#I’ve got like 40 pgs left

[bookwyrminspiration]

my greatest weakness is that I cannot read past 7pm not because I don’t want to but something about the vibes make me feel the writing much more intensely but 9 times out of 10 the feeling is anxiety attack :)

#random #quil's unholy underworld #tw anxiety #i just wanna finish my book :( #I’ve got like 40 pgs left #but it is past 7pm and the vibes change #and so reading now makes me super anxious #yet I did it anyway despite recognizing the signs #and now anxiety attack :) #it is getting better now #but the past hour or so has not been fun #as a reader this is like the most annoying weakness to have #it’s not /always/ #but it is…very often #if I were smart I’d just stop reading but hehe funny words gotta know how the story ends #my favorite part of anxiety attacks is when your brain is like wow we’re dying your intestines are exploding like my dude can u chill #(that was sarcasm it is not my favorite part. i do not like it but I can recognize it)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, November 11

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Life For Faith (Faith/Kennedy, PG-13) by apachefirecat

Laughter in the key of Hope (Buffy/Giles, PG-13) by Skyson

Of All The Gin Joints (Angel/Buffy, G) by a2zmom

heaven is a hell with you (Angel/Buffy, R) by bonniesfire

Loved (Buffy/Spike, Not Rated) by HollyDB

Spike's Bloody Awful Poetry (Buffy/Spike, PG) by BewitchedXx

The Break of Dawn (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by violettathepiratequeen

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 361 (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure xover, PG-13) by madimpossibledreamer

a gravedigger’s dozen (or the people i’ve been since you left me) Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by taxicab12

Not One But Two Chapter 1 (Angel, Spike, Not Rated) by oops_darling (aresvera)

Two Mules for Brother William Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by alittlemoretime

Aftermath Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by RavenLove12

The Quiet Nights You Bear Chapter 5 (Buffy/Cordelia, PG-13) by backwvengeance

The Time We Had Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Dusty87

Forward to Time Past Chapter 56 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Superfluous_Wit (Unbridled_Brunette)

Ashes, Ashes Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Lost_gallifrey

You’re All I’ve Got Tonight Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by ladyemma42

Not Back to the Future Rules Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by ladyemma42

Cross These Hills (and Break 'Em) Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, Wesley, R) by jenks

Dawn of the Caribbean 3: Dawn of the Pack Chapter 13 (Buffy, Dawn, Women of the Otherworld xover, PG-13) by BrennaLynn

Dawn of the Caribbean 2: Dawn of Time Chapter 13 (Dawn/OMC, Pirates of the Caribbean xover, PG-13) by BrennaLynn. Author also archived a number of other stories

Kindred Chapter 2 (Buffy, xover with Supernatural and Teen Wolf, PG-13) by dwinchester

Impression, Sunrise Chapter 25 (Buffy, Star Trek xover, G) by Energybeing

Randy + Joan: As Long As You Love Me Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by BewitchedXx

Odd Ducks Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, G) by violettathepiratequeen

Even Ground Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

Après Chapter 22 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Ninereeds

Orvieto Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by TuesdayGirl

What Lies Within Chapter 21 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by cawthraven

Daughter of Aurelius Chapter 53 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Loup Noir

Drive Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Holly

Baby Love Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Niamh

Colonial Bride Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Feanix88

Consequences of Bargaining Chapter 22 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by All4Spike

Welding a Family Chapter 25 (Willow, MCU xover, PG-13) by Buffyworldbuilder

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:her league name would be SLAYER (Buffy, Superman) by chrispypapas

Icons: 40 BTVS Icons by whatisyourchildhoodtrauma

Fanvid: How Do I Say Goodbye? (Buffy, Joyce) by WeCanTry

Fanvid: What About Us? (Vuffy/Spike) by WeCanTry

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: Episode 88: Season 4 Wrap Up by mythtakenbtvs

PODCAST: Buffy/Angel Serial Bomb: Buffy Life Serial #4 by It's Time to Rewind

[Community Announcements]

Call for volunteers by sunnydale-digest

[Fandom Discussions]

Thoughts on Angel/Codelia by badrecognition

Character Sexuality headcanons by squidwardisanoctopus

im just SO crushed by season six by badrecognition

Dark Willow in season 5 by TheMadQueen96

What is "Once More With Feeling" like in other languages? by Ricks94

Alternative to graduation part 2? (call for fic recs) by Gemesies

What if Kendra was the slayer that Faith came to meet? by LightBlueSky55

Gunn and Fred - unpopular opinion by jospangel

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

ScreenRant: Buffy's Canon Ending Includes a Romance '90s Fans Won't Believe

ScreenRant: Buffy's Charisma Carpenter Calls Out 'Problematic' Angel Season 4

#btvs #Buffy The Vampire Slayer #buffy #ats #angel the series

[cynergy-laughter]

Obey Me! One Master To Abridge Them All! Part 1

The First Day: Rated PG-13

__________

???: Help... Only you... can... prevent wildfires...

MC: *eyes shoot open, gasping, seeing himself surrounded by the demon bros* Oh my god I’m in heaven...

Satan: Umm did I just hear him right?

Lucifer: We get another human for our program and they thinks they’re in heaven, the poor pathetic creature.

Asmo: I don’t know their kinda cute, we should give them a cha- where did they go?

MC: *banging on the giant door* LEMME OUT, LEMME OUT THERE’S NO WIFI IN HEAVEN!!!

Asmo: Sorry to disappoint you sweetie, you’re technically in hell.

MC: Oh yeah?! Then why the H E double C are you all handsome?!

————

Diavolo: Say your name, age, an interesting fact about you to the camera.

MC: Okay, well I am MC NB, but you can call me Enn, i’m 18 going on 25, and I have no idea how I got here. I remember taking the A train, I heard the Lion King intro starting, there was a flash, and I woke up surrounded by the house of vibes, so thanks for that.

Diavolo: You are welcome, so, you are here to be in a student program here at the Royal Academy of Diavolo to help demons, angels, humans integrate into society.

MC: Academy? So this is a school? You guys do know that i’m a college student right?

Diavolo: Oh yes, we know everything about your life.

MC: ... Oh...

————

Lucifer: Before we introduce ourselves, we’re gonna assign you the person who is gonna be watching over you.

MC: Sounds odd, but go off.

Lucifer: Call him using this. *gives MC a D.D.D.*

MC: ... An Android? What am I a peasant?

Lucifer: Compared to us, yes, now dial the number.

MC: *dials the number, then the phone is taken by Lucifer*

Mammon: Who is this and how did you get this number?

Lucifer: You have ten seconds to get to the student council hall. 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2...

Mammon: *hangs up at 9 frantically, suddenly there was a loud yelling from outside the building, he crashes in through the window, knocking over Beel’s bag*

Beelzebub: MY SNACK SACK!!!

MC: ... What is this feeling?

————

Lucifer: Now, I’m the first oldest, Lucifer, and I’m the Vice President of the Student Council here at RAD.

MC: *snickers* Sorry, I cant take you seriously when you say the word rad. That’s for dudebros, surfers, and stoners, and three strikes, you are literally none of those...

Lucifer: That’s the acronym for Royal Academy of Diavolo.

MC: *looks at Diavolo* ... *looks back to Lucifer* Okay, fair enough, continue.

Lucifer: I’m also the Avatar of Pride.

MC: *mind strangely plays Rain on Me* ... I can see that for you...

Lucifer: The idiot covered in glass is the second oldest, Avatar of Greed, Mammon.

Mammon: You got any money in your wallet?

MC: I got 40 cents and a receipt from Taco Bell.

Mammon: Deal.

Lucifer: No. Behave.

————

MC: Who’s this guy? *points to Satan*

Satan: I am the Avatar of Wrath, 4th oldest, Satan.

MC: Anger issues?

Satan: I’m working on it.

MC: And how is it working?

Satan: It isn’t, i’m the middle child surrounded by idiots.

MC: I think I’m gonna like you.

Satan: Please don’t.

————

MC: How about you?

Asmo: I’m the fifth oldest, Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust and you are the cutest thing, and your eyes... they are just so beautiful...~.

MC: ... Pumpkin Spice Latte with 6 pumps Vanilla, 4 pumps caramel, 3 pumps hazelnut, cinnamon whipped cream, stirred in, with a pink swizzle stick to keep the steam from escaping your cup.

Asmo: ...

*interviews*

Asmo: I swear I didn’t know what love is, but I think I fell in it... they get me... I’m half scared, half turned on and I don’t know how to take it... why didn’t my charm work on them?

MC: I worked for a Starbucks a while back, and I kinda developed a sixth sense... I can read people and guess their ideal beverage... and I also developed emotional dissociation, thanks customer service.

————

MC: What about you, Garfield?

Beelzebub: *eating, not paying attention*

Lucifer: That is the sixth oldest, Avatar of Gluttony, Beelzebub.

MC: Kinda figured he was Gluttony, I woke up seeing him pulling out a turkey leg.

Beel: *sniffs* Something on you smells good...

MC: *blinks, checks pockets, pulls out a chocolate bar*

Beel: *eyes widen* gimme.

MC: Wait. Sit.

Beel: *sits*

MC: Roll over.

Beel: *rolls to the left*

Lucifer: As much as you are having fun, we must move on.

MC: *gives Beel the bar* Right... *takes out a lollipop and sticks it in their mouth*

Beel: *mouth wide open as he saw MC take another snack out of their jacket pocket*

————

MC: So where is the Avatar of Envy... and Sloth?

Lucifer: How did you know there are more?

MC: I know that there are Seven Deadly sins, and I didn’t hear two of the sins. So it was a no brainer. Also, what sin is that guy?

Lucifer: *looks at Diavolo* Oh he’s the the prince of hell, he isn’t like us.

MC: A prince you say?

Lucifer: Don’t even try to, he’s unavailable.

MC: Oh... but not impossible...

Lucifer: No, he is very impossible.

Diavolo: Heh, you would know.

MC: *nearly spits out water bottle they were drinking, coughing a bit* ... I don’t know why I’m surprised... but all in all, I think I’m gonna like it here...

————

(I hope you guys like this, I’ve had this in my mind for a while, but it had a lot more colorful language... but, I had to dial it back... I hope you all are staying safe... love y’all! ^^)

#obey me #scenario #one master to rule them all #abridged #comedy skit #obey me comedy #obey me main character #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #rated: pg13 #stay tuned #i hope you enjoy #i love them all #love you all

[potts89]

But… what if Armor Wars opens with Rhodey sitting in Tony’s old workshop, drinking Tony’s favorite scotch, while DUM-E, U, and Butterfingers make whirring noises in the background?

Then we get to see him finally deal with Tony’s sacrifice, something we didn’t see at the funeral, because he didn’t want to be that one more person that Pepper needed to console, to worry about. He had known Tony the longest after all, almost 40 years, and they had been through a lot, brothers and all in everything but blood.

And then two or three glasses after, he confronts Tony out loud — how Tony cheated because Rhodey’s older and how after Afghanistan, Rhodey had always assumed that the once fourteen year-old boy he met in MIT was going to outlive him, in spite of and despite the other’s many, many (mis)adventures — even if he knows that Tony would never hear him anyway.

He goes on and on, ranting how Tony should’ve known that Pepper will never ever move on...

“You’re crazy to even think that Pepper will ever recover from this. Seriously, man, you should’ve been more afraid of her than whoever’s the current villain of the month.”

How Tony seemingly never learned from the experience of growing up without one’s father around...

“You really are going to let Morgan go through what you went through when Howard bailed on you? She has Pepper, but come on, man!”

How Tony so irresponsibly left Peter under his and Happy’s watch...

“How, how dare you? Really, it’s not enough that I already looked after you back in MIT? You’re really gonna leave me in charge of an awkward, fifteen, sixteen year-old, PG version of you, complete with the puppy eyes and all? I’ve already been there, done that!”

How Tony never hesitated, not even for one second, on taking that gauntlet and doing that snap...

"You have a wife and a kid, didn't you realize that you actually have something to lose... this time?"

Rhodey then feels frustrated, much of it is brought about by the fact that he had loved that self-sacrificing idiot like a brother... and yet, said brother never even hesitated in that very crucial moment, when the world, the universe, needed a hero.

He hated Tony... for finally growing up and realizing what he really needed to do with his life, what needed to be done, what sacrifice needed to be made... Rhodey knows he’s being selfish, but that’s his brother, dammit, and he’s allowed to be selfish if only when he’s alone.

He’s really quite conflicted if he should be angry or proud. In the end, anger won, at least for now.

“Fuck you, Tones! This, this is the moment that you chose to do the right thing?” He then throws the tumbler across the room and it hits one of Tony’s old monitors and Rhodes is just about ready to walk out when...

“I’ve always known you love me, but I didn’t realize you love me this much, Sour Patch.”

“Shit, Tones.”

Rhodey will recognize that voice anywhere, anytime. He glances at one of the cameras and he can’t decide if he’s more furious or more relieved at the moment. Scared can be a possibility, too. A super genius Tony, after all, was already formidable, but an all-knowing, all-seeing AI Tony?

“Missed me, Honeybear?”

“Shit, man.”

“Shit, man.”

Rhodey then turns to look at the door separating the workshop from the rest of the garage only to find Morgan sitting there, a smirk so identical to Tony’s forming on her chubby face.

“Jesus, Platypus, now you’re just teaching my daughter how to swear.”

***

Anyway, I more than got carried away, so here’s the fanfic version of this rant.

#so yeah what if? #tony stark #james rhodes #mit bros #iron man #armor wars #pepper potts #morgan stark #peter parker #pepperony #marvel #mcu #i was just waiting for my coffee and this was supposed to be just a random twitter rant but somebody obviously got carried away

[myscrubslife]

Get to know the blogger - medical edition

1. Why did you choose medicine as a profession?

I didn't find anything else interesting enough. Not to sound too cliché but I just can’t see myself doing anything else every single day 30-40 years from now.

2. When did you know you wanted to go into medicine?

Nana’s cardiac surgery (and my mom’s influence when she got me a doctor’s set to play with.) 🩺

3. Which specialty do you want to practice?

Internal Medicine and then eventually Cardiology 🫀 but I like Paediatrics too!

4. Which specialty did you want to practice when you started med school/nursing school?

Cardiothoracic surgeon (I ended up preferring the medical side over surgical)

5. What was your best moment in medicine? In no particular order:

🦴 Getting scrubbed in every time during my Orthopedics rotation and actively assisting the surgeries at an Intern level (not just retraction/suturing) multiple implants, hip replacements, ilizarov fixation, amputation, casts and slabs. “Interns are Tigers” is what the Orthopods said lol.

👶🏽 Intubating and performing a lumbar puncture on a neonate.

🔥 I was working at the Emergency Department during my first few days of Internship when a mass casualty came in consisting of 30 patients with different degrees of burns at a sugarcane factory nearby, I was sh*t scared initially but this experience taught me good team dynamics with all departments in an emergency situation.

6. What was your worst moment in medicine?

During initial nights of my IM rotation as an intern (in India interns are still like med students and not residents) My junior and senior resident incharges went to sleep and I felt helpless when a patient suddenly stopped breathing minutes after snoring loudly, at this point I wasn’t allowed to intubate without supervision and the residents on-call were just not ready to get up. The patient died eventually and I was crying at the staircase till 4am.

7. How does the medical education system in your country work?

5.5 years of MBBS,

3 years of PG Residency,

2+ years of Super Specialisation/fellowships

and multiple Quack practices. 🦆

8. Favourite medical fun fact?

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Broken Heart Syndrome) shows apical ballooning so the shape of the heart is similar to that of a takotsubo (たこつぼ) a round-bottomed, narrow-necked vessel used to catch octopuses. 🐙

9. Funniest/weirdest thing that happened in one of our classes/rotations?

When a professor way older than me said “You have beautiful eyes” referring to me, on the mic, in the middle of a lecture. 🎤

When a resident tried hitting on me (still a student) and I rejected him but later he became my doctor when I had COVID *awkward*

10. Surgery or internal medicine?

Internal Medicine ✨ (although I do respect surgeons, they’re more fun to be around.)

11. What is your best study advise?

Revise. Slow progress is still progress. Let go of your ego, you won’t retain your knowledge if you don’t revise and eventually people will get better than you and you’ll be left behind.

12. Do you study at home/at the library/elsewhere?

Home (sometimes at the library pre-pandemic)

13. Why and when did you start your medblr?

I’ve been on Tumblr for over 10 years, somewhere during my clinical years I thought I needed to document my life in Medicine so I made a blog for it.

14. How do you treat yourself when you achieved a goal?

Good food and shopping!

15. How do you handle failure/bad critiques/mistakes?

During my internship I saw a lot of incompetent doctors (referring to my point no. 6) It motivated me even more to do my best to not be a doctor like that and only take constructive criticism and learn from my mistakes. Having a mentor helps a lot too.

16. Favourite hospital movie/TV show?

I think my username answers this question, it will always be [Scrubs]

17. Worst hospital movie/TV show?

A certain medical show named after a famous book with never ending seasons, more drama, less medical accuracy. *ahem*

18. Which patient’s/relative’s behaviour annoys you the most?

When they call me a nurse even after correcting them and are extremely rude to me because I’m young. 🥺

19. What would you do if you didn’t work in medicine?

Artist travelling around the world. 🎨

20. What do you like to do when you’re not in school/hospital/studying?

Sleeping for the most part, Anime/Manga, painting sometimes, social media and some cooking these days.

21. Do you have somebody that inspires you?

Dr. Cox & JD from [Scrubs]

My Mentor

Dr. Rohin Francis (Medlife Crisis)

#Scrubs #med student #doctor #medical intern #med school #hospital #medblr #perry cox #dr. Perry cox #Dr. cox #Dr. John Dorian #jd #medlife crisis #medlifecrisis #Dr. ​Rohin Francis #surgery #orthopod #surgeon #internal Medicine #Medicine #Broken heart syndrome #takotsubo cardiomyopathy #anime #manga #Orthopods

[edie-k]

Legally Ginger (Chapter 2)

Title: Legally Ginger

Chapter 2/9

Rating: PG-13 (I use fuck more than the MPAA allows for PG-13 but that's a stupid rule - there's no explicit content)

Pairing: Romione endgame

Summary: When Ron Weasley's college girlfriend declines his proposal because he doesn't meet her standard for future husband, he decides comes up with a plan to let her see him in a new light.

Notes: This is an AU Muggle reimagination of Legally Blonde. It's very different than anything I have ever written - and my first chapter story. I intend to update each Monday - although I'm slightly early due to commitments tomorrow.

TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter has a character making a joke about an incident of sexual harassment they were the victim of. This is a line directly from the movie and is bolded to indicate it's not my original dialogue. Unlike the movie, the conduct is identified as harassment.

Shout out to TheKillerTigerBunny’s recent fic for inspiring a scene in the admissions video.

Thanks to adnei again for her feedback!

Read at AO3 or click below for more

Ron mindlessly shoved his hand back into the bag of chips next to him on the bed as he stared at the TV in the corner.

He had spent all day Sunday trying to compose the perfect text. The magic words that would bring her back. He composed dozens of drafts. Some were apologetic - clearly he shouldn’t have sprung an engagement on her but that didn’t mean they had to break up! Some were logical - there was almost a full semester of school left that they could spend together and see where they stood at graduation. Some were just pathetic - begging and pleading her for a second chance.

Finally, he decided to keep it simple.

can we please talk?

She responded.

it’s too hard to talk. I love you but that doesn’t mean this can work I’m sorry

He didn’t respond further. In the end, he couldn’t figure out how to fix what was wrong with him. There was no clear way to make himself worthy of Astoria.

So when the alarm went off Monday morning, he hit snooze. Then he hit it again. And again. And then he just turned it off for the next four days, only emerging from his room in the middle of the night to raid the pantry for more supplies. Apart from a few supportive texts from his siblings and friends, he’d been mostly left to wallow. Which could only mean that news of his humiliation had spread across campus and people were keeping their distance. He appreciated it but had a hunch his brothers’ patience would soon wear thin.

As if on cue, the door flung open.

“All right, Ron,” said Fred, barging in the room. “It’s been a week. Time to emerge.”

“Uh,” grunted Ron. Pig trotted in happily and jumped up on the bed next to Ron.

Fred paused and looked at the TV. “My God, are you watching NBC Sports Network? You need to snap out of it.”

Ron shrugged. “Lost the remote two days ago.”

George poked his head in the room before entering. “God, it reeks in here. And it better be beer in that bottle by your nightstand. Thankfully, we brought reinforcements.”

“Hey bro,” said Ginny, popping into the room. “It’s time to seize the day!”

“No,” he said flatly to his sister.

“Come on, you don’t want to blow off your classes. You’ve worked too hard to have to graduate in the summer semester. You want the celebrity commencement speaker, not whatever ancient associate dean they con into putting on a robe in August,” Ginny appealed.

“I’ve been emailing my assignments. It’s fine.”

“Well, this isn’t fine. Come on! I know what always cheers you up,” Ginny wheedled.

“Ehm,” Ron grunted, turning over.

“Please!” begged Ginny. “I need to blow off steam too.”

“I’ll buy you cheese fries,” George suggested.

“My own order,” Ron said.

“Yes,” agreed George.

“And beer,” Ron added.

“Goes without saying!” said Fred, yanking the covers off of him. “Shower and we’re off!”

****************************

Forty minutes later, he was moping under the umbrella shaded patio table outside of the batting cages, Pig at his feet, picking at his fries while his beer warmed in the sunshine. Fred and George were taking cracks off the pitching machine with a couple of his frat brothers and members of Ginny’s sorority that had tagged along.

“Come on,” said Ginny. “You need to hit something.”

“I’ll take the next one,” Ron replied listlessly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Girls, make him see reason,” she appealed to her sisters, who were seated next to him flipping through magazines. Ginny jogged off to join the others.

“Ron, Astoria is trash,” said Lavender.

“She is not!”

“She’s trash,” agreed Parvati. “Bougie trash.”

“I’m the one that’s clearly trash.”

“No, you’re a fucking straight up 9 and if I wasn’t in love with the moron taking 40 mile per hour softballs to the head - ” Lavender gestured at Seamus who was doing just that - “I would already be in your pants,” Lavender assured him.

“You’re a little too earnest for me, if I’m being honest,” said Parvati. “And you’re a dude, so no. But if you dated one of my friends, I wouldn’t tell her she could do better than you.”

“Yeah,” said Ron, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Astoria, you should take me back. I’m not as good of a catch as a guy that tries to achieve CTE for fun but at least Parvati won’t shit talk me behind my back.”

The girls giggled. “Ron, I know it hurts that she didn’t feel the same about you but truly, you are better off. She was just flat out wrong. You’re smart, you’re accomplished, everyone likes you. She’s a snob looking for a certain name to hyphenate behind hers. Just like her sister,” Parvati insisted, pointing at the People magazine in front of her.

Ron peered over her shoulder. There was a color shot of Astoria’s sister Daphne, her hand ensconced in the hand of a dark haired man, walking the sidewalks of New York.

“Is that the Kennedy Taylor Swift dated?” asked Lavender. The two girls' voices faded in the background as he read and reread the caption.

Third year Princeton Law.

This is what Astoria was talking about. Her sister was dating some east coast prep school guy who went to a fancy university. In some ways, he got it. That need to live up to your siblings’ accomplishments or better yet, surpass them. He certainly felt it himself.

Bill, with his gorgeous French wife, was on the executive track at a financial firm. Charlie, with his easygoing personality, had somewhat accidentally launched a successful YouTube channel about his wildlife adventures in Asia. Percy, who had somehow managed to weather the civil servant storm and was on his third presidential administration at the IRS. Fred and George had their plans and Ginny knew she’d go early in the next National Women’s Soccer League draft if she didn’t opt to play soccer professionally overseas.

And Ron had had Astoria. The thought of a good life with a good job supporting an amazing and ambitious woman was exactly what he wanted. But she needed a little more. She needed someone that could prove they played at her level and bring a little flash and substance, like Daphne’s fiancé did.

He stared at the picture. Ron couldn’t get the Kennedy name. But he could wear a fucking rugby shirt and throw gel in his hair and...

“That’s it!” Ron shouted.

“What?” both girls asked, startled.

“I’m going to Harvard Law,” he announced.

Both girls stared. “Seamus, sweetie?” called Lavender. “Bring your batting helmet. He’s got some brain damage and we need to protect his skull from further harm.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Ha ha. So Astoria’s a little… materialistic and thinks about optics. Everyone Is flawed. And Lav, you said yourself that I’m a nine. How does law school, hell, Harvard Law School, not get me to a ten?”

“What’s going on?” asked Ginny. They’d abandoned the cages at Lavender’s call.

“I’m going to law school,” Ron announced proudly.

“Why?” asked George.

“Ron, no. You loved your internship. You have three job offers doing what you enjoy. This is fucking insane,” Fred insisted.

“You can’t give up free beer,” Seamus added.

“Maybe I’ll love law school,” Ron reasoned. “And if I don’t, I don’t have to finish. It’ll be enough to prove to Astoria I can get into Harvard - ”

“Harvard?” George asked.

“—And not embarrass her. The jobs I enjoyed have regulatory aspects to them so hey, a semester of law school can only help, right?”

“This is asinine,” Parvati said.

“Free beer,” whined Seamus.

“Holy shit,” cried Ginny, flashing her phone towards them. “Have you seen the cost of tuition?” She flashed it to George before Ron snatched the phone out of her hand.

“How the fuck are you going to pay for that?”

Ron cringed. “It’s not going to be my proudest moment. but I’ve got an idea.”

********************

“Hi, Auntie,” Ron said, as he followed the maid into the giant sitting room.

“Ronald,” Muriel greeted. They stood looking at each other awkwardly a moment. “Well, sit down. You,” she barked at the maid. “Bring us some drinks.”

“Right away, ma’am,” the maid scurried off.

Ron and his siblings came from fairly blue collar roots on both sides of the family. In fact, they were the first to attend college. The cost had made it out of reach for his mother and father to attend themselves. Mom’s brothers had planned to take advantage of the GI Bill but unfortunately were casualties of the first Gulf War. After that, Muriel had set up education trusts for her great niece and nephews with the $20,000 incentive. While his mom and dad had always refused any other financial help from Muriel, education was just too important to pass up.

Muriel had money to burn. Unbelievably, she’d been the trophy wife of an oil billionaire 35 years older than her back in her heyday and other than maintaining her estate, caring for at least 6 dogs at any given time and keeping a steady supply of brandy, she mostly just spent her money on controlling whatever family and non-profits she could sink her claws into.

“So,” said Muriel as the maid returned with a snifter of brandy for each of them. “I assume you’ve come for an advance on your graduation gift. When I saw your mother last month, she said things were quite serious between you and that Greengrass girl.”

“Uh, not exactly. See Aunt Muriel, I’ve had a change to my course of studies.”

“You’re almost done and NOW you realize that culinary arts will earn you pennies?”

“No,” he gritted his teeth. “Not culinary arts. It’s food science. It has to do with the biochemistry of food systems and preservation.”

Muriel snorted. “And you’ve decided that since pioneer women had canning figured out, there was nothing further for you to do.”

“Actually, I’ve decided to attend law school.”

“Law school?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Harvard Law.”

“You think you’re going to Harvard Law?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Why?”

“Why-why do I want to go?” Ron responded. He wasn’t sure if his reason would impress Muriel much.

“No, why do you think you’ll get in?”

It was a fair question. Before college, he had never been an over achiever. That had started with the CULA soccer coach coming to see Ginny play during the spring of her junior year. He’d joined the coach, his parents and Ginny at the house after the meet and delivered the disappointing news that the only event he’d qualified for in the district meet was the 3200 meter. While his family looked sympathetic, the coach smiled and said, “Yes, I’d expect that you’d be a great distance runner. My husband coaches cross country at CULA. Could I give him your name?”

No one had ever expected him to be great at anything.

He won the state title in his division for 3200 meter that year and went on to win the conference title twice at college.

And once he proved himself there, people expected he’d be good at chemistry and they expected he’d be a good president of the house and good at fundraising. And he was. Doing what he was expected to do worked.

But now, they all expected him to give up on the love of his life.

“Just… want to do the unexpected.”

“You know I’m on the board of the local humane society?”

“Uh, I guess,” said Ron. He was actually clueless to her old biddy affairs.

“I understand you raised $12,000 for us at the end of last year.”

“Me and the rest of the guys,” he answered.

“Violet Pullen led me to believe it was mostly your doing.”

Ron shrugged. “I was the one who knew how to brew the beer. And it wasn’t that hard to get the permissions to bottle it and sell it and stuff. The other guys got it promoted for the most part.”

Muriel looked at him appraisingly before she chuckled dryly. “Bring me an acceptance letter and I’ll cut a check.”

*************************

“What the hell is all this?”

Ron glanced up from the stack of study guides he was perusing to answer the twins. “LSAT study guides.”

Fred groaned. “Are you still on this?”

“Of course,” Ron said. “My advisor said I need like, a 173 on the LSAT to be seriously considered.”

“Why would they consider a food science major?”

Ron shrugged. “I have a 3.89 GPA. And Stori’s a philosophy major.”

“But that makes sense,” George said.

“How?” challenged Ron.

“Dunno. I guess because philosophy is a snob subject that’s totally useless without at least a graduate degree.”

Ron ignored them.

“And how are you paying for this?”

“Muriel will cover tuition if I get in. I’ll live at home this summer and I’ve got a couple technician jobs I can take that my degree makes me more than qualified for, plus some catering gigs. I figure that’ll be enough to get through the school year.”

“Ron,” Fred said. “Bro, you like your life. Why change it for some girl?”

“I’m getting fucking tired of this. She’s not some girl. I’m in love with her. She’s the one and I just need to show her I’m worthy of her.”

“You ARE worthy of her,” George insisted.

“Then it’ll be easy to prove, right?” said Ron.

The twins looked at each other and sighed.

“Here, take my lucky pencil for the exam. It helped me pass Spanish.” Fred held out the writing instrument to Ron.

“You passed Spanish because you gave Professor Trewlaney a lap dance,” George reminded him.

“Yeah. Luckily.”

“That’s sexual harassment,” said Ron.

“It is?” asked Fred.

“Yeah, it’s called quid pro quo. She should be fired for that.”

“Well hot damn, Ronnie,” said George. “Maybe you’re set for this law school stuff after all.”

“The exam is the least of my worries. I need a two page essay, professor recommendations, and a ‘personal statement’ of some sort. I’ve never been great at selling myself,” he admitted.

“Well Georgie,” said Fred with a grin. “Looks like you just found the subject of your senior marketing project.”

***************************************

“Well,” said Horace Michaels, rubbing his face and looking at his fellow panel members. “That was certainly something.”

“The video was a lot but… I like him,” said Veda Kasyor. “He’s a college athlete and president of his fraternity while carrying a high GPA.”

“Oh, is he an athlete Veda? Did the shirtless jogging footage tip you off?”

“He was also brewing beer in his frat basement.”

“He’s a food science major.”

“And he sold that beer on campus as a Humane Society fundraiser.”

“Who produced this video? Pretty heavy handed with the studying in the library footage,” Richard scoffed.

“He’s got a 3.89 GPA and he got a 177 on the LSAT. He probably studies.”

“Was he playing chess naked in the video?”

“It was his opponent who wasn’t wearing clothes - I believe it was strip chess.”

“If we’re looking for diversity - ”

“A white man’s not it.”

“Typically, no but he’s got, what, 6 siblings? Dad’s a mailman, Mom’s a parapro. He’s not some trust fund legacy case.”

“He had internships with two major corporations. And his resume shows part-time jobs since he was 16.”

“I’m concerned about his course of study. Food science is the hard sciences. Is he going to be equipped to handle position statements?”

“His personal essay was well-written and compelling, plus he minored in business. His Business Strategy prof had a glowing recommendation.”

“Ron Weasley… welcome to Harvard.”

#au romione #ron and hermione #romione fanfic #ron weasley #ron x hermione #romione #ron weasley defense squad #hp fanfic #muggle au

[thefirstcourtesan]

First Love and Other Complications: A My Two First Loves rewrite Chapter 1

First Love and Other Complications

By Misha

Disclaimer- Not mine.

Author’s Notes- This chapter combines the first 2.5 chapters of MTFL and introduces all the LIs but changes things around a bit as we set up the premise. The MTFL timeline sucks (like every choices book), so I will be playing around with that too.

Pairings- Mason/MC, eventual Noah/MC

Summary- Jess and Mason take a big step but not everyone seems thrilled and Jess is saved by a mysterious stranger.

Rating- PG-13

Chapter One- The Beginning of Everything

“Mason, I like you.”

I practiced it out loud and then groaned. “Ugh. That sounds stupid. Of course he knows I like him.”

I took a deep breath and tried again. “Mason, I like like you.”

Another groan, that was even worse.

“Mason, I—“

My final attempt at preparation was cut off by a sound at my window. He was here!

Mason had been crawling in my window for years, although it was a little harder now that he lived a few blocks away instead of next door, but it felt right. Especially tonight.

I let him in and drank in the sight of him. Tall and muscular with a friendly grin that melted my heart. Thankfully he didn’t seem to notice me staring, instead he seemed just as focused on me as I was on him and my heart skipped a beat. Could he feel the same?

I stepped closer, almost hesitantly, and Mason immediately wrapped me in a warm hug. Instantly everything felt right again. Mason’s arms had always been my safe place. Suddenly I felt doubt about my decision. What if he didn’t feel teh same and I lost him? Could I handle that?

I pushed that thought aside. No, I had to do this. I had to know.

“Mason-“

“Jess-“

We started to speak at the exact same moment.

“Great minds, I guess,” Mason said with a laugh as we stepped back from the hug, “you first.”

Great. I could do this. I had to do this.

“Mason... I love you,” the words came out in a rush and I could feel the heat rushing to my cheek, “and not... not as a friend.”

There. I had done it. After three years of bottling it inside, I had told Mason Jennings how I felt and now it was out of my hands.

Mason looked stunned by my words and he was silent for a long moment, long enough that dread started creeping in and I wished I was anywhere else. Why had I said that? What had I done?

Just as I was about to tell him it was a joke or something, I felt Mason’s hands on my waist and realized I was being pulled into his arms, pressed right up against his muscular chest.

“I have wanted to hear that for so long,” Mason said, “I feel the same way. It’s you, Jess, it’s always been you, I have just been so worried about losing our friendship, afraid that you didn’t feel the same way.” He gazed at me with wonder. “But you do.”

I nodded shyly. “Yeah.” My hands rested on his shoulders, wondering what came next,

I didn’t have to wonder for long because Mason lowered his head and his lips met mine. I had spent all of high school daydreaming about kissing Mason Jennings and the reality was better than anything I could ever have imagined. It was easy to lose myself in the kiss, the feel of Mason’s arms around me and i could have stayed like that forever, except for the sound of footprints coming up the stairs.

Mason and I broke apart in a hurry.

“My dad!”

“I guess I should go,” Mason said reluctantly, moving towards the window, he turned back to smile at me, “Jess, I am glad we’re doing this.”

“Me too.” I told him, though I wasn’t quite sure what he meant. Kissing? Talking  about our feelings? Where did we stand?

The footsteps got louder.

“Mason!” I whispered urgently.

He grinned. “I’m going. After all, it would be a bad start to Senior Year, if I got murdered by my girlfriend’s father for being caught in her room after curfew.” He said the words so easily and I felt warmth rush through me again.

Girlfriend.

Just like that I was Mason Jenning’s girlfriend. I had everything I had ever wanted and as I watched Mason climb out the window, our eyes meeting to share one last smile, I was confident that Senior year was going to exactly the way I planned.

I was so naive.

**

The next morning I was floating on air when I went for breakfast but that faded fast after a fight with my dad over my outfit. A fight that left me standing in my room trying to figure out what to wear that wouldn’t make me look like a soccer mom.

I was weighing my options, these jeans weren’t too bad, when my door opened.

“Coast is clear, Dad got called into work,” my sister Mackenzie told me from the door way.

I sighed with relief. “Oh thank god.”

“Yeah, now you don’t have to show up your first day as Mason Jenning’s girlfriend dressed like you are 40,” she teased.

I turned to look at her. “How did you...?”

“Thin walls,” she answered with a shrug, “besides I spent the entire summer watching you obsess over your cell signal and waiting for texts from him, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out there was something going on.”

Before I could think of a response, my phone went off and Mack slipped away as I checked the text.

Forgot to ask last night, do you need a ride?

No, I am riding with Ava, but thanks for asking. ❤️ 

See you at school then. Bet you look beautiful. But then you always do. 😘

I was smiling widely as I read Mason’s texts. He really was such a sweet guy and officially mine. If it was a dream, I never wanted to wake up.

I was back to feeling like I was floating on air when I ran out the door to meet my best friend, Ava Lawrence, the Cheer Captain to my Vice Captain and my partner in crime since Freshman year.

“Jess, you look amazing!” She exclaimed, taking in my short skirt and pink crop top, “two months in the wilderness obviously agreed with you!” She wrapped her arms around me in a quick, enthusiastic hug before we got in her car. “I am so glad hare back!”

“Me too, fill me in everything I missed,” I encouraged, “the parties, the fights, the breakups.”

Ava laughed, “that will take more than 5 minutes but I will give you the highlights.” She gave me a quick rundown on the most intense hook-ups and break-ups and then gave me a sly smile, “what about you? Did you fall madly in love while in the middle of nowhere?”

I laughed, “not while I was in Wyoming, no, but I do have news.” I smiled widely, unable to contain my happiness, “Mason and I... We’re together.”

Ava froze as she was about to get out of her car, her hand on the door. “You and Mason?”

I nodded, “yeah, I know we have been friends for so long that it might seem surprising, but I have been in love with him forever and I finally got the guts to tell him.”

“That’s... great,” Ava told me, though her expression was more surprised than thrilled, “I’m really happy for you.”

I would have questioned her reaction, but as soon as I stepped out of Ava’s car I was wrapped in strong arms.

“Hey, you.” Mason told me, smiling down at me.

“Hey,” I said softly, leaning into him. I let myself melt into the warmth of his embrace and bask in the fact that this was my new normal. It was a long moment before I even realized that Ava had slipped away.

I wondered a little bit about her strange reaction, but then Mason tilted my face up to his and all thoughts of anyone else faded as I gazed up at him. “We need to plan a first date,” he reminded me, “I have football practice and I know you have cheer, but after that?”

“I’d like that,” I told him, leaning against him for another moment before sighing, “but first I guess I should go to class.”

“Yeah, my dead would murder me if I skipped,” Mason agreed, he kissed the top of my head and let me go, giving me one more heart-melting grin before we parted ways.

**

“Oh look who it is, Jess Price. Looking hot as usual, Jess.”

I groaned at the sound of the voice. Darren Hastings was Eastridge’s resident creep and he had been harassing me since Freshman year.

I shoved my books in my locker and turned around. “What do you want Darren?”

“Since you’re asking so nicely, how about a date?” He said with a slimy grin, leaning in and pinning me against the locker.

“Not in your wildest dreams.” I told him, trying to push him away. I was strong from four years of cheerleading, but not strong enough.

Darren took it as a challenge and leaned in closer. “Oh come on, you don’t mean that.”

Just as I was considering my options (including a kick to the groin), someone pulled him away forcibly.

“I believe the lady said no.”

I looked up into the incredibly handsome face of a boy I had never seen before.

Darren was scowling. “Noah Harris, they let you come back, huh? I thought this school had standards.”

Noah, if that was his name, looked unphased by the insult. “Apparently not, since the let you attend.” He shot Darren a decidedly unfriendly look. “I think you should find somewhere else to be. Pronto.”

Darren took the hint and scampered off, after giving Noah one more nasty look.

“Are you ok?” Noah asked, turning his attention to me for the first time.

I smiled. “I am. Thanks for that, I have been telling Darren no for years and he just never stops. Usually, it’s more annoying than anything, but...”

“No, I get it,” Noah assured me, “you shouldn’t have to put up with that.”

“Are you new here?” I asked after a moment, “I thought I knew everyone.”

“Not new, exactly,” Noah answered slowly, “I’ve been... away.”

That sounded mysterious but at the same time I didn’t want to pry. “I guess I don’t need to offer a school tour then?” I teased.

Noah grinned. “I don’t know, a tour could be nice, re-acquaint with me all the hot spots. If you are willing, of course.”

The offer had been in jest, but he had done me a favor, so... “of course, follow me.” I laughed. “I guess I should introduce myself first, I’m Jess.”

He took the hand I held out and shook it. His grip was warm and firm. “Noah.”

“Well, Noah, follow me and I will give you the official Welcome to Eastridge tour.”

**

#playchoices #my two first loves #misha fics #first love and other complications

[arden-in-the-garden]

Racism on PokeFarm Q

So! This is gonna be a long post, so i’ll be putting all of the content below a read more cut. The gist is that the staff of PokeFarm Q are racist and do not give a single fuck about the Indigenous communities, and explicitly stated they will not even attempt to do anything about cultural appropriation. In the past staff members have also voiced their lack of support for the BLM movement. I’ve gathered transcripts and screenshots from the conversation between myself and the member that started this and between myself and staff.

tw for below the cut: ment. of r*pe, ment. of cannibalism, the word wendig*ag repeatedly uncensored, racism ment., cultural appropriation ment.

This morning I came across a user by the name of  TrüêWêndïgø, and they were messaged in regards to their username

ArdenInTheGarden 09/Jun/2020 08:13:03 (1 hour ago) Hey, are you Alqonquin/Anishinaabe? TrüêWêndïgø 09/Jun/2020 08:17:17 (1 hour ago) I am an Algonquian Wendigo if that is what you are asking. Why? ArdenInTheGarden 09/Jun/2020 08:20:10 (1 hour ago) Figured I'd ask. There a lot of non-Natives that use the term for Wendig*ag trivially, and I promised nA friends that if I saw it I'd check on it, and to help try and deter its usage TrüêWêndïgø 09/Jun/2020 08:23:39 (1 hour ago) I am kinda obsessed with the Wendigo, so I read about them a lot. I am Australian, so if I have gotten this wrong in any way, I would like to correct myself. I hope I am using it correctly ArdenInTheGarden 09/Jun/2020 08:26:59 (1 hour ago) Ahh, let me help you out then! They're, like, NOT something to mess with. They're feared, through and through, to the point where speaking or even writing the name is forbidden (which is why it's usually censored). They're not able to be befriended or tamed or worked with; they are the pure form of evil distilled into a physical being, often from greed or due to cannibalism! They're definitely not the kind of thing to be revered or messed with, they're just evil, straight up. I don't think you can change your username, but I'd discourage you from using it in the future, especially as a non-Native TrüêWêndïgø 09/Jun/2020 08:30:46 (1 hour ago) I have already accepted death because I got a wendigo oc. I only discovered the creature becuase my oc was made before I learnt about them. My unusual deerman with the taut skin and a thirst for blood. I apologise if I upset anyone with my username. ArdenInTheGarden 09/Jun/2020 08:34:52 (56 minutes ago) Fwiw the, like, "fanon" (not the right term but you know what I mean?) depiction of them has no root in any of the beliefs? No one really knows where that came from (except, like, white people trying to steal things that aren't theirs and mainstream religious figures for their own gain) So your OC can very well just be an angry bloodthirsty deer man that isn't infringing on First Nations beliefs and appropriating from a closed belief system not open to outsiders. I doubt you meant any harm, but I'd STRONGLY encourage you to not use the term or name in the future TrüêWêndïgø 09/Jun/2020 08:43:15 (47 minutes ago) I mean, I didn't try to steal anything, I just think the creature is awesome, kinda like the Sirenhead thing. I love to learn about mythology and legends. I think the only problem is that I've used the term Wendigo too much, and once again, I am sorry for that. I respect wishes and all that, but me learning about the creature and having my oc being a Wendigo kinda helped me through bad times. I like to create art [stories or drawings] keeps me happy. Again, sorry, but I would like to continue using the term. Only because of an oc. I understand how disresptectful I am, and I understand if you don't like this, but I'm not trying to upset anyone. ArdenInTheGarden 09/Jun/2020 08:50:10 (40 minutes ago) "but please sir, that's my comfort cultural appropriation and misuse of First Nations beliefs". Like,,,yeah, it is really disrespectful. You're using it wrong, and it's not open to you, and you can't use it. Comparing it to Sirenhead is also REALLY disrespectful? Like, you're taking a sacred piece of a belief system and equating it to a shitty Internet monster :/ I obviously can't force you but you're wrong and you're well aware that you are, and you're being selfish and unkind :// you need to stop, and I've been really nice about this and handling it because I know Natives are tired of having to do it, but please do not mistake my kindness and composure as a sign you can continue because you cannot.

Unfortunately I was unable to get screenshots of this conversation before my account was locked. Screenshots of the rest are available.

I filed a support ticket with the staff regarding it, which received no response

About an hour later I was greeted with this error, stating my account had been locked indefinitely for harassment and violation of the PG rule

I filed a second support ticket in order to appeal my account being locked and give an explanation to the staff. The following is the conversation between myself and Eltafez

It's 4:30 in the morning so forgive my ineloquence.

My language might have been slightly harsh in PMs with TrueWend*go, but they were violating the rules and have an inappropriate username and are flagrantly disregarding the racist roots their actions have. The Native community in every part of the world has faced consistent harassment and dealt with their culture being slandered, torn apart, erased, and what was left being stolen by people to use as a fun culture symbol or as a "sPoOkY mYtH". They are glorifying a being that is rooted entirely in evil and is the embodiment of the worst a person is capable of. They have created an identity around a creature of cannibalism, of r*pe, of greed, and of violence. They disregarded the polite explanations of the ramifications of their actions and the benefit of the doubt that they did not know what they were doing. By locking my account for this, you are sending the clear message that you care more for not rocking the boat than defending Native belief systems. As a US resident, I am already witnessing the brutal effects of silencing those speaking out against racism. You are aligning yourselves with oppressors. I will agree that my defense was perhaps overzealous. Moderators on many other sites I have been on have failed entirely in the past to defend the Native community and I was frightened this case would be the same and reacted strongly. I am still afraid this is the case as I am the one punished and they are, at last checked, still free to continue. Please unlock my account. If I am unavailable on the PMs, I can be reached at [REDACTED] for further discussion.

Eltafez — 09/Jun/2020 12:21 The staff of PFQ do not condone or support any form of racism. In fact, the team is comprised of people living all over the world. Quite a few among us (myself included) are from a different culture and/or race. You're offended by a name - I'd like to counter that by saying you're offending the staff team by accusing us of something we're not. Cultural appropriation is something we cannot (and will not) enforce due to the sheer magnitude of it. You see books, movies, games - everywhere really, that handle mythical creatures and even real gods (take Egypt, Greece, Rome, ... to name a few). Like human beings, they develop and change over time. We can't lock someone for having the name Anubis or Iuno because there once existed a civilization that coined these names or terms. There's a public beach called "Wendigo Beach Resort" - if the term is so inappropriate, then why is it called that? The user you reported has done nothing wrong - our rules, as they're written, have not been broken. The site is British and it follows British laws. You, however, have broken them by harassing the user and mentioning words that are actually inappropriate in the English language. We are fine with people spreading awareness, but it stops when they try to force their own beliefs unto others.

The name of W"ndigo Beach is actively being fought by the Native community. It's not the "gotcha!" you think it is. The term is used (inappropriately) by garbage human beings who have gotten away with it and will continue to do so because of people like you who will never uphold any kind of justice for anyone but themselves. You have failed. You have failed, and you have defended your failure by attempting to deflect it. This is not the same as having the name of Old Gods. This is having a name equivalent to celebrating the lynching of the African American community. This is a name equivalent to saying "I support Nazis". This is a name that is, at its core, supporting pure evil. Your staff may be "diverse" but it is obviously still filled with narrow minded individuals who will step on the nA community to try and boost themselves. I am saddened. I am disgusted. I hope none of you are in any real position of authority around children because you are teaching them to do that which the British have always done: destroy, disregard, deflect. You have failed, and will continue to do so until you are capable of looking past your own biases to realize that you are wrong and you are disgusting in your defense of the status quo instead of justice. 

Eltafez — 09/Jun/2020 18:06 Since it doesn’t look like your mind is going to change, I’ll do us both a favor and bid you a good day.

Gargle my dick and balls

And thus ended all communication with staff

Don’t let them get away with this, and don’t let them get away with thinking that they can do whatever they like (or nothing) without any consequence. Idleness is complicity, and they are sending the dangerous message that racism is tolerated. “We don’t support racism in any form” and “we’re not gonna do anything about cultural appropriation tho” cannot co-exist. 

#pokefarm #pokefarm q #eltafez pokefarm #eltafez pokefarm q #racism tw #racism #cultural appropriation #wendig*ag

[sceptilemasterr]

MW Act 3, Scene 2 - Mist Encounter

Title: Most Wanted: The Hollywood Killer (A CIU Screenplay)

Main Pairings: Dave x Sam

Other Pairings: N/A

Genre: Full Rewrite

Rating: PG-13 for violence, blood, swearing, alcohol, and sexuality

Summary: On the streets of L.A., Sam makes an unexpected friend.

Previous Scene: No Case Left Unsolved

Masterlist: Link

EXT. DOWNTOWN L.A. - NIGHT

It is a foggy night in downtown L.A. Sam wanders through the streets aimlessly, grumbling to herself in frustration. A few passersby give her strange looks, but she ignores them. After a few moments, she turns and walks down an alleyway.

SAM (angrily): Stupid... goddamn... UGH!

She punches the nearest wall in anger, only to immediately recoil in pain.

SAM: Dammit!

CASSANDRA: Looks like that hurt.

CASSANDRA LEIGH, an impeccably-dressed woman in her mid-40s, enters the scene, an expression of concern etched upon her face.

SAM: Get out of here, would you? Leave me alone...

Sam’s grumbling trails off immediately when she recognizes Cassandra. Almost instantly, her demeanor shifts to one of astonishment bordering on idolization.

SAM: No way. You’re not... Impossible, I’ve had a crush on you since forever! You can’t be...

CASSANDRA (sighs): The Cassandra Leigh? That’s me, yes. Though I must confess, I’m not quite so familiar with who you are.

Sam turns away for a moment, then looks back at Cassandra.

SAM (humbly): I’m nobody, really. Just a girl who thought she could do everything... but ended up just makin’ everything worse.

Sam slumps down onto the concrete. After a moment’s hesitation, Cassandra smooths out her dress, then joins Sam on the ground.

CASSANDRA: So... want to tell me what happened?

SAM: Not really.

A brief moment passes as the two of them sit in silence. Eventually, Sam relents.

SAM: Guess there’s no point in pretending. I’m warnin’ you, it’s quite a story...

CASSANDRA: Please, honey. I’m an actress. I’m no stranger to stories.

Sam manages a weak smile.

SAM: Fair enough. Listen: I’m a U.S. Marshal. From Texas. And before you say anything, yeah, I know I’m a long way from home. Been trackin’ this killer for a while and made my way here.

Sam pauses for a moment.

CASSANDRA: ...Does this by chance have anything to do with what happened at Cordillera the other night?

SAM (impressed): Got it in one. You’d make a fair detective!

CASSANDRA: Huh. Maybe I’m in the wrong career.

The two of them laugh.

SAM: I was so sure this guy’d been working for someone else! So sure I could catch him! But I was wrong. Now I’m on a flight back home, and the one person who could’ve helped me ain’t allowed to.

CASSANDRA: You were on this case... and they kicked you off?

SAM: ...Basically. But I can’t leave. Not yet. This murderer’s my responsibility.

CASSANDRA: How so?

SAM: He escaped from my town. He killed my friend. I need to be the one to bring him in.

CASSANDRA: Listen. I can see how personal this is to you. But look at the bigger picture: isn’t it more important that this... killer... gets brought to justice? What does it matter who brings him in?

SAM: I know. You’re right. It’s just... (sighs) That’s the kinda thing that’s easier said than done, you know?

CASSANDRA: I can only imagine.

Cassandra looks away for a moment, and then her face lights up with a sudden inspiration. She turns back to Sam, a smile on her face.

CASSANDRA: Tell you what: why don’t you come with me to L.A.R.A. before you go? Seems like you could use a break, and honestly, it’s a good time. Music, food, alcohol, and a who’s who of Hollywood celebrities.

SAM: Appreciate the offer, but--

A sudden thought strikes her.

SAM: What kind of Hollywood celebrities?

CASSANDRA: Oh, pretty much anyone you can think of! You know how these things go: sometimes it seems like half of L.A. shows up--

SAM: Sounds great! When is it?

Cassandra looks down at her phone.

CASSANDRA: A few hours from now, actually. Are you interested?

SAM: Of course! Thank you so much, Ms. Leigh--

CASSANDRA: Call me Cassandra.

SAM: Right, of course, so sorry Ms-- er, Cassandra. Let’s go!

Cassandra stands, brushing the dirt off of her dress.

CASSANDRA: Ah-ah-ah! Not so fast. Do you have anything you could change into? Something more... I don’t know... dressier?

Sam looks down at her worn and torn outfit, suddenly self-conscious.

SAM: Uh... not exactly, no...

CASSANDRA: Well then! No time to waste! You heard of Rodeo Drive?

She pronounces it “Ro-day-oh.” Sam winces.

SAM (skeptical): You mean “Rodeo.” Unless you’re tellin’ me L.A. butchers that too...

CASSANDRA (laughs): Why am I not surprised? However you say it, it’s the best place in the city to get an evening gown. If you want to go to a Hollywood gala, you need to look the part, after all!

SAM: That’s... actually a fair point. Lead on, then!

_______________________

Next: It All Comes Together

CIU Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @bbaba-yagaa @acidsugar0

MW Tag List: @griselda1121

#most wanted the hollywood killer #choices most wanted #choices stories you play #csyp #most wanted rewrite #ciu project #choices interconnected universe #fanfic #sam massey #cassandra leigh #yup surprise surprise she's still in this script! #what #you think i forgot about cassandra? HELL NO! #wonder what comes next... #HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...

[kenkamishiro]

zakki:re Q&A replies megathread

A translation megathread of the zakki:re Q&A contest letters Ishida sent back to winning contestants!

As far as I know there were 100 winners, though I only have around 40 in this post. There were more on Twitter, but some opted not to release them publicly on Twitter for personal reasons (such as if they asked personal questions). Some didn’t reveal their question, or all of Ishida’s replies, but I’ve tried my best to guess at their meaning if possible.

The ones I’ll post here are from Twitter, specifically if they came with pictures of Ishida’s art or handwritten replies. I’ll also mention some context if I felt that the conversation/topic between the OPs and Ishida was interesting.

If you see one that I missed, please let me know and I’ll update this post.

Enjoy!

-----

From songbirdfaraway (X):

No question or answer revealed. OP mentioned that since they drew Touka and Kaneki on the postcard they sent Ishida, that Ishida must have figured OP liked them and drew them in his reply.

From mochi_XIII13 (X):

A huge Juuzou fan. OP stated they asked something they’ve always wanted to know from the bottom of their heart for ages, and that they couldn’t stop crying when they got the answer from Ishida. (No question or answer revealed.)

From __rsks__ (X):

OP must have asked how Naki proposed to Miza, because:

Naki: (Oh yeah!) Dunno what kinda pose a “pro-pose-al” is, but I said we gotta be together ‘til we die!!

Miza: You didn’t need to mention that!

From choco__morinaga (X):

The answer was hidden because OP wasn’t sure whether Ishida minded if it was shared publicly since the info he gave in the answer wasn’t mentioned before. Ishida said it was okay to share, but I can’t seem to find OP tweeting anything about what the question and answer was.

Uta: It’s a secret. Just kidding.

From SatoshigeKiya (X):

OP mentioned they sent in a question that didn’t have anything to do with TG, and Ishida’s response:

Soba.

From 00ibushigin00 (X):

No question shown.

Ishida: Correct.

From tsukihoryst (X):

OP asked for Chie’s biography (one of two, actually!).

Hori Chie Birthday: September 30th 136 cm / 33 kg / 21.5 cm Currently on break from university. (Voluntarily on leave.) Hobbies: photography, travelling, going for walks, enjoying drama

Tsukiyama: Little mouse, what are you doing? Chie: I got asked a question.

From Hosaka_0405 (X):

Seems like it was a personal question, so I won’t translate.

From take2129 (X):

OP asked if Aunt Satou, Takizawa’s neighbour who was mentioned in his will, was killed by Ayato? But Ishida stated that it wasn’t Ayato who killed her, just some random ghoul.

From reirei_reina_ (X):

OP was so happy they got a nosebleed LOL. Not exactly sure what they asked.

Ishida: It’s great that I can know about the people who have been reading the series for a long time in this manner.

Touka: Thanks!

From cmnme17 (X):

OP’s question: Please give us more details about Hairu’s hairstyle!

Side: (fluffy bangs) Hairu: Hm...more details…?

Front: Long straight across.

Back: Looks like this from behind.

From go_t35 (X):

Seems like OP asked about the name of a fan club for Ishida based on another tweet of theirs (X)?

Ishida’s attempts: Ishida Club, The 9th Laboratory, Us [Oretachi], We [Wareware], umm? Muscle Lover’S [Kinniku Daisuki’S]. Please tell me of a good one you came up with.

(This is Tsukiyama-level naming lol)

OP later replies to Ishida, saying they were thinking of Sui Sui Club (“club” in kanji).

From 4njo_Usa (X):

OP’s question unknown.

Ishida: No matter how hard things get, don’t forget your goals.

From mishumi_jugem (X):

This OP also asked for Chie’s biography. Similar to the first one, except that she has blood type O.

Chie: Me? I guess I also like seeing drama.

From ChirolMaronLevi (X):

The question wasn’t sent by OP, but by his father. Both father and son are fans of TG (OP grew up reading Jump comics since the father reads them a lot), which amused Ishida greatly. OP is jealous, and his father is smug/happy about it lol (there’s a photo of him holding the zakki:re letter with a glove, with the letter itself wrapped in plastic, with a giant smile on his face).

Also a bit sadder to mention, but OP’s maternal uncle passed away from esophageal cancer. Hearing that his son (so OP’s cousin) has all the TG volumes, OP borrowed the letter from his dad to show to his cousin, which made the cousin happy.

Ishida: Isn't something like that decided at the very end? You're admirable. Please do your best to stay till the end.

From inou_uoni (X):

OP’s question: This is related to Tokyo Ghoul:re. Ihei Hairu has pink hair, but why did you make her hair colour stand out from everyone else’s?

Hairu: Cause I’m cute, of course?

From 3110_mai (X):

OP asked some question about Urie, and the reply:

Urie: Why indeed.

OP is really amused Urie doesn’t know the answer, and it might even be possible that even Ishida himself doesn’t know.

From GW3Q1od9vzXccOM (X):

Funny enough, the preview of the postcards Ishida tweeted shows more of this illustration. (I’m planning on also translating those postcards that weren’t posted by their owners at the end). But it seems OP was concerned about Ui’s smoking habits, because:

Ui: It’s fine, I’ve got strong lungs.

From paralysis_2626 (X):

Seems like OP asked where Furuta’s pseudonym “PG” when he was masquerading as Souta came from. This is what I could salvage based on OP’s multiple photos:

Furuta: Eh, what “PG” stands for? Huuh, is that what you’re asking…? What to do...hmm, alright, this is just between us, but the truth is...PG is [redacted by OP]. What!! Just kidding~ Actually, [mostly redacted, I can make out the parts where OP didn’t blur the text in another image, something about eating bulgogi]. Ahaha!

This is just my personal guess, so take it with a grain of salt. But:

Bulgogi = プルコギ = purukogi = PurukoGi = PG…

OP did mention they were going to get bulgogi after this, so chances of this being right are pretty high lol.

From ute9pmr1 (X):

I think OP asked about what animal Ishida would want to become to relax (for example, OP wants to become a sea creature became they’re drawn to the ocean).

Ishida: If I’m given time to relax someday...I’d keep working as a human. I don’t really want to become an animal…

Ishida later adds in a tweet it’s more fun being a human.

From hare__1127 (X):

OP got back a Houji from Ishida when they asked about hojicha (roasted green tea).

Above Houji’s head: It smells nice. Next to Houji: This is Houji-san.

From re_cord01 (X):

OP was debating whether they should keep it to themselves, but decided it’d be better for them to share so everyone can see (thank you OP, this is personally my favourite reply I’ve seen).

OP’s question: What is Kaneki-kun's life like now? (something small like a simple diary entry...)

Month X Day X

I wake up to the sounds of Touka-chan and Ichika's voices. For some reason, they're excited over some news on TV. I read through the documents related to Countermeasures [most likely something to do with the United Front] , and summarize my opinion on it until noon. Time for lunch. Since Touka-chan went out to the shop, I make lunch for Ichika using the rice I bought. "It tastes better than Mama's," she said, so I replied, "Keep that a secret from Mama." In the afternoon, I think I'll take a short walk with Ichika, and try visiting Anteiku with her.

From Nia__86 (X):

Question or answer unknown.

From OKASHI_monster (X):

Question unknown.

I wasn't prepared at all... If I think about this and that it makes me think, "Ah, I don't wanna do this," so there's times where it's easier not to think about it. It may have been better if I had a "there's all kinds of things huh..." kind of resolve.

From utahira_flour (X):

Question and the full answer unknown. (The postcard on the left is just OP’s message to Ishida about Uta and Hirako).

Uta: Try it out?

From gongon0514 (X):

OP’s question: What is the name of Hirako Take’s Shiba Inu?

Ishida: Kotarou.

From S8OkMMRsYsB7H8i (X):

OP’s fiancee got the reply from Ishida!

OP’s fiancee’s question: Why does Takizawa, when he became a ghoul, begin to hold his fingers in his mouth?

Ishida: Like infants, the reasons can include stress, and suppressing his appetite.

I actually can’t find the OP for some reason, so if anyone finds it, please let me know!

Based on Ishida’s preview of the postcards, it seems like OP asked how Hirako felt when he first got his dog.

Ishida: Something like this. Hirako: …(it’s a dog)

From tacto_0 (X):

Seems the question was personal, and I can only make out something about how once you’re satisfied it will end there.

The reason the mask is in the picture is because OP asked Ishida advice about making Kaneki’s mask a few years back.

From secret_fairys (X):

The first reply that Ishida worked on.

Ishida: I like guys that can win with a hard blow. The weapon is a two-handed sword. Dialogue bubble: I will cut you down.

From kuranosukezemi (X):

I can’t say what Ishida replied to OP since the revealed text doesn’t really say anything substantial, but seems like OP asked something related to the final chapter based on their tweet.

From @S_R_Snow (X):

OP must have asked what Touka named her keychain lol.

Touka: No...since I’m not the kind to name things… Yoriko: She called it Usakichi!

From @rio_080910 (X):

I have no clue what OP asked so the reply doesn’t really make sense. Basically if Ishida has tried doing something.

I never thought about it during serialization. But since it ended, I’m thinking it’d be good to try that kind of thing.

From @Utinni_jawamori (X):

OP seems to have asked a Star Wars-related question since Ishida drew Darth Maul.

Why of course...here. But I also like Count Dooku. Exar Kun symbol.

From @ume__oni (X):

Ishida’s reply was covered up by OP, but OP mentioned in their tweet how they named the onigiri Ishida drew “SSR onigiri”, and that they were thankful for receiving a reply despite their silly question.

Ishida replied to their tweet, and it seems like the question OP asked was about his favourite kind of rice or onigiri since Ishida mentioned something about koshihikari, a type of rice.

From bobriorio (X):

OP’s question: Is there a specific character’s expression that makes you go, “Drawing this face is fun, I love it!”?

Ishida: Something like this broken-looking face, for a lot of reasons…

From nato_noir (X):

OP didn’t mention what question they asked, but probably had something to do with the species of butterfly that appears throughout TG. They also mentioned they started reading TG in 1st grade of junior high, since Ishida addresses that in his reply.

From 1st grade of junior high! I'm happy to hear that. It may look like a "butterfly", but specifically it's a moth called a mock swallowtail butterfly moth. I drew it to symbolize the difference between humans and ghouls even though they look similar.

From Fyt120 (X):

Question is unknown.

Ishida/Matsuri: Even if it cannot be reached, it will be in your thoughts for eternity.

(Why do I get the feeling he’s talking about Urie lol)

From pencil_15 (X):

OP asked about Tatara’s biography.

Now published...!

Tatara (Zhū Lú) [朱鑪, 朱 means 'red' and 鑪 is fireplace, the kanji for Tatara] 186 cm / 96 kg Blood type A Hobbies: Go (taught by his older brother), reading (Takatsuki Sen)

From hachiyone_arai (X):

If you can't stop thinking about the person even though you know it will never happen, that is love. ...according to Matsuri. (I love Urie too.) Urie: No.

From nanasiFAST (X):

Miza: Hm...me? I don’t really rank the things I love.

From Ishida’s preview (X):

Top right - Saiko: Kah!

Bottom right - Maid.

Top left - Nakarai: Recently, Japanese waxwings, I think. (has a rock look to it)

Bottom left - Ichika comic: (you can read here)

I’ll just summarize what I can figure out here since so much of it is concealed.

Higemaru - I think OP asked about how Higemaru ended up working for the CCG because it talks about his history at the Academy and the Qs. Also that Hige really looks up to Urie and wants to keep working with him.

Akira - I think OP asked for advice on dealing with the difficulties with their transfer family, because Ishida suggests using phrases such as, “I see...” or “That’s why~!”. (The alternative is Akira giving Inoue-san (from the transfer family) a Mado Punch lol)

Uta - A personal question, in which Ishida mentioned something about how if OP realized they messed up, and doing what OP needs to do.

Letter below Ui’s - Hide in :re volume 14, huh~ Kaneki also lost his way in OG volume 7 and :re volume 16. [Something about other guys like Naki, and something about how deciding the most important thing is difficult]

-----

The end! If there’s any other replies from Ishida that you didn’t see here, please let me know!

#Tokyo Ghoul #Ishida Sui #zakki:re #Ishida Q&A #Translations #my translations #if you manage to get to the end #congrats :'D

[lilahdesignforperformance]

DESIGN MATRIX

CHARACTERS:

Physical characters:

Alannah Devlin

Fianna Devlin

Da - Peter

British solider

Mentioned characters not necessarily seen:

Mammy

Father Kearney

Maggie

CHARACTER CHANGES:

Alannah Devlin ( Early thirties)

Fianna Devlin ( Late twenties )

Peter “DA” Devlin ( Mid-fifties)

British soldier ( Mid-twenties )

Crocodile - Da

ALANNAH -

Clean (OCD tendencies), innocent (unsure, on edge), quite, polite.

Smokes secretly

Shuts down gets panicked from the fire alarm

Becomes fed up with Fianna

Over thinks which can be seen by her story about the lyrics from Africa by Toto

Becomes more and more agitated and uneasy

Alannah becomes transfixed by chaos

Loosens up which is seen as she takes swig from the bottle Fianna was drinking

Eats the chips off of the ground

Starts to drink more and smoke without trying to hide it

Stabs DA (character shift) - this is the turning point for Alannah and how she breaks out of the innocent, quite and polite shell she was living in

Becomes wildly drunk

Changes completely from who she was at the start as she now wishes pain on DA when before she was too afraid

FIANNA -

Aggressive behaviour from the beginning

Forward and confronting “i’m not gonna hurt ya, i’m just gonna bash your face in”

Expressive of her emotions 

Fianna switches from chaotic character to being the character with their head screwed on when Alannah becomes erratic 

DA -

Paralysed

Gunshot wounded

Bleeding out fast

Bossy

Rude

Controlling

Becomes legless after Alannah saws his legs off

Non responsive

Manipulative

COSTUMES:

ALANNAH -

Hair in Scrawny little bun

Puts a pair of marigolds on

Becomes covered in Da’s blood

FIANNA -

Wreath around neck

Dirty boots

Tattoos

Leather

Big hair

Denim

Gun

Cigarettes

Becomes covered in Da’s blood

LAYOUT OF SET:

Isolated farmhouse - refurbished in 70’s-80’s

Cream laminate cabinets, wooden table matching chairs, pale tiles, modest stove

Stage left door to outside world, with a small telephone table and mirror hanging above

Downstage right staircase and hallway covered by curtain

Upstairs over the sink, large window that stares out to darkness

Uncomfortably clean

Muggy

Shiny worktop

New wallpaper

Pristine

Toilet down the hall

Everything within the cupboards is colour coded

No bin inside

Chair that Da is sat on

Candles scattered across the room

PROPS AND USES:

Rock thrown through window

Stove - Alannah cleans it precisely and intensely

Eight packets of crisps which are referred to as sad crisps

Incense is lit becomes extinguished by Fianna

Rock smashes window (page 40)

Alannah slices bread - burns it

Gun in Fiannas pocket

Cigarettes DA rolls

Bottle of rum in wine glass

Alannah tops up drink, slices apple

Telephone - Alannah picks up, pauses, puts it down

Pipe on the table

Fianna has a chainsaw

Alannah drinks rum from the bottle

Alannah puts pot on stove

Fianna plays banjo

Fridge freezer stores a CD

Knife used to stab Da

Coin (heads + tails)

Glass of cold water (To revive DA)

SLK riffle at Alannah's head

Petrol bomb

LIGHTING:

Night (dark) - act 1

Occasional search light outside - Act 1

Weather begins to get worse, begins to get even darker

Cloudy weather outside

Light flickers - Page 76

Light flickers - Page 80

Light flickers - Page 88

Black out

Candle light

Candles go out

Flash of light - Page 114

Black out - End

MEDIA REFERENCES:

Thunder crackling (Act one)

Helicopter sounds over head 

Frog croak

“Some say the Devil is Dead” The Wolfe Tones

Window smash

The Shining

The Poltergeist

Fire alarm

Frog croaks again pg 51

Flush of toilet

Knocking from upstairs pg 57

Africa by ToTo plays pg 60

Both Fianna and Alannah sing

Music volume increases (come on feel the noize by quiet room plays)

Roof hammers

A gunshot pg 72

Water splashes onto floor

Telephone rings

Frog croak pg 75

Thundercloud breaks“Africa” TOTO

Turns of music

“You’ll never get away from me” by Tony Bennett plays

Turns music off

Storm raging on

Demented noise, from “Alligator wine” by screaming Jay Hawkins

Carrie

“O-O-H child” The Five Stair steps

Noises upstairs, noise upstairs stops

Pan smashes to the floor

Soldiers radio, speech and the static

Thud from upstairs, house shakes

Crackling on radioHouse shudders

Blood dripping

Predatorily breathing

Female screen from cassette player, scream melts away

Helicopter sounds overhead

Frog croaks

Chainsaw

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

Set rural Camlough, south armagh northern Ireland 1989

Tayto Cheese and Onion crips

Superking Menthol Cigarettes

Ireland

Bible verses

Paras

G&T

The Clangers

Jay Hawkins

Armagh Jail

Newry canal

Chinless wonders

Armagh

Rachel O’Briain

Rachel Devlin

A Nightmare On Elm Street

Quiet Riot

Bible verses

Asmat tribe

Leviathan crocodiles

One Eyed Willie

Billy Connolly

IRA

Colossians: chapter three, verses twenty-two

Hitler

Bible verses/prayers

Children of the Corn

Brits

South Armagh, North Ireland

Corinthians: Chapter Eleven, Verse Eight

Empress Jaro

Psalms

MUSICAL REFERENCES:

The first song mentioned it Africa by TOTO. "Africa" is a song recorded by the American rock band Toto in 1981, for their fourth studio album Toto IV, and released as the album's third single on September 30, 1982, through Columbia Records. The song was written by band members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro. 

Lyrics:

I hear the drums echoing tonight But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation She's coming in, 12:30 flight Her moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation I stopped an old man along the way Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies He turned to me as if to say "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you" [Chorus: Bobby Kimball] It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never had [Verse 2: David Paich] The wild dogs cry out in the night As they grow restless longing for some solitary company I know that I must do what's right As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti I seek to cure what's deep inside Frightened of this thing that I've become [Chorus: Bobby Kimball] It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never had [Bridge] Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you [Chorus: Bobby Kimball] It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do I bless the rains down in Africa I bless the rains down in Africa I bless the rains down in Africa I bless the rains down in Africa I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

The second song to be mentioned in the play is Cum on feel the noize by Quiet Riot. Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band founded in 1973  by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni. The band is ranked at No. 100 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock

Lyrics:

[Chorus] Come on, feel the noise Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild Wild, wild, wild [Verse 1] So you think I got an evil mind I tell you, honey I don't know why I don't know why So you think my singing's out of time It makes me money I don't know why I don't know why Anymore, oh no [Chorus] So come on, feel the noise Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild Wild, wild, wild Come on, feel the noise Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild Baby! [Verse 2] So you say I got a funny face I got no worries And I don't know why I don't know why Oh I gotta sing, it's some disgrace I'm in no hurry And I don't know why I don't know why Anymore, no, no, no [Chorus] Come on, feel the noise Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild Wild, wild, wild Come on, feel the noise Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild, baby Come on! [Guitar solo] [Verse 3] Well, you think we have a lazy time You should know better I don't know why I don't know why So you say I got a dirty mind I'm a mean go-getter I don't know why I don't know why Anymore, oh no Come on, feel the noise Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild Wild, wild, wild Come on, feel the noise Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild Oh, wild Come on! (Come on!) Feel it! Come on! (Girls, rock your boys) Work it! We'll get wild, wild, wild (We're gonna get wild) Wild, wild, wild (We're gonna get wild tonight) Come on, feel the noise (Rock it tonight) Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild (Oh, yeah) Ah, ah-ah ah-ah (Whoo!) Ah, ah, ah Come on, feel the noise Girls, rock your boys We'll get wild, wild, wild Ah, ah-ah ah-ah Ah, ah, ah

The third and final song reference made in the play is You’ll never get away from me by Tony Bennett. Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under his birth name that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York.

Lyrics:

You'll never get away from me You can climb the tallest tree, I'll be there somehow True, you could say, "Hey, here's your hat" But a little thing like that couldn't stop me now I couldn't get away from you Even if you told me to, so go on and try Just try and you're gonna see How you're gonna not at all get away from me Rose, I love you, but don't count your chickens Come dance with me I warn you, that I'm no Boy Scout Relax awhile, come dance with me So don't think that I'm easy pickin', the music's so nice Rose, 'cause I just may some day pick up and pack out Oh, no you won't, no, not a chance No arguments, shut up and dance You'll never get away from me You can climb the tallest tree, I'll be there somehow True, you could say, "Hey, here's your hat" But a little thing like that couldn't stop me now I couldn't get away from you Even if I wanted to well, go on and try, just try Ah, Rose and you're gonna see Ah, Rose how you're gonna not at all Get away from me

SPACE CHANGE REFERENCES:

Uncomfortable clean space “shinny, perfect”

Window in kitchen becomes broken from a Fianna throwing a rock through

Floor tiles become muddy from Fianna’s boots

Fire alarm ripped from the ceiling

Becomes smoky from cigarette

Pipe on table- Page 73

Smell of burnt bread

Table moves and becomes dirty as Fianna stands on it

Alannah opens all the cupboards

Crisps opened and crushed all over the floor

Hallway door opens as Da comes in

Blood begins pooling out onto the floor

Pot brewing on the stove

Da slumped in a chair in the corner, legless

Blood spilling out onto the floor

Stew all over the floor and pan is knocked over

Smokes comes out from the curtain

Leviathan crocodile in room

Smoke billows from behind the crocodile

Cupboard door is ripped off to barricade window

PHRASES/SLANG/TERMS:

Craic

Sacred heart

Mother Superior

Wreath off a hearse

Crown during The Famine

Dirty we tout

Firebug

Ye

Hold on a tick and a half

Okey dokey

Daft eejit

Crocodile tears

ALANNAH -

Polite “please, Thank you”

“Flipping sake”

“Oh whoop-dee-flippin-do”

FIANNA -

“Some say the devil is dead

“Thanks be to god”

“Pot fucking kettle, gin eyes” pg 43

“Taking the mick” pg 45

“Ireland, through us summon her children to her flag and strike for freedom”

“See you later alligator, fuck off crocodile”

“So you think i’ve got an evil mind (quiet riot)

“Ye daft cunt”

THEMES/GENRES:

References to mental illness such as OCD

Black comedy

Stockholm syndrome

Sister relationship

Reference to domestic abuse and pedophelia

Sexism

REFERENCE IMAGERY:

70′s Kitchen:

70′s Wallpaper:

Farmhouse:

Crocodile:

Lighting:

[annecoulmanross]

A Review of Ice Blink (2000) by Scott Cookman

Being stuck inside has somehow given me the miraculous ability to read books quickly once again, so I’ve begun reading some of the physical, paper books on the Franklin expedition that I snatched from my library before it closed. So, here are some thoughts on Scott Cookman’s Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin's Lost Polar Expedition, an informal history with some… interesting takes.  

Below the cut, you’ll find:

– What Cookman cares about telling his readers re: the Franklin expedition.

– Errata (aka, things Cookman got wrong, and a valuation of how much we can blame him for those errors.)

– Select quotes (feat. Thomas Jopson, some melodrama, and cannibalism!)

What Cookman Cares About:

The “Good” – Cookman goes into very extensive detail on the logistics of the expedition, especially with regard to the mechanics and layout of the ships and their provisioning. This is useful information, though difficult to trust because Cookman’s conversational style does not tend to include very many citations. Cookman also does quite a lot of work to humanize and explore the backgrounds of Sir John Barrow and Sir John Franklin in particular, which is helpful narrative work in a history like this. I also enjoy Cookman’s take on the relationship between Lady Jane and Franklin. He understands that Lady Jane is terribly bright and ambitious, and yet ties herself to Franklin because he is a good man (or at least she correctly sees that he is very genuinely good to her).

The “Bad” – Cookman really, really, REALLY wants you to see Stephan Goldner and his tinned goods as the ultimate source of evil and disaster in this story. He lavishes detail upon the effects of botulism and all the possible contaminants in the cans supplied to the Franklin expedition. He liberally calls Goldner “evil” among much worse things, up to and including the use of incorrect legal Latin and a brutally unnecessary sexual assault comparison. History isn’t simple; the Franklin expedition didn’t have one villain – even Dan Simmons (even the terrible Doctor Who Audio Dramas!) were smart enough to know that.

Errata:

– “Nothing [in the Antarctic] was named for Crozier.” (pg. 53) This isn’t true; cf. Cape Crozier. Furthermore, this is James Clark Ross slander.

– Fitzjames is described as “thumpingly, lispingly English to the core.” (pg. 55) This book was obviously pre-Battersby, but the use of “English” as Fitzjames’s primary character trait is a bit glaring.

– Cookman happily declares that the only non-English officers in the expedition were “the Irishman Crozier and two Scotsmen (an ice master [James Reid] and an assistant surgeon),” (pg. 61) thereby missing the very Scottish Lieutenant John Irving and the other of the two assistant surgeons, both of whom were, in fact, Scottish (The lucky one Cookman is picturing appears to be MacDonald who is noted as a “Scotsman” (pg. 64); the similarly Scottish Goodsir is incorrectly wrapped into “Fitzjames’s all-English-officered Erebus” (pg. 65), as is Fairholme, who was born in Scotland.)

– Cookman manages to interpret the loneliness in Crozier’s last letter to James Clark Ross as solely an expression of Crozier missing Sophia Cracroft. While that was probably a factor, Cookman makes the unfortunate choice of using a quote that was specifically entirely about how Crozier missed Ross: “in truth I am sadly lonely and when I look back to the last voyage I can see the cause and therefore no prospect of having a more joyous feeling.” (pg. 55)

– Cookman sees the “All well” of the Victory Point Note as meaning that not a single man died during the time between the death of the Beechey Three and when the note was left (p. 107). This isn’t a historiographically sound argument.

– Cookman implies that every member of the Donner Party who survived cannibalized the dead to do so (pg. 179); in fact, several families may have managed to refrain (the Reeds, possibly the Breens.)

– This interesting analogy: “The utter hostility of the Passage can only be judged in comparison. Humankind has make eight successful voyages to the moon. To date, it has traverse the Northwest Passage only seven times.” (pg. 197) This manages to be both out of date (re: the Passage) and incorrect (re: the moon).

– Reader, I cringed, when I saw the Cookman had written that it took “over fifty relief expeditions more than ten years to find Franklin.” (pg. 205) Yes, this was written pre-Ross 2002 on the number of rescue expeditions. Still. (To summarize Ross 2002: there were not “more than fifty” rescue expeditions; there were, generously, fewer than 40, and that’s counting supply expeditions too.)

Select Quotes:

“[Crozier] snapped up Thomas Jopson, the steward who’d served with him in the Antarctic, dismissing a steward he’d enlisted only a day before to make room for him. Likewise, he signed on Thomas Johnson, Terror’s old boatswain’s mate, and somehow stole the Erebus’s cook, John Diggle, right out from under Commander Fitzjames’s aristocratic nose.” (pg. 61-62)

“The ship [Terror] was the wife he’d [Crozier] had never had, certainly the enduring love of his life.” (pg. 161)

“The survivors dragged the boats in harness, like Egyptian slaves harnessed to pyramid blocks.” (pg. 167)

“In fact, that [the Inuit group who encountered the survivors of the expedition] shared what little seal meat they had was noble; that they stole away at the first opportunity is understandable. Imagine yourself on a family camping trip when, suddenly, a gang of fifty hairy, incoherent Hell’s Angels appear out of nowhere. They’re plainly starving, heavily armed with guns, knives, and hatchets – and openly carrying human body parts.” (pg. 181)

This has been Ice Blink by Scott Cookman. Next up, hopefully: Lady Franklin’s Revenge by Ken McGoogan!

#franklin expedition #franklin expedition historiography #terrorposting #cannibalism cw #gore cw #illness cw

[seeksstaronmewni]

Samurai Jack Season 5 in Review: EPISODE XCVI

Things can change greatly when one is open enough to see the truth.

As the episode’s TV spot promoted (as with earlier TV spots for the season in general), it’s time for the Scotsman episode of Season 5! Enough said.

NOW, as the Scotsman proclaimed, “NOW we... CHAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!!!”

This’s the first episode in Season 5 to be rated TV-PG-V (for “moderate” violence), although it’s not really that violent. It clearly could be TV-Y7-FV, but I guess that Cartoon Network is concerned about easily imitable violence such as kicking and punching (unlike Disney Channel/Disney XD), so it may never be TV-Y7 again.

NOTE: Obviously, I started working on this post on Memorial Day of 2020 in honor of our dear Scotsman. Anyway, I’m curious as to what was going on with the Scotsman’s family and what they were plotting, during the time that we’re focusing on Jack and Ashi... but we still have 40 episodes to come until the series is complete. I was too busy or lazy to finish the post before the end of the day or month (for that matter, I was mostly inactive on it for 6 months), but I’m slowly back on it, so WACH’OUT!

We start with Aku’s place... which appears much more barren than it was in EPISODE I. The episode is another Andrews-Tartakovsky duo-boarding. Just the sound of wind, but no mist full of demons for some reason. Perhaps some bombing or missile attack cleared Aku’s yard?

A tank rolls over to the edge of Aku’s yard. A soldier within signals the other tanks to advance with his horn. These tanks are designed by the late and great Chris Reccardi and @heydusty​.

The camera streaks further back to reveal another army of men riding a 20-legged, rhino-like creature, in armor similar to the exterior of the tanks. He signals his army with his horn, too.

How about another army, then?

Signaled by a woman with her bagpipes, she leads her army...

a whole army of women

Talk about girl power... compared to The Powerpuff Girls, which stopped in 2019 and wasn’t nostalgically correct enough for the last 3 seasons anyway.

Whichever one I find most attractive all depends on which hairstyle looks most attractive... like the one in the bottom right corner. Aside from that, they pretty much all look and sound the same.

The sound of wheels grows audible. Who is that man in the wheelchair?

He has a machine gun for his left leg. Slowly, the camera, defocused except on his leg, eases out.

“Ha ha! We found him!”

It is, indeed, the Scotsman. The hype-inducing Scotsman!

And he’s pretty much ready to fight!

Well... except for one thing...

“I take you out for a day of battle, and you’re dressed like you’re goin’ dancin’!”

She’s kind of bashful. Isn’t she, Scotsman?

Flora was apparently out of appropriate uniform... not that it’s the time for dancing, or dance-fighting, however they intended to take Aku down face-to-face. She looks kind of hot, but this’s not the time to be thinking about fashion or a sultry appearance.

“That goes for all of you.”

“Cover yourself!” the Scotsman yells; “You’ll catch your death of cold!” He definitely cares about his daughters--I know not how many he has, but it’s an army’s worth--but I don’t think that they’re really cold at all.

What season is it, anyway?

(Oh, and, for the shot above, Flora has tiny dot eyes X3)

“Now”, the Scotsman proclaims, “we... CHAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!”

“EYAAAAHHHHH” he shouts excitedly, as Flora drives him into battle.

The Scotsman’s army rolls into battle, firing with some nicely-colored smoke.

*p-powaa-p-p-powaa-powaa-p-powaa-aa*

Yep. There’s that more familiar Universal/Hanna-Barbera explosion, like one would hear in Seasons 1-6 of The Powerpuff Girls, serving as the sole sound effect for this shot and repeating itself. Joel Valentine’s uses of these classic explosions are probably different from those on Sound Ideas’ Universal & H-B sound libraries as these’re cleaner in quality.

The armored creatures apparently shoot some pretty hot snot out of their trunks, leaving us to wonder what this particular animal ultimately is. That classic Anime whistle (kind of sounds like “SHELL SCREAMING WHINE DOWN”) becomes audible as the bunch of hot snot falls toward Aku’s place.

“It seems we are under attack”, Aku overhears. “Under attack?” Aku highlights, beginning to consider use for this opportunity as he slowly stretches his beard. Aku takes a peek at the war through his own kind of TV or something. “Perhaps annihilating this scum will break me out of my...

me-lai-i-i-i-i-se.” Aku streak immediately upward.

Meanwhile, the Scotsman was firing HIS LEG gun... (footage that the last TV spot advertised for the coming of Season 5 in March, well before this episode itself was advertised, also showing the same footage)

Not sure at what HIS LEG gun was firing, since Aku wasn’t out, until...

*bwssss! wb-wb-wb-wb!*

...Aku rockets out of his place...

...trailing blazing fire as he turns into a giant ball...

...bowling his way over all of the tanks. The armored creatures on which 1/3 of the army rides are next!

“You know what?” The Scotsman said, come to his senses. “This was a bad idea! Time to go, girls.” Protective of his many daughters,  the Scotsman knew what to do in such a disastrous moment: “I’ll stall him while you escape.”

“I’m sorry, old man; I think you are lost.”

Just as Aku was about to make the annihilation complete, a voice froze him: “Hold it! You’re not goin’ anywhere, you big buffoon”. Not knowing who this guy was at all, Aku looked down upon him... and he seemed pretty serious, even though he met not this guy before at all.

“The samurai is still out there, inspirin’ people by the thousands!”

“I ain’t lost, y’ tree ogre!” The Scotsman talked back, pushing his insults further and further. “After all these years, you’re powerless against him... afraid to show yourself ‘cause you know he’s out there, and you can’t do anything about it!”

“Ah ha ha! You’re just a big baby! Why don’t you go cry to your mama--”

Aku was not in the mood for being “roasted”.

*wshiiiiiing*

A third of a sword flung out of the explosion.

Aku burned him.

*psst*

Aku burned him good.

Those catchlight-y eyes don’t lie, Flora.

OK; “highlights” would be the more common term.

This’s why I began writing this post on Memorial Day 2020.

When you roast Aku, Aku roasts you back.

“Why did he bring, up, the samurai?”

A relative question: If Aku cares no longer, what else has Aku to do with his life? Must he be evil? Some centuries worth since he started ruling... I guess that the Scotsman was just trying to make Aku upset, when he could speak a better conversation than mostly insult him.

Flora stabs the remainder of the sword into the ground by his ashes. There is some inscription on it that should be interesting to decode. I wonder if there’s an Easter egg in its words...

“I be back--and in me prime, no less!”

BOOM! Souls don’t die! Of course, rather than probably being in Heaven, he’s more of a ghost who’s still able and willing... by Celtic magic, which apparently connects to the inscription on his very sacred sword. “We’ll find Jack” he plots, “and finally defeat that BIG BABY!”

Anyways... one night, probably very far away from wherever Aku’s place is, Ashi was doing some thinking.

She grew up with her mom, who claimed that Aku created everything, but now she met Jack, who told her that Aku had the world ravaged.

Ashi was raised to believe that “The samurai is the poison killing the land”... as if Aku even cared at that point; she never even met Aku. Jack’s wisdom begat conflict in her mind: “If you... let go of (your) hate, you will see the truth.”

At least it’s an otherwise peacful night.

Well. It was.

“I have questions, mother.”

Ashi began to hallucinate (or it was some kind of weird fever dream... I know not) as the moon turned into her mother’s mask. “The samurai sleeps”, she slips through her mouth. “Kill him in his slumber before he wakes!”

“How DARE you?!”

I suppose this’s what comes of wishing for the moon.

Ashi was not ready to act on instinct as this samurai saved her life, but her vision was merciless. She had questions (and had the... moon failed??? Well not the moon, just her mom), and frankly one could question if she or her mother knew who exactly the samurai was and what he looked like. She was apparently secluded from the rest of society and we know little of her life growing up, so of course she’d have questions.

From there, that very island, Ashi’s journey began, and the next morning Jack found a sea dragon to continue the journey.

Although the dolphin chirps act as a faint, echo-y sound in the scene, they stand out as more unique recording than the stereotypical Hollywood Edge recordings one would hear pretty much everywhere else, like in Spongebob or whatever.

The sea dragon submerges into the ocean and makes a giant leap into the sky! Not sure why, but it probably got them closer to land.

ANIME LINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It might not seem too noticeable, but the animation right here looks a bit... tight/slow-paced or whatever. Korean animation’s been thinning out on ln-betweens since, like 2016 for some reason, but they still put more effort on this Cartoon Network Studios project than most right now.

“I shall not forget your kindness.”

The sea dragon gives him a snort and a roar of... gratitude?

Jack and Ashi finally made it to a bigger land (and probably not just a bigger island). Now where would they go from here?

“Goodbye.”

It looks like Jack was just going to part ways.

I’ll continue working on this post later, preferably/almost daily if not weekly. (I’ve just been very slow mentally and more autistic this year than I ever realized)

#samurai jack #scotsman #the scotsman #chris reccardi #cartoon network studios #cartoon network #hanna-barbera cartoons #hanna barbera cartoons #sara kipin #sheldon vella #stephen destefano #genndy tartakovsky #april 2017 #toonami #adult swim #[as] #[adult swim] #aku #action #ashi #samurai #Celtic magic #memorial day

[fanfiction27878]

Challenge

Pairing - Harry Hook x Reader

Rating - PG

Warning - None

I am (Y/N), the daughter of Source Sa’Luk of the 40 thieves. (The villain from Aladdin and the King Of Thieves) Although, I try to stay as far away from my dad and his gold knuckle. So in my free time I get away from home. I’m one of the best thieves on the Isle, but no one else knows that. I’m a shadow, a nobody, I never get caught.

I’m slinking aground the Isle. Sticking to the backroads, rooftops, and alleyways. I’m walking and counting the money I just stole when I hear a thick Scottish accent say, “Hand over your money, ya runt.” I look around the alley way to see a boy around my age and a little girl. I think her name is Dizzy, she works at the salon place. I’ve heard about how nice she is. I look over the boy and see he’s wearing a pirate hat and a hook.

So Captain Hooks son. I have nothing against stealing, but I draw the line at stealing from helpless children. “Hey.” I yell stepping into the open. Both pairs of eyes turn toward me. I walk forward. “It’s not nice to pick on people smaller than you.” I say probably about 10 feet away from you know.

“You know people aren’t usually nice on the Isle.” The son of Hook, who I believe is called Harry, says. “I’m not nice, far from it I fact, but I hear Dizzy here is very nice. Some big, tuff, pirate like you should be able to steal from a better target, not a 13 year old girl who has 20 dollars at the most.” I point out. “Should I steal from you, love?” Harry asks walking closer.

I look to Dizzy, signaling for her to go before responding. “I’m still smaller than you, but I’m always up for a challenge.” He takes another step forward. At this point we’re only a foot away from each other. “I may be a little much.” He says with his ego filled voice. “You shouldn’t underestimate me, but if you do it will be fun. For me at least.” I tell him walking away and hitting his shoulder with mine.

I grab his wallet and pocket watch without him noticing. At the end of the alley way I turn back around and tell him, “I’ll be looking forward to our challenge.” Im about to leave when I hear Harry call, “You never told me your name.” “(Y/N).” I say over my shoulder.

As I get back to my hideout. I found this place one day when I was around 10. It’s underground and the only way to get there is through a darkened alleyway. The only reason I found it was because I was running from someone. I lay low for a few days, I heard that the pocket watch was important and i did not want Harry to find me.

3 days after the incident I decide to check on Dizzy, to make sure Harry still isn’t bothering her. I walk up to Curl Up & Dye even if it’s closed I figured Dizzy would be there. I walk up stairs to see Dizzy sweeping and listening to music. I takes her a few minutes but when she turns around she sees me standing by the door frame. She immediately takes out her headphones and asks, “How long have you been standing there?” “Not long. I didn’t want to interrupt you, so I just stood here.” I tell her.

“So what are you doing here?” She reply’s. “I was just checking to see if you were okay.” I say. “You should watch out for Harry. He’s been looking for you. Even came in here asking about you. Luckily he was too busy looking for you to steal the money the store makes. Muttered something about stealing his pocket watch.” Dizzy tells me. “Yeah, I stole his pocket watch.” I say before leaving.

That night I sneak onto Harry’s ship. After a few people I held at knife point someone gave it up. At midnight I scale the side of the Lost Revenge with my knives. Once I see the right room I slip through the window. I stay closer to Harry’s different furniture because the floor will creek less. I take every precaution so I don’t wake the sleeping pirate on the other side of the room. I put down Harry’s wallet on the vanity we’re his pirate hat and coat lay.

———Harry Hook———

I wake up around 7 and go to get dressed. Putting on a ripped shirt I go to grab my jacket when I see my wallet that the girl stole. It’s empty except for a note that read:

“Dear Harry,

Thanks for the money in your wallet. I’m going to keep your pocket watch unless you leave 200 bucks up in the mast of your ship at midnight tomorrow.

- (Y/N)”

I walk into the Chip Shoppe to see half the crew already there. “Harry what time is it?” Uma asks me. “I don’t know.” I reply. This must have not been a great morning because she barks back and says, “You have your pocket watch idiot. Tell me the time.” “Ya see, that’s the funny thing. Me pocket watch kinda got stolen.” I tell her.

Uma turns back around to face me and asks, “What?” I don’t know if she’s confused, angry, or surprised. “This gal (Y/N) stole it with my wallet when I was trying to steal from Dizzy. She told me not to pick on people smaller than me then walked away. She even snuck into the ship last night to give me back my wallet. I woke up and there was a note in me room with my wallet saying if I wanted my pocket watch to leave 200 bucks tonight.” I inform her. “So how are you going to catch her?” Uma asks

———(Y/N) POV———

I sneak onto the ship totally expecting an ambush. At 12 I grab the wallet that was at the top of the mast. I open it and it’s empty. “Didn’t even give me my money.” I saw not turning around. I can here the 30 or so people behind me. I take out my sword ready to fight.

“Just give me pocket watch back and you can leave.” Harry offers. “Nah.” I say sliding down the mast from a rope by it. “This will be fun.” I say. The first person to run at me is the son of Gaston. He’s supposed to be really nice but really strong.

“Hi I’m Gil.” He says happily. “I’m (Y/N).” I tell him with a smile. He goes to struck me but I easily block him slipping under is arm. While he’s caught off balance I kick his back. “Sorry.” I tell him before I’m fighting more. A few more pirates run at me, one getting a small cut on my arm. I easily take them on but every time I knock one down another attacks.

One guy swings at my head but I duck and push him over bored. I look to see him swimming to the coast and sigh in relief. I didn’t want anyone hurt too bad. Another swings at me with me jumping to the side. His sword gets stuck in the wood so while he tries to get it out I sneak a glance at the rest. There only about 10 pirates left not including Harry and his captain Uma.

The guy gets freed from the wood and goes to attack me again. I side step and knock him out with the butt of my sword bored already. 3 more come at me and soon there’s only Uma and Harry left. Uma attacks first easily having easily two times the skill as everyone else. “Hello.” I say. She ignores me and starts attacking ferociously. I stay in defense for a while. Blocking attack after attack. Then I see that Uma favors her left side even though she’s a righty. I slip my foot between her legs and pull the right one up causing her to fall and hit her head.

Now it’s only me and Harry. “You hav esonething I want, love.” He says in a warning tone. “Well you better come get it, love.” I say with a laugh mimicking his Scottish accent at the end. He attacks better than all the other pirates. Instead of staying on defense I take offense. He gets a shallow cut on my cheek then I give him a cut on his leg. We’ve been fighting for about 10 minutes neither of us going to let up.

That’s when I see his foot is caught on a rope but he doesn’t know. I grab the rope next to me and pull causing him to be sesspended in the air. “You put up a good fight.” I say grabbing his sword and tying the rope to a pole so he can’t escape. “I try.” He responds. “Here you go I have no need for it.” I tell him taking out a pouch with his pocket watch in it. “But you won.” Harry says confused. “Yeah but you care about this more than I do.” I tell him with a smile. I see Uma and some of the other pirates waking up. “I will be taking this.” I tell Harry picking his hat of from the ground and plopping it in my head. “I’ll be looking forward to our next challenge.” I tell him with a wink. The last thing I see before I walk away is his smirk.

#harry hook drabble #harry hook fics #harry hook fic #harry hook fanfic #harry hook x reader #harry hook fanfiction #harry hook #harry hook au #harry hook fanfictions #harry hook imagines #harry hook x reader au #harry hook x reader fic #harry hook x reader fics #harry hook x you

[earl-of-221b]

Ok @dorkshadows​ @frostyemma​

Here’s a key for names in Blade of the Immortal rendition of the Ikedaya Affair:

桂小五郎 is Katsura Kogoro. 

池田屋 is Ikedaya Inn. 

新選組 is Shinsengumi. 

萬次 (万次) is Manji, the protagonist (one eye, scarred face, healing powers like Wolverine from xmen. Please be aware that he wears an anti-clockwise swastika on his back invoking its original meaning: a buddhist symbol.)

Warning for Blood and Gore and Dismemberment. Now onto the good parts!

Shinsengumi:

Left to right: 

藤堂 平助 (Tengtang Pingzhu) is Todo Heisuke: Eighth Unit Captain -- note the fringe, the gi pattern

永倉 新八 (Yongcang Xingba) is Nagakura Shinpachi: Second Unit Captain 

土方 歳三 (Tufang Suisan) is Hijikata Toshizo: Vice Captain 

近藤 勇 (Jinteng Yong) is Kondo Isami: Captain of the Shinsengumi -- he is shrouded in shadow here

沖田 総司 (Congtian Zhongsi) is Okita Souji: First Unit Captain -- very beautiful and feminine 

井上 源三郎 (Jingshang Yuan-sanlang) is Inoue Genzaburo: Sixth Unit Captain -- an older man

原田 左之助 (Yuantian Zuozhizhu) is Harada Sanosuke: Tenth Unit Captain -- very short, cropped buzzcut hair

斎藤 一 (Zhaiteng Yi) is Saito Hajime: Third Unit Captain -- note the...long bangs. The fashionable gi. The body-clinging shirt. Very stoic and quiet, keeping to himself.

First 6 chapters are about Manji and sets up plot stuff. Ch 6 onwards deals with the Shinsengumi and Ikedaya. 

Chapter 7 Link. Overview:

Prelude to Ikedaya. Vice Captain Hijikata Toshizo (centre, vein in head) leads a strike team to raid a store rumoured to be aiding Ishin Shishi. The team includes Okita Souji (stripy hakama) and two known, real life Shinsengumi spies: 島田 Shimada Kai (big man, mole eye) and 山崎 Yamazaki Susumu (bandana). 

In the house, 古高俊太郎 Furutaka Shuntaro and some helpers are indeed moving and stockpiling weapons for the Ishin Shishi. Furutaka is Ishin Shishi. He is arrested. 

Later Manji, an immortal man (buddhist swastika) is talking to a friend with wild hair 坂本龍馬 Sakamoto Ryoma (LMAO) who tells him to go visit a fellow Revolutionary: Katsura Kogoro from Choshu (so shook to learn Choshu is 长州).

Furutaka is strung upside down as Hijikata tortures him for ‘information’ (this is apparently true to records). 

Manji meets 桂小五郎 Katsura (reading letter). 

Chapter 8 Overview: 

The Unit Captains of the Shinsengumi come together for a meeting. Kondo addresses the group, they have gotten their hands on some very juicy information thanks to Hijikata. There is some intrigue within the group. Everyone is shocked to hear of the alleged ‘the Ishin Shishi are planning to burn down Kyoto as a distraction’ plan.  

(Manga specific plot: evil little doctor girl studying Manji’s immortality.) 

Next, another group is also coming together on rare occasion. The Ishin Shishi revolutionaries are introduced arriving at the Ikedaya Inn. People from Tosa Clan, Choshu Clan, Higo Clan. (This is before Sakamoto Ryoma struck a deal between Satsuma and Choshu. Satsuma is still in court as moderate reformists. They are against Choshu and co at this time.) 

Chapter 9 casual translation:

The Shinsengumi gear up. They have tips on two inns, they split up to cover both. The two spies are their own group, their go-between. 

Inside the Ikedaya 宫部鼎藏 Miyabe Teizo (white beard, moon gi - from Higo) and Katsura discuss their plans in light of the Shinsegumi’s weapons bust. Miyabe was a real life extremist, in here he scorns Katsura for not wanting to burn Kyoto during the Gion festival. The original plan was to take the Imperial Palace while Kyoto burns (never proved if this was real in history, but allegedly, yea). 

Katsura makes a vote of non-confidence. “We should not attack the imperial palace because failure is possible. And if we fail we will never heal from the scars of this defeat. The revolution will be over.” “We should not attack, especially since we have lost valuable stores of weapons.”

Miyabe: “Then what does Katsura-kun suggest?” (just worked out right now 君 is kun) 

Katsura: “We wait. Tosa’s Sakamoto Ryoma-kun has travelled to Ezo for negotiations and planning. It will not be amiss to wait.” (Ezo today is Hokkaido, North Japan.)

But another man called Yoshida goes: “That’s too benign/ mild. I am from Choshu Clan as well...but I think Katsura-sensei’s reasoning is too compromising/ safe. These mild, half-hearted strategies only get in the way of things that we can achieve when we give it our all. To protect the country, sacrifices are a given.”

(I cannot for the life of me find out who 吉田Yoshida [can’t translate given name] is.) Everyone cheers for Yoshida’s pro-burning, anti-Katsura hot take. 

Manji: “Are you dumb or what? Your plan is a mess.” “You love to act on your feelings like thought experiments(?) What an idealistic bunch.” 

Miyabe: “How about this, then...we change our plans.”

Pg 12 Miyabe: “We attack the Shinsengumi’s Mibu den. We rescue Furutaka. The likelihood of success is higher.” 

Resounding ‘Hell yes! We’re not afraid of no Shinsengumi, good idea’ cries. 

Manji: “You guys did not come here to discuss did ya?”

Outside the meeting room, a few guards hear some noise downstairs. Since they are out of booze, one goes to very half heartedly check downstairs and get more booze while he’s at it. 

The Shinsengumi arrive. The raid starts. 

...

Okita: “Looks like the Ikedaya was the right inn.” 

Nagakura: “Alrighty. Let’s go teach’em a lesson.”

...

People come out of the meeting room. “What’s all that noise down there?”

“So freaking noisy!”

Insane Kondo Isami who apparently famously said: 

“Routine Inspection!!”

“Shin....shin...SHINSENGUMI!” 

Manji: “Ha--ahh??”

Next panels shows the Shinsengumi covering all the exists on the first floor. (Todo Heisuke with the fringe and cross-hatched hakama). 

Pg 28 Todo Heisuke wonders about reinforcements that haven’t joined in tonight (not sure who they are.) Okita coughs cos he has tb. 

Todo Heisuke: “Are you alright, Okita-sensei? You’ve been coughing quite a lot lately.” 

Okita: “I apologise. I’ve made you worry.” “...tonight the condition I’m in can be considered quite good.”

*Equips poison damage to sword.*

“Don't even have the cold tremors of 芹澤先生 Serizawa-sensei.” 

(Referring to none another than Serizawa Kamo, the original leader of the Shinsengumi. He historically did not have tb or die of disease though...Kondo’s side initiated a hostile takeover of the Shinsengumi and he was eventually Assassinated under orders from Protector of Kyoto, Matsudaira. Apparently in this version he was not assassinated. Funny of Okita to mention this...)

...

Yamazaki (bandana spy) runs by: “Vice Captain!”

“What is it?” 

“It’s the Ikedaya Inn!”

“Confirmed?” 

“Yes...about 40 people...including that man with one eye.” (Manji, cos he’s the main character.) 

I thought what went on in the Ikedaya was actually quite interesting so translated most of it. The rest is mostly self explanatory, lost of fighting, dismemberment, immortal hijinks. 

Chapter 10 and rest of chapters here. 

Chapter 10 covers how Katsura famously jumps the window to escape (which got him a bad name for a bit as the window-jumping coward LOL.)

Manji jumps down right in front of Todo Heisuke. But he doesn’t particularly want to kill anyone. Manji himself used to be very skilled with the sword, but since he’s been immortal for more than 100 years he has a pretty low regard for his own bodily wellbeing. Which gives some pretty intense scenes so be warned. 

Todo is good with the sword -- but Okita is on another level. Okita is the prodigy of prodigies. 

Ch 11-12 Okita v Immortal Manji, Kondo v Miyabe. The Kondo scenes are NOT to be missed! Manji is a great swordsman when he tries, but in what I think is a bold move, the manga makes the point to tell us he is NOT as good a swordsman as Okita. Okita is stronger! Okita is more skilled!  

But Manji...cannot die. 

The second Shinsengumi group arrive to reinforce the first. Hijikata and Saito are here. Katsura v Shinsengumi foot soldiers. Bakufu soldiers are also called to the scene -- but Hijikata tells them to sod off, this is a Shinsengumi raid and they’ll take good care of it. Manga oc villainesses arrive. 

Ch 13-14 also very interesting. Okita has been gored by Manji. Kondo and Hijikata hear that Okita has been injured. This is incredible to them, because Okita is their best swordsman. 

Katsura and Manji escape back to Choshu’s estate (can see the Mori Clan mon/crest, one line, three dots beneath it). Katsura, basically: FUCK!! FUUCKK!! Man the doors, no one in or out!” “Today...the Shinsengumi won this one.” “But this...is far from over.”

Kondo petitions the doctor girl to do anything to save Okita. Even okaying super dangerous experimental surgery (this is to do with the wild manga plot where the doctor girl is studying Manji’s immortality -- he’s infested with helpful parasites that mend his wounds called ‘blood worms.’) Doctor girl: organ transplant dangerous. Kondo: DO IT!

If the surgery is successful -- I think Okita is immortal too!!!! BUT if it is unsucessful, Okita will turn basically into a zombie.

(Some VERY Frankenstein-ish horror imagery jump scare when the mad scientists show us what will happen to Okita if the Immorality surgery goes WrongTM.) 

Behold, this zombie man, test subject for the blood worm immortality tests is  --- 芹澤 Serizawa Kamo. Original leader of the Shinsengumi with a fate worse than death. It looks like the Shinsengumi, or at least Kondo and HIjikata are in cahoots with the mad scientists in some way -- the shadowy villainesses are all on their side. Anyways, the doctor girl works out that Okita’s wound was Not That Bad and he Should Be Dead -- and makes the connection that he was stabbed by Manji.

I think the implication is that Manji unknowingly transferred the blood worms to him through his extremely unhygienic stab. (Need the prior knowledge to know that people with the same blood type are able to accept the blood worm parasites...) 

So now Okita might be ~immortal~ 

Starts off as historically accurate dramatisation for the most part -- then goes into 1864 bakumatsu scifi. You’re welcome. 

#blade of the immortal #rurouni kenshin #blade of the immortal: bakumatsu arc #Also -- Dork look up pictures of Kondo isami #He....he literally looked Like That. Wide-faced. Square chin. Big man. He really really looks Like That #frostyemma if there's something you're dying to know screenshot and I'll try decipher what they're saying #this is in traditional chinese which is not my strong suit #at this point Satsuma was still in court and NOT an ally of Choshu #now just imagine this but second Shiinsengumi taskforce arrives on Shinsengumi side #and Choshu allies alerted nearby also arrive on the opposite side #then you can have your rk canon where Saito and Kenshin fight #also #Kenshin is hanging out with Tomoe in these events #rk #Right after this - Katsura goes into hiding #(maybe not in this version...we'll see.) #the way Kondo was portrayed in this ........um??? #I was....actually real touched he did that for Okita??? #despite him being Like That

[crmediagal]

I Have A Lot of Thoughts...

Okay. I just got back from seeing TROS. Bearing in mind that I already knew the main spoilers involving my precious boy, Ben Solo, and my beloved ship Reylo, I still have So. Many. Questions. And a flippin’ series of disappointments to whinge about, so get ready.

!!! WARNING: #TROS SPOILERS AHEAD !!!

Lets start with the main and, for me, most important factors: Reylo and Ben Solo

At the end of the day, if Reylo wasn’t ever intended to be end game, I could have lived with that. I’ve shipped whatever the heck I wanna ship and written those ships in fandoms I’ve loved for years, regardless of their basis (or more often, not) in the canonverse. I’d have survived if there was no kiss at the end.

Back in early 2016, when people were still speculating that Ben and Rey were related, I was writing them as lovers and doting parents, so, erm, again, for me, the ship wasn’t contingent upon them becoming canon in order to hold legitimacy/meaning. It shouldn’t for anyone, really. Ship whatever you wanna ship, guys! Love them regardless of screen time or lack thereof!

That being said, I will cherish That Moment™ forever when the Reylo shippers got a glimpse of what this incredible coupling could have been. And in the actual canon material, no less. That’s more than I'd have ever expected to receive and, frankly, was enough for me to be satisfied.

HOWEVER.

I was fully invested in this trilogy from start to finish for Ben Solo.  And that is where I've been most letdown, disheartened, and pained.

At the off, sure, Kylo Ren made for an interesting archetype “villain” in TFA, but the moment we learned of his true identity, the Bad Boy™ appeal, for me, melted away. I fell in love with the tortured young man who had never really had the freedom of choice; who had the burden of war heroes for parents and a royal bloodline that traced back to Vader; who was abandoned by his family and left to navigate the enormity of his powers and abilities on his own. I was taken with Ben Solo’s troubled, many-layered complexity and this character took on a whole new meaning for me after TFA.

Like so many other Ben Redemptionists, I desperately wanted to see Ben Solo free of the torture he’d suffered all his life. And that life wasn’t long in years, unlike Anakin’s. By the end of Anakin’s life, he was more machine than man and middle-aged.

All the more reason that I needed to see Ben redeemed in this story...and allowed to walk freely in the sun. 

SW is built on forgiveness and redemption, after all, so why would they not bring Ben Solo back to the Light and take him where Anakin’s story never could go? The groundwork was laid in two films and reiterated in countless interview quotes the creators dropped on us for four effin’ years. Disney and the creators seemed as invested in Ben Solo’s redemption arc as the fans were, so I wasn’t too worried about seeing it come full circle. 

Hooooo boy. #MyBigFatMistakeThatIWillNeverMakeAgain

Ben Solo’s redemption, while earned in the last few minutes of TROS, was horribly cheapened when the creators decided to ‘play it safe’ by making him sacrifice himself. It wasn’t romantic and tragic, as I’m sure JJ and the creators were aiming for, but, rather, a Grade F example of very poor, very subpar writing. We got to see Ben for a few moments as himself whilst much of his storyline and importance in TROS was cruelly (and, it would seem, very purposely) reduced in the last film, too, when such plot for his character was supposed to be centre stage.

Less time devoted to Ben’s arc and then killing him off sends so many terrible messages, particularly for kids. You’d think Disney would understand that better than most.

Death is not hopeful. Redemption in the form of a young man, who was barely given the chance to live in Light and Love, dying as soon as his true self was realised isn’t hope. It’s been done before in this saga, as it has in many others, so it just makes the whole play-by-play defeatist and devastating. And after 40+ years of Skywalkers and Solos suffering in this universe, haven’t we ALL had enough of that, JJ? Disney?

They made Rey a Palpatine--a ‘surprise’ that had me actually laughing in the cinema and asking myself nervously, ‘Is this a joke?’--who takes the name of Skywalker to renounce her own bloodline but in the end, JJ, Disney, and the creators still sent us the same damnable, harrowing message: that Palpatine won.

#YIKES. That isn’t hope either, JJ! Disney! ABORT ABORT ABORT!

I thought JJ and the creators would be bolder than this PG-level crap. I thought Ben’s journey would be a true reversal of Vader’s, just as the director himself quoted not too long ago, and what did we get instead? Dusty old tropes and the sour takeaway that redemption will always come at a price rather than at its simplest, most exceptional form: the beauty of a second chance. 

In the end, Ben Solo’s never to know freedom from Darkness? He's never to have the opportunity to make right of his wrongs by living in the Light? He's never to grow old? Instead, he’s to die a too-young death in the hands of a woman who actually loves and cares about the role he has to play in this whole saga; perhaps, the only one who cares at that point?

That’s cruel, JJ. Disney. And, again, utterly hopeless.

Hell, Ben’s not even one of the Force Ghosts Rey sees in the last scene of the movie! (A convenient loophole, yes, and the flicker of an opportunity to, perhaps, bring him back but it’s a wildly overlooked mistake if that wasn’t intended by the creators...and I don’t think it was intentional to make him Not There™.)

I don’t get this saga anymore. I failed to grasp the overall message of Hope in TROS. At all. I’m beyond disappointed at the assassination of Ben’s character to give others, who shall remain nameless, more screen time and a beefier storyline which was, frankly, always quite thin to begin with. I feel like I’ve been cheated on...and it hurts so badly to be so letdown by something you’ve loved and supported for so long.

And some other ridiculous absurdities in TROS while we’re still here:

Why was this film ALL about Rey’s lineage, a direction that seemed to come out of nowhere when it was already established in TLJ that her background wasn’t important or crucial to her part in the story? She came from nowhere, so why did this become a central thing?

I’ll admit that I never really cared whether Rey was a Skywalker or a Kenobi or had any given name. I rather enjoyed the idea that she had built herself up from nothing. That was an empowering message, in fact, and a strong one, I think. It was certainly leaps and bounds better than the, ‘HA! GOTCHA! SHE’S PALPATINE’S GRANDDAUGHTER!’ reveal that was laid onto us way too thick in the Final Act.

Ew. Gross. No thanks. I hate it. Take it back. It’s a passe trick to try and pull on the audience at the last minute.

One of many more examples of poor writing by the creators, I suppose. 

Also, since when is Finn a Force sensitive? Did I miss something in TFA or TLJ that suggested he possessed that gift? No? Ah. More lousy writing.

Additionally, why does Finn spend the entire movie running after Rey? Why was his romantic storyline with Rose completely dropped and nonexistent in TROS?

It’s almost as if JJ and the creators were giving TLJ director, Rian Johnson, the middle finger throughout the entire finale that was this garbage of a movie. Nice work in undoing all the innovative things Rian brought to the saga, JJ. TROS is even worse™ than the Prequels...and THAT’s saying something.

Why did all the voices of Jedis past speak to Rey but never the helpless Ben Solo who had Palpatine raping his ear from the time he was a baby? It seems sketchy and unfair?

Again, lots of TROS makes little sense. It felt like an entirely separate movie to me--separate from the rest of the saga--and doesn’t wrap 40+ years of this series up all too nicely. It’s anything but. It’s confusing, heartbreaking, and leaves one without much hope.

So...we come to the end of my ramblings and wailings:

Ben Solo was the most interesting, convoluted, and beautifully crafted character from this new trilogy and a true redemption would have served the legacy upon which the SW saga is built--Hope™--so much better, including but not limited to its utilisation in making Han’s death carry meaning. Because his son would have not only returned to the Light but gotten to Live™ and experience it fully.

What a remarkably hopeful ending that would have been...

Instead, we got garbage writing and the redundant SW tropes.

Ben Solo deserved better. JJ and the creators absolutely wasted his potential in this story and I’ll be forever crestfallen..and retreating more and more into my own Ben Redemption fics because to hell with this elementary-level bullsh*t.

Han Solo deserved for his son’s part in his demise to not be utterly pointless at the end because, hey ho, guess what? YOUR SON DIED ANYWAY?!

Leia Organa deserved to not only see her son redeemed but to have that emotional reunion many of us were craving. She had already lost so much, but I guess JJ and the creators decided to just...serve the general more pain in the end. Wow. Rude. Such disrespect. Carrie Fisher wouldn’t have stood for it.

And Rey... My gawd, she deserved better, too. She should never been tied to Palpatine in order to make her seem more important. That grossly underserved her character.

She also should have had her other half. The yang to her yin. The only other person in the entire ruddy galaxy who understood her: Ben. She deserved to not be left alone at the end of TROS, just as she had started in TFA.

I’m going to go work on my WIP Reylo fic now and try to forget TROS entirely.

#ben solo #reylo #reyben #tros #tros spoilers #rey #star wars #i am in pain #i am....so heartbroken