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#with my really badly edited slapping of his face on my old art of him cause i dont have time to do anything else
soni-dragon · 29 days
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time for the menacing
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parachutingkitten · 6 months
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I have two sins that somwhat cohenside:
As a Cole stan for life I despise the Cole is gay HC and have had to abandon the tag because of its prevalence. Lavashipping is a NOTP and of all the art and edits I've seen polluting my Cole tag I still cant see any chemistry or dynamic between them besides they are both attractive. All the ninja ships are incest vibes (not just the gay ones. Looking at you Braincellshipping) to me as they treat eachother and call eachother brothers but at least there was tension and chemistry between the old days of Bruiseshipping. Lava's prevalence online had me quit for a long time as I couldnt understand why it randomly gained such traction and then showrunners made the dumb idea to try and bait fan perceptions in crystalized. I see cole as somewhat aromantic (although the term is mostly meaningless and used to describe anyone who is uncmfortable or disinterested with romance without analysing the deeper psychological reasons that might be the case) but he obviously wants to be a father and I don't see how any of his defined traits attribute to being the fans gay stand in besides the fact that fandom always has the urge to pick one to be the LGBT mascot and create content that isnt there simply for their own self indulgence. I like Coliel (if anyone remembers Seliel) as it leans into Coles obliviousness to advances while it shows off his honorable and protective personality. I don't find Cole particularly coded LGBT in any of the seasons up until Dragons rising, which the episode focussing it was badly written and OOC.
My other "sin" I suppose is I disown ALL of DR for being a horrible soft reboot that does everything a soft reboot shouldn't: messing with preestablished lore in an attempt to prop up these random new characters as just, if not more, powerful than our protagonists. The new writer has a horrible track record with character ensemble shows like TMNT 2012 and its a worthless slap in the face continuation of an ended series. The diologue is horrendously tacky and most jokes dont land. The push by the writers to add in fan characterizations and expand the lore beyond whats established is lazy and uninspired. There is so much left to explore in Ninjago the way it was. We never went to most of the continent but why try to write compelling stories and dramas with an already defined map when you could throw everything out the window and make your own sandbox, shoehorning it into Ninjago regardless on how ridiculous it looks and feels.
*exhale* alright. I lot to get through here.
there is nothing wrong with not HCing cole gay, especially if you seem him on the aro/ace spectrum. I'm in the exact same boat. And just because there are very prevalent gay interpretations of the text does not mean you have to adopt them, or watch them with that subtext in mind. The true potential episode can obviously really easily be read as a coming out allegory, and a lot of people have latched onto that. And good for them!
But it's just as easily read as a story about defying your parent's expectations for a career path- especially if that's something you can relate to. I think the episode works even better in that respect (cuz that's kinda more directly what it's about, but also) because it adds in this layer of also respecting the place where your parents came from and make their living with. Honestly, I didn't see any gay coding on my first watch through of that one dragons rising episode. I saw Cole's relationship with Geo as much more of a mentor/mentee thing, probably because he's typically taken on a father role. I thought Geo and Sora had more chemistry honestly, with that one scene where their bonding over rejection. That's the beauty of media, multiple interpretations! It sounds like you're letting the fandom color your viewing experience, and that's your problem. The crystalized kai/cole stuff can just as easily be read as brother shenanigans. Don't let fanon make things canon for you if you don't want them to.
I'm on the same page of not shipping the core 4 together. The early seasons were directly focused on their brotherhood in my view, so I get it. But, let's not begrudge people their imaginary LGBTQ rep. As far as I understand lavashipping took off cuz it's the only gay pairing of the main characters who could still potentially be canonically shipped together. Jaya and pixane are pretty set in stone, and lloyd is pretty much off limits. But kailor is very iffy in canon, and cole has never had a love interest. And even if I don't ship it, I can see the value of people having some level of hope that the show might give them some rep. But again, none of this means you have to ship it or feel bad for not shipping it.
Second, you've got some unique opinions on dragons rising. Cool. I don't think you're completely invalid or anything, but I do think some of these opinions might be a little biased?
You're mad it brought back the... finished tv show? The show that finished with crystalized? The worst possible ending of the show? Honestly, it wasn't that much more conclusive than other seasons. Ninjago has always struck me as an evergreen property- a world with endless adventures in it. To begrudge future stories for existing seems a little selfish to me. Ninjago should be a property that new kids can get into for years to come. I've got some problems with what dragons rising has done. I don't think the merge was the best way to go. I hate how needlessly small it makes everything feel. I think sora is a little too chosen-one-y. There are things to criticize here. But it's pulling a lot off. I think it's balanced screen time between old characters and new characters pretty well. It's established a fairly unique identity for itself, which can be a real struggle for sequel content. Again, I think you're coming into it with a distorted fandom lens which is making you hate it more. Not to say that you're wrong, but you're feelings associated with your opinions may be a little exaggerated.
if you have a sin you would like to confess, please direct it to @ninjago-sins
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novankenn · 5 months
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2am (Chp 9) -Edited/Retcon
--== Table of Contents ==--
A/N - MATURE CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNING. Contains depictions/descriptions to the over the indulgence of alcohol, drug use, sexual acts. Contains depictions/descriptions of severe depression, self-harm. Skip this chapter if these are uncomfortable topics for you. 
This is NOT intended as smut or erotica, so if you're looking for that... go somewhere else.
/=====/
Jaune sat in the locker room of “the Fall School of Combat Arts.” He was half dressed for his training session, and was obviously in deep thought. His sneakers sat untied on the floor before him, beside him could be found his weight belt, lifting straps, towel and water bottle. He was leaned over, elbow on his knees, his hands clasped together before him.
Ever since last night, seeing Pyrrha again, he had been suffering. Old memories he thought buried and forgotten surged back. Inundating him in the quiet hours of the night. He knew the signs of what was happening to him. Standing up, he moved to his locker and pulled out his scroll. 
He went through his contacts, looking for a very specific one. It was after he was granted sole custody of Az, and he began to really find out how badly Pyrrha’s addiction was getting, and what it was allowing others to do to her… he had fallen apart. His finger hovered over the call icon, as his eyes wandered towards the thin raised white lines that cross crossed his forearm.
It had started small, done out of sight of everyone, especially Azalea. The pain dulled the anger, let him focus on his life, and what he needed to do for his daughter. For a time it worked… until it didn’t.
“You're enjoying being at grandma’s. Are you behaving, and having fun?” Jaune asked during a scroll call to his Az who was spending the weekend with Pyrrha’s mom. He chuckled at her animate response and almost broke down when he heard her say those three special words. “I love you too, sweetie.”
After the call disconnected, he closed the phone application and opened the messenger application. His chest heaved as he looked at the message he had gotten from Pyrrha two nights ago. It had a large video attached to it. His mind screamed at him to not do what he was going to do. He couldn’t help it… he just needed to see, needed to know.
The message was not sent by Pyrrha, considering the dismissive and insulting text of the previous and fallowing messages associated with the video file. It was like so many other times. Pyrrha either left her scroll unlocked or was talked into unlocking it. With a shaking thumb, he tapped the file.
“Oh, look at her! Fuck, she’s a dirty drugged up whore!” Jaune’s heart broke as he watched the mother of his child, having her face pushed into lines of white powder on the stomach of another nude woman. It was a man’s voice in the background. “We should do it, you know? We should… this slut won’t do a fuck thing to stop us.”
“You like my man’s fat cock? Is it better than your cuck of a baby-daddy?”
“Ummmm… huh… ah?” Pyrrha slurred, it was obvious to anyone watching that she was drugged up out of her mind, and barely coherent,
“You want it some more? You want it up that tight fuck hole of an ass?”
“No… uhhhh… no…” Pyrrha’s eyes had just about rolled back into her head, and she was only staying upright due to the grip on her hair.
“He’s going to ream that prissy, privileged ass…” the woman’s voice snapped as her hand joined the man’s and naked Pyrrha’s head backwards savagely.
“Ahhhh… uhhhh…” Pyrrha groaned, weaving on her knees, her shoulders slack.
“Hit the fucking bitch! Wake her up!” snarled the woman. “You're nothing but a used up has been… a piece of slut trash!”
The slap was when he shut the video off.
/=====/
A/N - This chapter was another ROUGH one to do (for personal reasons as well as creative)... it's not happy or wholesome, and shows a darkness to Pyrrha's impulsive actions. This will be the final real depiction of how far and messed up Pyrrha's life had become due to her addictions.If I didn't need these few chapters to show the depth of struggle for Jaune and Pyrrha... then I would have completely avoided doing them... but I NEED them to get to the ending I want. So my apologizes if these are making this story unpalatable.
/=====/
A/N - This chapter was another ROUGH one to do (for personal reasons as well as creative)... it's not happy or wholesome, and shows a darkness to Pyrrha's impulsive actions. This will be the final real depiction of how far and messed up Pyrrha's life had become due to her addictions. If I didn't need these few chapters to show the depth of struggle for Jaune and Pyrrha... then I would have completely avoided doing them... but I NEED them to get to the ending I want. So my apologizes if these are making this story unpalatable.
/=====/ Okay.. I did a "retcon" on this chapter. It has not be obvious to readers that Pyrrha is a victim of her addition and those that have taken advantage of it. She is NOT out to "cuck/ntr" Jaune. Did this encounter happen... yes... but is was too into the"ntr/cuck" side of things... and I NEEDED to make it obvious that she wasn't really an active or consenting participant.
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chromatic-lamina · 4 years
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rascal: law and robin brotp fanfic
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I have a lot of brotp Law and Robin in my fics, and one fic with them as a couple. I like the brotp interaction. Two cynical and supportive friends, but the writing is mostly in my multi-chaptered works, which are dark or canon divergent or both.
Anyway, I’m going to include an excerpt below. Robin’s painting Law’s toenails while they both chat about current and past loss and love. It’s from a three-chapter work that I don’t think will make much sense without knowing the rest of the world that it comes from, but hopefully this interchange can be followed and strikes a chord with some. I know the LawBin fans are thirsty. Post canon with canon-verse history and elements. This is an older piece.
🐞
Law sat back in the garden recliner in Robin’s backyard, a book over his face. He wasn’t in danger of burning easily in the late morning sun, but had no intention of making himself prey to melanoma. Robin perched on the edge of the recliner, holding one of Law's feet.
He'd spent the night at Robin’s in anticipation of the tea-towel convention they'd be visiting today. She’d spent the night trying to share his enthusiasm as he sat, tattooed arms spread on the table, poring over catalogues. His inked hands pointed out designs featuring disproportionate tulip-ensconced windmills, and disembodied body parts that had less to do with Dali and more to do with morticians.
She assumed all the creators were outliers. Commemorative tea-towels hadn’t quite taken the art world by storm yet, but they did remind her a little of Ryuunosuke, the very cute but badly drawn dragon that had struggled and succeeded in taking them all to the top of Zou. 
That was last night though and now, soon, they’d head off to gossip and gander with the convention organisers, the Dishcloth Dames, once she’d made Law pretty.
“These are so cute.” She pulled at the few black gnarly hairs curled on Law’s left big toe.
“Freak,” Law mumbled, moving his foot.
Robin laughed, righted Law’s foot and wiped the brush over the nail of his big toe.
“When did you last clip these?”
“What’s it to you? You’re the one who wanted to dress me up.”
“You’re the one who’s letting me. You’ve got old man’s feet, by the way.”
Law arched his bridge and Robin slapped it, held it down.
“The sexy surgeon’s pedes don’t please? You said they were cute?”
She studied languages. She had no difficulty with Law’s fancy Latin terms.
“Mmm. I wouldn’t go that far. But I guess you got those tattoos to distract from your tootsies.”
The ink on the bridges of his feet matched that on the back of his hands. She felt the arc of the bone against her palm as she admired the designs, although it was one of the more simple ones to adorn Law and, historically, definitely not his favourite.
“And yet, there you are, making them all presentable and shit.”
“Does Marco like them?”
“He’s got his kinks.”
“And . . . ?”
“They remain in the bedroom,” Law grinned. At times he thought the Phoenix liked every part of his body, though they’d never had a deep conversation about those particular extremities.
“Ah, you’re no fun.”
“I’ve been told.”
Law felt her move to the next digit.
“What colour are you painting them?”
“Tch.”
As if it could be anything but black.
“Well, you sent Chopper out for the colour once,” Law said to her silence.
Bubble gum. Robin snickered, remembering. Law peered at her from under his book, her shoulders rose and fell with laughter. He liked that violet t-shirt.
.
Law seemed so disinterested, and therefore, Robin guessed very trusting, when she or anyone else painted his nails. He usually paid little attention to the colour, or even the action. It was something that pleased those who found it amusing to decorate him. Just so long as they let him read whatever he was researching, he indulged them. A small compromise for a larger gain.
No way in hell could someone he didn’t trust do this, though it had been done. Robin knew that trust was hard won. Law told himself that he let them all think he was vain this way so he could go for their jugulars some other time. Plus, he liked giving the Dishcloth Dames even more to gossip about.
.
Thinking of Chopper, Law laughed as if the sound was rationed—a clipped exhalation. The tanuki reminded him of his navigator.
“Bepo. Lord, Bepo got it into his head once to paint me. Maybe he wanted to practice so he could surprise some lucky Mink in the future, and who better to be his chump than his ferocious captain?”
Robin turned to him for a second, curious, before proceeding to the next toe. Her extra hands manipulated Law’s foot for the best access. Law’s own hand kept the book in place. She liked that silver band he sometimes wore on his wrist—a solid link—a flash of sky reflected in the metal.
“His fine motor skills aren’t the best. You’ve seen his maps. Shachi and Penguin thought I’d amputated my own toes without the benefit of a Room.” A rumble lifted Law's chest and then dissolved. He smiled easily. The book didn’t cover all of his face.  “He even dabbed a paw print on my heel.”
“He chose red?” She loved that flash of teeth.
“Mmm. So. I guess it’s black?”
Robin finished the last toenail and told him not to move his feet about for a while. She then drew up the recliner next to his, lay on it, leant on her side and looked across. Law could be asleep for all she knew.
.
“Oi, talk to me endling. Of course it’s black.”
Law’s lips twitched. Only Robin could get away with that.
“So needy, terminarch. How am I meant to do that without moving?”
They may as well have just called each other Flevance and Ohara. They did at times, but neither could be feeling too off-colour when they did, or the devil fruits would come out to play. The town names as nomenclatures were off-limits to anyone else.
“Take that book off your face at least. I know you can’t read it like that.”
“Your makeup bag’s not nearby, is it?”
“Just the toes today, Dr. Death.”
Good. He was only happy for modification to go so far. He sighed, grumbled, but lifted a hand and picked the book up by its spine, and rested it—still spreadeagled—on his chest. He blinked into the sun, then tipped his head her way. Not the most comfortable of positions.
“Can I sit up?”
The grey of Law’s irises were sometimes shot through with gold. She wondered what his parents had looked like. “Give it a few.”
He turned his face skyward again, his arm over his shut lids.
.
“How about Luffy?” she asked. Luffy was before island living, before Law’s casual feet days. If they’d ever played around with nail polish, she’d never seen the results.
Law groaned.
“He approached my nails as if they were made of seastone, his hand was that shaky.” The softness in tone betrayed the annoyance in his words. “For some reason he thought a pearly pink would suit? Maybe it reminded him of marbled steak or something? Of course, he had absolutely no patience.”
Law scratched at his sideburns with his spare hand.
“He slapped it on, forgot to cap the varnish, jumped on me, bringing the sheet with him, or whatever we were lying on, wherever we were. It smeared over everything; our clothes, or more accurately, my clothes. You know, Luffy somehow always escapes his own chaos—and then he declared the whole thing stupid and boring, as if I’d dreamt up the activity and forced it on him.” Incredulity hissed through the back of his teeth.
He tapped his earrings. "Somehow the polish even managed to get on these. Nami-ya probably talked him into the whole thing for a bet."
“And you let him?”
Law didn’t need to look at Robin to know her expression; amused and bemused.
“You choose your battles.”
“Mmm.” Her captain could be quite domineering. She wondered if they were the same earrings. It wouldn’t surprise her. She’d kept the same jewellery over the years, but added to her collection with each pirates' haul. The ones that Luffy didn’t somehow swap for food.
.
She sat up and twisted her neck. They needed to get going soon.
“Phoenix?”
“Still trying to unearth his kinks?”
“Now that you bring it up.”
Law’s smile, the one Robin and only a few others ever saw, made her lips curve.
“I paint for him at times. I mean, my own nails. He’s got a lapis grounding stone, and his flames are blue when he’s in Zoan form. I try to match those shades—a balance between the two. Other times, I paint for myself.”
“Does he notice?” Marco had a grounding stone? But then again, they all had their talismans.
“Sometimes.”
“You don’t tell him?”
“Not always. Other things are more pressing.”
“Does he know you’re a freak?”
“I thought that was you.”
.
Law paused for a second. He tipped his face Robin's way again, his hand still protecting his eyes. How come she got to sit up?
“The dogs have never liked it. And you know, all that waste. It’s not really hygienic in the clinic either.”
“You operate with your toes?”
Law laughed. “When I do my hands . . . It’s not hygienic.”
.
Robin cast a glance at her back yard – the trees that offered privacy from the neighbours, the small pond. She enjoyed life in the New World now Luffy was pirate king.
“The dogs don’t like it, but Bepo can handle it?”
“Well, he’s a freak, too. Minks wear makeup, right?”
Robin nodded. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”
“Makeup?”
“Being a freak.”
“To the contrary, some of my best friends are freaks. You can’t all be Chopper.”
Law calls Robin a freak and gets away with it. heh. Perhaps. Anyway, I’ll put the link to the AO3 story as the source (just edited it in. This post has been up for long enough).  It’s actually about dogs and links back to another story, and is kinda sad, and features Robin, but is about Law and Marco, and there’s plenty of humour too. If you want to read it, be my guest. It’s an older one, written a few years ago. T-rated.
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jamiebluewind · 4 years
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Character/Location Descriptions for Fantasy High 2.10!
***
As always, let me know if I need to edit or add anything and tag/ask/PM me about art and stories so I can check them out!
Warning: emprisonment, multiple injuries, canon typical violence, multiple blood mentions, gross descriptions, poison mention, broken bone mention, vomit mention, torture mentions, trauma, abandonment,
***
Brennan
"Free dad slap."
"You 'Ally'ed out of the box of doom!"
***
New Character/s
Fire Elemental #3
Genderless
Was summoned and bound by the elves of old to protect the elemental pylon that powers the permanent magical effects of Ka'lethriel Tower, which transformed them into a monstrous fire thing along with 2 other fire elementals bound there
Was embrased by Fabian in a deep dip as he cradled their head and his sheet wrapped around them both and roiled above them
The power of Fabian's dance partially stunned them and took them out of active combat
The thing binding them to protect the pylon went when the fire pit helix was put out, causing them to change back to a creature with an elvan face of wreathing flame
They cry fire
They kissed Fabian softly on the lips (for 8 points of damage) and whispered in his ear (softly like flame) "Thank you. For my freedom. For my life." before disappearing
Established Characters
Arthur Aguefort
Slows localized time at Ka'lethriel Tower, opening a rift from his desk at the academy to talk to Adaine
Crawled through the rift after Adaine confirmed that her captors chose the way of pain
The way of pain involved Aguefort using new and experimental magic resulting him growing 450 feet tall (massive thudding steps), reaching up to grab the Sun (causing his veins to light up with golden fire and his mouth to fill with a fire that releases and races across the sky), calling thousands of terracotta Agueforts to burst out of the ground and sprint north, moving the Sun itself (leaving a burning scar across the sky), and shooting lasers the width of highways that have enough power to cap a mountain in one hit with lasers that shot out of his eye (which took on a golden bright glow)
He appeared to Kristen later (via a spell that appeared as a scroll glowing with illusionary magic with his name on it that allowed him video chat with her from back in Elmville) badly injured, wrapped up in bandages, bleeding a lot, and in pain.
The new magic tore up his guts so bad that by the time he got about 50 miles north of the tower, he "shit about an ocean of blood" and almost passed out (we can't get that big, 450 feet tall is too big)
Was also hit with a lot of powerful elven counter magic before he teleported back to Solace
His terracotta army fell apart when he left
Admitted that he had been going ham for a while since after Kristen snuck him into heaven, that being dead for a couple months really messed him up, and that attempting to destroy the government of Fallinel was "just too much"
Got in a lot of trouble with the government of Solace, will probably have to go to court, and he has to move the Sun back ("gotta figure out how to do that")
Dragged the Sun "a little bit north of where it should be" (causing the far south of the Earth to be colder and far north to be hotter), but said the Sun was "going in the right direction" and "still going around the Earth", resulting in clarifying that Spyre normally goes around the Sun, but he's not sure of what he did when he dragged it across the sky and that there was more of a poetic understanding of how things really work, but he still "really fucked up"
Kear/Keer
Was horrified by Augefort's actions
"I'm getting very confused and upset with everything that these children do."
Was poisoned and vomiting when Kristen banished her with a kiss on her face, came back when Kristen broke her ankle, and was banished again by Ayda who loudly pronounces "mwah!" while kissing her face like Kristen
Oak Warriors
8 foot tall
Look like green men (not automaton) made of magic with elven faces
Vulnerable to fire
Controled by Kear
Anguin
Was blinded by Kristen
Went invisible and ran
Was knocked unconscious by Fig and left in the vault (with some of his teeth knocked out) when Ka'lethriel Tower collapsed
Aelwyn
Kept awake for 5 months
Was rescued from the tower and fell unconscious/comatose immediately
Was carried out by Ayda
Even outside the orb, her body shook with the strain and effort
As she and Adaine tranced, a tiny piece of her abjurative magic (an innate cantrip, abjurer's ward) came back and she started building a shield around Adaine in her "sleep"
Was taken to a hot spring with elven healers by Adaine
Was unsure if they actually escaped or just died before trying to cast a feeble shield around Adaine again
Her mind was damaged and the torture had a profound and corrosive effect on her well being and memory
The inside of her mind looked like a city razed to the ground with crumbled walls, battlements, towers, and arcane defenses. Only a weird, vulnerable labyrinth of images remained
Has a deep self loathing (especially for not saying anything on Adaine's behalf against their parents) and a powerful fear of her parents. Her cowardice fed into her self loathing which fed into her cowardice in an endless loop.
Had an intense magical charm in the center of the labyrinth of her abjurations and a little faint enchantment with "Despite all of the torment and tribulation, let this be proof. I always knew there was only one person clever enough to find this." written on the outside. The charm was a custom modify memory spell (which The Court Of Stars had been searching for) and contained a saved unbroken version of her from before she was capture which overrode her current broken state once it was dispelled
Adaine
Found a sword in the vault while looking for a weapon to fight with
Later gave the sword Fan-dran-goorh to Fabian (was made by his grandpapa Tel'amine)
Held Aelwyn as they sleep
Detects magic on Aelwyn and find a faint whisper of enchant magic before using detect thoughts on her
Found and dispelled the magical charm within Aelwyn which returns her sister's mind to a version before she was captured by The Court of Stars
Gilear
Fluid in his feet, especially his right (due to rolling his ankle months ago) which now has a band of purple around it (possibly a bone issue) and causes him an ambiant throbbing pain and heat from all the extra blood (GO TO A DOCTOR!!!)
Tel'amine
Tried very hard to say "Gorgug" one last time, but just said "Chedge" and then cried and became really embarrassed when Gorgug responded "It sounds like literally no sound was correct in that."
Dances with Fabian at one point in the night to the sound of Fig's bass.
He and the other adults of Kylo Me'newra give teens grapes because they believe it will make them less horny (doesn't actually work)
Riz
Shot a fire elemental over Gorgug's thumbs up
"Stay positive."
Said "It's beautiful" about Fabian dancing with the fire elemental and shed a tear before saying "It's beautiful Gorgug" and lowering his gun, aiming at the last pitcher
Poked his head in when Adaine was about to go to sleep to ask if her sister was still trying to kill them (since she was just kind of there now), listens to her answer (doesn't think so, especially with her trauma), and then slowly (and awkwardly) backs out of the room as the sisters doze off together (after Ayda dropped her off)
Gorgug
Soot on his face and singed hair after being set on fire
Had his thumb knicked slightly when Riz shot over it
Fabian
Slashed the first fire elemental on his first two turns before hiding behind Gorgug
Had an elven sheet on hand which has the ability to put out fires, so he used to put out his friends
Danced and jumped with his sheet during the battle and did a bit of contact juggling with the fire
(On being kissed) "I take it. I take every point of that damage and I take it slowly. I can feel it. In my whole body."
Was left with red hot lips after kissing the fire elemental and (with a gulp) felt a glowing moat of fire travel down his throat and rest hot and warm in his chest
Had the sheet tied around him like a cape while traveling back to meet with the others
At Kylo Me'newra, danced (badly due to rolling a 1 and a 2) all night outside with his sheet (like nobody is watching) as the ground lit up behind him with a dull glow with each step. It helped him get in touch with his feelings and his body
Enjoys the taste of the flower his grandpapa gives him
Gorgug, Riz, and Fabian
Ran to and from their pylon with their arms back like anime characters
"I believe in you/us."
"Spring break!!!"
All three were burned from their fight
After getting back to Kylo Me'newra, Fabian danced all night while Riz and Gorgug watched (cradled in the boughs of treents that hummed a song as the trees rocked them)
Riz: You know? This place isn't so bad.
Gorgug: How did this part start happening?
Riz: I thought I was just gonna sit in a tree and it started singing to me.
Gorgug: Hey. Really not horrible.
Riz: Yeah.
Tel'amine: Yes. Really not horrible at all. *catches a blossom and shoves it into Gorgug's mouth* Eat it.
Gorgug: *chews*
Tel'amine: Yes.
Riz: Is it good or is it just a flower?
Gorgug: *shakes head*
Riz: It was beautiful.
Tel'amine: *glides off into the night*
Gorgug: *coughs and sticks his tongue out*
Riz: Did that dude just feed you a flower?
Gorgug: Yeah. *hacking sound*
Riz: That was insane.
Gorgug: It's a complex flavor, I don't like it.
Riz: That was insane.
Kristen
Unmade a oak warrior due to the annoyance of her spirit guardians
*appears behind Kear and puts her hand on her back* "You're on the wrong side, but you could join us if you want. Just something to think about." *casts banishment to give Kear time to think and kisses her on the side of the head before she goes*
Tried to ribbon dance fly down 10 stories in the middle of the tower and ended up just slamming into the floor at the bottom instead, breaking her ankle
Her spirit guardians attacked Anguin while he was invisible and trying to sneak into the vault, ending his invisibility
Used sending to get in contact with Jawbone (Jawbone. Hey. Having some trouble with Tracker. She's pretty upset at me. I keep saying the wrong thing. I kept something from her. Oops? -> Tough break kiddo. Happy to help if I can. Should I find a way to contact you other than this spell? -> Fuck yes. -> Hell yeah.)
Had a long distance talk with Jawbone (using Aguefort's video chat spell) where she got advice on not treating her partner as a means to an end and about transparency.
Fig
Gave Wicklaw's sword back to Leviathan
Disguised herself as a Arthur Aguefort (but with a bass guitar) and accidentally really upsets Ayda
Played a really sick guitar riff that would make all the gems dance (to persuade them somehow and find out more about gems) and ends up causing a large gem built into the base of the tower to crack and the tower to collapse (but not before grabbing a book on gems lore)
Tried to set Adaine's dad on fire with a pack of cloves as they left
Had a sleepover with Ayda (text link below)
Ayda
Brennan stated outside stream that an incarnation of Ayda has been living on Leviathan for a very long time, building the Compass Points. When she dies and is reborn, it is a true rebirth and her new incarnation has none of the memories of her previous forms, only knowing her previous selves from the written instructions they leave behind. Her current incarnation is the same age as Tracker (17).
Can fly with two other medium sized people (and later the two plus an underweight Aelwyn)
Immune to fire
Her dad is very triggering for her
Had a sleepover with Fig
(to Fig) "Have you said something so kind on purpose?"
When Fig attacked her as her dad (due to spell fail), she got very upset and said "Dad. Dad. I'm sorry. I'm done. I'm sorry. Dad. Dad." as Fig tried to calm her
When she counter spelled Angwin and Fig told her thank you, she answered "Whatever. I would help you, Fi-du-du-Dad. You're not my dad. You're Fig! Right? It's an illusion. Yes. You're Fig. I know. Why would I have carried my dad here? He never carried muh... me."
Told Fig that she might need to work through some of her stuff in battle as she "elected to have a disguise that was very upsetting."
After dispelling a spell on Fig that was gonna make her run away "Dad don't leave! I mean Fig! Fig don't leave."
Was very happy to see Adaine.
Said "My friend Kristen did this" before giving Kear a loudly pronounced "Mwah" kiss to the side of her head and banishing her again
Fig: How dare you do that the Arthur Augefort!
Ayda: PLEASE STOP THAT!
Fig: I know, but see, it's intimidating for them-
Ayda: It can't possibly be helping us more than it's hurting us!
***
Location Descriptions
Ka'lethriel Tower (new details)
The tower itself is 10 stories tall and sits near a wall (with a gate) that surrounds the tower and the garden
Each floor has one room (save the top which has at least two)
The first floor holds a vault (which is normally protected by permanent magical effects) with a big locked door
There's a large gem built into the side of the tower within the vault
The vault is filled with a lot of things, including Adaine and Aelwyn's property (spellbooks, arcane focuses, and The Jacket of Useful Things), Fan-dran-goorh (Fandrangor): Sword of The North Star (long, whip thin elven sword that shines a gleaming green golden light, can talk with the voices of elvan ancestors, and once belonged to elven kings long past), a massive religious tome, a quarenteened series of top secret elven scrolls that is the research of Adaine mom, a series of notes by mom looking for the location of a temple in Sylvar (Kristen knows due to a book at the Compass Points Library), and a book on gem lore
Fire Pit Pylon
Large elvan smithy (only in looks as it's an arcane power station and not an actual forge) and worst of the two pylons
Stone, mossy covered building with a floor covered in traps and an entire infrastructure filled with a high elven adoration for magic
In the center of the building, there is a hexagonal 6 pointed room with a fire pit in the center that's so hot that it's hard to look at. The fire is golden green helix at the start (changes to purple gold with the first pitcher of water spilled into it, ruby red with the second, and out with the third. It also flickers with other energy at ruby red from the other pylon being attacked).
Surrounding the fire pit in altering positions around the 6 sided room are 3 braziers and 3 statures (each statue directly across from a brazier)
The elven statues have ornimental stone weapons on them and are holding huge alabaster pitchers of clear water which bend towards the fire pit and require a cantrip (or enough damage to break them) to dump their water
The large firy silver elven braziers are piled high with burning coal (responsible for the smoke) and are traps that conjure a monsterous fire elemental when the water from its corresponding stature spills into the fire pit or when a floor trap is triggered
***
<- PREVIOUS
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xxx-cat-xxx · 4 years
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2019 Creator Tag
Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2019. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works! 
I was tagged by @newnewyorker93. Thanks so much, dear! This was really hard, but also nice to reflect upon! It also made me realise that my favourite fics are not necessarily the ones I put most work in and definitely not the ones that are most popular. Please heed the trigger warnings on AO3 before reading. Here we go, 5 out of 34:
1. What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood
The universe is saved, Thanos is defeated, the Vanished are returned, and Tony has survived (though with severe radiation burns and one less arm). Everything should be good now - except that it isn’t.While Tony embarks on a painful and frustrating recovery, he wrestles with the fear that he’s no longer capable of caring for his family. Meanwhile, Peter tries to find his place in a world that just doesn’t feel like his own anymore.
2. Leave out all the Rest
“Listen, Peter,” Tony says. “You need to promise me one thing. Don’t stop being Spider-Man. The world needs you, more so than it ever needed me. More than you know.”
Then he gets up, walking away at the slow pace of an old man, and Peter never sees the tears on his cheeks.
3. Asleep 
When she returns to the bedroom, she half expects Tony to be gone - either on the way to his workshop, to yet another party, or simply busy emptying the champagne in the minibar - but none of that is the case. With a surge of warmth flooding her chest, Pepper realises that he’s fast asleep.
4. Game Face
Tony slumps completely once they are out of the building, all his bravado gone with the audience. The winter air hits like a slap on their faces. Steve lets him glide down next to the exit, watching when he pulls his knees to his chest and lets his head rest on them with a silent moan.
“How long has this been going on?” he asks quietly.
5. Perfect Cuts
Once the debrief is over, Nat locks herself in the bathroom, pulls out one of her shorter knives and tries to fight pain with pain.
They all have strategies to numb themselves when a mission goes badly. Steve exercises until he drips with sweat and moves like his muscles ache deeply. Tony has his alcohol. Clint vanishes into the forest and hunts, doesn’t eat for days except for what he takes down himself. Nat tells herself that she is not really different from them, then. She knows it's a lie, but it's a sweet one.
Tagging all my fellow favourite creators (but of course only answer if you want to): @builder051, @whumphoarder, @awesomesockes, @trammelsb, @saber-wing, @sallyidss, @twentyghosts, @jbsforever, @mohini-musing, @taylortut, @emetoandotherthings, @sassygreninja, @summerartist, @maikurunsaari, @lsktchinthemachine, @withstarryeyes and anyone who sees this and would like to join. You all deserve so much love and appreciation!
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comicteaparty · 5 years
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December 24th-December 30th, 2018 CTP Archive
The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from December 24th, 2018 to December 30th, 2018.  The chat focused on Cat-Person by P.Lo.
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RebelVampire
COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!
Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Cat-Person by P.Lo~! (https://catpersoncomic.tumblr.com/)
You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PST), so keep checking back for more! You have until December 30th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!
QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?
QUESTION 2. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?
QUESTION 3. Why do you think Neko refuses to go outside and has, in general, a grumpy attitude? Do you believe this is something she’ll eventually overcome at the current rate?
QUESTION 4. Will Neko and Eleanor be able to overcome the tension in their relationship? If so, how? Do you feel Neko’s attitude towards Eleanor is justified or vice versa? Will Neko ultimately ruin her dad’s relationship with Eleanor?
Delphina
(Content warning for anybody who needs it: Suicidal thoughts/attempts are a central theme in this comic)
So the creator describes this as a "serialized psychological-thriller". Neko is our viewpoint character, she's clearly got some unaddressed mental health issues that nobody around her is qualified to deal with, and as such becomes the most sympathetic. But it's clear that everyone starts from a deeply flawed baseline, and the creator is using things like porn addiction, alcoholism, and vegan diets to paint everyone in those "shades of grey".
From the about page:
“When a last-minute business trip forces DAD to leave home for a week, he enlists his eager girlfriend ELEANOR to take care of his reclusive daughter NEKO, which leads to jealousy, passive-aggressiveness, and… Bloodshed.”
So based on the tension, and clues being dropped around with Neko pocketing the key, and how controlling Eleanor is getting, I'm not expecting this to be a gentle healing story where everyone comes to understand one another. Things are going to go WAY south, perhaps physically and psychologically violent between Neko and Eleanor.
RebelVampire
QUESTION 5. Do you think Neko’s dad will be able to get a grip on his own problems, such as his drinking? How might his problems affect his relationship with Neko and Eleanor as the story continues?
keii4ii
I must say, I'm super impressed with how the art style and the repetitive format contribute to the storytelling. The clean style, the pretty but understated colors, the calm repetition of the three panel format... All of it contrasts against the turbulence and the ugliness of what's happening under the surface, and it's extremely effective.
RebelVampire
QUESTION 6. In what ways do you believe Neko’s life is reflected in the story she’s writing, especially given she mentioned taking aspects form it? What could that mean for the current state of Neko’s life?
RebelVampire
1) i really enjoy the first lunch scene when its just eleanor and neko because i find it to be a hard slap of truth in how communication can quickly go awry. eleanor is clearly well-meaning, but because of her personal insecurities about her position with neko and her own personal life beliefs, she winds up being pushy. but on the otherhand, neko is kind of a brat in general, even if i empathize with her more in that scene. but inevitably i really enjoyed the character dynamics in this particular scene cause they felt all too real and made my heart hurt. because neither character involved is awful, they just arent on the same page of communication. and that fact i think is really poignant for the darker tones of the story. 2) favorite character is probably neko's dad. because despite his own issues, he is an honest soul trying to balance helping neko while having his own life. he woefully underqualified to help neko, obviously, but hes trying at least.
3) i go back and forth on neko's decision to not leave the house. on the one hand, it could be hinting she might have extreme social anxiety or a form of agoraphobia. but on the otherhand, as someone who doesnt like to go outside, it could be she just doesnt like to go outside. not everyone gets a kick out of what the outside has to offer (often cause a lot of the more interesting things to do also cost zounds of money). so in a sense, i kind of feel it might be a mix? in that in general she just doesnt enjoy it, but that she does have some anxiety issues that doubly encourage her not to go out either. as for overcoming it, fff, it's not looking likely. as others have mentioned, she's really in need of some professional help, and atm she is not getting that. but as for the going outside thing, i dont think she necessary needs to overcome it. ppl can live healthy lives while staying mostly indoors. its mroe about whether it's hurting her quality of life. but i like the fact its not entirely clear in this regard, cause it makes neko more sympathetic in regards to her reactions to eleanor
4) I feel both character's attitudes is both justified and unjustified. as i mentioned with favorite scene, they both have their positive and negative sides. neko has issues but is also kind of a brat. eleanor is well-meaning but extremely pushy and inconsiderate. but in the end i dont think it matters who is more justified. theyre both right and both at fault, which is great because in general this is the gray situations we often face in real life. as for overcoming the tension in their relationship, eh, probably not. but in all honesty i dont think the dad and eleanor's relationship is gonna work out. i think at the end it's the dad's own unaddressed issues that are going to sabotage the relationship, nothing that neko does. but i do think neko is gonna feel like it's her fault and i think shes gonna feel guiliter about it then she suspects she will despite her general dislike of eleanor
5) as said in the end of 4, i think his own issues are what's actually going to ruin the relationship with eleanor. alcohol addiction leads to bad places and makes ppl not themselves. so i can only see it going badly. as for neko, i kind of think the same thing is gonna happen, more because he's not going to get neko the help she needs. inevitably, this story is on a downward spiral because everyone is sad and nobody seems to dealing with their issues in a healthy manner as of yet.
RebelVampire
6) before i speculate, i just want to say i love that the story flat out tells out neko's life is being reflected in her own story. because this is an element that would be left to reader speculation on simile and metaphor and stuff. but since this story is upfront about it, i actually think it makes room for a lot of tension building. since the story neko is writing is revealed in bits and pieces, this allows us to get the occassional view into neko's psyche. as the story she's writing gets darker, we get a window side view into neko's inner turmoil. and the more turmoil, the more worried you get since it's clear her mental situation atm might not be the most stable. now speculation, while i dont think neko is some secret killer of those around her through supernatural means, i do think shes reflecting the fact that she feels like a burden on those around her. which is somewhat interesting and also very sad. the extreme manifestation shown in her story makes me think neko has a very distorted self image. but on the otherhand, at the current moment its hard to say she isnt bit of a burden, though mostly in regards to her being a bit of brat just cause her dad wants to dad. but in a way, she kind of self fulfills the prophecy. and inevitably its just this cycle that leads her down a dark road that is overall very depressing but still interesting to see portrayed in this way.
Delphina
I was curious how old she was/what their financial situation is. She's of legal age to drink I guess, so she's an adult. Nothing like getting a job or her ever living independently has come up, so I assume the dad has that covered or is at the very least not mentioning that out of consideration of her mental health. But they can't afford more than one laptop for him to take on his business trip and her to write on?
And surely giving your shut-in daughter internet access would make life somewhat less isolating for her? Especially since internet communication has been established as something the dad does for support, it feels like a particularly odd situation. C'mon man, get your girl an iPad and let her do NaNoWriMo or something.(edited)
keii4ii
Was she actually legal to drink? I was under the impression that it was a special occasion only thing. (which isn't too uncommon IRL even if it's not legal?)
Delphina
I guess, but damn, that makes him an even WORSE dad.
They don't mention school or anything either, so I'm a little unclear.
keii4ii
Yeah...
Delphina
Regarding her writing, I think the dog/cat dichotomy that comes up in Neko's story that she's writing is a big theme (and well, the comic's called Cat-person, and she's named "neko" which means "cat" in Japanese). I'm assuming the parallel here is Neko is not actually the guy in her writing, but the cat. She's aloof, hard for anyone to read, stays away from people, gets violent. Eleanor's possibly the pushy, happy and over-attentive dog?
RebelVampire
i was super confused how old shes supposed to be, but i eventually settled on late teen based on 1) her general appearance and stature looks more teen/young adult to me and 2) a lot of the other stuff you mentioned. like shes very much being treated like a kid and not capable of being someone being independent. but to be fair, id ballpark maybe 17 or 18. so someone who is kind of an adult but not ready to be an adult by a long shot, which isnt uncommon for that age. i got the same impression as keii did about the drinking. that it was just a special occassion thing. neko just goes overboard and the dad doesnt punish her. which tbf to him, im sure hes worried about setting her off or something like that.
as for the laptop thing, i actually assumed that had nothing to do with their financial situation. i mean it might, but i got more the impression that he was protecting her and just in general didnt want her near the internet or things like that. which tbf i can understand that pov. cause as much as the internet can help, it can also hurt. cyberbullying is a real thing after all and we dont really have an established past for neko that lead her to do what she did. not to mention he might be afraid of what shes gonna search where he cant see. like what if she starts looking up "how to kill myself in [insert manner here]" alternatively, he also might just not want her to see whatever porn he has on the computer, cause id bet my soul he has porn on that laptop.
thats a good catch with the dog/cat dichotomy though. i didnt even notice it cause i was too busy fuss worrying over eleanor not caring where the key is
way to watch over neko, eleanor
Delphina
Oh yeah, there was a strip where he was doing some kind of adult chat and he deleted his browsing history before giving his computer to Neko, so he totally had porn on his laptop.
That's true about the internet possibly being a bad thing that he could feel he needs to protect her from. I think that sort of history of how she interacted when she WASN'T avoiding the world would really add a lot of depth to Neko and make her more sympathetic.
That said, the author has done a really good job of making the environment feel uncomfortably tight and trapped, so sympathetic characters might not be what they want for this story and might reduce the sense of tension we feel right now.(edited)
RebelVampire
yeah i def agree. it does feel tight and trapped. especially whenever eleanor is there cause whenever eleanor is around i feel like her constant talking serves to make the place feel more cramped.
RebelVampire
QUESTION 7. Why do you believe the fridge magnets spell out helpful sayings like “ask for help?” Who did it and for what purpose? What is the thematic significance?
Delphina
I suspect the fridge word art is Neko. It might be symbollic of her own subconscious trying to give her advice, or her way of communicating with her dad about his own poor way of dealing with problems.
RebelVampire
(the archive for the chat on Lovespells is now available! @thisintermezzo https://comicteaparty.com/post/181479135680/december-17th-december-23rd-2018-ctp-archive)
RebelVampire
QUESTION 8. How do you think the title, “Cat-Person,” ties into the story’s themes and topics? What does this title tell us about Neko or the other characters?
Delphina
(Going back to a previous topic, it looks like the pages that were added in the last few days do clarify that Neko does have agoraphobia/fear of leaving the house and she is an adult - https://catpersoncomic.tumblr.com/)
RebelVampire
idk if i consider that a confirmation shes an adult. but definitely old enough to drive.
Delphina
Neko knowing her phobias definitely makes me wonder why the dad wouldn't have told Eleanor those things. It seems like the kind of thing that I would have told my girlfriend before she met my daughter? And I have to hope Eleanor would have been broaching these subjects with more tact if these were known diagnoses.
Anyway, yah, the title "Cat-Person" seems to have ties in with Neko's name and the cat mentioned in her story. The stereotype of cats is that they don't like being around others and feel crowded/lash out pretty easily, which fits Neko pretty well at this point. Since it's such a core part of her identity, I'm curious if/how it can shift.
RebelVampire
the dad might have told eleanor tbf. she very much comes across as one of those ppl who thinks all mental issues are something you can just get over. or even if she isnt, i highly doubt eleanor did any research about it and attempted to actually understand.
it wouldnt surprise me if he didnt tell her. tbh, i dont think the dad really takes neko's fear of the outside all that serious either
i feel more he just tolerates it but doesnt understand the full extent of the problem
cause he seems kind of willing to indulge and spoil neko to a degree just so he doesnt have to deal with everything
Delphina
Hmmm, yeah, good point
RebelVampire
but to a degree i also understand cause hes got his own issues to work through. and ppl who have their own mental issues arent the best suited to help others in a lot of cases.
well more in the sense that neither are actively working to heal
so just arent in good places to help each other
keii4ii
I was actually wondering if he didn't tell her because he's a terrible dad and was worried it might drive Eleanor away from him
But I also like the idea of Eleanor having been told, but deliberately acting like she doesn't know
RebelVampire
tbh tho i could also believe he just never found the right time to tell eleanor
cause these are not casual things you drop down on your girlfriend
although i am leaning towards eleanor just didnt care
cause clearly she was told neko tried to commit suicide since she wasnt surprised at all
keii4ii
That, I was guessing (well, it was one of my guesses) Eleanor didn't actually take Neko seriously at the time and saw it as a younger person being an edgelord for attention
But any of these interpretations are possible at this time
RebelVampire
i think that is a good way to put it tho
that is 100% how i see eleanor fewing neko
as some young edgelord
that and she strikes me as one of those ppl who believes sunshine and fresh air will fix any illness
modern medicine be damned
RebelVampire
7) i kind of assume neko did the fridge word art for no other reason that shes a writer. so just makes sense. though i kind of feel like her father maybe encouraged her to do it. like put some positive affirmations on the fridge of some sort. i feel like their significance is to show something like how even when ppl can know what they have to do (like ask for help for instance) the actual execution of that is flawed and contingent on those around us. so asking for help is not necessarily a for sure path that lead to healing. or something like that. 8) as Delphina said, cats are "stereotyped" as being creatures that lash out and are relatively solitary (i quote stereotype cause as a cat owner annd lover, nah, cats are bundles of terror and these are accurate descriptions XD). the unfortunate thing is that ppl tend to assume these same traits apply to "cat people." which fits neko, but i also think in some way it also speaks of how ppl are auto putting their assumptions on her. in that the more they assume shes gonna lash out, the more she does so, and then its just a downward spiral. i think eleanor shows us the story is equally about ppls judgements and assumptions of who we are, in the same way people assume cat people are exactly like cats. and in so doing the title is also talking about how neko is being put into a box that is not conducive to her changing even if she wanted to, because people are already assuming certain things about her even before she meets or bonds with them
(i hope that drabble made sense cause im tired and about to go to bed XD)
RebelVampire
QUESTION 9. Do you believe Neko’s father’s attitude and precautions towards her since her attempted suicide is justified, or is it more likely making the situation worse? What do you think will become of the issue regarding the locked up knife drawer and missing key?
RebelVampire
QUESTION 10. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?
RebelVampire
9) I think Neko's father's handling of the situation is kind of a mix of both. I can understand taking precautions so Neko can heal without being in danger. However, he's not doing a lot of other stuff he should be doing to help her get better. As for the key thing, I think it's gonna hurt the dad more than Neko. Cause I can just picture Eleanor mentioning it casually and the Dad fighting with her wondering how Eleanor could be so irresponsible. Or something like that. I'm gonna be optimistic rather than assume worst case. O_O 10) I'm looking forward to seeing where else the story Neko is writing goes. I really love how tied in that story is to the comic's story and it really helps build tension and makes for a really interesting read.
keii4ii
I'm looking forward to seeing actual changes, be they positive or negative... or suuuper negative even. So far there's been a lot of establishing what each character is like (which is necessary, and done very well). I mean, Eleanor being introduced to Neko's life is a change to her life, but not yet a change in her character. I feel like the point we're at is a cusp of some real changes...
RebelVampire
COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!
Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Cat-Person this week! Please also give a special thank you to P.Lo for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Cat-Person, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!
Read and Comment: https://catpersoncomic.tumblr.com/
P.Lo’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/pleaseleaveon?lang=en
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tialovestelevision · 7 years
Text
No Place Like Home
Time to approach the mystery that is Dawn directly for the first time this season! Hopefully, we get them approaching the person that is Dawn here too. 1. Running monks! Run monks, run! They have candles! They are very, very scared. It’s two months ago, and someone’s trying to kill them. They have to protect the Key. Whatever’s after them is breaking down the very heavy door. They finished whatever they were doing just before the door gave. I’m assuming they’re dead. 2. Buffy fighting a very large vampire. And bantering. And winning. Dusted! But now she has a glowy ball. She doesn’t know what it is. Opening credits! 3. As I watch the credits, I’m eating McDonalds’s new Mac Junior. It’s not bad. It’s kinda a tiny Big Mac. I know McDonalds is bad for me, but it’s tasty and in this fallen world we take what joy we can. Especially since my favorite fast food growing up was Chik-fil-a, and they kinda spend substantial money on advocating against my family’s existence, so… can’t really eat there. 4. Buffy is making breakfast for Joyce. Joyce is still sick. Her problem is still undiagnosed. Huh… they’re talking about nicknames. Joyce never had any for Buffy, which doesn’t surprise me. Giles is opening the Magic Box today! Joyce wants Buffy to go and have fun, and bring her back a flying broomstick. Dawn complains that flying broomsticks never work. Dawn and Joyce have a book club, an idea to which Buffy reacts with horror. I’m amazed she’ll glance at a book without recoiling after Pat. Dawn’s going with Buffy to the Magic Box. 5. Magic Box! Giles is wearing a wizard hat. Such wonderful stares. Dawn comes in after Buffy. She’s impressed with the store. Giles has no customers yet. Riley and Willow just arrived. Buffy is showing them her ball. Riley wants to go with Buffy to find more balls. Dawn just made Riley feel bad. She’s taking the old Cordy “voice unpleasant truths to people” job. Buffy wishes she was an only child. Dawn broke something. 6. Buffy and Dawn back at home. Joyce’s head hurts. Joyce doesn’t want to go to the doctor. Buffy’s getting her pills. Ran into Ben. There’s also a patient on a rolly bed… he’s a little odd. He doesn’t belong there, and is calling everyone Fascists. Huh… it’s the security guard. “Doesn’t even help. Doesn’t make a damn bit of difference.” He was looking at the pills. “They’re coming at you. They come through the family. They get you through the family.” Buffy thinks someone’s doing this to Joyce. 7. In a building. There’s a monk drawing circles on a map. And door opens. He’s terrified… whatever’s after them - the Beast - is there. She’s tall, leggy, and very, very blonde, and the monk is trembling. 8. Magic Box. Giles sold a thing. He’s delighted. Anya can get Giles a direct line to the troll who sheds conjuring powder. And Buffy’s there. She’s telling them about the guard. Giles is skeptical but willing to help. 9. The building… huh. The one the guard was guarding. The Beast has tied the monk to a chair and is walking around him complaining about how hard he’s making her life. She wants to leave the universe because it sucks. She wants the Key. She wants him to tell her where the Key is. But he’s not telling her, The security guard she’s tied up is pleading for his life. Wow, I think she’s breaking time with her upset. And… she put her hands in the guard’s head and… something? She seems to be in better shape. 10. The Magic Box is VERY busy. Giles is being overwhelmed. Anya is working the register. Buffy is still doing research. Willow is bad at gift wrapping. Anya’s going to take that over. She’s good at things. Anya also knows about a spell to see magic. That seems useful. It’s dangerous but Buffy can do it, and Riley’s helping her with the spell. His insecurity is getting on things again. He’s doing better with it, though, a bit. Kissy time, then she’s going to do the ritual. Her magic circle is shaped more… oblong squarey thing with round corners? Dawn wants to see her do the ritual, but she needs Dawn out of the room. Now ritual time. I do love her shirt. I think the ritual’s done after a bit of a montage… so she should be all trancy now. 11. Yep. Trancy. Eyes all black. She looks lost, but she’s walking through the house. No spells yet. She found Joyce. No spells on her. Wait… Buffy’s looking at a picture of the three of them. Dawn keeps vanishing. Dawn is vanishing from all the pictures. This is creepy, visually, and very well-shot. Buffy’s upstairs again, going to Dawn’s door. Opens it. Walks into Dawn’s room. It’s supposed to be an art studio. Sees Dawn. She’s… vanishing, too. “You’re not my sister.” They were about to fight, but Giles called. He’s learned about the orb, which is the Dagon Sphere. It has a very long history as a protective device that wards off ancient evil - “That Which Cannot Be Named.” She’s about to tell Giles what she saw, but Dawn is behind her. Dawn is being creepy. Buffy says she’ll be back before Joyce gets there. She’s going back to where she found the Orb. 12. And she found Spike hanging out outside her house. She punched Spike. Spike’s insult game is off, and he was out there for a long time judging by the pile of cigarette butts on the ground. 13. At the factory. Buffy’s going inside. No guard on duty now. Of course, the Beast ate two guards already. Buffy found the giant door the Beast broke down. Joyce, meanwhile, came home before Buffy got back, and is looking for her daughters. Dawn is there, and made tea. Says Joyce doesn’t need to worry about Buffy. Buffy continues her exploration of the factory, and found a monk. Tells him she got the Sphere. The Beast is there… and just slapped Buffy across the room. Fight time. 14. Magic Box. Everyone but Anya is exhausted but Anya is delighted. Giles hired her. She’s very, very happy. 15. Buffy’s getting beaten up by the Beast. Very, very badly. Even full-strength hits aren’t doing much. She did manage something with a headbutt. But the Beast isn’t even slowed down. She JUST noticed Buffy has powers. Wow, this is the most severe beating she’s ever survived. She jumped out a window, and the Beast had to stop chasing her because the heel of her shoe broke. And the BEast just broke the building and collapsed it on herself. Buffy’s too hurt to get the monk away. He tells her she has to keep the Key safe. The Key is energy. It’s not the Dagon Sphere. He’s calling the Beat an abomination. They had to hide the Key. They made it human and sent it to Buffy to keep safe. They put the Key in her house. “I didn’t ask for this. I don’t even know… what is she?” “Human. Human, and helpless. Please. She is an innocent in this. She needs you.” “She’s not my sister.” “She doesn’t know that.” Oh god, monks, well-played. Utter dick move - like, wow, you’re terrible - but well-played. 16. Buffy gets home. Dawn stomps upstairs. Joyce asks what it was about; Buffy says “Sister stuff.” Now she’s at Dawn’s room apologizing. Wow, Buffy’s face when she starts to recount a Dawn memory. Dawn wants to know what’s wrong with Joyce, but Buffy doesn’t know. Overall: A lot of people don’t like Dawn - they find her annoying. But I actually like that about her. She’s fourteen. Fourteen-year-olds are annoying - and she was created, by the monks, to be a convincing fourteen-year-old She should be annoying. Michelle Trachtenberg is seriously great in the role. She’s actually the only cast member among those playing teenagers in the show who matches her character’s age. The thing with the monks editing Buffy and Joyce’s memories… ehhhhhhh. Buffy is meant to be a piece of feminist art, a story about a powerful woman who has agency, but it spends a lot of its time stripping her of that. The very nature of the Calling strips her of agency; she did not choose it. It chose her. And now she’s had another Calling stacked on her - the monks bored into her feelings and inserted someone into her heart. That’s pretty awful. Thankfully, Sarah Michelle Gellar responds to it in a way that makes sense for Buffy - immense anger at the man who did it to her, and, once she knows what’s going on, none for Dawn, who is a fellow victim in the conflict between the Beast and the monks. The episode? Frankly emotional, with some lovely bits in the Magic Box, including using Anya really, really well. Have I mentioned I adore Anya? It’s good, is what I’m saying. Maybe a bit triggering, but Dawn’s story is inherently so. The episode’s good. The story about Joyce's illness continues here, too. I think I'm supposed to empathize with Joyce, but honestly I've watched her stomp through this show spreading about as much suffering as any human manages, and it's not even funny suffering like Ethan's work. I empathize with Buffy and Dawn having to watch someone they love be very, very ill, but not really with Joyce.
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