#but she also puzzles me the most bc she is so different than me in almost every single way

[winterchimez]

Nightmare Before Christmas | Kevin Moon

SUMMARY: your uncle has always been a crime and supernatural fan and would often plan fun little games for your family to solve before Boxing Day. However, things have taken a turn this year as never would you and your friendly neighbour Kevin imagined that the both of you would actually have to solve a decades-old murder case, and eventually finding out the culprit behind all of this was someone much closer than you have expected.

PAIRING: neighbour!Kevin x f!reader

GENRE: horror, thriller, supernatural, crime, angst, some fluff

WARNINGS: nc-17, mentions about dead bodies & severed body parts (nothing too gory though dw!!), missing person case, haunted house, mentions of blood, supernatural (ghosts, black mass), yn's descriptive nightmare (about the ghost-like character she would often see in the past), kissing, betrayal, dual personalities, pet names (sweetheart, princess)

WORD COUNT: 4,465

A/N: so this was supposed to be released on the 25th....but we will pretend that never happened 🫡 massive thankiew to @from-izzy for beta reading and giving me tons of ideas (and just giving me the support bcs i was so done and upset with everything bjasnjsdn) tagging the kevin enthusiast aka @hyungseos-cafe for this 👀✨

“Sissy, wake up!” 

You were jolted awake by your little brother, who was violently shaking your entire body as you groaned in annoyance and lifted your bedsheets above your head in hopes that he would leave you alone. But you have forgotten that he was a wild and energetic fourteen-year-old teenager, and there was no way he was giving up that easily. 

As your brother pulled your bedsheet off you, your eyes squinted, and you were about to curse at him out loud before he eventually beat you to it.

“It’s Christmas Eve, sissy! Uncle Ben has already left a note on the dining table, and we must start before the clock strikes midnight!” Your brother announced out loud before running out of your room back to the living room downstairs. 

You sighed before pinching your eyebrows together, trying to make sense of your surroundings and what your brother had told you moments before. 

It was that time of the year for your annual family tradition. Your uncle has always been into supernatural and playing detective. He would often devise a different scenario where he would get you and your siblings to solve the puzzles or cases before you would eventually earn a Christmas present from him. He had a different scenario in mind every year and was full of ideas to ensure each year stood out. 

Not only were your siblings encouraged to participate in the hunt, but he would also get your neighbour next door to experience every year, and he had done so for the past decade. 

Your best friend, Kevin Moon. 

It was a joy to have him aboard, especially when he had the wits and brains to help crack and solve most puzzle pieces or clues in your uncle’s little game each year. Because of that, your uncle has taken a liking to him, eventually pairing you guys up, often thinking that you both would end up great as a couple. 

Which isn’t something you were totally against if you were to be completely honest. 

You liked him a lot, and he has been your best friend throughout middle school up till university. He has always been someone you could always count on and gave you the support you needed. 

You just weren’t sure if you liked him more than just a friend at this point. 

Trying to shake away all of the unnecessary thoughts, you quickly rushed down to your dining hall to find the letter that your uncle always left on the table the night before when all of you were asleep. However, you froze as you saw that your brother was already holding one in his hands, reading it internally while another was left on the table. 

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that uncle made two separate invitation cards and that on the table is specifically just for you and Kevin-hyung next door,” your brother said half-heartedly before he walked out with his invitation, getting ready to get all geared up before heading out the door. You suspected Uncle Ben had probably given him some scavenger hunt games again, given the looks of your brother’s outfit and the big shovel he had just brought out the door seconds ago.

As you diverted your attention back to the invitation card on the table, you slowly picked it up before opening the envelope and pulling up the letter tucked within. 

Oh, Uncle Ben, what exactly have you plotted for us this Christmas?

“Your uncle must be nuts going all out for Christmas this year. He must’ve been itching to get this year’s theme out as soon as possible, don’t you think?” Kevin questioned you while chuckling at the side, trying his best to hide his uneasiness. 

But that was when you didn’t respond and quietly began looking for clues; that was when Kevin knew that it probably wasn’t a joke this time. 

“There’s no actual dead bodies, right, Y/N?” 

When you quickly skimmed through the entire letter, your eyes widened at the envelope's contents. You wasted no time and hurriedly scurried out the door to Kevin right next door. With a few knocks, your best friend was out with a hot mug of cocoa, with his hair slightly ruffled, indicating that he had just woken up not too long ago. His eyes widened as he did not expect you to be on his doorstep this early in the day, and he was a bit embarrassed with how he looked. 

Deep down, you wanted to tell him how he looked absolutely adorable and how you would snuggle up on the couch with him for the holiday seasons, but there was no way you would admit you had a crush on him just yet. 

Shaking off your initial thoughts, you quickly redirect your attention back to the envelope, trying to fill Kevin in with all your uncle wrote on the invitation. He had the same initial response that you had, thinking that this was all some sort of sick joke. All while he was getting ready by changing his pyjamas into a cosy sweater sufficient to last till the destination, you couldn’t help but spare a few glances back at him a few times to take a sneaky little peak at his toned body.

He worked really hard during the summer anyway, and you have seen how he basically went from being all skinny and slim to being toned and bulky within the span of half a year, and you couldn’t stop ogling at the sight whenever you saw a little skin from him. 

But again, you would not admit that to him just yet. 

As soon as he was ready to go, you both took the pathway down to the written location as the sky quickly turned dark due to the winter season. By the time you both arrived at the entrance of the abandoned house, you needed to grab the torchlight hidden within your sweater and turn it on to navigate the place. 

As you both opened the front door with an awful creak, you were met with nothing but complete darkness. The power lights were completely cut off so there was no chance of even having a little bit of electricity within the premises. 

There was this eerie feeling in the air that neither of you could describe; it almost felt like a little haunted house, as much as you did not want to admit it. But given the details that Uncle Ben has written in the envelope, that spooky and sinister feeling you’ve had was valid, and it would probably remain this way until the both of you could crack the case open. 

“To answer your question, Kevin, I really hope we won’t be stumbling upon any dead bodies too. It’s the Christmas holidays, goddamit,” you spat, still thinking that Uncle Ben was totally out of his mind with this whole dilemma that was going on right now. 

“Well, we’ve lived in this neighbour for a good decade now, and never in my life have I heard about a Madam Nee Nee residing in a house right at the end of the road and was actually murdered without a trace,” Kevin replied worriedly, thinking that this whole situation is slowly getting much creepier by the minute.

As much as you wanted to agree with the male, you have heard something or two about Madam Nee Nee through your uncle’s stories. All you knew about her was that she was the one who would often bake cupcakes for the children across the streets and would pass them to Uncle Ben so that all of you were able to get your hands on them every Christmas. 

Those cupcakes were indeed one of the best you have ever tried in your entire life; they were not too sweet and were just enough to fit everyone’s liking and taste buds. It seemed as if Madam Nee Nee knew exactly what each child’s favourite television show was as she would make an effort to pipe and decorate each cupcake exactly as each character looked. You would often get your favourite Tinker Bell design, and she would alternate between the different fairies each year, while your younger brother often got his favourite DC superheroes. 

But there was only one problem: you had actually never met the baker herself, and each time you tried to bring it up, your Uncle Ben would often tell you that she was too busy delivering the goodies to the other children out of town. 

In other words, you didn’t really know if you could trust Uncle Ben’s words on whether such an individual really existed and if this whole murder case was actually a reality or not. 

Regardless, you were not going to get anywhere if neither of you was going to make progress in solving the riddles that your uncle had made specifically for you two, adding onto the fact that you really did want to get your hands on the presents as your uncle always knew exactly what you liked. 

Hence, you and Kevin moved forward and deeper into the house as you both tried to see where or what could potentially help you both get a kick start on the investigation. Suddenly, the doors behind you both slammed shut with a loud thud, and you both were now in complete darkness, heavily relying on the torchlight you brought to navigate the house. 

“We’re really doing this right, Y/N?” Kevin asked as he grabbed your wrist to drag you closer to him, making sure that you both stuck together, especially in the given circumstances. Not going to lie, your heart skipped a beat with that sudden gesture of his, and you prayed that he was unable to hear that loud thumping noise coming from your chest, given how silent the whole place was, to the point that you were able to hear a pin drop if there ever was one. 

“Y-Yeah… to face Uncle Ben and get our hands on the gift. And besides, we could always have a little fun mystery for the holiday season.”

After ten minutes, you both arrived at the house's second floor. You both tried your best to scavenge through the bottom floor, but there wasn’t much you found that could potentially help with the investigation. 

So here you both were, slowly taking your steps up the old wooden stairs that creaked with every single step, making the uncomfortable feeling you have had since stepping into the house a lot worse than before. 

Thankfully, Kevin stuck close to you and took the lead in front, where you naturally held onto his sweater from behind, which caused him to turn behind for a second and offer his hand to you instead. You stared at him blankly at first, blinking your eyes a few times to see if you weren’t hallucinating, but he eventually linked his hands with yours and pulled you slightly forward. 

You were thankful that the electricity was out in the entire house, and Kevin held onto the torchlight and shone the pathway in front of him instead; you definitely did not need the male to know how red and flushed your face was right now. 

As you both moved forward, you eventually stepped onto something firm and hard, causing you to stop in your tracks, nudging Kevin’s elbow to shine the light directly onto your feet. 

You truly wished you hadn’t done that at all.

A severed hand was situated right below your new pair of white shoes, and a little blood splatter was visible around the corners of your shoes. You immediately screamed and took a little jump back, causing you to cower into Kevin’s arms immediately. His eyes widened at the sight, and he tried his best to calm you down by rubbing your back with one of his hands while the other continued to shine the torchlight all around the room. 

And there it was: another severed hand, located close to what used to be the fireplace. 

“Th-This must be a joke…” Kevin muttered, not wanting to accept reality and thinking, ‘this was all a dream.’

It couldn’t be real. 

There haven’t been any reported murder cases around town for the last thirty years. In fact, your town has been regarded as one of the safest in the state for the past decades, and it is also known as the best town to reside in. Whatever situation you both were in now must be wholly made up by your uncle, who was always full of surprises.

…right? 

That was until Kevin redirected the light source towards the fireplace above, where there were clearly a few picture frames damaged through time or by someone. As you both began moving closer to examine them, you noticed they all had one thing in common. 

All of them had the same person cut out from the pictures themselves. 

Three picture frames stood above the fireplace, each depicting a family of five smiling brightly as if the world was free from all sorts of nightmares and misery. At least it was before. Something must have happened for whoever removed the person in question from the pictures—perhaps it must’ve been a bad memory for them, or that person is probably no longer associated with them. 

You slowly moved close enough for you to be able to examine it well, gently wiping off the dust from each frame with your thumbs to see who exactly was the family in the old pictures. You didn’t recognise them at first until you squinted your eyes and saw the famous signature on the bottom right of each frame. 

It belonged to the Jamaisons; the very first family that moved into this town many years ago. 

From what you have heard about the tales from your uncle, they were the ones to be grateful for as they built up and raised the town's reputation as it is known today. Their family have since then lived for generations, constantly passing down their legacy for years until the last heir passed on without a successor ten years ago. 

As everyone has been told, the very first generation of the Jamaisons was a family of four: a dotting father, a loving mother, and a set of twins. But then, who was the mysterious missing cut-out person from the pictures? Did they have another sibling they have kept secret for years, and nobody knew about them? And if yes, why did they do that? 

Countless questions are pondered within your mind, and you can’t help but want to dig much deeper to discover the truth. 

“Kevin…how much do you know about the Jamaisons?”

“As much as they have taught us in the textbooks. Why?”

“I have a bad feeling about this…” You muttered, slowly showing and telling Kevin about the missing person from each picture. 

His eyes widened too, and you could tell he had the same thoughts as you.

“You don’t mean…”

“I really hope it isn’t true. Why would Uncle Ben even want us to meddle with their history if it was? Does he think we were detectives that could solve a potential murder case that was decades old?” You questioned, tugging his arm around you even tighter. 

He pondered for a bit before answering. “Why not? I have always wanted to go to an actual crime scene.”

“Kevin Moon, this is serious,” you firmly reminded him. 

He sighed before giving you a little smile back. “I know, Y/N. Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out then.” 

Along with your friendly little neighbour, you both begin scouring through the bookshelves, hoping to find any potential records that could prove that they had someone else in the original line-up of the family. 

However, all of your luck was pointless as there was zero to no evidence proving that the missing person from the pictures existed. It was as if the family themselves had erased whoever it was to the best of their abilities. 

You groaned as you ran your fingers through your hair. “Ugh, I guess we’re back at square one again.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you,” Kevin responded, which caused you to turn your head towards him to see that he was pointing towards the empty room across the room, where the door slowly creaked open.

You were sure that the doors were closed tight when you both made your way up an hour ago, and now you were witnessing the door slowly pry open by seemingly nothing. 

Oh hell, there is no way ghosts are real. 

“Do not say the g-word, I swear,” you immediately placed one of your fingers directly onto Kevin’s lips, preventing him from saying it out loud. 

“Not until we go check it, Y/N.”

“Can we just…not…”

“I think you know what the answer to that is.” 

You rolled your eyeballs at Kevin’s words; you knew there was no way you both were leaving this place until you found the answers to the case. Without a choice, you reluctantly allowed Kevin to drag you along step-by-step as you both got closer towards the room.

If you were in an actual horror movie, you were pretty sure there would be creepy and high-pitched violin sounds playing in the background right now. The siren by your ear was beginning to resonate aloud, causing you to have a slight headache while you were trying your best not to shit your pants at this point.

As you were a step right before entering the room, your grip against Kevin’s arm tightened, giving him the signal that you were having second thoughts and would gladly dash right out of the house right now. But he returned a little rub on your palms with his, telling you that everything would be alright and that he was here with you. 

With one final gulp and nod, you both took that long-awaited step into the room, when you were met with your worst nightmare. 

You have never told anyone about how your deepest and darkest fear was about how you once had this dream where a black mass consisted of a white face with a lipped mouth paired with large black eyes used to lurk at the corners of your room watching you sleep. You eventually got terrified to the point that you would think about it all day, which then interfered with your daily routine. 

And it was the same nightmare that stood right in front of you, slowly expanding as it crept nearer towards you both as if it was going to swallow you up as a whole. 

“No…please don’t…” You whimpered. 

Before you could even think straight, the huge mass eventually engulfed Kevin, and he was gone within a second. Just like that, the mass turned in your direction, approaching you slowly as you took a few steps back each time. 

With one final huff from the mass, it quickly expanded one last time before jumping right onto you, slowly dissolving your entire body and turning it into the mass just like it was. 

You were helpless, and you eventually felt your entire body go numb as if it was all over and done for. 

Before you were taken over by darkness, you slowly peered your eyes upon the doors, noticing a bright white figure approaching you before everything was a blur.

“Sissy! SISSY WAKE UP!!”

You immediately jolted awake with that scream coming from the side of your ear, drenched in sweat, and your eyes widened as you tried to calm your fast breathing down.

“Whatever the nightmare you have been having since last night, it must have been a wild one I must say,” your brother responded as he slowly grabbed a cloth to wipe your sweat away. 

“N-Nightmare? What are you talking about?”

“Do you really not remember anything at all? You have been sleeping for the entire day yesterday! You have been tossing and turning in your sleep, mumbling incoherent words as you broke out in sweat.”

What? That can’t be. 

You slowly looked down to see your hands trembling before moving them to your face, trying to take in everything your brother had just told you.

“What about the scavenger hunt, then?” 

“Scavenger hunt? You mean Uncle Ben’s?”

“Y-Yeah…what happened to it?”

“Well, you were in bed for the entire day and wouldn’t wake up, so you actually missed the whole thing,” he bluntly replied. 

That can’t be true. You remembered walking down to the kitchen table and grabbing the envelope placed neatly on the dining table, which shocked you as you read the contents. 

“Uncle Ben came up to check on you, though; he said it was fine to let you continue to sleep since you were probably exhausted with finals.”

No…this is just not making sense at all.

Wait.

“Kevin! Where’s Kevin?!” You screamed at the top of your lungs as you grabbed your brother’s shoulders, shaking them vigorously. 

Your brother stared at you as if a ghost had possessed you because the next thing that happened was that you immediately jumped out from your bed and dashed towards the front door. 

You speed ran through your open gates right towards your neighbour’s front porch, banging on the door, not caring if you were creating a scene. You needed to know if he was doing alright and in one piece. 

After a few seconds, the doorknob eventually turned and the door was opened. There stood your best friend, exactly like he was the day before when you went up to him to talk about the strange envelope Uncle Ben had left specifically just for you both. 

Well, supposedly, at least. 

It wasn’t unusual for you to come banging at Kevin’s door in the middle of the day, as you have done it multiple times. What he did not expect was that you would immediately dive into his embrace and begin sobbing into his sweater. 

“Y-Y/N? What’s wrong? What happened?” 

You couldn’t even give him a proper answer as your tears poured profusely. You were glad to see that he was fine, still in one piece and unharmed. 

“Thank God…THANK GOD KEVIN!!!!” 

You were not budging an inch, and Kevin only did what he knew was best at the moment, returning the hug and slowly caressing your back as if to calm you down. He eventually rested his lips on your head, leaving you little kiss. 

After what seemed like a couple of minutes resting in his embrace, you eventually pulled away and cupped his face with your palms, gently caressing his cheek as you looked at him lovingly. 

“Kevin…promise me…you’re never leaving my sight again.”

He chuckled. “Why would I? Y/N, you know I would never—”

“Please, a little pinky promise?” You begged, and Kevin could never resist that little puppy doe eyes you have. 

He smiled before he eventually leaned down and connected your lips with his. Your eyes widened upon the contact before you eventually eased into the kiss seconds later, slowly wrapping your arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. 

When you both eventually broke off for some air, there was this surge of adrenaline within you, and you felt your face heat up quickly, causing you to duck your head down as you cupped both cheeks to cover up the redness away from the man. 

Kevin could only laugh at that little sight. “Come on, Y/N. It’s not like I have not seen your iconic red-flushed-tomato-like face before.” 

“It’s not iconic, and whatever that was wasn’t necessary at all,” you pouted.

He took a few moments just admiring how you looked before leaning down and resting his palm on your head. “That kiss is a promise that I’ll always be yours.” 

“Even stronger than a pinky promise?”

“Absolutely.” 

With that, you reconnected your lips with his warm ones again, trying to savour them as best as possible before leaning your forehead against his. 

“Oh, Kevin. You truly are the best thing that has happened to me during Christmas this year.”

“Am I supposed to be flattered by that?” He teased. 

You sulked for a bit before slapping him on the arm. “Obviously, silly.” 

With a deep huff, you stretched out your arms before wrapping them back around Kevin’s arm, trying to drag him out of his house and head straight towards yours instead for a cup of hot cocoa.

“Say, why don’t we go find Uncle Ben? I’m sure he might have some other tricks to keep us occupied until unboxing night.” 

As you tried your best to pull Kevin with you, you were stunned by him standing still at the front of your doorstep, staring at you with a straight face. 

“Kevin? Is everything alright?” 

There was this odd ten-second silence before Kevin eventually spoke up, which actually sent chills down your spine.

“I’m afraid that Uncle Ben will not be coming anytime soon, sweetheart.” 

Within a swift motion, Kevin pulled you vigorously back into his embrace, locking you tight with his arms. You then noticed how his demeanour began to change and was completely different from before. 

You began to panic, shivering even, as you looked into his now-turning hollow eyes. 

“W-What are you talking about?”

“That little nightmare you had was a reality, princess. Your little Uncle Ben has been trying his best to warn you all these years, and who would’ve thought he would actually get you to head towards the murder site yourself to crack open the case.”

“K-Kevin…you’re scaring me…” you began pushing yourself away, but it seemed that his grip had then gotten a lot tighter, which was when you began to feel the pain that was slowly travelling across your whole body. 

“Let me tell you a little story, Y/N. A long time ago, a certain group used to think Christmas was all sparkly and bright. But what if I told you that things would never be the same? That the people around them now think that Christmas is a nightmare. After all, a sparkly Christmas can only happen if there is a drop of blood, right? I think that’s enough for you to figure things out, no?”

It was. As much as you didn’t want to admit it, you knew exactly what he meant. 

Not only was Kevin your Christmas, but he was also your Nightmare. 

Just like that, he slowly began leaning down as he pushed your hair on your shoulders towards the other side, leaving a clear opening for him to start rubbing your sensitive skin as he leaned down slowly to the point that his lips brushed against them.

“From now on, I’ll always be your Nightmare Before Christmas.”

A/N: a lil belated spooky Christmas to yall 😚

masterlist

taglist: @deoboyznet @kflixnet @k-films @flwoie @zzoguri @kyusqult @tinkerbell460 @cheonsafics @sulkygyu @jaerisdiction @lngwayup @hyungseos-cafe (join my permanent taglist here!)

#deoboyznet #k-vanity #k-labels #kflixnet #k-films #the boyz #tbz #the boyz x reader #the boyz imagines #the boyz scenarios #the boyz fanfic #tbz scenarios #tbz fanfic #kevin moon #kevin moon x reader #kevin x reader #kevin moon imagines #kevin moon scenarios #kevin moon horror #kevin moon thriller #kevin moon supernatural #kevin moon angst #kevin moon fluff #kevin moon crime

[charmixpower]

You guys ever notice that Bloom, Stella, and Aisha don't exclusively have hobbies related to their source of magic, but Flora, Musa, and Tecna hobbies are almost exclusively related to their powers?

What do you guys think are some hobbies for Musa, Flora, and Tecna that aren't exclusively related to their magic????

Here's some ideas from me:

I always imagined that Musa has a love for all types of performances from her mother, this includes acting! She's embarrassed of it tho. Musa can sew and often recycles old clothes to look better. I think Musa also really likes telling stories though her art?? I think that would go outside of music too, she likes stories

I think Tecna would be an alternate history person after seeing earth, in a normal way, please don't bring up the WW2 bros I cannot handle that. Tecna also seems like she'd hella be into anime, power of friendship like a drug. Tecna would also love most puzzles. Tecna would eventually get into karate I think XD, that or one of the boys would see her trying to do her little fighting moves and drag her into class with them

Flora obviously loves chemistry and potiology and good for her honestly. I think actually learning more than one language is kinda uncommon in magix bc you can buy a translation charm but I think Flora would be into learning different languages the normal way. Helia absolutely gets her into paper artwork and stuff. I think Flora is also a bit of a collector, she owns so many things that she sorta picks up

Plz tell me your own thoughts too!!!

#winx club #winx musa #winx flora #winx tecna #rus chatters #winx headcanons

[raayllum]

hi your thematic tags in general frighten me and I love them. they have dragged me further down the rabbit hole than I knew existed. I hope many of your theories are proved right (PARTICULARLY excited about the speculation that the cube is one of the diamonds, like HES BEEN CARRYING THAT WITH HIM AND IF AARAVOS IS FREED BC HE COUPDNT MAKE HIMSELF DESTROY IT I JUST) i'm very normal about this u see

listen i am king of the rabbit hole, themes are my shovel and i just keep on digging. like we Know there's something up with the fucking relic staff. we Know that (presumably) all three quasar diamonds are needed to free rayla's parents (although maybe just one would work?) so one is presumably missing. aaravos' chest piece is noticeably gone but there's no way he was born / is probably a tangible mark of how he's Fallen and 'imperfect'. and like. after the "dark mage callum holding the ocean rune / moon being most on display" for the 2x08 visions foreshadowing 5x08 i would not put anything past them

like this shit? they'd think it's soo funny

i was thinking just the other day that the cube's current known ability of detecting the primal source of stuff would be helpful for someone who is going to collect multiple sources of primal magic, and while there might just be mage connoisseurs out there (we only know a couple of elven mages but they seem to mostly stay within their own primal?), it's like... that sounds Really helpful for a dark mage in particular?? who would want to use certain primals/ingredients for different spells?

even the emphasis rayla puts in her "dear callum" letter of a "missing piece of your heart" and how she has a missing piece of callum's, only to return that with the cube also on her shoulder (for no in-universe real reason? it's gotta be symbolic of Something)?? and the way the an arcanum is "the tiniest piece of a primal" the same way the key is Probably another piece of the prison puzzle and/or Aaravos' mystery because an arcanum is "a secret and a spark" (the mystery of Aaravos / "his touch: a blaze, a gift, a spark" from the midnight star poem) like

there's Something here in the consistency of the symbolism / language used, how tethered or overlapping it may be but like. WE'RE CONNECTING THE DOTS (we didn't connect shit) WE'RE CONNECTING THEM

#tdp #the dragon prince #key to his heart theory #quasar diamonds #thanks for asking #kind words #thank you <33 #anonymous #(and feel free to come off anon or stay on there if you want to keep on theorizing!!! #i'd love to discuss more with you)

[rinseveryday]

Hello! I have so many thoughts and theories in my mind, especially I want to ask you the one. What do you think about the Demon King Rin? In the last chapter we saw how all pieces of the puzzle is coming together....

Hello! Thanks for the ask! I also have so many thoughts, please ask away anytime.

Massive spoilers for chapters 139 (138? I don't remember) and above!! Putting my response under the cut because it is long :> Like, I had to sit down for over an hour, long.

Demon King Rin my beloved boy

You know what's funny about life is that I fell in love with him way back in 2013, and he ended up becoming exactly my type of character 10 years later. I kept up with the series, but I discovered my tastes through other media so it was a huge shock to me when Demon King vigilante Rin shows up in canon. I was/am OBSESSED with the anti-hero or jaded hero types, like Daredevil and Deadpool just to name a few (I had a Marvel phase) as well as serieses like Devilman and Chainsaw man on the anime side. A monster with a human heart, bonus points if they live in a world that doesn't accept them. Now why am I talking about other shows? (Bc I wanna, that's why)

Well, Blue Exorcist didn't start as an adult rating, morally gray, anti-hero series did it? It was a fun, cliché Shonen show for teens set in an academic setting with all the typical school festivities and classmate crushes you can expect. Kinda different than Daredevil. But it's slowly been creeping towards darker, more serious topics over the years because Katoh's specialty lies in her ability to twist clichés into her own thing. AoEx's plot runs a lot deeper, and more sinister than your typical devil shonen manga. I still see a lot of theories about AoEx that still think it'll follow a Shonen plot, though, where the end will be a big fight against Somebody and then they'll all go home, become exorcists, and move on.

But really, Katoh's already said that Rin is a character that, if she's not careful, becomes real dark, real fast. I bet she had been wanting to add an anti-hero plot to the story for a while. He's no Naruto. He is the fox.

And so, newsflash! Rin's biggest antagonist isn't a demon. It's himself. Not demon!Rin, but Rin, as a whole. The plot isn't anywhere near being finished. Right now he's not the Blue Exorcist quite yet. He's a guy (level of humanity questionable) wreathed in the flames of a demon god. The day where he must choose between Assiah or Gehenna, is coming closer.

We see in the timeskip chapters a world where the current day has become Rin's tragic anti-hero backstory. Where he made choices that led him away from his human allies. Where he chose to embrace his demonic nature and fight against the corrupt human organizations.

I used to think that someone else was leading Rin, using him as a puppet leader of a resistance with his friends kept away as blackmail. Because how could Rin be so organized as to lead any sort of resistance right? Did his friends die which made him go rogue? What did Paku see? Was it related to Rin's reasons for becoming the Demon King?

However, now with the things Rin brought up in the most chapters, I don't know. I still find it hard to believe Rin would lead anything, but maybe he was just doing his own thing and the demons followed on their own *shrug.* If Rin's friends were still in the picture, he'd go to the ends of the Earth to get them back. So that leaves us with either a) they're dead or b) he chose to leave them.

People wear masks to hide. He doesn't need to hide his identity because his flames give it away so... Maybe he's hiding from shame.

His face went from sad to blank when he realized Paku was around. Rin Okumura? With a blank face? Our Mr. Wears his heart on his sleeve? Dude who cries from manga and slaps his knee when he laughs?

The blank face is a coping mechanism, just like the mask. He's probably disassociating so he doesn't have to deal with the painful memories she brings. Memories of his friends... Memories of being human.

Which brings us to the question, What did Rin remember when he woke up? I have a feeling he never reconciled with his demonic nature in that future, which led him to be at odds with exorcists. (RIP Malchidael Miku, you were too annoying to live). He probably didn't see the same future Mephisto did, but considering he does have all the same powers Satan does, he definitely saw Something.

Rin is right in that he was wrong to cage his so-called "demonic side." Or, if you read the raws too, he called it the "demon me." Everyone has anger and violence and desire and scorn in them as part of their survival instincts. That's not even a purely "demonic" thing. Rin forces the embodiment of those feelings, demon!Rin to yield and stay put. He doesn't understand why demon!Rin lashes out so strongly nor why he wants to take over.

Uhmmm sounds real healthy right? *Checks watch* demon!Rin should be back any chapter now~ It really begs the question, is demon!Rin the evil one for wanting to break out? Or is human!Rin the evil one for forcing demon!Rin to keep seething in jail?

Going back to the topic, it seems that Rin doesn't want to become the Demon King this time but he also isn't sure what to do. He knows he needs to do something about his burning questions and he knows the key to truly taming himself lies in knowledge and understanding. He has only caged himself, and has yet to reach Yuri's level of taming. Demon!Rin will come back. He'll always be there to protect Rin when he needs him the most.

While I sure love me some villain and anti-hero AUs, I do hope my beloved Rin Gone Wrong to stay in those chapters. He deserves a happier True Ending than becoming a Demon King 🤧

Well, there's some of my thoughts on Rin as Demon King and the plot. This got super long and was actually longer before I cut out all the unnecessary rambling.

Tl;dr he scares me

#ask #theory #it was hard to write with my brain exoloding #rin okumura #aoex #idk if i wanna put this in the big tags bc i dont even know if im coherent #been busy freaking out over my new job so it was nice to just think about Rin for a few hours

[moregraceful]

rosemary AND garlic sourdough?! kasper that is some sexy sexy bread - please update when you make your toast!

oh my god sorrel. i literally want to tell the whole world about my toast so thank you so much for asking. basically i went to the grocery store for bread yesterday and suffered shrimp emotions when my favorite california brand of sourdough bread was sold out (i am a creature of habit and deviations in grocery stores give me existential crises. also there were too many people and they were being loud in the bread section. and the reason i buy local is bc california sourdough > everyone else.) so as i am processing the 5 stages of grief over What Sourdough Do I Buy Now, i see: her. a lonely loaf of garlic and rosemary sourdough made by a company over in watsonville. in the throes of grocery store anxiety, i decide to giver her a new home in my kitchen, so i buy her and one of her normcore brothers for sandwiches and leave bc truly the grocery store at 7pm is no place for me.

and it is SO GOOD MY GOD SOR, when you toast it, you get just the right amount of crunchy AND fluffy. the garlic and rosemary balance each other out so well but do not take over the taste of sourdough. it is literally the most incredible artisan bread i have ever put in my mouth that i have bought in a major grocery store chain. i literally dream of my next piece of toast. and my friend is on campaign to get me to admit that foil-wrapped butter is better than wax-wrapped butter and frankly i can't tell the difference that well, but i have been buying more european/european-style butter because of it and ohhhhh my god, when creamy salted butter melts perfectly onto the hot bread? i feel like i'm tasting the divinity of god and she's a piece of toast in my mouth.

i realize this makes me sound crazy. i know this. but it is so good. i have eaten half a loaf in two days despite trying to make it last until nye so i can ring in the new year doing a puzzle and eating my new best friend this rosemary garlic sourdough made in watsonville.

#food cw #sorrellegiance #cage replies #i know i sound insane but just trust me on this one ok!!!!

[creekfiend]

Lambchop has peaked my curiosity about buhunds, and I’m curious to learn more about them, so would be ok if you describe what’s it like to own one? Like what’s their character, if they’re affectionate, etc. Are they a bit more biddable and affectionate than other spritzed? I think you did mention once that lambchop is not completely to standard character wise, so how does she differ?

Sure I'll try!

I actually would say Lambchop is on standard for temperament for 95% of stuff but she's also turned up to 11. And she shows some unfortunate overarousal which spirals into dog aggression which SHOULDN'T be common in the breed but the more people I talk to the more it seems to be getting more common :/ it can be hard in a rare breed where people are very tight lipped about drawbacks and also most of the prominent breeders keep their dogs in show kennels so they don't have much data on how the dogs do in home/pet environments. The breed culture in the US also is quite old school in that puppies tend not to be raised with much thoughtful Socialization protocols or placed in homes on fit... dogs that go to "pet homes" tend to just be the dogs that the breeder thinks won't succeed well enough in the show ring or in performance. Not all the breeders are like this but... I know of maaaaybe 2 that place on temperament and what the puppy owner is looking for? That's MUCH more common in the icie community, weirdly, to the point where i very often recommend icies to people who like Lambchop, just bc the breeders in that community tend to actually live with their dogs and have more temperament data 🤣 and they're VERY very similar breeds.

They're very intense and VERY affections with people. Chop has never met a stranger and absolutely adores meeting new people and loving on the people she knows. They're very energetic and need lots of outdoor enrichment. And lots of... hmm. The trainer I'm working with talks about opportunities to make choices -- autonomy. Really smart dogs can develop behavior issues when they have very few opportunities to exercise autonomy in their lives so I am trying to set up ways to give her more of that like installing a dog door so she can decide when to be outside and when to be inside, that kind of thing

Herding spitz are crazy trainable. Lambchop adores tricks and engagement. Your mileage may vary with this one because I do know some people who have individual dogs that are "hard to motivate" but overall they LOVE to work with you and solve puzzles.

Reactivity is an issue in the breed moreso than a lot of other spitz. More herdy dog stuff imo. Icies are like that also. Almost every one will go thru a phase of it in adolescence at least. Another related breed that struggles with reactivity less is the norrbottenspetts, but they're also less biddable! So it's sorta a trade off lol

I will say if I wasn't disabled Lambchop would be a dream dog for me. Like if I had the brain space and energy to really get down to brass tacks and get her out for hikes 3 times a week? And if I had been properly prepared on what to expect in terms of intensity, energy level, and some of the common breed pitfalls regarding arousal issues? But unfortunately I wasn't and so we both kinda went in blind and it's been a struggle. She's been on her meds almost a week now and they're helping a LOT. we will get through it but it's been rough.

I think the Nordic herding spitz are perfect for a lot of people but its hard bc you have to find a breeder and community who will be honest and supportive of newcomers. The Icelandic sheepdog community has a lot more of that culture from what I have seen. But I can certainly recommend people to contact about buhunds to talk to more about the breed also; a good friend of mine is on the breed club board and has been in the breed like 20 years so she knows a lot. And I know several great icie breeders!

SO YEAH idk I really love herdy spitz but they can be a challenge and also you gotta find the right people which i guess is true of a lot of breeds hah. I hope this helps some! Here's a pic of Chop doing a doge meme impression for you

#red cedar is my icie and norrbottenspetts breeder of choice tbh JUST bc the breeder is really amazingly supportive and open #if i ever get another herdy spitz it would be from her #lambchop the dog

[walker-extended-universe]

Walker Promo Poster Analysis Time!

It occurred to me that all the promo posters we've been getting lately have different backgrounds and that seems very important to me so I'm just going to look at each poster one at a time and see if I can parse any meaning out of it. Okay? Okay!

Let's start with the first poster we ever got:

Now, the main trait that connects all these posters is the dark clouds on the horizon (likely symbolism for the dark clouds covering everyone's futures and how bad things are going to get), but those are different for each character. Here, Cordell's clouds cover the majority of the sky with only a few places for sunlight to break through. I think this could mean that things are going to get a lot worse for Cordell before they get better.

I also want to call attention to the ground behind him. It looks like the ranch, grassy and hilly, but there's also a house on the right. I believe that's the farmhouse he lives in with his children. This could mean that he's going to actually put in an effort to be more present for Stella and August and put his work on the backburner (for real this time).

Next, August:

(I had to grab this from my blog bc it is no longer on any Walker social medias so excuse the poor quality

A few things I want to point out. August's stance (something else that varies) is mimicking his father's. His cloud pattern is also similar to Cordell's, but it's lighter. I think this could be a sign that, though he has been led astry by his own instincts (sound familiar), he still has time to course-correct and get on the right path. Perhaps even with Cordell's help.

The ground here is also different. There are a lot of trees and bushes and the hills seem more pronounced. There is also a fence blocking him off from the messy, unorganized area. Could this be a sign that his journey back to August the Noble will be a difficult one? And, perhaps, his family (or others) laying down some boundaries will keep him from straying the path?

Next, Abeline:

Abby's stance is the same as Cordell's and August's so I won't touch much on that except to say Family Resemblance.

Abby's cloud pattern deviates from the previous ones. The clouds are placed differently and she seems to have more light than her son and grandson. This could be a sign of her good recovery or that other areas of her life will improve over the season.

Her ground background is puzzling to me. The left and right sides seem to be two completely different properties. The one on the left is the ranch, I believe, with a simple wooden fence. On her right, she has what looks like a garden protected by a white-picket fence and a small water tower in the background. Does this represent the impact she's had on the Walker ranch with her garden? Or will she have to make a choice about something? Perhaps she will have to limit her physical activity because of her recovery and she has to give up something she enjoys to meet that limit?

Liam:

Okay this is where things get a little crazy.

First of all HIS STANCE!!!! It's totally different than everything we've seen so far! He's facing the left instead of the right and he's looking over his shoulder a bit. Could this indicate that he's going to be breaking away from the family going forward?

His clouds are also drastically different. There's actual blue sky! I think Liam's going to make great strides toward healing and bettering himself.

The ground is also interesting. It's very flat and mostly grassy. Clear fields ahead? There's also a horse, which is most likely a tie in to his horse therapy and sanctuary plot. Perhaps this is a sign that he will succeed?

Trey:

Okay, again, the stance. It's very similar to Cordell's but he's facing the camera a lot more head-on than we've seen previously. Something tells me he's got some challenges ahead that he can't afford to back down from.

Also his clouds! They are DARK! These are storm clouds! Something very bad lies in Trey's future.

Also the ground. This is very odd. He has dry grass behind him and overgrown bushes scattered beyond that. There's no house, no fence, no sign of any life or civilization. It looks sort of like that area Cordell and Dan raced through in 2x12. What could that mean? Is he going to have to make some tough choices that land him in a bad position? Is he lost (physically, emotionally, mentally)? There's so much potential here but I can say that things are going to be very tough for the newest ranger going forward.

Bonham:

Okay, again, STANCE

He's facing left, like Liam, but the way he faces the camera is closer to Cordell, just opposite. Could be reading into this too much but Bonham's gonna be having troubles with both of his sons this season.

His clouds are dark and there is some light but we can't see any patches of blue sky. I think Bonham's going to have a lot of hard choices to make and there's more trouble for him on the horizon. With Abby in the hospital and having to face both of their mortalities so harshly, plus troubles with August and Liam, it's no wonder his future is a little stormy.

His ground background is interesting. He has a barbed-wire fence behind him, some grass in the foreground, and trees on the hills in the background. I'm also fairly certain there's a cow on the right. Perhaps Walker Beef will stand another chance? Regardless, the ranch seems to be a focal point for him. It's his home and his legacy.

James:

Okay this is interesting.

I'd say his stance is similar to Bonham's. He also has some very dark clouds behind him but there are rays of sunshine poking through. We haven't seen much indication for what his plots are going to be this season so it's hard to say what this means but he could be making strides towards betterment in a few areas of his life that are overshadowed by larger issues.

His background is drastically different than everyone else's. He's not on the ranch, he's in the city. He has a flat, grassy field behind him with some trees that looks like it could be a public park. We also see the skyline of Austin in the distance. It's interesting to me that he would have a background off the ranch while Trey doesn't. Is this a sign that he's distancing himself from the Walkers? Or does he just have more going on in the city?

Last on- Stella:

Her stance is interesting. She's facing the same direction as her father and brother but, like her uncle, she's looking over her shoulder instead of facing the camera head on. This could be a sign of her trying to break away from the family.

Her clouds are also interesting. There's sunlight! And blue skies! Still plenty of dark clouds but she's got a much better weather forecast than most of the rest of her family. Maybe she really will figure out what she wants with her life by the end of the season and she's going to take strides towards it?

Her background is also very interesting. Like Abby, she's got two very different things on the right and left. She's also the only Walker without anything resembling the ranch in her background. On the left is her mother's car behind what looks like a meta guardrail/low fence. It still hasn't been de-modded but maybe she likes it better that way? On the right is a building I don't think we've seen yet with a white van parked in front of it. Maybe this is where she finds her purpose? Some kind of volunteer center? Or, maybe she finds a new home? The further background also has some different trees than we've seen before. Not sure what that means but if she really is breaking away from her family..... It's interesting.

-Edit for new poster-

Cassie:

Okay we got some interesting details here.

Cassie's stance mirrors Trey's. She's facing the camera head on and not angling to the side. There's definitely some challenges ahead for her.

Her clouds are also similar to Trey's. Not the same pattern exactly but these are some very stormy clouds. There's no sunlight or even a hint if blue sky. It's all very greyed over.

Her background is interesting too. She has the park and city in the back, like James, but the city is on the right rather than the left. Perhaps this is a sign of their differences in opinion and values? I also keep going back to how she and James have non-ranch backgrounds while Trey is in the thick of it. Is this a sign of distance from the Walkers? Could she be looking at a separation from Cordell? It's very interesting....

-----

Well, that's all the overanalysis I have in me I think lol. I may be reading way too much into this and making some wild claims but it just strikes me as interesting that they would customize the posters for each character down to such detail. It HAS to mean something, right???? Or am I just crazy? Be honest with me, I can take it.

#walker #walker promo #walker analysis #walker speculation #walker theory #cordell walker #august walker #abeline walker #liam walker #trey barnett #bonham walker #larry james #stella walker #cassie perez

[raindrvq]

what mobile games would the RTC kids like ! bc,,,, bc yea,

ok so yknow how in what the worlds needs in the proshot ocean sings "angry birds, candy crush, hes a real sweet kid but his brains are mush" for rickys part. that got me thinking abt what other mobile games she and the choir would play bc i love playing games on my phone so boom headcanon time

ok so ofc all the choir would have one of those apps that allows u to play with your friends, like gamepidgeon but i dont have an iphone so im saying plato + on plato u can play w 2+ ppl 👍

ocean- she claims to be better than ppl who get sucked into their phones and all that but plays like sudoku and those brain teaser games but rage quits when she can't figure it out and won't use hints bc she "doesn't want to cheat"

constance- she likes all those simulation games w the cute animals, yknow the ones. restaurant sims and house decorating games, just cute calming little games. probs also played a bit of episode, and definitely got into mystic messenger. she'd stay up late just so she wouldn't miss a chat. also likes adorable home and any of those games where u have like a pet to take care of. she makes sure to log on everyday so that her pets survive

noel- ok i had a bit of a hard w him but im feeling like,, creepy puzzle games? like those mystery games where u play as like a detective or smth along those lines. also mayb design games

mischa- projecting here but solitaire. not just normal solitaire but all the different versions too (is this bc i have uhm, 189 hours on Solitaire Grand Harvest alone, yea yea it is). also like, pool and games like that. likes action games and shooter games too yknow.

jane/penny- has all of the papas to go games (definitely paid for them all yup mhm /s). i feel like she'd like idv bc the aesthetic seems fitting for her but the creators n most players suck so like, if she didnt have to deal w all that she'd love it (i used to play and lemme say the chat was,,,,,,,) i like to imagine her n the rest of the choir playing n shes the hunter and just sneaks up on everyone and scares the shit outta them. also would probably download the games from weird ads for shits n giggles

ricky/savannah- so obviously she plays the classics like mentioned before yknow geometry dash, subway surfers, pokemon go, all those. but also rhythm game player, like it just makes sense. likes those cat merge games, or rly like, any cute cat sim. would probs like uh crk or smth that game was fun. also rpg fan

#i play too many mobile games #recently i actually deleted most of them tho so #i play solitaire too much tho </3 #rtc #ride the cyclone #ride the cyclone musical #ocean o'connell rosenberg #rtc ocean #constance blackwood #rtc constance #noel gruber #rtc noel #mischa bachinski #rtc mischa #mischa rtc #jane doe #rtc jane doe #rtc jane #ride the cyclone jane doe #penny lamb #rtc penny lamb #rtc penny #ricky potts #rtc ricky #savannah potts #rtc savannah #savannah rtc #rtc headcanons

[engagemythrusters]

Ahsoka ep 2 now!

Low hopes ngl. Anyway hope we see my lil snow pea Jacen

I Hope Mr Turkeyleg is okay… I know Sabine will be bc she’s got more in the trailer but I love that loth kitty

She okay 🥰

Ooo her boots

Two galaxies? Damn expanding it WAY far

Hey wait do you think that this relates to Jedi Survibor? That path? Look okay I just fucking love those games and I want them to tie more into canon

Oooo pretty planet

Oo ruins

Granpa really do got shoulders

PURRFIL NOISES?! Oh no that’s just the music

Oh the loth kitties that pop up! I love when they do that always <3

Oh… does she have psychometry??? Since fhckin when?

YAY MR TURKEYLEG IS OKQY!!! I love you mr Turkeyleg

Do you think the white lothcat is still out there? What about Dume?

Mr Turkeyleg such a good guard kitty 🥰

Hera so proud of her daughter

Sabine you’re such a smartiepants I love you sm

Hera is not ready to watch another person she loves explode

Hera is SO proud of sabine always. God she’s so good

Sabine always was Hera’s girl. Like. God I am. I love their dynamic it’s my favourite.

Night sister magic hellyeah

Fod this means they def made Sabine force sensitive didntw they. I fucjing HATE that so fucking much.

Yknow I’m kinda annoyed they wanna expand to another galaxy. It’s supposed to be just one galaxy. Far far away.

How does this puzzle know that anyway

Does this just. Is this just the path the purrgil always take?? I’m so confused how this puzzle would fucking know that!

This makes no sense!!

I really like Shin. She’s an interesting character. Always watching. Always calculating. Still learning. She’s gonna be so fun I can tell

T-6 shuttle ❤️🤍

PHANTOM

ITS THE FUCKIN PHANTOM

Hey so wait does Jacen just fucking go to boarding school or some shit. Where IS he?!

Hera I love u <3

CHOPPER

The gasp I gusp AGAIN

CHOPPER CHOPPER CHOPPER

His bwaps are different >:(

STILL BETTER THAN NOTHING THO I LOVE YOU CHOPPER MWUAH MY HORRIBLE DROID

Wow what a capitalistic response to loyalty. Jesus. I hate Disney.

Hera: be nice to my daughter or else

She just really cares about Sabine and wants the best for her and just. Hhh. It’s the most important dynamic to me.

Bacta patch!!

joint custody lightsaber xoxo

Hey do you think I can make fire with popsicle sticks

Nope.

OH THANK GOD NO DORCE SENSITIVITH

OH MY GOD

I’ve never been so relieved in my life

Oh my god thank GOD thank for

Oh my god

Okay. Woo. Deep breath in and out.

Hey can we get a Kanan mentions

Please

Hera: bitch please I didn’t sacrifice everything for things to be classified to me

Damn

INQUISITOR

Who r u

CHOPPERRRRR

my most evil droid <3 I love u

THATS NOT HOW AHSOKA HOLDS HER SABERS

What the fuck?!

She’s a backward holder

0/10 that pisses me off so much.

Chopper >:)

Very interested in this inquisitor. Desperate to know who they will be

Chopper always so ready to kill everyone in sight. Love that motherfucker.

HES SO SASSY

i am so happy to see him again

Hey is it weird that I want this to be Kanan

Like. Inquisitor Kanan would be so cool.

Came back wrong n evil

Yeah okay I know he’s dead n they’ll keep him that way but god I liked it

Yay chopper!

Hehe oh my god

Hiii mr turkeyleg

HER ARMOUR YAY

Oh she painted a purrgil on it 😭

She toned down her art tho it’s so simple now. She must’ve gone thru a dark time after Kanan and Ezra.

HAIR CUT TIME

the mirroring of kanans scene… god it cuts me deep

Okay but also. that’s not how you cut hair

T-6 shuttle 🥰

HHHHHHHH ITS THAT SCENE

It’s the tap scene 😭

Wrong time of day.

Also ahsoka isn’t in white and she doesn’t have the cool stick

Where’s the cool stick

0/10

I liked that stick.

God I miss Kanan so so much.

I do like that sabine did get to train more (now that I know she’s not force sensitive) bc that means she can spar with ezra when he gets back. Sibling activities. Roughhousing until hera comes n yells at them.

Not sure I like this big ship

I am so curious about that inquisitor

I do enjoy the end credit designs. Very Lothal.

Okay see y’all for the next ep next week

#star wars: ahsoka #spoilers

[red-dyed-sarumane]

okay! i've finally finished the southern reach trilogy & want to thought dump bc thats what i do when i enjoy things 👍 im going to assume most people have not read this & explain as such

i'll be real i only picked this up bc i saw the movie based off the first book & was like "well huh" & then couldnt get the idea of an environment that just... refracts everything back and in on itself is just. so cool. it's such a cool idea. so when i saw in the credits it was based off a book i HAD to go read it the concept was too interesting i had to know what was in the book they couldnt translate to the movie

i got such a treat oh my god.

something that stood out to me pretty quickly, given im into a completely separate other series where none of the characters have public names, is that, iirc the movie DID give names but the whole first book theres no names. they each have a profession & are called as such. even as we get names in later books, only one of the og characters is ever named and the biologist thats one of the most important characters is simply that. the biologist. & it means absolutely nothing in terms of how impersonal or deep the character feels. because shes utterly complete and herself. respectable. i like that.

but most importantly the world, oh my god the world. the movie has its own not entirely off base take on it. different and yet similar enough. if u like fucked up worlds im recommending this 200% its just SO fascinating. its a little area cut off from the rest of the real world they call area x & it is protected by a sort of boundary but its. self refraction of things doesnt even begin to cover what its got going on. i dont even know how to describe it right. theres THINGS just so many unexplainable things, you think the area is out to get them but it ends up more like... the area's attempt at self preservation at the cost of the other, the intruders. like the whole thing is self aware.

the plants & terrain arent ever changing, not anymore than they would be with time, & not all of the animals are some fucked up threat out to get them. the area itself is the threat, impossible things in the sky, ocean, shadows weaving into the world & messing up whoever happens to come into contact with it. weird inexplicable things happening to those they send in to explore.

and at first it seems like a survivors came back wrong story. like whatever's in there, whatever fucked them up did so to such an extent none of the survivors even live long. which is fascinating in its own right like what is it that harms them to such an extent. & ur introduced to all the weird monsters & occurrences in a way thats like. well this things out to get them. & u need to know more.

& man the more the next 2 books give u is just so INTERESTING.

but first i have to say i hated the corporate mind games that took up 2/3 of the second book. hard to get through. johns such a man baby sometimes & its so frustrating seeing him just decide pieces of the puzzle are no use to him & getting rid of them. sick of his shit. i dont like him much in the 3rd book either but fine whatever.

the last 1/3 of the second book & like all of the third had the same "no what!?!? ur kidding!?!?" reaction as the first book had & was again interesting & easy to get through. LOTS of juicy secrets & info that ties things together & makes it make as much sense as it can & ends off in such a solid way, not without questions, but with a sense that even if those questions were answered, it wouldn't make any difference, would be maybe a trivia fact more than some grounding breakthrough.

also to whom it matters the cast is pretty diverse & natural about it, having them just be people in a situation & not relying on that to be a selling a point like i see in posts all the time here.

im going to get into spoilers here

the nature of area x is so interesting to me. the time paradox, the fact that time moves in a linear fashion and yet the area contains so much passage of time that just. doesnt match the outside world. the shock of grace saying she'd been there 3 years when it'd only been weeks and yet all the signs proved she wasnt lying. the way how suddenly all the decay & change in the area held just that much more weight to it. that things were even less what they seemed. that lended to knowing the biologist's 30 years in there vastly outweighed the real world's time. that part saying that people couldve lived there, lived out whole full lives between the time the border/area was created & when it was first explored because if the time difference just really hit me for some reason. its such a weird space.

and how the area handles people, not the book but the area, how it gets inside them, turns them into something else. learning that what came back from expeditions wasnt the originals. that the area got inside the people who went in & changed them into something completely unrecognizable. turned into a pig slug hybrid with only their face intact, into an owl, into some Thing writing in life itself on tunnel(tower) walls, into a giant fucking whale that can exist wherever it wants to. the fact that, initially, these are viewed as some fucked up creation recreated from who died there, only to be revealed that these forms ARE the original people and they ARE still alive, just in this new form, and while its implied they may not have the same frame of consciousness as people, its also not stated thats 100% the case- that no outsider can know for sure because people can only know people(or at least hope to know people). the whole concept that the originals have become part of the area living there or dying there in this new way, while the world creates copies of them, sends them back to the real world, fools everyone into thinking these copies are the originals, that something just happened to them and somethings not right anymore. that even when ones like the biologist's copy admits they arent the same person, no one believes them. thats so wild. & its framed that 3 people made it back for real, no copies involved, but the only one with any proof is the director. sure whitby & lowry have life spans unlike other "survivors" but at the same time, its also said theres no real way of knowing if the real or copy whitby lived, & iirc the footage seemed to imply lowry was different on the way back too although i guess that could be attributed to stress but its not like the things he says are very trustworthy either. anyway thats just to wild & intriguing to me, that while they're off living or fighting for life or dying, theres a copy of them they arent even aware of, creating a different truth of them to the outside world. neat concept.

the lighthouse keepers story, the way it all started, that kind of got to me. the way he was just doing his best at his job & the more and more u read u know its about to catch up, he about to be consumed by this & start its spread, and theres nothing anyone can do about it. and god the letter to him at the end. i came here to be fascinated and yet that final moment of human respect across people who were no longer people got to me & i ended up crying. which may be stupid of me. but i LOVE when a world can draw u in so thoroughly & then have characters to get caught up in & care about too.

& i love that the nature of this area is so bizarre that, even when things are stated as directly as possible , u think for a moment the narrator is hallucinating or or being vivid & only to moments later have it shoved it ur face that no, thats the reality, thats word for word whats happening. i had a LOT of "what in the actual fuck" moments & they were jarring of course, as they were meant to be for such a peculiar world, but jarring in the way that drew u in more, made u need to know more.

basically i had a good time & this is going to be constantly in my mind or at least in the back of it. a lot more going on then im saying here & if ur into fucked up world building then definitely give it a chance at least

#this isnt an analysis post this is more of a review if anything #there was one line like 'even a perfect copy cant truly become the real one' & i immediately went omg just like d-ne shuuenpro #theres a LOT of things in here that had me thinking of aru sekai too but that may be the nature of sci-fi stories #the third book had quite a few lines that really hit me. #the single sentence 'The uselessness of guilt' #the paragraph about shes always alone & no one will ever come to help & the only way is forward #etc. we like that.

[ay-chuu]

Hii congratulations on reaching 300 followers! I would love to participate in your event. Can i request one for BSD?

MBTI: INTJ

Zodiac sign (gonna add my moon and rising sign too bc why not 👀): Capricorn Sun, Aquarius Moon & Gemini Rising

Hobbies: reading, dancing, playing video games, listening to music, puzzles, finding interesting shows/movies to watch, daydreaming

Phobias: the ones i can think of is thalassophobia and fear of spiders

Likes: thunderstorms, surprises, gifts, music, having fun, helping others, history, delicious food, learning new things, making others laugh, traveling, excitement

Dislikes: nosy people, being told what to do, naggers, hot weather, being forced to be somewhere or with someone i don't like, feeling stuck, conflict, routine, limitations, close-minded people, lack of freedom

Ideal male type: definitely someone with a sense of humor. someone intelligent, creative and kind. someone that accepts me for who i truly am and i'd accept them just the way they are too.

Gender/pronouns: female & she/her

Aaaand lastly, for the topic i pick the most special moment!

I hope i followed all the rules and again congratulations! ❤️

Thank you so much love, have a perfect day! 🌼😼

I match you with... (っ＾▿＾)💨

SIGMA!

The biggest reason why I matched you is that you both want to live freely and happily together in your own little safe space, away from people. This bond that holds you together is like glue and always increases your respect for each other.

Sigma likes that you are both lively and introverted. You remind him that no matter how disgusting the world is, there can always be rare angels who are like a treasure. The biggest proofs of this are that you accept each other as you are and that you always hold on to each other no matter what happens. (In other words, the biggest proof is... you <3)

Sigma may not be a very funny person, but that doesn't mean you don't laugh all the time when you're with him. You know those people who has weird acts and reactions that are hilarious, even if they're not funny in personal? Sigma is one of them. Other than that, the things you don't like are mostly common. He also hates loud people, not feeling like he belongs somewhere and feeling used. That's why you are each other's comfort person <3

Although I cannot say anything in the horoscope sense, INTJ and INFJ are compatible and passionate couples in the intellectual and intuitive sense. They generally complement each other in all kinds of harmony, both in my business life and in love.

Some moments I dreamed of for you two;

A waltz dance in the forest before sunrise, baking cookies that look like your faces together, a kiss shared with a view on top of a mountain, and smothering him with words of love under the blanket while Sigma's tears cover your shoulder <3

A special moment:

Seeing Sigma's excitement , was a rare moment for you. The way he walked around you like a dog wagging his tail and brought the chocolate chips to you the moment you asked made you giggle involuntarily.

It made you very happy to have him walk around you while you were preparing the cookie dough together. Sigma was someone who could neither get too excited nor be too happy under the living conditions he lived in.

He was used as a machine. He's like an encyclopedia. An object that is valuable only when needed.

But when he was with you, Sigma felt like he was the most important alive thing in the world, the most important being... no, the most important human to ever live. He wasn't an object to you who was ostracized, used, or treated differently than he wanted to be. Next to you he was just Sigma and your lover. Maybe that's why even a simple act like making cookies was so peaceful, happy and exciting for him. He would be one with his favorite person and his favorite food. A peaceful night spent on the couch, with cookies and maybe... milk. What else could make him happier in this cruel world? (Maybe marrying and live a future with you.....)

"Okay, my love. The cookies should bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, I'll clean up the kitchen. Wait for me in the living room, okay?" You said as you wiped your hands on your apron and prepared the oven.

Sigma shook his head as no, he came behind you, hugged you and kissed your neck. Oh, how he loved it when you loved him even with your smallest actions. "I'll help you, dear."

The 45 minutes had passed quickly as the two of you cleaned up the kitchen and warmed milk for the cookies. Sigma was listening to your conversation as you went to the couch together, cuddled up and enjoyed your cookies. Just you, him and the cookies. And your sweet voice.

Humanity is a very new concept for Sigma. Being able to comprehend the existence of mind and soul, and being able to feel it despite being born from a book, are not only new for Sigma, they are concepts that he cannot understand. But the only thing he understands and is sure so far is that as long as your love is with him, he will always cease to be an object. He will always be a human being <3

#by.aychu #matching/shipping event! #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd sigma #sigma x reader #bsd sigma x reader #bungo stray dogs x reader #bungo stray dogs

[nimata-beroya]

MY THOUGHTS ON AHSOKA - Part 1 "Master and Apprentice" & Part 2 "Toil and Trouble"

(ok let's do this again, bc I posted the previous post before I was finished by mistake, and the power went out right at that moment which means I had no Wi-Fi to fix it 😣😣)

The first thing I can say is that I liked this premiere a lot, but it didn't blow my mind to smithereens. It was a pretty decent start and I can see the potential, I'm invested. But I'd rather remain cautious for the moment. I don't want to hype myself too much, fearing a big disappointment down the road.

There were surprises (very good surprises), some confirmations of things I suspected or have seen others speculating about, and a thing or 2 that I'm iffy about. and also I liked the pace. It's not too slow, nor too fast. It seems deliberated, and I think that's a good thing.

Let's dive into the details…

Part 1 - Master and apprentice

Watching a New Republic transport losing yet again a prisoner, makes me think the NR needs to work on this problem. Because so far, there've been 4 different prisoner breakouts that we know of (2 of those were the same guy!!)

Ahsoka in the ancient temple looking for the map was cool. I love the video game treasure hunt/solve the puzzle kind of feel about it (it made think about Jedi fallen order/survivor). And Huyang roasting Ahsoka for not having a padawan with her was the best.

I loved the subtle hint that Ahsoka made about Morgan Esbelth hiring mercenaries in the past (AKA: Din. I wonder if he could have a small cameo)

My first reaction to Hera believing that Ezra is dead was shock, especially since in the Rebels finale seemed that she knew he was just lost not dead, but after thinking about it, it does make sense. First, because she never had the confirmation that he was actually alive. There's no trace of him or Thrawn in the galaxy (we learned why later), and second, and maybe more importantly, it's much easier to continue living on with a loved one's death than a disappearance. The not-knowing, the constant yearning can be exhausting. With death come pain, but eventually with healthy grieving you should accept it and move on.

Omg! I can't believe Ryder Azadi and Jai Kell were there!! And the mural’s dedication to Ezra 😭😭😭😭 I love that everyone still have him so present even after all this time 💕💕

Sabine is commander, huh? Nice! But the fact that she wasn't in the ceremony doesn't surprise me at all.

Her Loth cat is the most adorable thing ever. I want one!!!

That Morgan Elsbeth being a Nightsister wasn't the biggest surprise for me, bc I had seen people speculating about. In fact, I like the idea of another surviving Nightsister. My only nickpicking about this is that her skin is too pink for a Witch of Dathomir. I guess she's either half-human/half-zabrak, or she's using some cloaking spell on herself.

Ezra's message just for Sabine 😭😭😭

(I have to make a pause here to confess something. When I watched Rebels for the first time, I was happy that Ezra and Sabine didn't end up being a thing. That doesn't mean I didn't see the signs that they could be more than friends/siblings, because there were signs, but I feel that media loves to put first love as if it should be the love of the characters' life always, when in real life it's much less common. It happens, but usually you don't marry your first love. And I thought it was ok to leave the romantic plot out of it. I mean, they were kids fighting a war, they had enough on their plate.

But now, as adults who have grown and gotten vastly different experiences in life and all that? I won't be mad if, when they find Ezra, they declare romantic love for each other. And regarding the message when Ezra says he sees her as a sister, I have the strong feeling that he said that because that was what he thought she wanted to hear. He accepted he was in the "friend zone" and respected that, not knowing Sabine was pinning for him, you know, like idiots in love.

It could be just as he said, they love each other platonically as siblings, and I'm ok with that too. But my heart goes out to all the Sabezra shippers. I know your pain, and as Kalluzeb shipper we might share the same boat soon. I'm fearing that they'll put even harder the "Only friends" sticker on Kallus and Zeb. But just like you, I'll ignore it. So, ship away, my dears. Who's going to stop you? Not me!)

Ahsoka should've known that Sabine would take the map! That was a very Sabine (and a very padawan) thing to do. She should know. How many times she disobeyed Anakin?

And Sabine should've known something like that would happen. When something goes as planned?

The fight between Shin and Sabine was great, but it was painful how rusty Sabine has become. Come on, girl!! and OUCH!!! I didn't expect she was going to be impaled. And thank goodness episode 2 was next because I would've hated that cliffhanger.

Part 2 - Toil and Trouble

Ahsoka's reaction about Sabine losing the map, altho understandable, got on my nerves. Really Ahsoka? have you never done something wrong? I know, I know!! her reaction stems off her trauma and all that, but idk, I didn't like it.

On the other hand, Mom daughter moment with Hera and Sabine was so precious 😭 That really took me back to Rebels. I always love when Hera is the best mom in the galaxy, showing Sabine unconditional support. Despite the physical aspect of the character that it's taking me a bit to get used to it, I think Mary Elizabeth Winstead is doing a pretty good job embodying Hera personality.

For one glorious second, I thought we were going to see live-action Kallus, I swear. I mean, who could've been better to accompany them to Corellia to found out if there were Imperial spies, hmm? I didn't even need him to be in the whole thing, just 5 seconds of screen time, giving them intel on the shipyard or something. Is that too much to ask?!!

OH!! So Ezra and Thrawn are in another galaxy! That explains why nobody found a trace of them. So I guess Peridea is a thing now. And what if Mortis is in that galaxy --or in another-- and Anakin , Obi-Wan and Ahsoka traveled in one of those paths back in TCW? Ok, this is getting interesting.

Thrawn calling Morgan?! Sounds unlikely. But if it's not thrawn, then who? Oh! OH! 😳 I just remembered, The Grysk can manipulate other people's minds!!! I thought we weren't going to touch on the Grysk on this show, like ever, but what if?!!! (i'm sure I'm wrong, but if I'm right? OH MYYY GOOOOSSSHH!!! This show could be soooo so good)

Chopper!!! There he is!!! My beloved war criminal!! I missed him so much!

Yes, yes!! that's general Syndulla I know. Taking shit from nobody!

Thank you, Huyang for easing my mind! Thank the force that Sabine is NOT force sensitive. Like this, I can get behind of the whole idea of Ahsoka being her Master. It's not my favorite thing, but I can tolerate it like this.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Chopper in the chase in the phantom was absolutely great!!

😭 Sabine cutting her hair just like Kanan did. Stop it with feels, dammit!!

Ok now we have caught up with the epilogue, and I'm excited for what's to come.

#episode review #ahsoka show #ahsoka spoilers #ahsoka tano #sabine wren #hera syndulla #chopper #c1 10p #ahsoka part 1 mater and apprentice #ahsoka part 2 toil and trouble

[lichdragon-fortissax]

I've been wondering, Lansseax atacks us on outskirts of Layendel. Obviously protecting the city, but do you think she knew Morgott? After all he is king so he atleast had to know of her being in the city. It's just, how much interaction did Morgott actualy have with his subjects and where would Lansseax even reside then and know to ambush us there. She's the only dragon that actualy atacks us first if I remember correctly.

Honestly I don't think it's Morgott that she knew about- I think she protects Leyndell because she is the sister of Fortissax, who was a very close friend to Godwyn the Golden, and we have some means to think that the dragons within Elden Ring have a form of family system due to Greyoll's link with flying dragon Greyll, hinting that they are one of her ancestors. So it's not too hard to imagine that she and Fortissax often frequented the capital together, as 'it is said that she took the form of a human to commune with the knights as a priestess of the ancient dragon cult', and Vyke the Dragonspear was 'the one she loved the most' (which now has me wondering about the nature of Godwyn and Fortissax's relationship...hmmm). That means that she's directly connected with the Roundtable Hold via the whole interacting with Tarnished business, and has a vested interest in who becomes the next Elden Lord. If not Vyke, who inherited the Flame of Frenzy, then it must be someone that she next deems worthy.

The main reason why I'm not sure if she and Morgott interacted is bc of the whole 'dragon cult' and 'tarnished association' btw- he seems relatively tolerant to the whole dragon thing going on with some of the tree sentinals, but he most certainly draws the line at the Tarnished, while she clearly doesn't mind mingling with them. And even if she somehow knew about him via Fortissax's link to Godwyn, it's likely that she might not have felt the urge to seek him out afterwards, either because she wasn't familiar with him, or because him being of Godwyn's blood meant that she considered him the rightful lord of Leyndell.

Also, for her attacking us- I think it's a test! One thing that's unanimous with Fromsoft dragons is that they are keenly intelligent, noble, and somewhat battle-driven individuals, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if that was the case. For example, in the Ringed City DLC for Dark Souls 3, Darkeater Midir follows you around watching you from afar + forcing you through difficult puzzles by assailing you above narrow spaces, which is implied to test your merit so that you can fight him and give him a noble death rather than wasting away under the Abyss's corruption. While that's from a different game, I'd argue that we have far more examples of draconic intelligence and society in Elden Ring, given the fact that their race hadn't been brutally slaughtered to near-extinction like in Dark Souls. And what we DO have points to them being cunning, intelligent, honourable creatures in their own way, with Adula swearing an oath to knighthood after Ranni bested her + Fortissax's and Lansseax's love for Godwyn and Vyke, so it's not too unreasonable to think that's a possibility.

So with that in mind, the way I interpreted Lansseax attacking us just before the capital was to test our mettle in a similar way to Midir, which is why she never bothers us again after we prove ourselves to her. Glintstone Dragon Adula is a similar scenario, with the exception being that we're capable of killing her before marrying Ranni because she's aware that her lady just preformed a major sin by killing her Fingers, so she'll fight to the death to keep that a secret on the off chance that you'll betray her (though that's just a guess, I didn't kill any dragons but Magma Wyrm Makar on my first playthrough bc I was doing a no optional dragon-killing run + didn't know about the Dectus Medallions).

#also congrats now im thinking about godwyn and fortissax and im p. sure that they fucked #elden ring #elden ring theory #ancient dragon lansseax #lansseax #dragons #[holds gently] i love these dragons so goddamn much #they are SO good #this is just. this is exactly what i want from dragons in any sort of fantasy yes fucking please #justlookingchillin #reply

[berrymoos]

i saw my old ipad yesterday and it got me thinking about modern!au stranger things and which ipad kids the littles would be（*＾ワ＾*）

eddie: the standard ipad kid

sticky screen with food smeared all over the case and his volume at like 100:> his posture’s terrible from being hunched over it and he’s always complaining that his back hurts and for steve to “kiss it better” (nancy is disgusted by the ipad and refuses to sit next to him when he’s using it because she doesn’t want to be icky) also you can’t take it away from him unless your using maximum strength because he will HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE

robin: mild ipad kid

whenever steve or nancy hands her the ipad she’s glued to it, wont listen to anyone that talks to her unless it’s about playing hide and seek(then and only then will she pay attention) but it’s clean and only has a few minor cracks and she understands when it’s time to put it up as long as she can finish what she started

nancy: doesn’t like ipads

a closet neat freak who takes her things very seriously and she prefers to not have an ipad and play with her toys(educational because yes) or just snuggle up to her cg plus when she’s little she has a hard time using screens anyways so she prefers not to try

jonny: ipads?

never grew up with much electronics because they couldn’t afford it so doesn’t really know what and ipad are to be honest and doesn’t get the hype(would much rather color or play pretend with his toy camera then watch youtube or play games)

steve: takes very good care of his ipad

he grew up taking very good care of his stuff and his parents being mad if he got his things dirty so he’s very good with his ipad:) understands when it’s time to put it away, has no cracks, monogrammed case, the whole shebang:> (flexes on accident when he pulls out the most expensive ipad on the market out like it’s nothing)

i have more for the party but i can’t fit it all and i don’t want to flood your ask box:)))

OHMYGOSH HSHVRVSHD, MODERN DAY IPAD KIDDOS 😭😭 (goodness i am sorry this took forever WAAHSJWJSIQAAA)

🎸 i don't blame nancy at all for being disgusted by his ipad, that thing SOUNDS gross 😟 steve tried cleaning it during eddie's nap – it's already hard enough getting him down bc of that darn thing, he kicks, screams, & cries when it's time to settle down, and it's simply increased tenfold by his crankiness from being sleepy – but there are some ... rlly weird stains on the back of the case that??? will not come out??? very concerning. i feel like he has a bulky lime green case (which makes those stains all the more obvious) bc he is not careful with that thing at ALL & will accidentally bang the back of it on the edge of a table ,, steve always obliges to kissing eddie's back, by the way .. he tells him to sit up straighter so that way his back won't be all owchie anymore, yet still gives in at his baby's sweet demand of magic kisses ( ˘ ³˘)♥

🍦 OO hide n seek, her favorite game (as long as eddie's playing, too; they like to see who's the better seeker & hider, and so far robin is winning in both categories 💪🏾), the instant the question “who wants to play hide n seek?” is uttered, her game is abruptly shut off & she's insisting to be the hider, she's got a perfect spot she's been thinkin about since forever! the park also catches her attention, but other than those two? all of her focus is dedicated to that ipad & she's not giving anyone the time of day until she's done with it. the difference between her & eddie is that eddie doesn't get tired of his ipad - robin does. she likes playing with other people, too, yknow!

💝 ive said this before & i will say it again — nancy absolutely has those baby puzzles where u match the shape to its correlating hole & the bead rollercoasters!! they're SO stimulating for her brain ... so she just cannot FATHOM how her friends can stare at those bright screens for half of the day, attention straying NO WHERE at any point unless their name is called repeatedly. what do they mean there are fun games? her puzzles are super fun! how do they even play the game? it's so much tapping the screen & shaking the tablet and ... HUH? poor girl rlly can't get the concept of tablets are super smart & can access a whole bunch of things 😭 NOT TO MENTION how she tried giving them a chance but NOTHING seemed to be going right for her!! why!! td;lr – don't stare at a tablet for too long in nance's presence; she will start glaring & pointedly dragging her beads along their tracks

📷 now JONNY is nearly in the same boat as nancy. almost. he also has trouble grasping the concept of entertainment on an itty-bitty screen & struggles to understand how those games are more fun than coloring or "taking pictures" with ducky ... but he tries his best. he'll sit beside steve, watch him for a while, & eventually steve lets him try a few games out of generosity. jonny has NO idea what he's doing half the time, BUT he's found that he likes lofi tunes while he's art-working, so it didn't ALL go to waste! that's like the only thing he ever uses his friends' (v specifically steve's, bc they like coloring together) ipads for, tho. everything else is overrated

🕶️ HEOSOEJ STEVE ACCIDENTALLY FLEXING ON THEM 💀💀 pulling out the latest ipad model with this beautiful, dark blue monogram case & screen protector on the front. no cracks present on said screen protector. no visible fingerprints, excess dirt wiped off with a towelette, drop-dead gorgeous video / movie quality ... bro's got it ALL & hardly realizes he's inadvertently flexing his stuff until he turns it off for a snack break & happens to see eddie & robin staring at a distance, wishing THEIR screens were crack-free & had clean cases (•ˋ _ ˊ•) it is NOT FAIR! bro has even got NANCY, the infamous hater of ipads, marveling it like “woah ... it's clean.” (that is a DIRECT jab at eddie but it flies over his head). out of everyone, he's the most generous with his ipad & lets them use it for a little bit if theirs died, but he HAS to be moderating them from a distance bc he rlly doesn't want it to get hurt ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚

#🧸．berry n friends <3 #loserhotline friend <3 #stranger things agere #fandom agere #sfw agere #agere asks #agere hcs

[bestworstcase]

Think she assumes he's waiting until he feels he's done enough for humanity's redemption and calls down the Gods, which she doesn't want success or fail, and if my brainworms are right Salem's grand goal for having all the Relics is to, sit on them so no one else can put them together. Like Ozpin. Because both of them thinks the other is gonna end the world and Salem is going around terrorizing the world because that's her best idea for making sure Ozpin never believes he's achieved the terms.

oh i’m 100% certain salem believes ozma is still trying to fulfill the divine mandate and is debasing himself in service to the gods generally; there’s also no doubt in my mind that salem thinks there is zero chance under any circumstances that the gods will rule in humanity’s favor, because she knows exactly what the brothers are like. so while it’s clear that this level of destruction is new for her—ozma wouldn’t have been able to keep her a secret if she was knocking kingdoms down on the regular—i assume she’s been fucking with every significant peace he’s been able to cobble together so as to prevent him from ever deciding humankind is sufficiently united to bring the relics together.

but the impression i get is that salem thinks ozma has A PLAN, not in the nebulous sense of “summon gods once unity is achieved” but a specific series of actions that he has prepared and is executing, or his followers are executing on his behalf, right now. which he does, sort of, in the most general sense of “keep the relics locked up” but—she obviously thinks there’s something more complicated afoot. (4.3 she hears from summer rose her mystery lieutenant and seems to be concerned that 1. ozpin might have survived or 2. the crown might not be at beacon; the last thing she says in that scene is a puzzled “what are you planning?” like—her perspective of this conflict is that ozpin has an agenda she is trying to figure out and get ahead of, and she’s wrong because we know he has no plan? but this fascinates me bc it suggests salem has a fundamentally different understanding of what she’s doing than the heroes do.)

anyway,

if all salem wanted was to make it impossible for ozma—or anyone—to summon the gods, all she’d need to do is get one and bury it somewhere. she doesn’t need all four. ozma went after all four because 1. he did in fact intend to see his task through, which meant he planned on triggering judgment day eventually, 2. he thought he might be able to use them to destroy salem, and 3. he didn’t want other people misusing them. the latter two are of no relevance to salem, and she could foil the first objective merely by securing one of the three; that she self-evidently IS going for more than one suggests that she is in fact planning to use them—either the relics themselves, or by putting them together to summon the gods.

personally? i think she’s still on the defeat-and-usurp-the-gods plan, and she’s making her move now because she thinks she’s found a viable way to do it. the relics are bait to get them to come back so she can kill them—or whatever it is specifically she plans on doing. (though i’m not yet ruling out the possibility that the gods are already returning and salem 1. knows about it and 2. assumes ozpin summoned them on purpose; it’s been shown that magic—the staff—can’t just blink stuff from point a to point b, there’s travel involved, so a divine return across astronomical distances could very well take a significant amount of time!)

i don’t think she would ever be satisfied just keeping one or all of the relics and staying in this holding pattern; she’s not like ozma. the core of her character is relentless and increasingly desperate efforts to free herself—first from her father, then from the tyrannical gods and the torment they’ve inflicted on her. by necessity immortality has made her very patient and methodical but whatever her intentions might be specifically, they’re definitely moving forward towards a goal of change; “and so we must press on.” etc etc

[zmwrites]

Many salutations this day of storytelling, Ghosty

Please tell to me the origins and formation of Just Jane and also what were the initial vibes vs (if applicable) the vibes currently

Hello Sleepy!!! Deepest apologies for how long it took me to get to this!

Just Jane came about bc a single scene jumped into my brain fully formed:

“Lord Blackburn is a brilliant man from noble family lines. If we capture him and reason with him, I’m sure he would see the error of his ways and make amends for what he’s done,” one of the pompously named lords argued.

Jane’s snort was louder than intended, and every set of eyes in the room turned to look at her.

“Do you have something to add, Miss?”

“Lord Blackburn is a punk bitch and needs to die,” she replied. Several people inhaled sharply. “How many people have died because of him? Because of his negligence, or an order he gave, or at the pointy end of his sword? He doesn’t deserve another chance to become a better person. He’s squandered enough charity as it is and benefitted for far too long from you lot looking the other way when he commits atrocities against his own people.”

In most Fantasy Stories(tm) everyone with plot-relevance has a very important-sounding name. So I wanted to write a story centred around Jane, who isn't secretly from a powerful family and isn't some prophesied hero and doesn't have any magical powers that come to light in her moment of need. She's Just Jane, a clever thief who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and is now trying to save her homeland. She's no one important, but she becomes important bc of the choices she makes throughout the story.

After that it was a matter of playing a lot of Skyrim and stealing plot points + reading writing prompts for plot points + watching TV for plot points until I had enough plot points to make a full story.

The vibes I was aiming for were heavily Skyrim-inspired: huge underground labyrinths, sliding stone doors that shake the earth around you, hidden passages only accessible after solving puzzles. I wanted to show that Jane was smart and able to solve things the other (importantly-named) characters couldn't bc she had a completely different set of life experiences.

Unfortunately, I've now introduced too many characters and my standalone book has too many subplots to really flesh out and explore the cool settings I originally imagined. It's now much more political (which I still enjoy!) and has a lot more interpersonal issues to navigate instead of just cool caves.

I'm currently stuck in my writing while I decide if I'm going to expand the book into a series so I can include all of the things I want to include or if I'm going to viciously cut back on characters and subplots to fit it into one book.

That is the development and current sticking-point for my darling Just Jane! Thank you so much for the question!

#just jane #zoe replies