’t meant anything. If a kiss like that didn’t mean anything, how many others had there been? And how many more would there be while they were apart?

(And, though she’d never admit it, she was angry that Steve appeared to be a decent kisser.)

Then, to add insult to injury, he’d brought up Howard’s one-sided flirting—as though she had any control over the invitations and innuendo men chose to pitch at her day after day, as casually and aimlessly as they dropped their litter in the street.

If that was all it took to drive Steve into the arms of another woman, then perhaps it was best that they remained separated by the English Channel for the time being.

*

Peggy applied herself to her work, ignoring any further overtures. As much as she appreciated the inclusion, she didn’t want to spend her evening sitting in a smoky pub, drinking cheap beer and bellowing herself hoarse. She wanted a warm bath and a warm bed. There was only one person she was interested in inviting to join her in either, and even if she hadn’t still been a bit cross with him, the chance of her seeing him at all on this brief visit grew more remote with every hour that passed. His itinerary included supper with Senator Brandt at his hotel, and was liable to be a late night—the senator’s aide had also arranged for a room for Steve at the hotel, presumably to avoid cutting their evening short.

She was grateful Steve would have a chance to get a decent meal and a good night’s sleep while he was in London, even if it meant she wouldn’t get to see his preposterously good-looking face in person. She knew from the dispatches that he was doing gruelling work, and that he often passed up opportunities for respite so that other men could take leave.

By six, it seemed as though the boys from the 107th had all cleared off at last, along with the rest of the office. Peggy slipped into the women’s locker room to change clothes. Transit to and from home in uniform for women was allowed, but not precisely encouraged—and the uniform had a way of making a person more approachable, which was the very last thing Peggy wanted just now. 

She quickly tidied her hair, and reapplied her lipstick and a small dab of eau de toilette, before donning her trusty navy shirtwaist dress. It was slightly threadbare at the cuffs and collar, but still serviceable, and a decent fit, even if it wasn’t as stylish as one might wish for. Peggy knew that plain outfits were a small sacrifice for such a worthy cause—but she still longed for the day when she could have a new dress every season, with features and embellishments, in colours so rich her mouth watered at the thought.

Daydreams of pleated skirts and pockets carried her all the way back to her desk, where she collected her hat and gloves, and tried to revive her sad umbrella. If her office ceiling was any indication, it was still pouring outside, but she knew better than to risk bad luck opening the thing indoors.

Just as she’d started to don her Mackintosh, she heard Barnes’s customary “shave-and-a-haircut” knock on the open door behind her.

She didn’t bother turning around. “For the last time, sod off!” She didn’t often use that kind of language in a professional setting, but if they weren’t going to accept a polite refusal, then—

“Yes, ma’am,” said a familiar voice.

She spun on her heel.

Steve was leaning against the door frame, hands in his pockets. His dress uniform jacket was tucked under his arm, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. His tie had come loose, his collar unbuttoned, and his hair was mussed, tumbling boyishly over his brow. 

He looked, in short, half-undone and entirely ravishing.

All of the sensible reasons she had for keeping her distance suddenly seemed small and remote in comparison.

“Steve,” she said, unnecessarily. “Hello.”

“Hi.” The warm smile he gave her suggested that he hadn’t taken her dismissal personally, at least.

Peggy had imagined this exact scenario an embarrassing number of times: the two of them, in the office after hours, all alone. The fantasies ranged from fairly chaste (teasing, light flirting, an innocent kiss or two) to positively filthy (Steve’s hands roaming her body, his mouth open and demanding against hers).

Looking at him now, her preference was decidedly for the latter option.

Oblivious to the turn her thoughts had taken, Steve asked, “Rough day?”

“Not really, not—” Not anymore, she wanted to say, but clamped her mouth shut just in time. “I didn’t know you were coming in.”

“I’m not here—not officially. I was just gonna leave this on your desk.” 

He jiggled a small brown paper packet at her. It took her a moment to recognize it as the portion of sugar from a ration box.

“How on earth did you manage to hang onto that?”

“We’re still getting it in the K-rats. And I like to save mine for a rainy day.”

“It certainly is that,” she conceded, glancing up at the ceiling. “Are you sure you won’t miss it?”

A different sort of man, a smooth operator, would have taken the opportunity to feed her a line: not as much as I’ll miss you, or, how about you just owe me something sweet? But Steve just shrugged, and tucked the packet gently under the corner of her desk blotter.

Peggy was both touched and exasperated.

She knew that in combat, even with no experience, he could be confident, creative, and quick-thinking. He was almost certainly capable of applying that approach in other situations too. But he hadn’t—at least, not with her.

She wanted one romantic overture from him. Just one. A single, unmistakable gesture, something that couldn’t possibly be attributed to kindness or friendship or sheer accident. 

She felt she deserved at least that.

Still, he’d come halfway across town, to bring her less than an ounce of sugar that he’d probably gone hungry to save. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but it counted for something.

And so she smiled, and thanked him, adding, “I’m glad I was here to accept it in person.”

“Me too.”

“I thought you had supper with the senator and his cronies.”

“I told him I had an early start tomorrow. I think he got enough of my time.” His tone made it plain that he would rather have spent his day getting shot at by HYDRA. “I told the guys they ought to ask you to come out with us tonight. I’m sorry they bothered you.”

“No, it’s fine—I mean, yes, they did, but—” Being half-in and half-out of her coat meant that instead of breezily waving his apology aside, she wound up flapping her sleeve at him, ineffectually.

Obligingly, Steve stepped closer, and held her coat up by the collar.

“Oh,” said Peggy, letting him slip the coat over her shoulders. “Thank you.”

It was a simple gesture, one any kind person would make, and Steve was nothing if not kind. There was absolutely no reason for her heart to be racing, she told herself sternly.

His hand still held her collar; she turned, drawing the circle of his arm around her shoulders, as though they were about to dance.

Up close, she could see the faint dusting of freckles across his nose, the speck of a mole on his cheek. Details that the artists who depicted Captain America always seemed to miss, slight imperfections that belonged only to Steve Rogers. She was strangely tempted to brush her fingertips over them, to prove that they were real, that he was real. 

His eyes were wide, his gaze clear blue and bottomless, and she suddenly felt in danger of drowning.

A hard pellet of water hit her cheek, making her jump.

“Don’t tell me it’s raining in here, too,” said Steve, glancing up at the ceiling with his hand outstretched.

“It’s London in March,” she observed, stepping out of the line of fire. “It’s raining everywhere.” She emphasized the point by buttoning her coat and hooking her umbrella over her arm.

“Can I walk you to the train?” His look was hopeful. 

“Actually,” she said, against her better judgement, “I think I will come for a drink, after all.”

Steve beamed. “Swell.”

(TO BE CONTINUED...)

Ramblings and crazy theory time about GK chap 264 “The woman he saw at the hospital in Otaru”

And so here we go with the first new chapter for the new year that starts with a great battle...

Too bad the fight get interrupted (and no, I don’t really want to see Tsukishima crushed but to see Sofia in action is always SO GOOD), but okay, let’s go with order.

We left Sofia jumping on Tsukishima’s horse. She then parts Tsukishima from Koito and Nikaidou by slapping the horse’s backside and causing it to run away while Koito can’t give chase because his horse is dead.

Well, Nikaidou could but Sofia’s men kill his horse too as their purpose is exactly to split them up before more soldiers will come. They seem an efficent bunch even if they’re just two, in the sense they know what they’ve to do, they aren’t just blindly shooting, they’re shooting with a purpose. Too bad they’re clearly meant to be nameless red shirts, stuck in the story just to be extra characters that are ‘killable’.

Anyway Koito tells Nikaidou to cover him as he’ll try to move around and flank Sofia’s men.

Really, Ogata should have kicked his head sooner. Koito has somehow developed from that kick into a guy who can think of a plan before rushing to attack.

If this were to be solely a humoristic manga I’ll wonder if, with another kick in the head Koito would reach genius level or would revert back to the boy he was previously.

Anyway, Nikaidou agrees with his plan but we don’t get to see the two putting it in action yet as the action shifts on Sofia and Tsukishima.

Sofia  cuts the rope that ties the bag to Tsukishima’s horse then tries to shoot him in the head. She undervalues the hardness of Tsukishima’s head though, as the latter, grabs her wrist and then ‘uses his head’ metaphorically and litterally to hit Sofia’s face, following it with another blow with his elbow.

Really, Sofia, you made a mistake, I know why you prioritized curring the rope tying the sack but you should have stabbed that knife in Tsukishima’s side first when he didn’t expect it.

Anyway Sofia fires the gun, the discharge seems to be accidental as she looks surprised as the gun kills the horse, causing them both to fall from it along with the bag. Sofia, who believes Asirpa is in the bag, lets go of the gun and grabs the bag to protect her.

They roll on the ground and Sofia crashes her head rather badly against a pole.

She still manages to open the bag, to discover it’s filled with clothes. At this she tries to get back her gun but Tsukishima kicks it away... only to be punched away by Sofia as if he were a leaf.

Tsukishima flies backward, slamming on the ground, Sofia hot in pursuit... only for her to fall on the ground as the blow on her head she suffered previously causes her to lose consciousness, a large amount of blood dripping from her forehead.

Tsukishima, who normally is a tough nut to crack, raises himself a bit, a bruise on his check, wondering ‘what the hell is this woman’.

Honestly he was very lucky. It’s only thanks to Sofia hitting the head she ended up out of commission.

Back to Koito we go.

Noda didn’t really add much to the fight, either he’ll develop in the volume version or didn’t think it was important.

We can see that Sofia’s men only amounted to two, one of whom is now seriously wounded and telling his companion to run call the others who should be nearby or the main force in Otaru. His companion might be wounded too, meaning Koito and Nikaidou have good aim after all.

Still, this means Sofia still has a good number of men with herself, just not there as, in that moment, she was strolling around Sapporo only with two of them.

What’s not clear at all is WHY SHE IS IN SAPPORO and, more importantly, HOW SHE KNEW ASIRPA HAS ENDED IN A BAG.

Sure, she knew Tsukishima and Koito were among the ones who took her, but really, in Otaru she saw them wearing uniforms, which should have identified them as men working for the army, so it feels a bit weird she assumed they still wandered around in Sapporo with Asirpa in a bag and anyway... how did she know they were in Sapporo?

That is unless someone tattled out how everyone was there and how Asirpa ended up captive of Tsurumi.

Did she met up with Hijikata as the latter was chasing Tsurumi’s men? Maybe.

I’ve never heard of Hijikata talking Russian but maybe they managed to use Sofia’s broken Japanese to talk.

I don’t know if Ogata could send her words, he was allied with Kiro so he might have means to communicate with her but the last we saw him he was busy in his sniper duel so at most he could have summoned her in Sapporo, not tell her Asirpa was Tsurumi’s captive... unless the duel ended previously and Noda just didn’t show it to us.

I don’t know, we’ll see.

Anyway back to Sofia’s men, Kikuta and Tsurumi join the fight and it’s implied they made a short work of them as they opened fire against them so no, reinforcements aren’t on the way.

Tsurumi’s group and Tsukishima’s group... well, regroup, Tsukishima reporting Sofia, who’s still unconscious and bleeding, was speaking Russian and that he previously saw her at the hospital in Otaru. Koito notices Kiro’s knife on the ground and wonders if she chased them all the way from Ankou prison, evidently figuring she could be the Sofia Asirpa was talking about.

Tsukishima points out they should be after Asirpa but definitely got a serious grudge against them.

Oh Tsukishima, dear, you can’t even begin to imagine how SERIOUS this is.

Nikaidou suggests to kill her before she’ll wake up but Tsurumi instead decides to take her with them so as to try to get info from her as he thinks she could be one of Kiroranke’s allies and therefore a good source of info.

Really Tsurumi, hadn’t you recognized her yet?

Anyway Tsurumi admits they’re too far from Tsukisamu so they should hid Asirpa’s nearby.

And, all right, Sugimoto knew him well, Tsurumi has kept Asirpa with himself.

And about Sugimoto, we see him still trying to run after Tsurumi. I’ll admit he has stamina even though he’s probably running out of it, considering how bad he’s panting... and how he ends up throwing up.

Shiraishi, on the bottlemobile, reaches him so Sugimoto can hop in but Shiraishi is not Boutarou and his driving speed is slower than the one of a cat on a stroll so Sugimoto demands to be the one who’s left to guide because he knows exactly the right technique to speed the car up... punch the steering wheel.

Really, Shiraishi was doing better.

Shiraishi explains him the basics so Sugimoto shows us his skill as a driver... promptly crashing against some trunks...

...with the result Boutarou’s corpse flies out.

Sugimoto runs to recover it, apologizing to Boutarou. Really, considering he wanted to kill him and didn’t care at all about him previously his apology feels weird.

Shiraishi suggests to put Boutarou in the back and then the two resume going.

Sugimoto asks Shiraishi if he had met Kikuta previously but Shiraishi doesn’t really remember him among the men with Tsurumi.

Sugimoto goes back to ‘gold’ business and asks him if Boutarou told him anything.

Shiraishi tells him Boutarou told him to give up on being the escape king, settle down and tell his kids about him.

He then continues saying Boutarou always insisted he wanted to become a king but what he truly longed for was just to get back the family he lost and a home he could return to.

This causes Sugimoto to remember Kikuta, in civil clothes and without facial hair, asking him where does he call home...

...before making clear what he really wanted to know weren’t Boutarou’s hopes for Shiraishi’s future or Boutarou’s true dream but if Shiraishi got any of the Ainu info out of him.

‘Jā kekkyoku Ainu no jōhō wa kikidasenakatta no ka’

じゃあ結局アイヌの情報は聞き出せ無かったのか

Which loosely means "Then after all, you couldn't get the info about the Ainu out of him, right?"

Shiraishi admits having gotten them...

‘Iya... Shikkari oshiete kureta ze’

いや... しっかり教えてくれたぜ

“On the contrary... he informed me well.”

...but there’s a shadow on his face which doesn’t promise anything good.

On a funny note they’re going a little faster as they now can keep up with a running dog.

Meanwhile Tsurumi’s group is in the ‘Nihon Kirisuto Kyōdan’ (日本キリスト教団 “United Church of Christ in Japan”) in Sapporo, the church that, in Jack/Ostrog’s mind, replaced St Mary's Church.

They’ve taken Kiro’s knife from Sofia and Asirpa’s hunting knife and makiri from her and had sat them on one of the church’s benches. Asirpa is awake but Sofia is still unconscious even if they had cleaned up part of the blood on her face and she doesn’t seem to be bleeding anymore.

Tsurumi sends Koito Tsukishima and Kikuta to search for the other soldiers that got separated from them, telling them to return to the church only when they’ve eliminated pursuers, warning  them Sofia’s men are guerrillas so not someone they should undervalue.

I wonder if Tsurumi is sending away Kikuta and Tsukishima because they know Russian and he wants to question Sofia in ‘private’.

As for Koito, since he figured out something changed in him thanks to Koito newfound ability to speak in a normal way to him, Tsurumi probably think it’s better to keep him out of the way, should he decide to do something Koito might not blindly approve anymore.

Meanwhile Tsukishima dared to inspect Sofia and found the photo Tsurumi took of her, Wilk and Kiro so long ago... which reminds me the funny thing of how Sofia still wears the same clothes because no one ever changes in Manga, not even after 17 years has gone by.

Whatever, the next panel shows Tsurumi’s face completely shadowed, with as only visible thing the fact that his brain is leaking which, as usual, doesn’t promise anything good.

On a sidenote I’ve always wondered about that leaking.

Sometimes it seems a gross metaphor to Tsurumi’s excitation but sometimes it just seems tears. I wonder if it’s both, I wonder if a side of him is excited at having Sofia in his hands along with Asirpa and the other side is just heartbroken because he’s again reminded of Fina and Olga’s deaths.

Tsurumi is a complicate man and I wonder if in his head something is split and pain for his loss conflated with excitation for getting his revenge.

Anyway the chapter ends with still no mention of Ogata and Tsurumi left unsupervised with Asirpa. I’m honestly worried for her. My poor child is not in a good situation.

Metaphorically speaking it’s interesting they’re in a church considering all the parallels with Christian religion. I’m very curious to see where Noda will go from here.

Canonization and Fandom Purity Culture

I wrote a 1k-word twitter thread (as proof that I am Not made for Twitter and it’s goddamn 240-character limit) and am pasting it here with edits and updates (it’s now 2k words). 

I have thoughts to share (which I know have been stated more eloquently before by others) about this trend of demanding/obsessing that certain ships become "canon" and how it overlaps with the rise of fandom purity culture.

Under the cut.

Here in 2021 there is a seemingly large and certainly loud and active contingent of online fandoms who desire (or even demand) "canon validation" for a given interpretation of a source material. This is more true with shipping than anywhere else.

First, it is important to note that the trend is not limited to queer ships or to any single fandom. In the past few years I've seen it for Riverdale, Voltron, Supernatural (perhaps most extreme?), The 100, etc., and less recent with the MCU, Sherlock, Teen Wolf, Hawaii 5-0, etc. It is a broad trend across ships, fandoms, and mediums.

So if it is more common for queer ships, it is hardly unique to them. Similarly, pretending that it is about queer representation is a clever misdirect to disguise the fact that it is most often about ships and shipping wars. If you ever need proof of that, consider that a character can be queer without being in a given relationship or reciprocating another character's affections. Thus a call for more/better queer rep itself is very different than a call for specific ships to be made canon.

Also note that when audiences frame it as wanting to recognize a specific *character* as queer, it is almost always in the context of a ship. Litmus test: would making that character queer but having them *explicitly reject* the other half of the ship be seen as a betrayal?

(Note: none or this is to say we shouldn't push for more queer rep and more *quality and well-written* queer rep! Just that that isn't what I'm talking about here, and not what seeking canon validation for a specific interpretation or a specific ship is almost ever about.)

Why does this matter?

the language of representation and social justice should not be co-opted to prop up ship wars

it is reciprocal with a trend toward increasing toxicity in transformative fandom spaces

Number 1 here is self-explanatory (I hope). Let's chat about 2.

Demands for canon validation correlate with a rise in fanpol / fandom purity culture. What is fandom purity culture (and fandom policing)? This toxic mentality is about justifying one's shipping preferences and aiming to be pure (non-problematic) in your fictional appetites regarding romance and sex.

Note that this purity culture is so named as it arises linearly from American Protestantism, conservative puritanical anxiety around thought crimes, and overlaps in many ways with terf ideologies and regressively anti-kink paradigms.

It goes like this: problematic content is "gross" and therefore morally reprehensible. Much like how queer sex/relationships get labelled as "gross" (Other) and thus morally sinful, or how kink gets labelled as "harmful" and thus morally wrong. The Problematic label is applied by fanpol to ships with offset age or power dynamics, complicated histories, and anything they choose to label as "harmful". As such, they would decry my comparison here to queerphobia itself as also being harmful, because their (completely fictional) targets are ~actually~ evil.

(The irony of this is completely lost on them).

This mode of interacting with creative works leaves no room to explore dark or erotic themes or dynamics which may exist in fiction but not healthily in reality. Gothic romance is verboten. Even breathe the word incest and you will be labelled a monster (nevermind Greek tragedy or GoT).

As with most puritanical bullshit, fanpol ideology only applies these beliefs to sex and never to violence/murder/etc, proving what lies at its core. It also demands its American-based values be applied to all fictional periods and places as the One True Moral Standard. It evangelizes – look no further than how these people try to recruit others to their cause, aim to elevate themselves as righteous, and try to persuade (‘save’) others from their degenerate ways of thinking. 

“See the light” they promise “here are our callouts and blog posts to convince you. Decry your past sins of problematic shipping, be baptized by our in-group adulation and welcome, and then go forth and send hate to others until they too see the light.” In many ways “get therapy” by the antis is akin to “I’ll pray for you” by the Christian-right (and ultimately ironic).

(Although it has been pointed out to me that these fans are likely not themselves specifically ex-evangelicals, but rather those who have brushed up with evangelical norms and modes of thinking without specifically being victims of it. In many ways they are more simply conservative Christian in temperament and attitude without necessarily being raised into religion by belief).

What this has to do with canon validation is that these fans look to canon for approval, for Truth. On the one hand, if it is in the canon then it must be good / pure or at least acceptable. The authority (canon) has deemed it thus. It is safe and acceptable to discuss and to enjoy watching or consuming. In this way, validation from canon means a measure of safety from being Bad and Problematic. 

For example, where a GoT fan could discuss Cersei/Jaime's (toxic, interesting) dynamic in depth as it related to the canon, fans who shipped Jon/Sansa (healthy, interesting) were Gross and Bad. The canon as Truth provided a safety net, a launch point. "It's GRRM, not me, who is problematic." It wasn’t okay to ship the problematic bad gross incest ship, but it being in the canon material meant it was open for discussion, for nuance, for “this adds an interesting layer to the story” which is denied to all non-canon ships labelled as problematic.

(Note: there are of course people who have zero interest in watching GoT for a whole slew of very valid reasons, including but not limited to the incest. That’s a different to this trend. A less charged example might be The Umbrella Academy, where a brother canonically is in love with his sister and antis still praise the show, but if you dare to ship any of the potential incest ships then you are the one who is disgusting).

On the other hand, a very interesting alternate (or additional) explanation for this phenomenon was raised to me on twitter. (These ideas aren’t mine originally, but I wholly endorse them as a big part of what is likely going on): Namely, as with authoritarian individuals in general, they see themselves as right and correct, but the canon (which has not yet validated their ship) is not correct, and is in fact problematic, and so they can save the canon from itself.

As mentioned, these fanpol types see their interpretation as Good and Pure. So if they can push (demand, bully) the canon into conforming to their worldview and validating their interpretation, then they have shown the (sinful) creators the light and led them to the righteous path. This only works if the canon allows itself to saved though, otherwise the creators remain Evil for spurning them.

How is this different from fans simply hoping for their ship to be canon?

For a second here, let’s rewind to the 90s (since Whedon has been in the news recently). This “I want it to be canon” thing isn’t 100% new, of course. We saw this trend then for the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it was different then. At the time, fans who hoped for a ship to be canon might have been cheering for a problematic one to begin with (Buffy/Spike). So shipping was still present, minus vocal fanpol.

(And Buffy fans learned that canon validation...can leave a lot to be desired. A heavy lesson was learned about the ways that fan desires can play out horrifically in canon, and how some things are best left out of the hands of canon-writers).

These days, this is still largely true. Many fans hope for their ships to go canon, as they always have. There are tropes like “will they/won’t they” that TV shows may even be designed around, which a certain narrative anticipation and a very deliberate build up to that.

But while shipping *hopes* occur for many fans, almost all ships fans that *demand* to go canon and obsess over are now the ones deemed as Unproblematic, or as Less Problematic. I’m talking here about the ships that aren’t necessarily an explicit will/won’t they dynamic but do have some canon dynamic that leads them to being shipped, but which the creators aren’t necessarily deliberately teasing and building up a romantic end-game for.

These ships often have fans who are happy to stick to fandom, but there has also been a huge uptick in the portion of fans who are approaching shipping with an explicit lens of “will they go canon?” and “don’t you want them to be canon?” and now even “they have to go canon” and “the canon is wrong if they don’t make this ship canon”, to a final end-point of “if the ship doesn’t go canon, the source material is Wrong and Bad.”

These latter opinions are the one we see more by extreme fans (‘stans’), hardcore shippers, but especially by fanpol-types, the ones who embrace fandom purity culture at least to some extent.

Why them?

In pushing for canon validation, fanpol types seek to elevate their (pure) interpretation of canon. As mentioned above, it’s validation of their authority, a safety-net, and a way to save the canon from itself if only they can bully the canon into validating their right and good interpretation. 

There’s also another reason, which is that canon validation is a tool to bludgeon those seen as problematic. They can use it to denounce other (problematic) ships as Not Being Canon and therefore highlight their own as Right and Good, because it is represented in the True Meaning of the Work.

Canon validation then is a cudgel sought by virtuous crusaders to wield against their unclean enemies. It is an ideological pursuit. It is organised around identity and in groups sometimes as insular as cults.

How does this happen?

Fanpol tend to be younger or more vulnerable fans, susceptible to authoritarian manipulators. As many have highlighted before, authoritarian groups and exclusionary ideologies like terfs are very good at using websites like tumblr to mobilize others around their organizing beliefs. Fanpol tend to feel legitimate discomfort, but instead of taking responsibility for their media engagement, ringleaders stoke and help them direct their discomfort as anger onto others; “I feel ashamed and uncomfortable, and therefore you should be held accountable for my emotions.” Authoritarian communities endorse social dominance orientations, deference to ringleaders, and obedient faith to the principles those ringleaders endorse.

As these fans attach more and more of their identity to a given media (or ship), and derive more and more validation and more of their belongingness needs from this fanpol community, they also become more and more anxious about being excluding from this group. This is because such communities have rigid rules and very conditional bases for social acceptance. Question or "betray" the organizing ideology and be punished or excommunicated. If that is all you have, you are left with nothing. Being labelled problematic then is a social death.

What this means is that these fans cannot accept all interpretations of a media as equally valid: to do so Betrays the ideology. It promises exclusion. And, in line with a perspective around ‘saving’ canon and leading others into the light – forcing and bending the canon to their will is what will make it Good (and therefore acceptable to enjoy, and therefore proof of them as righteous by having saved others). As was also pointed out to me on twitter, endorsement from canon or its creators also satiates that deep need they have for authority figures to approve of them.

Due to all of this, these fans come to obsess over canon validation of their own interpretation. In a way, they have no other option but to do so. They need this validation -- as their weapon, as their authority, as their safety net, as their approval, as their evangelical mission of saviorship.

Canon validation is proof: I am Good. I am Right(eous). I am Safe.

(In many ways, I do ache for some of these people, so wrapped up in toxic communities and mindsets and so afraid to step out of line for fear of swift retribution, policing their own thoughts and art against the encroaching possibility that anything be less than pure. It’s not healthy, it’s never going to be healthy.)

In the end, people are going to write their own stories. You are well within your rights to critique those stories, to hate them, to interpret them how you will, but you can never control their story (it's theirs).

Some final notes:

This trend may be partially to do with queer ships now being *able* to go canon where before so no such expectation would exist. Similarly, social media has made this easier to vocalize. Still, who makes these demands and the underlying reasons are telling. There are also many legitimate critiques of censorship, queerbaiting (nebulous discussions to be had here), and homophobia in media to be had, and which may front specific ships in their critique. But critique is distinct from asking that canon validate one's own interpretation.

PART 24 {Did I scare you from the previous part? 😌 sorry~🙈 It won’t be the ending though until you’ll see the word Fin. So yeah😉}

“Hide.”

“Hide, princess. Hide.”

“But appa----“

“Just run away now, Sung Eunyoung. Hide!”

A dawning nights of thunderous rains clattering through every roofs of homes, deafening silent dreams of solemnness. But not for the Sung Mansion. A panicking patriarch silently waking up a clueless young daughter who is just peacefully sleeping. Rubbing an eye from its sleepy mien.

“Appa?”

Her soft voice which only responded by a hush. Confused, yet just enough to get terrified after hearing the sturdy banging behind her bedroom door. Sleepiness instantly vanished. “W-what’s happening, appa?”

Fear came upon the young self. For there she is, being obliged to go down a secret basement of the bedroom her architect father built just for her. A secret passage through their gates exit. Then again she pushed to peek and witness everything and she did for there it is, men in black surrounding his blooded father and the merciless leader she can never forget.

~

“Hide.”

“Hide, Jang Taeyoung!!”

But it was him. It was his name she keeps on uttering now. She on the dirt of soil and scratches, pouring tears of fear. It became a routine of her consciousness. The day she witnessed her father’s death and how it changed into seeing Jang Taeyoung’s blooded one. 3 years. Three years had passed but she can still remember it clearly. Dreams that was once occupied by her father is with his added. The once revenge she aimed is her today’s anguished.

Afraid that someone might see her with a shattering state, she quickly went inside the bathroom and approach the nearest sink. Washing out the remarks of her endless tears. She dreamt of him again. It was a nap but it always feels like forever.  

She cannot forget how she left him even after being saved. Neither did she ask about him ever if he could have been alive or not? She wouldn’t know for she felt guilty all of a sudden that leaving is the only thing she can think of to repent her faults.

She blamed herself and she is still now. Her name was on run back then anyway so fleeing is the most sensible reason to escape. She shamelessly saved her own in the end. A total bitch she agrees.        

“There you ar----“

“Hey!”

She was startled. A person who has no decency for privacy opens the door. “Do you really can’t control that attitude of yours? Dios mío.” She hated it. She hated when even just a small gesture from others, she can remember him. Massaging her temple, she asked. “What is this time?”

“My bad, amiga but I haven’t seen you around your desk. So I suppose you’re here, I can’t never be wrong indeed. You cried again? Jeez. What’s really in that nightmares of yours that it keeps haunting you. Are you a runaway bride or something?”

And yes, they’re talking in Spanish. The nosy questions coming from the nosy mouth of the other that she needed to butt in, facing the latter with irritation. A hand resting on the sink while the free one on the waist. “Judy, if you’re running out of stories to tell, will you please exclude my private ones and shut up? Cut the chase por favor.”   

Judy who’s racing her arms to surrender, defended herself. “Okay, okay. Relax, will you? As I was saying, I came to your desk to put the files you requested about the incoming book fair this week.”

Instantly, her mood brightens up as she had been reminded about the program which proceeds will be a much help for the orphanage they are rendering. Checking each files with anticipation. “You like that?”

“Very.”

She’s all smiles from ear to ear that Judy can’t help but wonder. “Know what? If you really love kids, then make your own. I feel pity for your genes. Heck, if only I’ve been blessed with that kind of face I think I’m already sleeping with tons of Michael Angelo now.”

Rolling her eyes, she countered. “You, and your mouth, Judy. Did I ever say, I won’t? Spare me, please!”

“Oh yeah? Like how you intentionally dump all your admirers? What a great excuse from you, amiga.”

“Shut up, will you? Tss.”

“Whatever. Anyway, speaking of. The kids just arrive, waiting for your presence already.”

Judy reminds as it was also enough for her to be left on her own as Sung Eunyoung hurriedly went out without further ado. Sighing for being betrayed, she followed instead.

“Profesora!!”

The harmonic chimes of the children as they surrounded her with hugs and kisses as she bent over them. Stroking their hair with tender greetings. “How are you, mi estudiantes?”

“Great! Very great! Yes, we are. We miss you.”

For she has been bombarded with various answers she cannot dare to ignore.

Gone the business venturer her as she is only an ordinary lecturer now. Simply sitting by a tree as she tells tales to what she considered her children. Filling the empty space in her. “Hey, have you heard?”

Judy bringing back its nosiness once again right after she ask her students for a drawing class. Frowning, she faced her co-worker. “Again, Judy? Can you at least zip that blabber mouth of yours just for a day?”

“Hey! That’s too harsh of you.”

“Why? Isn’t it true?”

“Jeez. Your frankness in its finest. Well, let me tell you amiga. It’s a fact this time. Try me.”

She can only shake her head as the former continues her gathered information anyway. Little she knew a piece of it will rise a hidden hopefulness in her. “Russian.”

“I heard a Russian clan takes a big part of sponsoring our book fair. The Oblonsky even donated a number for the orphanage. Books, shelter, name it all. It was said that a Korean man will actually turn as their representative. A Russian elite entrusting an Asian man? How peculiar, right?”

She can only respond a stutter. “W-who’s clan did you say it is?”

“The Oblonsky. And you know what’s more enthralling?” She stilled. As she turned to her unbothered companion who’s still delighted by its own story. Right then, Judy leans for a whisper as if afraid to share it to anyone but her. “A dear acquaintance of mine said this damn representative has a figure of a perfect hottie, amiga. Oh my, how I can picture and meet this mysterious man of my dreams.”      

The robust daydreaming of it which just left unheard on her for the only thought running through her mind was the information bestowed upon that she needed to leave the off-guard Judy who’s continuously calling her name from afar. She has to confirm it and if meeting him is the only answer, then be it. Pulling out her phone before stepping in her car, she decided.

“Where are you?”  

~

Fidgeting her nails for waiting, she can’t attain anymore. The Russian Oblonsky clan or better well said the elite mafia gang who saved her foster parents from being hostage back then. The one she just knew he sought for help. Plus, that Korean man. “Dammit.”

She can only curse as everything just gets worse for her to absorb. Brushing her face as she didn’t notice the arrival of the person she contacted who’s now sitting across her. “What’s with that low face that makes you grumpy s---“

“Tell me what happened to him.”

Left confused, the person answers her anyway. “What? Who are you talking about?”

“The f*cking info you knew about him. Tell me all, now!”

Finally interpreted what she meant. He can only bulge his eyes from crunching. “Are you talking about brother? Finally, sis?”

She can only be silent for admitting. “J-just… just give it to me, Zilo.”

Zilo. Yes, she’s indeed meeting the Zilo Alcaziar who killed his own father. The unexpected savior they didn’t saw coming. Thus the seriousness between them came as the introduction of their subject reopened. “Will you believe me if I say he’s dead?”

A sting inside her broke as her skin shivered with disbelief.

“D-don’t… Don’t play with me, Zilo…”

But Zilo just led his head to look down. “Right... How can you trust a person who once harmed you?” He really means it, she can tell. “He vanished.”

“W-what?”

“That’s what I assumed at first when I went back to the scene as the authorities keeps searching for his body. I thought some of his men may have manage to escape their boss. To be honest, I do not actually know the real thing happened to brother but seeing how they found evidences of his death, I can’t help but realize the possibility sis. Believe me, I trie---“

“Stop.”    

She needed to stop him before her heart will explode from hurting further. She had foreseen it, she just tried to ignore that it’s not. Hearing it makes her regret asking even as the sorrowful face of Zilo takes in. “I’m sorry…”

Seeing his downgrade stance, she can only sigh from its remorse. She can’t deny, she felt sorry for him as well. “As much as I thank you, I still hate you though.”

“I know. If only I reach in time, I could have save you both sis. Fath—could haven’t got the chance to slip and pull the trigger. I’m really sorry, I really do.” It was as if an unspoken secret from a box revealed its bits for the last time as his whispering apologies continues. Suppressing a drop of tear on her eye, she chooses to glance the shore by the window glass beside them.

“Forget it. It’s all in the past anyway. It’s not like we can bring back the time and change it.”

She thought three years could have been enough to heal her wounded soul but just a simple brought out, the facades breaking so easily. Silence visited once again. “You know what, Zil?” before she initiated to break it, turning to face him who’s as well looking by the shore like she does. “Hm?”

“I still wonder why you shot your own father. I do learn that you’re somehow fighting against him, but to save us? I can’t seem to search for a reason.”

His eyes never left the shore as he speaks. “It’s because it reminded me of how he killed my own mother.”  

All she could do then, is listen. “I almost forgot about it, you know. The warmth. The warmth he stole from me when I was a kid. And brother… A younger brother he never had. Just like that, a mere phrase he simply pulled back for me. I thank him for that, and for the nth time, I’m really sorry. For everything. For you. For being a dimwit, for being too late. I really am, sis.”  

Sincerity. For the first time she felt it from him. She may have not known what happened between him and Jang Taeyoung before the incident. Yet one thing’s for sure. Her loco, did a good job. “And I have forgiven you for that. Remember it now, Zilo.”

Giving him a small smile, she intended to light their atmosphere and she did as she was reciprocated by its own smile when finally turning to her. “Alright! So much for the drama. Shall we just order our food now?”

~

Clatters from the utensils can only be heard as they chew their own food when Zilo happens to thought of something. “Sis?”

“Yes?”

“I know this is too much for me to ask, but have you…uhm--- nah, it’s nothing.”

Sensing his hesitation, she obliged him. “Just say it, Zilo.”

Clearing a throat, he had no choice but to push. “Well, w-what I mean was that… perhaps, are you waiting for him? Brother?”

She was halt from her actions then as she was staring to her food, keeping to tap the spoon’s tip on her plate. “What makes you think I am?”

“Because I do think you are. You have been a transparent lioness easy to read ever since you lost him, sis that before you knew your once intricacy became your vulnerability.  That what you are today. You just failed to notice it.”                

She can never be as silent as she is right now indeed.

Leaning by the backrest of his seat, Zilo can see right through her. “So you’re really waiting for him, huh?”

‘Am I?’

She thought for herself.

Story starter - Take Your Shot

This is something original that I’ve started brewing. It’s loosely based on my fan works, but this is 100% mine. I think I know where I want to go with this, but I figured I’d post the first rough chapter here for you to enjoy.

Let me know what you think.

*** 

“Step right up! Step right up! Take a shot and win a prize! One dollar gets you ten shots!”

Gina Mosey took a bite of her ice cream cone as her eyes drifted to the shooting booth. It was a warm autumn evening and she and her friends were out enjoying themselves on a Friday night. The carnival had rolled into town just that afternoon, setting up in the abandoned General Miller’s grocery store near her home. She was out with her friends, Andre and Tulip, and after riding several terrifyingly flimsy rides, they were wandering the game booths and pigging out on sugar.

“Hey, check out that booth,” Andre said. He was munching on an oversized elephant ear and gesturing with his food towards the stand. “It’s setup like an old timey shooting gallery.”

Gina made a ‘mmm’ noise in agreement as she took another bite of her chocolate cone. She was careful not to get it on her jean jacket. It may have had a slew of frayed band patches all over it, but the ornate stitching on the back had been done by her mother. It had been a birthday gift, and even thought Gina didn’t make a big deal out of it, she absolutely adored it. So what if it did clash with her black, flower print tee shirt? So what if it didn’t exactly go with her jean shorts and black leggings? Aside from her beat-up converse, her jacket was her prized article of clothing, and she wasn’t about to get a stain on it.

Beside her, Tulip started hopping up and down excitedly. She was in a green dress that offset her dark skin nicely, and the green barrettes in her short, black hair shown yellow in the carnival lights. Her face was fixed in what Gina had long ago accepted to be a permanent smile.

“I wanna give it a try! This looks fun!” Tulip said. She broke from their small group and half-ran over to the large, dark shooting booth. Gina and Andre followed, both taking in the detail of the gallery. There were painted hills, some houses, a fence, and what looked like a barn in the corner. Moving on a rickety track were metal ducks, cows, chickens, and on a fence post in the back was a small squirrel. All of them were on what looked like small metal sticks.

“One dollar gets you ten shots,” the carny sad from beside them. Gina noted he was dressed exocentrically for a barker. He had an old, red felt tuxedo and an oversized top hat. His eyes were hidden behind a set of oversized spectacles, and he was grinning like a jack-o-lantern. He turned his head towards Gina and leaned in. “Care to give it a go?”

Tulip handed the carny a dollar and picked up a flimsy-looking BB gun. She took aim and after ten shots, managed to knock down three ducks and a cow.

“Not bad, not bad,” the carny said as he handed her an oversized green duck plushie. He looked again to Gina. “Miss? Care to try?”

“I’ll try,” Andre said. He fished a dollar out of his red flannel shirt and handed it to the carny. Gina watched as he ran his hand through his slightly unkept blond hair and took aim. He managed to hit a chicken, a cow, and four ducks.

“Why, not bad at all, sonny. Here, have a prize for your trouble.” Gina watched as the carny handed her friend a small, red and green basketball.

Andre smirked at Gina and said, “Bet’cha can’t do better.”

Gina glanced at the targets and then at the carny. She considered saying no, but it did look kind of fun, and if there was one thing she had never been able to do in the 15 years she had been alive, it was turn down a challenge from Andre. They had grown up together, and as a result, they had been through hundreds of dares, challenges, and fights.

And Gina hated losing to him. Like, seriously hated it.

Gina handed him her ice cream and fished a dollar out of her jean jacket. She handed it to the carny and reached for a BB gun, but the carny cleared his throat.

“Excuse me,” he said in a slightly quieter voice than before. Gina watched as he reached behind the counter and brought out a very different looking gun. It was larger, and slightly heavier. The handle looked like it cocked down and up to load, just like the other BB guns, but it was obvious that the overall quality of the gun was superior to the ones out for use. “I believe this rifle might be more to your liking, Miss.”

Gina stared at the rifle for a moment before giving a small nod and carefully taking the gun from the carny’s hands. She hefted it for a moment, allowing herself to get used to the weight before she settled against the counter and adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses. Green eyes narrowed as she followed the sight at the end of the barrel towards a flimsy tin duck.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

Three ducks went down in a row.

Tulip let out a whistle as Andre shrugged and frowned. “So what? It’s just beginner’s luck.”

Gina frowned and glared at the chicken targets. “Hey Andre?” Gina muttered.

“Yeah?” Andre replied.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

“Shut up.”

Andre and Tulip stared, slack-jawed, as two chickens, two cows, a bird, and a rotating sun target over the barn all fell one after the other.

“How’d you do that?” Andre asked, dumbfounded. “Your mom doesn’t even let you play laser tag!”

Gina shrugged and took aim at a rabbit target. She pulled the trigger and watched the rabbit fall.

“Dunno,” Gina said. “I just… Did?”

“You have one more shot,” the carny said. He pointed at the squirrel target in the back. “If you can hit that squirrel, I might have a special prize for you.”

Gina bit her lip and took aim.

BAM!

The tin squirrel rocked back and disappeared.

“We have a winner!” The carny cried out. He took the gun back from Gina and rooted around behind the counter. Meanwhile, Tulip was staring at her with eyes as wide as saucers.

“You’re amazing! Do you have a shooting game at home?” Tulip stared awestruck at her friend.

Andre let out a snort. “Dr. Mosey wouldn’t spend money on a shooting game if her life depended on it,” he said. Gina nodded in agreement.

“It’s true. Mom isn’t a fan, so, yeah.” She glanced at the targets again. “I just, um, did it. That was my first time.”

“Well then,” the carny said as he popped up from behind the counter. “I’d say that deserves something special. A special prize for a special lady.”

Gina eyed the carny as he handed her what looked like a leather bracelet. She looked back at Tulip’s green stuffed chicken and cocked an eyebrow. “Um, no offense, but how is this better than a chicken?”

“That right there is a special charm bracelet,” the carny said as he handed it to Gina. “There’s not many out there of this quality, nor that can take charms quite like these. I assure you,” the carny leveled his gaze at Gina. “This is a very rare prize. In fact, I’d been waiting to see who would win it, and here you are.”

“Yeah,” Gina said as she backed away from the somewhat creepy carny. “Here I am, and here I go. Thanks, Mister.”

“Anytime,” the carny said as the trio of kids drifted away. He grinned after them as they disappeared into the crowd. “Anytime at all.”

***

By the time Gina got home, it was late. Andre and Tulip had walked her to her door, but honestly it wasn’t like it was out of their way. They all lived on the same little winding suburban street. It was one of those neighborhoods that was teetering on being either really nice or really run-down, and with the number of rentals that had popped up over the last few years, it was tilting towards the latter.

Gina kicked off her shoes and looked around the quiet, dark two-story home. Her mother was working late, as usual. Gina let out a small sigh and headed to the kitchen for some soda. It wasn’t like she blamed her mom for working; someone had to, after all. Gina just wished from time to time that they had more time for each other after…

Gina popped the top of her soda can and took a long swig as she wandered into the living room. She then glanced to the family picture hanging above the couch.

“Hey dad,” Gina said to the picture. He was in a white dress shirt with a red tie, and his arm was around her mother’s waist. She was grinning and her hair was curly and hanging in her face, and between them was Gina, just a year younger than she was now.

Gina sighed. The three of them looked blissfully happy.

“So, I had fun at the carnival. Andre won a basketball. Did you know he sucks at shooting?”

Gina smiled and took another sip of soda. “And, like, I’m apparently awesome at it? Who knew? You would have been impressed.”

Gina stood in the dimly lit room and hugged herself. “I wish you’d been there. We should have all gone together. I wish mom could have gone, but she’s done nothing but work since, well, you know.”

Gina held up her hands. “And that’s cool! I mean, I get it. She’s trying to make sure we’re taken care of, but, like…”

She looked around the empty room.

“I’m lonely, dad. I miss you. I miss telling you about my day.”

Gina wiped at the hot tears starting to slide down her cheeks. She quickly finished off the can of soda and headed upstairs to her bedroom.

“So,” she said as she closed the door to her cluttered, poster-lined room. Around her, the faces of numerous grunge bands stared back. She carefully navigated around the piles of dirty clothes and flopped down on her bed, her jean jacket jingling as she did so.

She fished into her pocket and pulled out the charm bracelet. Idly, she examined it in the yellow light that was pouring in from her window.

“Weird,” she muttered as she slipped it on. “I mean, the bullet is cool, I guess? Could I even wear this to school? Hmm.”

Gina turned her wrist slightly, letting the bullet charm catch the light from the streetlamp. Gina didn’t notice as the light shining on it went from the pale yellow to having some blue reflecting off of it.

“I guess I’m a crack shot,” she mused. “I wonder what kind of gun that was?”

“Well, it looked ta me like a really cheap Berthier rifle.”

Gina let out a surprised cry and scrambled to a sitting position against her wall at the sound of the voice. It had a thick southwest accent, and it had come from right beside her.

Horrified, Gina stared wide-eyed at what was before her.

Standing right next to her bed was a glowing, ghostly blue outline of what looked like a short woman in her 20’s. She was in what looked like a rugged dress with some ornate lace around the collar and sleeves. She had long, curly hair and a huge grin on her face. She was holding what looked like a glowing blue rifle, and she winked as she reached up to tip her Stetson hat to the terrified girl.

“Howdy, ma’am.”

Gina screamed.

Fate and Phantasms #33: Hans Christian Andersen

Welcome back to Fate and Phantasms, where today we are making Budget Waver, a.k.a. the Author of Legend, Hans Christian Andersen! Hans is a College of Creation Bard from Unearthed Arcana, specializing in reshaping the world however he sees fit and having some extra goodies in his inspiration. As always, there’s a spreadsheet for the build here and a level-by-level breakdown below the cut!

Race and Background

Hans is a human if you want to be totally accurate (or a simic hybrid if you want to be fancy), but because of his stature, we're making him a Lightfoot Halfling. This gives Hans +2 Dexterity and +1 Charisma; Lucky, which lets you reroll nat ones; Brave, giving him advantage on saves against being frightened; Halfling Nimbleness, letting him move through the spaces of larger creatures; and Naturally Stealthy, letting him hide behind medium or larger creatures. Hans would probably argue against his luck, but he’s definitely unflappable in the face of danger.

There’s no better background for Hans than Guild Artisan, which gives Hans proficiency in Insight and Persuasion as well as constant deadlines. Sorry buddy, you don’t get a break even in the Forgotten Realms.

Stats

Put your highest score into Charisma; Hans isn’t easy to get along with, but he can verbally eviscerate a man within five minutes of meeting him. Next is Intelligence; Hans is a bookworm, and one of the few servants who visibly updates himself to the modern era. Third is Wisdom; his greatest strength is reading people faster than they can read his books. After that is Dexterity, followed by Constitution and Strength. Hans isn’t athletic at the best of times, and he’s in the body of a child, so he’s not going to win any Olympic sports any time soon.

Class Levels

1. As stated, you are a bard, giving you proficiency in three skills of your choice, here Intimidation, Arcana, and Performance. You are living proof as to why intimidation is a charisma skill, and the latter two will help with your writing. You also have proficiency in Dexterity and Charisma saving throws.

As a first level bard, you gain Spellcasting using charisma as your spell ability, and Bardic Inspiration, d6s you can hand out to other party members to help them on any d20 roll they might make. These are regained after long rests.

At first level, bards gain two cantrips and four first level spells. Grab Vicious Mockery (duh), Message, Bane to give enemies more dramatically appropriate aiming skills, Cure Wounds because you’re a support caster, Illusory Script to ward of plagiarizers, and Dissonant Whispers as another aspect of your general attitude. 

2. At second level, you become a Jack of All Trades, adding half your proficiency bonus to non-proficient skill checks. You also learn a Song (story) of Rest, letting you perform during short rests to add a d6 to any healing your party is already doing.

For your spell this level, grab Heroism and start making your party members true protagonists.

3. Third level bards graduate from their college, and yours is the College of Creation. Creation bards learn to make Motes (pages) of Potential, and all bards gain expertise in two skills. Now, whenever you give inspiration to other party members, an intangible page will follow them around until the inspiration is spent. When the inspiration is used, the page can also be used to add an extra effect, depending on what the inspiration is used for. If it is added to an attack roll, the page explodes, forcing all other creatures within 5′ to make a constitution save or take the roll in thunder damage. If it is added to a save, the page becomes a small piece of armor, granting the user the roll plus your charisma modifier in temporary HP. If it is added to an ability check, they can roll the inspiration die again, and use either roll.

For this round of expertise, we’re focusing on your wit, doubling your proficiency bonus with Insight and Intimidation.

For this level’s spell, grab the ever-useful Enhance Ability for more hero enhancing.

You also can make a Performance of Creation as an action. You can create a nonmagical item within 10 feet of you, as long as that item is worth less than 20 times your level in GP, and is medium or smaller. It lasts a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus. You can do this once per long rest, or by spending a second level slot or higher. At sixth level you can make Large items, and at 14th level you can make Huge ones.

4. For your first ASI, improve your Charisma for better spells, more inspiration, and more destructive insults. You also learn Mending, to prevent any torn pages, and Skywrite, because that’s another writing-based spell.

5. At fifth level, your Inspiration increases to d8s, and you become a Font of Inspiration, regaining used dice on short rests. For your spell this level, grab Major Image; bringing fictional characters to life is more Shakespeare’s thing, but there aren’t that many third level spells that fit Hans.

6. At sixth level, you become so good at insulting people it acts as a Countercharm, giving them advantage against being charmed if you spend an action doing so. As a creation bard, you can also put on an Animating Performance, turning one large or smaller object into a Dancing Item, whose stat block can be found on the spreadsheet. This object has the same initiative as you, and goes immediately after you in turn order. It can move and react on its own, but it needs you to use a bonus action to command it if your want it to do anything other than dodge. If you’re incapacitated, the item can take actions of its own accord. You can also give someone inspiration using the same bonus action you use to command it. The object remains animate for one hour, or until reduced to zero HP. You can use this ability once per long rest, or more often by burning a third level spell slot. Only one object can be animated this way at a time.

For your spell, grab Sending to help you connect with your critics, as it lets you communicate with creatures who have intelligence scores less than three.

7. Seventh level bards gain fourth level spells, and yours is Greater Invisibility, granting invisibility to a creature that doesn’t depend on them not attacking. You could also just target their clothes, if you’re feeling a bit empirical.

8. Use your next ASI to maximize your Charisma, and learn Freedom of Movement for dramatic escapes.

9. At ninth level, your Song of Rest joins your inspiration as a d8, and you inch closer to your Noble Phantasm when you learn Mass Cure Wounds.

10. Now your Inspiration becomes d10s, you gain another round of Expertise, and your normal spell learning is interrupted by Magical Secrets, two spells from any class. Use this round of expertise to improve your writing with Arcana and Performance. You learn the Light cantrip, as well as Conjure Animals and Enlarge/Reduce. The former will allow you to summon dogs like in The Tinderbox, and the latter will let you play a convincing Thumbelina.

11. There aren’t that many sixth level spells we want, so lets head back and pick up one we missed before. Polymorph is a classic faerie tale spell, and it just wouldn’t be right if we didn’t have it. Princesses into frogs, mermaids into humans, you name it, this spell can do it.

12. Now that charisma is maxed out, use this next ASI to pick up the Observant feat. This adds one to your wisdom, read lips, and gain a +5 bonus to your passive perception and investigation checks.

13. Your Song of Rest once again catches up to your inspiration, becoming a d10 as well. At this level, you gain another classic faerie tale spell, Resurrection. Although not dying may be more Disney’s take than Hans’...

14. At 14th level, all bards get another set of Magical Secrets, and creation bards reach their Creative Crescendo. When you make a Performance of Creation, you can make multiple items, up to your charisma modifier. Only one item can be larger than Small at a time. You’re also no longer limited in value.

For your magical secrets this level, grab Circle of Power to give everyone around you plot armor and Magic Missile for those ever-present caster balls.

15. Your Inspiration increases one last time, becoming d12s. You also gain an eighth level spell, Power Word Stun. Finally, your insults are so devastating they can cause status effects.

16. Use this ASI to increase your Wisdom to better read those you meet. There’s not much else happening at this level, sorry.

17. Your Song of Rest reaches its final stage and becomes a d12 as well. You also learn your ninth level spell, True Polymorph. You can turn a creature into another creature, an object into a creature, or even a creature into an object. If you keep your concentration for a full hour, this effect lasts until it is dispelled. Why not turn a princess into a frog?

18. With your last round of Magical Secrets, pick up Wind Walk and Animal Shapes. The former will allow you and your friends to reenact the ending of The Little Mermaid, while the latter allows you and up to 120 others (though they really have to pack in) become any number of classic faerie tale creatures, effectively giving them all a druid’s beastform for the duration.

19. Use your last ASI for just a bit more Wisdom.

20. For your capstone level, you gain Superior Inspiration. This gives you one more inspiration die if you start initiative without any.

Pros: You have a variety of ways to support your party, from healing, to empowering their abilities to even turning them into situationally appropriate creatures. Being able to literally pull whatever you need to out of thin air also gives you a lot of utility, and having one of the few summon abilities that doesn’t require concentration gives you versatility on the battlefield as well.

Cons: Speaking of concentration, a lot of your spells require it! You’ll have to be careful picking your targets to maximize your effectiveness. Also, your spells can be used on yourself, but more often than not you’ll want to empower and rely on others to do the heavy lifting for you. So play it smart and make sure there’s a Mash around to take the hits for you.

Paint Abstract Self Portraits for Rookies

Gone are the days when a person had to sit for hours on end to get a self-portrait made by a professional artist. The person is called a “sitter” because traditionally individuals sat in front of the artist to get the angles and features right. In today’s modern day and age it’s a lot easier to get a customized self-portrait made, even better you can do it yourself as well. Although hiring a professional is still doable, they won’t mind a handsome commission as well.

A portrait can be of a person, animal or a group of people. They can be made with a wider viewpoint as well as just focus on the face. A good portrait excellently depicts something about the true essence of the individual. They can be compelling, captivating and engrossing, if represented well. Sketches are an artistic way to display the visual representation of someone close to your heart and soul. A well-made portrait can reveal something about the person, it may be something not that evident but with the right eye you can see it.

If you’re a rookie artist then paint by numbers abstract self-portrait can be a jarring task, which can easily overwhelm anyone. But doing so can give you deep satisfaction and encouragement. It will boost your confidence and push you forward to challenge yourself as an artist. For starters, give abstract paint by numbers a try, they are a great way to commence and the end result will be clap worthy. Try your hand at them as it will be one of a kind experience with a very low chance of messing up.

Painting abstract self-portraits might seem like a daunting task and a massive undertaking, especially if you are a beginner. These are best of both worlds and require precision and skill. Portraits themselves demand competency and abstract art requires sophistication. Imagine if you combine these two art forms, the end result will be mesmerizing, enthralling and spellbinding. But if you mess up the result can be embarrassing, disastrous, hilarious and shattering.

A well devised abstract self-portrait can set the mood right of any wall it is placed on. It can be a complete crowd pleaser that can captivate the onlookers, draw them deep into the vivid colors and stimulate their attention. The viewers will feel a strong connection with the portrait and make them wonder about the person illustrated.

The best thing about doing a self-portrait is the control over the subject, as you are the subject. You can go all out with colors or tread lightly. With the right colors you can make the portrait a biography of the person, telling the story, experiences, hobbies and occupation by carefully crafting visual clues. With this article I aim to make this process easy for you. Any picture can be turned into abstract painting by computer apps and you can easily convert that into abstract paint by numbers kit, to gift it or play with it yourself to brush up your artistic skills.

You can take a picture and convert it into an abstract painting on a computer or you can start from scratch and paint a self-portrait. If you opt for the latter then keep in mind the following.

Start the artwork and do a preliminary drawing first

Start your creative endeavor sooner rather than later. The more you think about it the more overwhelming it will get. But never forget the benefits of planning ahead; in fact it’s crucial if you don’t want to stop mid-way. Do initial drawing of the main features of the face and align them so that the chances of muddling are fewer and far between.

Lighting and mirrors are everything

Lighting placement and usage of mirrors are pivotal and defining steps that can change the way your portrait looks. Good lighting will give you the much needed contrast in colors and mirrors will aid in getting the picture close to real life, which is hard to achieve with a photograph.

Display the real you and have fun with expressions  

Embrace yourself with all your flaws and faults; I know it’s the most difficult part of painting a self-portrait. If we don’t show our wrinkles, crooked teeth, scars or blemishes the self-portrait will be far from depicting your true self. But you have the full liberty to play with expressions. Choose the expression wisely as it would set the mood of your abstract self-portrait.

Now if you chose the former, it’s far easier, select a picture from your gallery that you want to convert into abstract painting and upload it in any app that offers to convert a picture into abstract artwork. Selection of the picture is crucial, the picture must be high quality and if you are a beginner then start with something that is less complicated and has less objects. Once this is done, send the picture to canvas by numbers to get your bespoke abstract paint by numbers kit and canvas to get started with your pet project.

Paint by numbers is perfect for freshman and newcomers. They give you confidence as the finished product is satisfactory as well as pleasing. These kits allow the users to relax and unwind in the most productive way. There’s no requirement of any knowledge or skill to acquire custom paint by number kits. Appropriate for gifting in finished or unfinished forms, for any occasion and loved by young, adults and older people. These artistic activities can inspire children and make them learn concentration, patience and determination.

Don’t hesitate in trying your hand at abstract self-portraits, they can be intimidating and unattainable but with the right attitude they are very much conquerable. With canvas by numbers to your rescue don’t worry about doing the whole ordeal yourself. Take a deep breath and plunge into this mind-blogging activity. Now is your chance to immortalize your favorite memories into fun and bespoke abstract paintings. Stand back and enjoy the fruits of your efforts with a beautiful artwork hanging on your walls

Bakugo Katsuki x Older Brother!Reader

BAKUGO KATSUKI

Aggressive, Arrogant, Violent.

Sibling: Older Brother

Looks: Like this but he wears a see-through white T-shirt over 

Age: 21

Quirk: Nitroglycerin

Happens after the Battle Trial Arc  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was cold and the cold breeze wasn't making it any better. You see, you, Bakugo (Your Male Name), had just gotten back from your job which included training and preparing people with their Quirks. You weren't a Hero like other people who dreamed to become filthy rich or become the Number One Hero, you wanted to be someone who can help other people who had Quirks. Scratch that. You helped anyone with or without Quirks. 

You decided it would be a good choice to take a vacation after your younger brother was accepted into the famous Hero Highschool-U.A High-and your arm broke due to a training mishap. Your parents somehow heard the news and as expected, your mother scolded you for being careless with the student and wanted you to return home immediately. You agree and arrived this morning after Katsuki left because your parents wanted to surprise him. You had unpacked your stuff and stowed it away in your old room.

Just as you thought you could have a nice nap, your mother wanted you to pick Katsuki up from school. 

Which was what you were doing now.

'Damn brat...'

It was cold and you only wore a white T-shirt, black stretchable pants and combat boots. You had your arm in a movable cast, which was connected to your other shoulder and neck. Mitsuki had rushed you seeing that it was almost time for the students to leave the school, in which you grumbled for not having enough time to rest. You walked faster when the cold breeze blew through your shirt.

Upon arriving at the gates of the prestigious Hero school, you stood there waiting for your literally explosive younger brother. You knew that if you took another step, the school would automatically close down. It would cause chaos and the Pro Heroes in there would panic to keep their students safe at all cause. You waited by the gate despite the cold weather freezing you to death. 

"Kacchan!!"

'Kacchan? Isn't that Katsuki's nickname from Izuku?' You didn't peek in because you didn't want to get caught. Instead, you moved closer to the gate. There was some talk that you couldn't hear but Katsuki's loud voice made you hear something that you thought you would never hear before. "Today, I lost to you...Damn it!!" Katsuki hated losing. Well, so did you. "But, I will become number one! You hear?! You won't beat me again!" With that, you heard someone's feet shuffling. You thought you could finally approach him but then another voice spoke up-more like screamed-.

"YOUNG BAKUGO!!!" All Might?? Was he a teacher at U.A? 

Suddenly, your phone rang. 'Crap!' Quickly answering it, your mother spoke loudly on the phone. "(Y/M/N)! Is Katsuki with you now?" Thinking of a lame but true reason, you gave her your reply. "He's coming out from the gates. I can't step in 'cause if I did, there'll be security problems..." Your mother took your bait and told you to get home quickly. Sighing, you saw Katsuki walked out from the gates without noticing you. Smirking, you made your way towards him and spoke up.

"Yo! Katsuki!" The said boy froze, not turning around, which made you fear for the worse. Either he was surprised that you were here or he was in a terrible mood and wanted to kill someone already. 'Shit..' you thought. The two of you didn't move and waited for another to speak. It was until Katsuki spoke up. 

"The hell you doing here, dumbass?" 

Walking towards Katsuki with a carefree attitude, you put your good arm over Katsuki and gave him a side hug and a quick ruffle on the head. He didn't move and you were slightly worried. You poked him once. Twice. Thri--He growled at you and swatted your hand away from his head. He seemed to be interested in your broken arm and opened his mouth to question you but was cut off by you. You explained the whole story while the two of you walked back to the house. He scoffed. "Idiot. Can't even take care of yourself..." You let out a chuckle. "True, but hey! I'm here and alive right? Heroes need to risk their lives for the people they care for." Katsuki seemed to be in deep thoughts about your words.

"Still aiming to be Number One, brat?" 

The nickname made him blew a fuse. 

"WHO THE HELL YOU CALLING BRAT DUMBASS!"

Laughing, you quickly jogged to the house, not wanting to get blasted by that little explosive brother of yours. 

TIMESKIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY KIRI'S SCAR

The next day, you managed to get a guest pass from Principal Nezu himself. He had seen you from his office window and decided to let you in. You were 100% sure that he was stalking you through his security camera. You snorted at the thought of that and arrive at your destination. Grinning, you knew Katsuki would freak out about having you in his class. The worst part was that you might embarrass him. Sliding the door open, everybody was silent to see another Bakugo look alike in the classroom. Everybody except Katsuki and Aizawa. The latter could only facepalm and muttered something about the principal being serious about letting you in the school compound. Nobody seemed to make a noise that is until Midoriya broke the silence.

"(Y-Y/M/N)? What are you doing here? I thought you were busy with your work in Tokyo? Why is your arm broken?" And with that, let's just say he didn't stop talking and the whole class erupted into chaos. Aizawa looked irritated as usual and curled up into his yellow sleeping bag. 

"Are you really Bakugo's brother?!"

"What's your Quirk?"

"Why is your arm broken?"

"You live in Tokyo?!!"

"Your skin is sooooo smooth!"

"Are you wearing guyliner?"

You sweatdropped at the sight of the class. How annoying, you thought. Katsuki, on the other hand, couldn't handle the loudness and ongoing questions about his brother. "Shut the hell up, extras!!" With that, everyone immediately kept quiet.

 Katsuki turned to your direction. 

"What the hell are you doing here, dumbass?"

You had to hide an ungodly snort. "Visiting, duh. Plus you need to improve your vocabulary, Katsuki." The said boy froze as he realized he got humiliated by his brother in front of his class. He clenched his fists and made his way to you. He grabbed your shirt and looked into your eyes. You smirked at his actions and waited for the outcome. He couldn't do anything all because you were injured and he had to face his mother's wrath at home if he did. He let go and made a 'tch' sound. Once he left you alone, the rest of the class instantly swarmed you. Questions were thrown from every direction and you got a little dizzy. You had to ask them to slow down and you answered their question. It was then the girls asked you about your smooth, unblemished skin.

"My skin? Well, that's because of my Quirk." You started.

"My Quirk is almost similar to Katsuki's but different at the same time. You see, my hands excrete weak Nitroglycerin. Katsuki is able to emit explosion but I need to use fire or heat to make explosions like him." Everybody looked awestruck by your Quirk. You looked down at the girls and gave them a charming smile. "I can give you some of the liquid I made into a cream for you to use." You unzipped your bag and took out 6 small containers and gave them each one a small container. They squealed and thanked you for it while the boys, who already knew you own a training centre in Tokyo wanted you to train them. You agreed and left the classroom before Aizawa could kick you out.

Walking back, your phone buzzed and you opened the message.

Explosive Boi

[10:37 AM]

See u later at home dumbass

You snorted at his sweet words and continue walking home not before texting him a quick message.

Best Older Bro

[10:38 AM]

Yeah see u l8r.

SQUIRT.

With that, you knew Katsuki will kill you at home.

KSB member spotlight: Yamagata Yuuki

The next person on our spotlight is none other than *drum roll* the one and only Yamagata Yuuki aka The Fallen Angel!

Born on 12 October 1996, the Tsubaki member, whose youthful heart harbours a spirit to take the world in his hands, hails from the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan.

Donned in a white coat and with his signature ash coloured hair, Yamagata shines on stage without fail with his very skilfully coordinated dance moves and a level of energy that lightens up the theatre. That's just what we expect from someone who has been performing ever since the age of 14!

With KSB

A fan of rock and Visual Kei, Yamagata proudly aims for the "Sexy and heavy" Samurai image as a KSB member.

Are you ladies ready? Photo source

He lives up to that proclamation with his unforgettable screamo for the track Samurai Brotherhood. The screamo didn't make it into their debut CD, which makes all the live footage even more precious.

Wanna hear instead of just watching? Watch full video here

Dancing

Yamagata's dancing might not be the sharpest in Tsubaki, especially compared to the leader Fukuzawa Yuu, but there is just something that makes the 23-year-old truly able to remain in the viewers' eyes: his control of the flow of energy is very good. It feels like water when he dances, and while it is so natural, it also feels like he is telling a story with his whole body. He makes full use of every part up to his fingertips, and that gives the impression of not just hard training alone, but also incredible natural talent and passion mixed in. His stage presence is definitely there, or at least it has been getting better ever since the KSB boys debuted.

Singing

Yamagata reveals that he sang in bands and has been wanting to have an album ever since high school (which is why he truly was happy when KSB's debut album was released). He absolutely has the voice and look of an idol, his voice is pleasant, lies in the high range and as we can see from live performance footage, he can even do death vocals - which is not something commonly seen in the pop idol scene. Not to mention, he comes back to sing in his normal voice right after the screamo every time!

Personality

Having been vocalists in Visual Kei bands ever since his teenage years, the young Samurai Boy brings his love for rock everywhere he goes. He shows it in his outfits and the way he performs live as a KSB member.

Photo source

He reiterates his love for rock and rock/Visual Kei idols numerous times in interviews.

Yamagata is actually very lively and bright in normal daily activities, as contrast to the style of his darker, gothic side. He gives off the air of someone who wants to live his self the way he wants, without caring much about what others think of him.

He is actually quite close with Tsubaki's leader Fukuzawa Yuu. i mean, the latter knows exactly who to count on when he wishes to give everyone a good time

Source

Acting and DMMD Stage

It would not be a far stretch to say that Yamagata shot to stage fame after his role as Clear in the DMMD stage play in December 2019. Though he has had numerous experience before, he stated DMMD was the first stage with spoken lines which he has been starred in.

It was not a surprise to see the praises he gained as Clear, for he earned every word of it. As someone who adores Clear and wasn't sure what to think of the stage play when its promotional materials first came out, i truly feel grateful that it is Yamagata who played this character. Yamagata's Clear could just be wrapped up with one word: Adorable

i mean would you look at that?

Using his dance talent to his advantage, he improvised some of his dance parts (he revealed this in the last curtain call of Clear's route), which pleasantly surprised theatre goers who watched the same route multiple times. His acting as Clear never felt forced even though the character is quite complex. The last dance he performed when Clear is supposed to be back after a long time, gave me so much emotion just by looking at his elegant moves. He pulled off the way Clear moves and speaks, while always injecting some of his true bubbly self in. One could even say, it is Yamagata who plays Clear, because Yamagata himself is just like Clear, or more accurately, because Yamagata made himself a version of Clear.

Even though he gained quite a following from his role as Clear (he even gained a nickname for himself, i.e Yamagata Clear, cementing his place in the DMMD fandom and more specifically DMMD Clear fandom), the youth hopes that people who got to know him from the play, will eventually look at him not just as Yamagata Clear, but also as Yamagata Yuuki, as well as as a Kyoto Samurai Boy. He urged his fans on Twitter to check out KSB's latest contents, which unfortunately didn't feature him, but nevertheless would be addicting for anyone at all. (i personally recommend checking them out too)

Trivia

His KSB number 69 is a word play on the word "ROCK": 6 is "roku" and 9 is "kyu" (and in certain cases, "ku") in Japanese, together they are "rokku", or ROCK

One of his hobbies listed by Modelpress is cosplaying. Source 

He likes to bring KSB members to try a drink he called the "Forbidden Fruit" (together with an ice cream dish numbered 69 aka his KSB number, which he called the Fallen Angel’s Serenade) at a cafe who has been collaborating with the KSB project, and during one of such visits we get to see one of the adorable moments of the Tsubaki boys

It is shown he has had various hair dye colours in the last couple of years, including red, white, blonde, and the current ash.

His catchphrase is やる気！元気！悠己！ - "Yaruki! Genki! Yuuki!" (Can be roughly translated as Enthusiasm! Strength! Yuuki!)

During an interview, he said if he could be a girl for one day only, he'd cruise around Roppongi on a limousine with a glass of champaign, and have a girls' night out with other ladies. Source

During the DMMD stage play period as Clear, he was not permitted to show his face online, so he always covered his face when being in photos on Twitter. He showed his Clear face on Twitter on Christmas Eve as a gift to fans.

Yamagata is also shown to be quite close with the other leaders, Wakaba’s Yasue and Kikyo’s Masa. Masa wrote a calligraphy for him as present to celebrate DMMD stage getting a streaming. Yamagata went to see Masa’s performance in the Mankai A3 Stage

How do you think about the Fallen Angel of KSB? This boy may still be finding his way to achieve his dreams, but i just can't wait to see him grow and get more opportunities in the near future! Be sure to check out his Twitter! (Unfortunately at the point of this writing, Yamagata has yet to create an Instagram account, but you can still search for tags with his name)

The game proceeds with a sophomore campaign every little as graceful and lovely as prior ones.

free sex games has been a joy in 2015--a tough-as-nails combination of the Metroid vania structure and Meat boylike requirements having a surprising number of heartfelt heft. Five years after, Moon Studios' follow up, games of desire, is each and every bit as adorable and amazing because its predecessor, also when a number of these emotional beats and exploration feel somewhat less book the next time round. Will of this Wisps sees almost immediately wherever Blind Forest still left off, together with wetpussygames's Patch Work family unit composed a brand new member, the owlet Ku. Your household is happy and adoring, but Ku wants to soar and sexy games wants to support her. Soon the two have been trapped off in a gale into your new woods deep with rot, which starts the adventure in earnest. Due to this setting is disconnected out of the one in Blind Forestthe geography is fresh, but recognizable. The painterly vision is comforting, especially within the opening hours since you research related biomes. They can be attractively rendered , however a tiny samey if you have performed the first match. Following a while, Will of this Wisps opens to far more diverse locales, including a nearly pitchblack spider's den along with a windswept desert. The theme throughout the story could be that the encroachment of this Decay, a creeping wicked which overtook this neighbfree sex gamesng woods as a result of its own bewitching life shrub withered. But whether or not it really is meant to be ugly, you would not know it from lots of the lush animations --especially in case of an energetic submerged segment. sexy games is often swallowed up with these sweeping surroundings, emphasizing how tiny the tiny woods soul is compared for their surroundings that is enormous. wetpussygames's suite of acrobatic moves leaves delving in to new areas a thrilling treat. Exploration becomes especially curious as you unlock more abilities and become adept. Some of them are lifted directly from the first game, which can be unsatisfactory next to the delight of discovering that a shiny brand new ability. Still, these old standbys still get the job done well and also make the improvisational leaps and bounds feel as amazing as . The picturesque vistas appear to be pushing the components hard, however. Playing on an x box onex , I encountered visual glitches such as screen rapping onto the semi-regular foundation, and the map would stutter. Usually these really are a very simple annoyance, however, when in awhile it would come mid-leap and throw my sense of effort and leadership. A day-one patch significantly reduced the freezing and also fixed the map difficulty altogether. Though free sex games is apparently a metroidvania,'' Will of this Wisps is not as focused on mining and more moderate than is average to its style. Your aims are usually clear, straight lines, and short cuts littered through the environment get you back again to the principal trail immediately. The majority of the wanderlust comes in the sort of plentiful sidequests, such as delivering a message or acquiring a knick knack for a critter. There's a trading series. Eventually you open up a heart region which can be built to a small community to your own woods denizens. These updates have been largely decorative, therefore it is mostly an visual presentation of having accumulated the specialized stuff used for it. Even the sidequests are almost completely discretionary. I had been thankful for the independence to go after the crucial path without artificial barriers, however additionally, I plan to go back and plumb the depths only to spend more hours on the planet. The low emphasis on mining seems to have been substituted by a significant enlargement of conflict. Rather compared to the departure aggravation of this occasional enemy,'' Will of the Wisps introduces myriad dangers that certainly are a near-constant existence. Fortunately, the battle system was overhauled to match the sophistication of their platforming. The story progress provides a horn and bow, with additional discretionary weapons like purchase, and you're able to map any combat motions to Y, X, or B. The overcome does take some getting used to, even however, inpart since it has constructed to operate along with games of desire's rotational motions. While I felt awkward and imprecise in overcome in the start, slashing my sword tremendously at even the mildest of critters, my relaxation level climbed as I attained new platforming knowledge. Around the mid-game I recognized I had become adept at stringing collectively platforming and battle competencies, air-dashing and bounding between risks with balletic rhythm and scarcely touching the ground until the screen had been cleared. That level of finesse is necessary, as wetpussygames introduces a set of gigantic boss conflicts, every more technical than anything else at Blind Forest. Their attack patterns tend to be indicated by just perceptible tells. A lot of time, the supervisor fills up a significant section of the interactable foreground, and even a lot more of this backgroundbut this may make it frustratingly tricky to inform exactly what exactly is and it isn't exposed to some attacks, or what parts will do collision damage. This all makes beating them feel as a relief and achievement, even though sometimes much more of the former compared to the latter. Additionally, tension-filled escape sequences scatter the maprequiring nearly perfect accuracy and implementation of one's application set to endure a gauntlet of dangers. The match provides occasional checkpoints in those areas, together with a far more generous checkpointing attribute across the overworld. The sprawling bosses and climactic leaks are methods to express a larger, much more operatic really feel for Will of the Wisps. Blind Forest has been a humble little match that told an intimate, relatable fable. Wisps comes with a grander, crossing extent, and in the procedure it loses some of this familiarity. It still has minutes together with emotional heft, the two exhilarating and heartbreaking, and also Moon Studios nonetheless includes a style of expressing an amazing degree of wordless emotion with subtle minutes of body language. The story Will of this Wisps is frequently skinnier, and also its touching moments are more bittersweet. The chief antagonist, an owl called Shriek, is much like the first game's Kuro in having suffered a tragedy before. But how the story handles that catastrophe is significantly sadder, also stands being a moment of haunting animation that will stay with me personally longer than every single image from your game. Even the moments of finality which stop the narrative, though appropriately epic and hopeful, are tinged with silent sadness and inevitability--that the feel that all finishes.

That finality might indicate that this is the last games of desire, a farewell into the fantastical world and memorable characters that created Moon Studios such a standout programmer in the very first work. If that's true, you can barely request a better send-off. sexy games can be an excellent synthesis of artful design and stunning moments.

Some tips for you if you’re the protagonist in a horror movie

So I’ve been binge watching some true animated horror stories on Youtube for the past week and I just have a few things to say 

Lock your doors- always. Especially if you’re home alone or at a hotel. Doesn’t matter how nice of a place it is or how well you know your neighbors. Bad people are everywhere.

Keep something you can use as a weapon on you any time you’re in public. I have a pocket knife I carry around. You can also have a gun, pepper spray, or even high heels if you need to. 

If someone tries to barge their way into your house, even if they don’t get in and pass off some “trying to seem innocent” excuse, call the police because they may try again

Don’t be afraid to fight dirty. If someone grabs you, bite them & aim to take a chunk out. Stomp on their toes, punch them in the teeth, try to gouge out their eyes if you have to. It may be gross but they mean to do you harm. You can’t be afraid of defending yourself against someone, because if they’ll do it to you, they’ll do it to other people too. 

If you think someone is in your house, grab a weapon, call the police and get out of there. If you have no neighbors and live in a secluded place, after getting a weapon, call the police, remain attentive, get in the car and drive to a safe distance until the police arrive. 

If you’re religious, and you see something you think is a demon- tell someone else of the same religion and ask for help.Tell a pastor, knowledgeable friend or parent and DON’T STAY ALONE. If there is no demon, then you were either hallucinating or you’re schizophrenic and need a doctor and diagnosis. 

Don’t go out alone at night, and if you have to, stay on busy streets. If you have to, try bringing a dog along with you, or friend, or sibling. If you for some reason find yourself out alone at night, find somewhere populated with a few non-sketchy people and call for someone you trust to come pick you up. If you’re able to find a place that’s open all night, like a 24/7 McDonald's or 7/11, employees will be there all the time and there should be security cameras.  

If your job is delivery, do NOT go near sketchy houses. If the place looks abandoned, leave and drive a safe distance away, and call your boss. If they’re being unreasonable, then call 911 and explain that you have reason to feel unsafe in your current environment but have a stubborn boss and ask if there are any officers that could be sent out just in case it isn’t some kind of prank. You could also try keeping the car running and honking the horn instead of going up into the house and knocking. If no one comes out, or if someone comes out acting hostile, then drive away and, if it was the latter, call the police. No job or stubborn boss is worth your life. 

Be careful around abandoned buildings. There can be more danger there than demons or drug deals. Old buildings can be very flimsy. Old wood can easily rot and collapse under to much weight, or the roof might just decide to come down while you’re in there. There is a reason ramshackled places have areas that are caved in. 

When you’re camping, bring some sort of weapon with you and do not drink heavily. Not only can crazy people come up out of no where but wild animals can be very dangerous and you may need to protect yourself. That being said, also don’t go camping alone. Take at least one other person with you and bunk up on tents. 

Stay on the good side of the internet :) don’t go messing with strangers, don’t go try to meet someone you met online and if they somehow find out where you live and tell you, or worse, show you, (there was a story about some tinder guy finding a girl’s general location and a snapchat one where a girl showed a guy his house when she shouldn’t have known) grab something (A knife from the kitchen, a blunt object...heck you could get a towel and fwip it at someone if you’re skilled enough. Grab a pillow and have a pillow fight.) grab a phone and GET THE HECK OUT OF THERE. Run out SCREAMING. Grab attention!!! Make people look out their windows!!! Make them come outside!! Cause a scene!! Make sure you have it screenshotted that they not only know where you live, but they’re there and are a potential threat- then use your neighbor’s phone and call the police. If they simply tell you where you live, call the police, report a stalker, leave your phone and get out of town for at least a week. Make sure your doors were locked and windows were covered before you leave and, if you can get another phone or a friends phone, take multiple pictures of the rooms in your house then leave. That way you will know if anything is different once you get back. Then when you come back, have a couple people with you and after reviewing each room and image, scour the place top to bottom. It’s better safe than sorry.

Don’t hitchhike. Just don’t do it. If you followed the “keep a weapon on you” part, stay by the road and have your phone with you (hopefully you have signal) then you’ll probably be alright. But it’d be better for you to call someone to come pick you up, even if you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be. The punishment would be better to accept than death. That is, if you have signal. 

Don’t??? Go traveling??? Alone??? At night??? In the woods??? That is like, asking for death,  ESPECIALLY if your in a town or near a town or there are wild animals that roam the land. Night is when the sketchy people come out for two reasons 1.) Most people are asleep and 2.) Its hard to see. I live at drug-central-station in my area. If you go travelling out in the woods near here, you could get shot, kidnapped, held hostage, run into someone on the run from the police. Just don’t go adventuring alone at night, seriously. 

Stay out of sketchy places whether it’s a sketchy section of the airport, a building, an alley, a side street, a part of town- just don’t go. “But it’s a shortcut” the majority of people that I know of don’t like working out anyway, you could probably use the exercise, take the long way around, don’t be an idiot. 

Don’t be afraid to follow your gut instinct. We have it for a reason, its a survival mechanism. Your mind can pick up on a lot of different signals subconsciously that tell you “DANGER, DANGER” and waves red flag around you, and you might not be able to place your finger on why it’s so sketchy, or what is making you feel like it’s risky. But there is something very likely there and you picked up on it. Just because you don’t know WHAT it is doesn’t mean you’re paranoid. 

If you have to watch little kids, and they don’t know how to be quiet but they need to hide, try telling them you’re playing Hide and Seek (and I mean you are, it’s just a very dangerous game of it) with someone and you’re going to put them in the best hiding place. 

Say you’re stuck upstairs and there is someone in your house. Say they’re at your door on the second floor and there is a window in the room. Jump out of it. Open it up, and jump. You are more likely to survive that fall than you are them- I have jumped out of a barn loft before many times as a child and survived. I even had fun! The trick was to roll (somersault) once you hit the ground. You might need a little momentum, but rolling helps you to absorb the blow and survive without injury. 

If you’re house sitting, there is a reason for it. Keep the doors and windows locked 24/7, don’t let anyone in without knowing who it is- and know that since the owners aren’t home, their car is likely no longer present and someone is more likely to try to break in when the owners aren’t home. 

If you end up kidnapped and someone puts tape over your mouth, spit on it, or try to. After a while your saliva will wear down the sticky and your mouth should be free. 

Speaking of “don’t let anyone in without knowing who it is”, don’t answer doors without knowing who is on the other side. Peek out a window first, look through the peephole, the letter hole, or just ask them something so they have to speak. If you don’t recognize them or their voice, don’t let them in and if they turn hostile....call the police. Like this goes without saying if someone is trying to get into your house you call the police. If you think someone is in your house you call the police. If you’re scared you don’t just sit there quivering in anticipation. 

Believe your kids too. If your small child comes up to you saying “Mommy Mommy! An old man was tapping at my window!”...believe the kid. “Daddy daddy! I man named Tom talked to me at daycare today. He looked kinda scary.” “Brother, brother! I saw a boogeyman in my closet. He said he wants to touch me!” Like Bro this boogeyman is talking you can’t just leave the kids hanging. I understand kids can be hard to believe and if they’re just being kids with over active imaginations but when they say someone creepy followed them home or was at their window or something...why would they make that up?

So in short, don’t be an idiot, use the brain God gave you and remember that you can call the police. The number exists for a reason, you don’t have to worry that you’re bothering them or taking up their time. Their job is to keep people safe and if you feel scared or threatened you have every right to call that number

Also note Im not a professional so if something here is horribly wrong feel free to correct me.

Facsimiles of Familiar Faces

While she didn't speak much on it, there were things that Tsunene actually… well… enjoyed. A good foot massage was one, as was soaking in a hot bath and losing herself in a good book. Perhaps even the latter two at the same time. As such, she normally wouldn’t have minded this detour to the bookstore on the way back to the Alchemists’ Guild – especially after such a degrading task as serving as a mere delivery girl. However, there were slightly extenuating circumstances, which she was quick to make known to the source of said detour along with an irritated smack to the side of the Seeker’s leg to make sure she had the Miqo’te’s attention.

“We just finished having our gil garnished to compensate for all that costly equipment Kandeed capered off with, and your first purchases are Doman picture books?”

“Of courrrse,” D’lilac growled back defensively, clutching several back issues of Dravanian Brawl to her chest. “I can finally spend my harrrd-earned gil on what I want. And I want these.”

“You could bother to buy actual books and benefit from having received written works worth reading,” the Lalafell countered with a sigh and shake of her head, picking up a random Doman picture book off the stand betwixt two fingers like it was a filthy washrag. “Rather than debasing yourself to this… Doman-doodled drabble.”

“It’s not drrrrrabble,” Lilac hissed back. “They have deep and engaging storrrries.”

“Like what?”

The response had snapped back more out of disgusted disbelief than anything else, and Tsunene hadn’t any interest in being provided any examples to the contrary. However, even if she had, she was absolutely certain that she wouldn’t have needed the expository tirade her Miqo’te minion immediately launched into. She didn’t even bother giving the Seeker even a modicum of attention as she launched into her synopsis of this Miqo’te warrior seeking some wish-granting gems created by the Dravanians. Instead, she sought to distract herself with anything else around – which, to her disgust, was the very Doman picture book she had picked up earlier.

Still, she didn’t have anything better on hand, so the disinterested Lalafell idly flipped through a couple pages without really absorbing the contents. Lilac was talking about some transformation involving a great silver mane the warrior spontaneously grew when Tsunene happened upon an action panel that covered two pages. And something in it caught her eye.

“Ceace your senseless soliloquy for a second,” she snapped. “Your half-baked hobby might actually have my interest. If only for an instant.” And with that, she held up the book she had been thumbing mindlessly through for the Miqo’te to get a better look at. “How long has this one been running?”

Another growl of discontent from D’lilac, but she still stooped down a bit – partially to see better and partially just so she could loom over the smaller woman a little – to get a closer look. “Oh, that one? It’s fairrrly new. And prrretty popular,” she admitted as she stood back up again. “I was thinking of looking into it afterrr I caught up with these.”

“I feel slightly sick just saying this but…” Tsunene stated, flipping to the splash page that had caught her interest earlier. “This certainly seems like a story worth sourcing, since the star seems a lot like a certain someone…”

As if to further accentuate her point, the Lalafell tapped on one of the two battling figures in the two-page splash. One was some monstrous amalgamation of dragon and behemoth, but the one she was indicating looked a bit more humanoid. Granted, the latter still had a massive shell on their back, clawed hands, and an unkempt ring of hair that looked more like seaweed encircling a pool of water… but the freckled face and long ears looked like they belonged to an Elezen. Or, perhaps, even a Lalafell.

A Lalafell that the both of them were more than a little familiar with.

“… And I’m interested in inquiring how the artist obtained their inspiration.”

D’lilac was taken aback for a moment, obviously recognizing the same characteristics in the figure’s design as Tsunene had. But her expression turned skeptical rather quickly, resting her free hand on her hip. The other was still quite occupied holding her collection of back-issues – which had doubled in number at some point.

“You’rrre telling me not to waste my gil, and you want to trrravel all the way to Othard?” the Miqo’te chided with a scoff. “And just because a charrracter in this ‘drabble’ kind of looks like that brat? Could just be coincidence. You smallfolk all look the same to me anyway.”

D’lilac knew she had pushed it a bit too far when she felt Tsunene’s tiny fist jab straight and true into her leg. The Seeker would’ve sworn up and down that such a small punch didn’t hurt, and it likely wouldn’t have… normally. However – in testament to the lady Lalafell’s frighteningly good accuracy and consistency – the blow had been aimed for the same spot she had smacked the Miqo’te earlier.

The same spot she always struck when displeased. Every. Single. Twelve’s-damned. Time.

And so Lilac was instead left to try and swallow the hiss of pain that jumped immediately into her throat.

“Regardless of your racist remarks… and apparently atrocious ability to identify individuals of my ilk…” Tsunene continued coldly. “I put forward this is a path worth pursuing.”

As if to further cement her point, she took the picture book – which she had been deriding and dismissing up until then – up towards the counter to purchase. After finding some other, normal books to sandwich it between. It may have caught her curiosity, but she wasn’t about to advertise she was actually buying something so… childishly constructed.

“And besides,” she added as she set the small pile of books up on the counter – a bit of an irate look on her face as she had to stand tiptoe to do so. “We wouldn’t be the ones making the trip. There are leagues of gullible grunts grateful for any gil they can get. We will simply send some of them in our stead to seek our answers.”

A pause as she dug into her purse and produced the coin for her purchases, and then Tsunene continued as D’lilac placed her much more sizable – and infinitely less subtle – stack of Doman picture books onto the counter.

“In the meantime, we will focus on finding ourselves that fast-talking filcher of a fraud Kandeed. If there is truth to my theory, then there is another text I would like returned to me.”

Dimension Wave   Chapter 14 — Team Comp

“Please call me Dark Shadow from now.”

Yamikage blurted out as soon as we returned back to the second city from the Forest of Eternal Darkness.

“What.”

I subconsciously replied before I knew it. What did she just say? We ended up partying together after Shouko suggested we do so. Maybe it’s because of it that we’re all in high spirits right now. This has got to be something to rouse us up too. No one is actually that cringy.

“As you wish, Ms. Dark Shadow.”

I stared blankly at Shouko, who responded to Yamikage with a straight face. I don’t think she understood my Are you serious? expression though.

“Gotcha, Dark Shadow. As you wish, Dark Shadow.” “...” “What’s wrong, Dark Shadow? Why are you so quiet, Dark Shadow? No response, Dark Shadow? Am I rubbing you the wrong way, Dark Shadow?”

My rapid fire seems to be getting to her.

“‘T-‘Twas a jest! Please address me normally.” “That right? Then I’ll call you Yammy from now on.” “In that case, I shall too, Ms. Yammy.” “Wherefrom does the nickname come?!”

It’s because your personality is so not what someone would imagine your pretty girl character to have, is what I would’ve wanted to say. There’s a chasm between the all-black ninja costume and your beautiful flowing locks of silver hair. But, I think it’s pretty cool. She’s not some regular ol’ ninja with nothing but physical attacks. Yammy’s more like a ninja from an anime or something. I dig that. It’s quirky.

“Oh, that’s right. We’re in a party now, but don’t expect us to be fighting enough to cover your hourly minus of 3,000 Energy. Not to mention, I use a gutting weapon and Shouko uses a fan.” “Fret not. I have already reduced the level of my Drain.” “Hey, don’t go throwing away your identity either.” “I am devoted to my Drain skill. However, as I serve Lady Kizuna, I must be remain useful.” “What d’you say?”

What’s up with addressing me as “Lady” all of a sudden? I’m finally understanding what she meant by “communication disorder”—she just blurts out whatever is in her head.

I don’t know if I can exactly empathize with her, but I don’t think it’d get in the way of our party.

“Oh, and another thing. We were technically fighting together already, but should we get into an actual party together?” “I, Hakoniwa Shouko, wish to travel together, but only if it is fine with you, Kizuna. It is what I had wished for before, and it is what I wish for now. We three Spirits may fare better together than being with other races.” “And for saving my life, I shall be thy shadow, Misses Kizuna and Hakoniwa.”

They’re both saying essentially the same thing, but the way they speak is a little annoying to decipher. And, they’re both really Japanese-y.

“Say… I know I can be a little slow, so correct me if I’m wrong, but do you two know each other or somethin’? Is it just me or does it seem like you’ve brought us together?”

I got two other Spirits to join my party in literally a day. They’re both roleplaying such distinctive personalities with unique skills to boot. To think that we’ll be together from now on kinda makes me anxious. And, of course, anxious in the good way.

“It is as you say, Kizuna, that we are brought together by fate. One could even say we were fated to be together.”

Really? Fate? That’s almost a little embarrassing… Well, I’m not exactly complaining that we have a party exclusively of Spirits. It even makes me feel like we’re better than others.

“True as it may be that our population is small, but endangered species we are not.” “Huh.” “I have been endlessly training mine Drain every day thus far. And so, I have been to many hunting grounds and seen countless of our own kind.” “Is that so? I cannot say that I have seen many other Spirits. I could even say that we are rare.”

Not everyone has read up on Spirits online, so it wouldn’t be weird that those people make up a portion of the Spirit playerbase. Some might even have chosen to play as a Spirit because they’re weak. And I’m sure some chose Spirit because they’re half-translucent and they think it’s cool. And naturally, there’s definitely people who are outspoken about how strong Spirits can be.

But I guess you can kinda get the sense on how the situation really is. Yamikage says she sees a fellow Spirit from time to time while Shouko has rarely seen any of us on the frontlines. As for me, I don’t think I’ve seen a single Spirit while I was fishing by the shores of the first city.

“Well, I’m glad to have found Spirit buddies I can hang out with, but what are we gonna do from now on?” “What do you mean ‘from now on’?” “Hmm, what I meant was like are we gonna hit the sack or whatever. But I don’t mind hearing about what ideas you guys have for the grand scheme of things either.”

It’s already pretty late in the day. The night view of the town is one filled with people carrying their lanterns. Generally, most lights are out by midnight though.

“I am fine with whatever we may choose to do. As the proverb goes: early to sleep and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. And as for the latter, I am personally aiming to return to my former strength.” “I am accustomed to acting in the dead of night and thus staying awake until five in the morn is of no hardship for me. Furthermore, I hold no ambitions of mine own and herefore I shall defer to you, Kizuna.”

Well, that puts me in a bit of a pickle. And why am I in charge anyway? I mean, I’ve been a guildmaster in other MMOs before, but not for a big one or anything. Well, it’s not like I have a goal anyway, so let’s just focus on helping Shouko reach hers.

“By the way, how strong were you, Shouko?” “I had about 50,000 Energy.” “Egads!” “Y’know, she was fighting on the frontlines, right?” “I had not. In that case, Miss Hakoniwa is our senior and mentor.” “O-Oh, please, I haven’t the skills to be a mentor.”

You are the most skilled one of us though. When we were back at the cave, you’d dodge and parry the boss’ attacks and avoided all damage. That’s the power of experience. Plus, you even detected Yamikage who was cloaked in the shadows. If you’re not gonna give credit to yourself, then I will.

Ms. Shouko, you are legit skilled.

Whatever. I’ll keep it to myself. Though it’s probably a different story for the numbers and statistics in her status, Shouko is definitely the most skilled player among us.

“In that case, since Shouko knows where we should grind, why don’t we let her pick where to go together?” “Yes, I’m fine with that. Thank you for going along with me.” “I have no qualms as well. Rather, I look forward to absorbing more souls.” “Alright, then it’s a plan.”

Anyhow, the three of us managed to form a Spirit party. And this is totally an unnecessary tidbit, but that night, I cooked my secret stash of the best herring I had for our dinner.

contents: /prologue/ /ch001/ /ch002/ /ch003/ /ch004/ /ch005/ /ch006/ /ch007/ /ch008/ /ch009/ /ch010/ /ch011/ /ch012/ /ch013/ /ch014/ /next/

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