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life-in-the-monster-haus · 2 years

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In Defense of Gillington “Gil” Webber Part 4

Grab your brain puffs, were going back to the movies!

And surprisingly? There is nothing that has to do with Lagoona and Gil in the next 3 movies. Friday Night Frights - Gil is on the Skulltimate Roller Maze team and he gets hurt and Lagoona gets sad... that's it. in Ghouls Rule they have zero interaction and I have to skip Scaris City of Frights because there is currently a not legal way for me to re-watch it. All the Monster High movies were added to Paramount+ in October but the second October was over they were yanked off again in a move that makes sense to absolutely no one. I have the DVD but I let my niece borrow it awhile back and when I went to open it for this review there was the Paw Patrol movie in it (great movie BTW) So were just gonna skip it, but if memory serves correctly Lagoona goes to Scaris without Gil so its not like they interact anyways so we aren't missing a damn thing. WHICH MEANS we get to dive right into the movie I have been waiting for! 13 wishes!

5 minutes in it begins. Lagoona is excited for a fresh new school year but Gil looks like a huge sad sack, He was going to go over Lagoonas house for dinner that nice but he tells her "I'm sorry Lagoona, I can't come over your house for dinner tonight or any other night" Lagoona is annoyed and rightfully so this is the third or fourth time we're re-hashing this same argument. she says "Crickey! again!? just because I'm a salt water monster!? I wish your parents would accept me" Gil says nothing because... what is there left to say? He does agree that he wishes his parents would accept Lagoona too and he holds her hand to comfort her, both of them look pretty defeated.

And I feel bad for them because I've been them. You think I'm writing this think piece for my health? it's not like I'm getting paid. This is a labor of love. Just like Gil, I had a racist parent, My father would not accept that my love was a different ethnicity than me and he disowned me. The only difference between me and Gil is I was an adult when this happened, I can live without my parents. Gil is 16, he can't really do much without them and it breaks my heart to see him suffer, certain folks on Twitter say Lagoona was tortured during this arc and she totally was but so was Gil. Let us not pretend that everything that hurts Lagoona about this situation doesn't also hurt Gil. They are both victims of hatred and they both suffer.

The next time we see them they're arguing. This is the first time we've actually seen them fight. Based on what they are talking about Gil's parents probably set up his class schedule so that him and Lagoona aren't in any of the same classes.

Lagoona: "So now we can't even be in the same classes together!?"

Gil: "My parents don't want us spending any time together"

Lagoona: "I thought we were so past this"

Gil: "I'm sorry Lagoona"

Gil tries to put his hand on Lagoonas shoulder to comfort her but she pulls away from his touch and starts to cry. Wanting to give her some space, Gil walks away.

Howleen, armed with a Genie and the desire to do something good and selfless offers to help. Lagoona tells Howleen that it's sweet she wants to help but the problem is with Gil's parents. "They'll never let us be together. Fresh water monsters have been looking down their gills at us Salt water folk for centuries. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about that." Howleen just bursting with desire to help Lagoona says that she CAN help and she summons Gigi and makes a very specific wish and phrasing is very important here.

Howleen: "I wish Gil's parents liked Lagoona!"

I am confident the phrasing of the wish would have made it turn out differently but Howleen didn't wish for Gil's parents to "no longer be racist" or for "prejudice against sea monsters to no longer be a thing" She specifically asked for Gil's parents to like Lagoona and the only reason they don't like her is because she's a salt water creature so the wish interprets this as: Turn Lagoona into a fresh water creature. This is not a fail on Howleen's part, Howleen is 14 and dismantling a centuries old racist establishment is a lot to ask of a 14 year old but Howleen did her best.

Lagoona is reborn as a fresh water monster and she is ecstatic. having no hang ups at all about losing her salt water heritage, She just thinks about Gil's parents reaction when they see she is now one of them. She shakes Howleens hand, thanking her and she runs, not walks to find Gil.

This is really sad when you think about it, Lagoona is no longer related to her own family. I hate to state the obvious and draw a Little Mermaid comparison but it's right there. Much like Ariel gave up being a mermaid for love, Lagoona gave up being a sea monster for the same reason. Lagoona knows her family will accept her no matter what form she takes, Remember in Great Scarrier reef she showed up on her fathers doorstep with a tail and Wade just laughed at it. I wanna say this is a very drastic action to take for a High School relationship but Gil and Lagoona have been dating for awhile by this point, I know Monster High operates on a floating timeline because they need to stay teenagers forever but in canon time it's been minimum a year? max 2 years. We've seen them start a new school year twice by this point. Lagoona and Gil are the second longest official paired couple in Monster High canon and If you've been with someone for that long you're allowed to make drastic changes like this for them is what I am getting at.

The next time we see Lagoona and Gil a day has passed and Lagoona was already at their house for dinner that night and The Webbers loved her. Gil is just as surprised by this as the ghouls are when they tell them. I'm rather annoyed that all of this transpired off-screen. They spent years building up to this only to just tell us about it later? Boo! Anyways Lagoona is absolutely gushing about how great her and his mom got along and how she's going to show Lagoona how to make Gil's favorite dish: Lilli-pad Linguini.

Lagoona is over the moon with joy that she at long last made a good impression on Gil's parents, Gil is happy but he seems kind of uncomfortable with the situation, he's not really glowing with pride like Lagoona is he's mostly shocked and cautiously optimistic.

I don't know man... if I was Gil this would have been another fight with my parents. "So now you like her!? She's the exact same fuckin' person! she just breathes fresh water now!" I absolutely would have cussed at my parents and got popped in the mouth for it, but I would have been right. That's kinda the problem with racists you can't use logic on them because there is no logic to be had. Racism is illogical.

Certain folks on Twitter often cite this as another reason why they dislike Gil because "He made her change" but Gil didn't do shit. Technically Lagoona didn't even ask for this, Howleen saw the problem and offered to correct it. Gil didn't ask for this and he looks off-put by the whole idea if we look at him closely.

Clawdeen, Ghoulia and Cleo know something is off too. Cleo even says "This is not our Lagoona"

At lunch Draculaura notices Lagoona isn't eating and asks what she is doing as she is cutting up Gil's food. Lagoona says she will eat after she has cut up Gil's food for him like his mom showed her "it's a fresh water tradition! which I embrace"

Something very Stepfordian is happening to Lagoona. They don't say it but with her super happy eyes and the knife this is visual shorthand that something isn't right, while I'm sure a part of Lagoona wanted this the rest of her certainly doesn't but she is compelled by the wish. Gil doesn't just look a little put-off by this he looks visibly upset. Lagoona tries to spoon feed him his food through his water tank and he says "This is so embarrassing"

Let's talk about them freshwater traditions hmm? Lagoona's been to the Webbers twice and already His mom is teaching her how to cook for him, cut up his food for him, spoon feed him. These are some ancient traditions from back when women were supposed to serve men not surprising these come from the same people who hate Lagoona based on what species she is. What a cruel male dominated society they must come from and Mama Webber buys into it, She is trying to turn Lagoona into a mini version of herself meanwhile Gil liked Lagoona just fine the way she was... This kids movie is quickly veering into horror movie territory.

As Student Disembody President Abbey announces a beach clean up field trip, Something Salty Lagoona would have loved and jumped on asap, but Fresh Lagoona says she is going to sit out the field trip to "Spend All day, Every Day" with Gil. And Gil does look happy to spend time with Lagoona but then she says "Who cares about a bunch of polluted sea water!? Bleh!" Gil's expression quickly changes, that is not on brand for Lagoona and he knows that.

I would be remiss if I didn't take this moment to complain about what a wasted opportunity it was that Mattel did not release a Shadow Ghouls pack with 13 wishes, Look at these designs and colors! throw Abbey in there too and make it a 6 pack! it would have been glorious!

Ghoulia wondering why she didn't get a Haunt the Casbah doll. *ahem* anyways back to business.

We needed that doll complaint break because the next time we see Lagoona she has become completely unhinged. Gil asks her if she wants to study with him and she says "oh No! I just want to drink this water, this fresh water" And she starts chugging water from the solo cups and crushing them against her forehead like shes a seasoned sorority sister during rush week. Gil is confused by this and says "But what about the Scholastic Aptitude Test?"

"I don't care about school! this is who I am now Gil, Your parents love me and I couldn't be happier!" Lagoona begins.... glitching? .... her head shakes and her pupils are uneven. I believe this is Lagoonas true nature trying to break through the wishes magic, I don't think she believes in anything she is saying or doing.

Gil: "But what about your parents?"

Lagoona: "Oh who cares! they're just a bunch of salt water drongos right?!"

Gil: *uncomfortable laugh* "Ha ha! Okay but, Lagoona you're kidding right? this isn't you"

Wow! the wish made her racist too! while Gil's looking away Lagoona gets up and chugs directly from the water cooler jug and I think it finally hits Gil that his Lagoona is nowhere in sight.

This would be fascinating if it wasn't so very sad. But I'm pretty sure "be careful what you wish for" is like, one of the many lessons this move is trying to teach us. But Gil did not wish for this, Lagoona didn't even wish for this, Howleen wished for this in a misguided attempt to help them. I don't blame Howleen for this though, Both Gigi and Clawdeen told her not to be selfish wish her wishes.

The movie takes place over the course of several days, Bloodgood goes on and returns from a trip while Howleen and Wisp are waiting for the eclipse. The school has been turned into a Howleen worship center and Gil tries to point out this is wrong to Lagoona who says "I don't care about anything except being with you!" and she puts a red lobster bib on him like he's a toddler.

Gil tells her he doesn't need it and she says "You're right! if you get your shirt dirty I'll just wash it for you in fresh water! or buy you a new one with me allowance!" Nice to see that laundry and spending are also on Mama Webbers teaching list.

She once again takes Gil's lunch and starts cutting it up for him, Gil reassures Lagoona she doesn't have to do that and she says "Oh! but I do! in fact take my lunch too! you need your strength for the big swim meet!" Gil reminds her that she's on the swim team too and also needs her strength for the swim meet and she tells him that she quit the team... this is the final straw for Gil, He tells her he doesn't even know who she is anymore and the movie goes full horror movie on us.

"I'm exactly who you want me to be."

Yikes on Bikes on Trikes! that is some scary shit! But its nice to know that even while under a magic spell Lagoona is still unreasonable as all hell. Gil didn't ask for this! Gil did not want this! Look at his face! is that the face of someone who asked for this!? We are 4 parts deep into studying Gil and Lagoonas relationship and at no point has Gil ever once asked Lagoona to change, told her to change or wished she could change, Gil accepts Lagoona as she is! Movie wants me to believe that Gil is somehow responsible for this but movie is a liar. I'm sure Gil himself would have pointed out that he never asked for this if he wasn't so incredibly horrified of what his love has become.

Putting this on Gil is completely unfair. I could maybe understand where Lagoona is coming from if Gil blamed her for his parents behavior or if he muttered under his breath after their fight that this wouldn't be happening to them if she was a river monster then yea, okay then it's totally Gil's fault... but he didn't do any of that! he has been chill and understanding despite the many horrible things his parents have put him through this entire franchise. it's one thing if the fans take Gil out of context but now canon media itself is doing it. Y'all want Gil to be trash so bad but he just isn't.

As the movie ends we get one last glimpse of Fresh Lagoona smothering Gil while he's probably wondering how ethical it would be the break up with someone who changed their species for him.

But the wish is undone and our Lagoona returns to us seemingly having no idea what happened and Gil is over joyed to have his salt water ghoul back exactly as he likes her, as herself. And just in case that wasn't obvious enough they hammer it home with Gil saying it himself.

Lagoona: "I'm sorry Gil, I know you really liked me being a fresh water ghoul."

Gil: "NO! no! that's what my parents wanted you to be! But I like you, just the way you are!"

Lagoona then promptly pushes him into the pool and reminds him she is going to beat him at the swim meet that weekend and Gil?

Gil wouldn't have it any other way.

I love this ending, it's adorable what a shame it won't last, Now we don't have time unpack the fallout of what his parents are going to do when they find out their perfect daughter-in-law to be is no longer what they wanted. But just like in real life, moments of happiness are fleeting so you gotta enjoy them while you can.

I started this deep dive into Gil and Lagoonas relationship to defend Gil's good name but you know what? The boy doesn't need my defense. He's so clean he squeaks, I'm actually getting a little bored, I almost want him to be a jerk just to spice things up a bit but He's the perfect boyfriend and anyone who says otherwise is either trolling you or they have never consumed a canon piece of Monster High media in their life.

And that is where I'm going to stop this one. 13 Wishes was a wild ride, it deserves it's own section to itself. In Part 5 we're going to either start volume 4 of the webisodes or crack open Gil's diaries (he only has 2) I'm having fun writing these and I hope y'all are having fun reading them!

Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4

#Monster High #Lagoona Blue #Gil Webber

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dxsole · 1 month

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💘 MORE IMPORTANT? | @rennisaturate

That bluntness has gotten her into trouble more times than she'd care to admit. Mostly with her father and many members of the nobility who expected her to be a proper queen. It's a pity she never cared for their definition of proper.

Nor in the strength and power in the joining of families. It's a lovely sentiment, but Didi despised how the only strength and power she could ever gain was through giving up...everything. Share a kingdom with someone who didn't know the land or the people. Share herself with them— "I can think of a number of things more important; freedom comes to mind, hm."

And perhaps she's just a little bitter about how happy he was.

"Forgive me," She doesn't mean it, it's just a little phrase she likes to start rants with. "but it is easier for the groom. You marry and you receive her father's land, her kingdom, her dowry— I receive nothing, hm. I am left with a man whose hands are soft because he has never labored or fought with them before. One who is educated but does not speak his mind in order to protect a public persona. I receive a farce of a romance because I, apparently, cannot rule my own homeland without the help of a husband, hm."

#ch: didi #Verse: All I Ever Wanted Was The World #rennisaturate #landon a lil tipsy: it's not too bad right?#didi who came in the room ornery: I Am About To Lay Into This Fool

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ashknife · 10 months

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Low-Key Haikus 6: Bringing the Heat

Haiku silliness after the break. There are haikus hidden in the haikus. A couple of creative liberties were taken for syllable count and phrasing (e.g. yes, I know the phrase in a hidden haiku is supposed to be "Whoa, Nellie!").

Immolation now The sun burns out all of life Typical August

Time for a long dip Swimming in the afternoon Pool of cool water

Searing heat burns all The rocks boil and trees wilt Hurray for A/C

Air conditioning Blessed extraction of heat Boo: power outage

Melting ice cream cone Dripping all over the place A sticky delight

Icebergs melting down High temperatures persist Where is the winter?

Lubrication on Sunscreen deflects the UV Sunburn protection

Dries, the sun, it does Boils the swamp to nothing Heatstroke for Yoda

Smoke means fire, they say Hot weather means drier fuel Bear says, “Only you.”

Until fall, no reprieve Shovel snow cone to beat heat Glorious brain freeze

Mealtime has arrived Fruits, yogurt, and sandwiches Fare for the hot days

Meat: grilled perfection Juicy flesh encased in crust Texas barbecue

Enflamed surroundings Puffy dark clouds rolling in Blessed thunderstorm

Right to the river Fishing, splashing, marshmallows Tent under the stars

Oh, thunderous blast! Colors sparkle in the night Fireworks explode bright

Nellie nips at feet Chasing kids into water Doggo beats the heat

Lips meet lemonade Cool, sweet, and tart: perfection The simple pleasures

Yearning for better Oppressive heat reminds us Of His still waters

To hell and then back Grocery run for dessert Popsicles melted

Eat outside with friends Laughter and games, food and drink Work days forgotten

Never hike alone Carry plenty of water Heatstroke is deadly

Thinking of degrees The warmth of the Father’s love, Or the lake of fire?

Hard, cold ice in cups Filled with bubbly soda pop Sweet, sweet refreshment

Outside burns all life Armageddon comes for all O summer afternoon

Usually we hide To avoid the heated air Inside with cool fans

Swimming at the pool Diving and cannonballs, ho! The children giggle

Also dreading school Summer days are flying by Time flies on fun

Needing vacation The waves of the beach call forth Road trip is inbound

Drinks cool heated soul Restores dehydrated flesh Wonderful fluids

Draining streams flood curb Thunder, lightning, and raindrops Fresh scent of cool air

Energy for fan Stuffy air now in full breeze Electric goodness

Grief in afternoon Hot sun beats on laborers Sweat and tears to live

Reaching for the stars Crickets chirping in concert Lazy summer night

Extremities burn Unrelenting sun cooks all Soothing aloe heals

Executing: dive Modulation: forward flip Error: belly flop

Shade shields the sun’s rays Hottest days made bearable Rest stop for walkers

Maybe the heat sucks Summer still holds its treasures Certain points of view

Use caution with fire Roasted marshmallows are good Burnt fingers, not so

Sunscreen: good for skin No sunscreen: may cause cancer Like everything else

Tanning on the beach Waves are crashing; lulled to sleep Now, extra crispy

Has the brisket smoked? Bring the sides, set the table Tasty meal for all

Applications in Summer jobs for college kids Funds for having fun

Very hot today is Refreshing swamp cooler is Drink green Muppet needs

Effective cool breeze Opened windows admit air Chaotic chimes ring

Another scorcher Concrete jungle burns hotter Windows up, air on

Scorcher coming up Triple digits, stay inside Excuse for ice cream

Nighttime thunderstorms Flashes of light, deep rumbles Refreshing raindrops

Only six months away Jolly fat man and reindeer If it would just snow

Will umbrella help? Drink tasty with or without Pina colada

Cool desserts are great Whether the world burns right now Or during winter

Off sprayed on the arms Blood-sucking insects begone Buffet I am not

Not long is the night Brief respite from the sun’s rays Starry sky wonder

Enjoyable vacay Lots to do and things to see Never long enough

#poetry #low key haikus #terribly bad silliness

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aopiner · 2 years

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A few arrows short of a quiver meaning

#A few arrows short of a quiver meaning full#

#A few arrows short of a quiver meaning portable#

Throwing arrows in a dream means backbiting others and slandering them. The arrows themselves in a dream also mean the fear of an emissary for his life. The arrowhead in a dream represents strength, power or disturbance. Ifthe arrow is made from gold in the dream, it means that he is sending a message to a woman because of another woman. If the arrowhead breaks in the dream, it means that he speaks only to protect himself from others’ arrows. If they have arrowheads in the dream, then they represent a talkative person who if he hits his target, it means that he does what he says. If the arrows are made from reeds in one’s dream, they mean falsehood and prattle. If one shoots an arrow and hits his target in a dream, it means that he will reach his goal, or if he wishes to have a child, it means that he will bear a son.Īn arrow in a dream also represents a messenger, profits, a son, longevity or new clothing. If one sees a woman shooting him with an arrow in a dream, it means that she is showing kindness toward him and consequently he may fall in love with her, or he may marry her. If one shoots an arrow but fails to hit his target in the dream, it means that he will send a messenger to do something and his messenger will fail to deliver. Shooting arrows in a dream means writing letters. Seeing an arrow outside its quiver, means failure to perform one’s duty or inability to deliver one’s message. Arrows in a dream also are an indicator or a guide. If a woman sees her husband’s arrows in their quiver in a dream, it means that her husband has turned away from her. The size of a quiver was dependent upon the type of bow used, the length of the arrows and how many arrows were required.In a dream, arrows mean messages, a messenger, writings, victory over one’s enemy.

#A few arrows short of a quiver meaning portable#

What is an Indian quiver?ĭescription and Definition of a Quiver: A Quiver is a portable sheath that contains arrows to be carried on the person. However, labor for the Lord, no matter how difficult and wearisome, will never be without meaning or value. The latter portion of our scripture states “your labour is not in vain.” Vain means empty acts that result in nothing, fruitless, pointless and having no purpose. The answer to workaholism To guard against workaholism, God commands His children to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy (Ex 16:23). What does the Bible say about workaholism? We found more than 1 answers for Quiver Of Arrows. The most likely answer for the clue is SHEAF. We can praise Him for He holds every aspect of our lives in His hands! What is a quiver of arrows called? No matter what we do or where we are, the Lord is the One who makes things come to pass. Psalm 127 is bound together by the overarching theme of God’s sovereignty. “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.”

#A few arrows short of a quiver meaning full#

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. What does the Bible say about a full quiver? It thus encourages procreation, abstaining from all forms of birth control (including natural family planning) and sterilization. Quiverfull is a theological position held by some conservative Christian couples who belong to Christian denominations that see large families as blessings from God. Arrow of God won the first ever Jock Campbell/New Statesman Prize for African writing. The phrase “Arrow of God” is drawn from an Igbo proverb in which a person, or sometimes an event, is said to represent the will of God.

#A few arrows short of a quiver meaning

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ddarker-dreams · 4 years

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A concept from a dream I had: Hisoka wants Chrollo's darling for himself and tries to steal her from him. Darling gets injured in the ensuing fight and has to get patched up afterwards by Machi. Then, a bit of fluff, darling seeks out Chrollo and hugs him for comfort because the whole thing has her a bit shaken. (Love your writing btw, it's super well written and captivating!)

Tunnel Vision. Yan Chrollo x Reader

Warnings: Implied amnesia. Word count: 2.2k. Note: thank you very much!! i made some minor changes, where darling is a member of the phantom troupe, and not yet aware of chrollo’s obsession. i hope you enjoy! i’ve had a lot of ideas for this specific darling with nen abilities and this idea seemed to fit her very well...

Sharp, pointed nails digging into your skin. The sickeningly sweet fragrance of bubblegum blended with metallic blood. Black dots obscuring your vision, the world growing further away with each miserable second. Through labored breathing, a tense dialogue is exchanged between both parties, the ringing from your ears making it impossible to know for sure what they’re saying. Falling in and out of consciousness, you pick up on a few phrases.

“Just admit it, you’re no worse than I am. Look what you did to the poor girl. ♥”

“Maybe so, but that’s inconsequential. Your judgment means nothing.”

...

“Ah… what… a shame, that I didn’t... get to play with her as much as you did--”

“Hmm… to think your voice has never bothered me this much until now. This should silence you permanently.”

“--So you shouldn’t move around much until it fully heals,” Machi instructs, her voice clear and direct. At your lack of immediate response, she frowns, snapping her fingers to pull you from your trance-like state. “Oi, [First]. Are you even listening?��

You blink, her voice cutting through your clouded mind like a knife. “My bad, I wasn’t paying attention.”

Machi sighs and places a hand on her hip. Sapphire eyes glance over your person, not even bothering to hide her intentions, stopping every time she reaches your healed wounds. Even though your inebriated state, you can tell she’s deep in thought. You doubt she’d tell you what’s on her mind if you asked. So you sit there in silence, politely waiting for her to repeat what you missed.

“I could tell. Just take it easy, you’re going to need a few days of rest.” Machi walks to her bag, rustling through its contents. She picks up a bottle of pills and places it on your nightstand. The same medicine that she had given you before treatment, to dull the pain. You fight back the urge to smile at the small gesture. Had you been any other customer of Machi’s, she would’ve left by now without a word, indifferent to your condition. Despite your best efforts, she catches onto your softened expression and clicks her tongue.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she deadpans, shooting you a glare. You give an apologetic smile. “Take one a day until it’s gone.”

“Thank you, Machi. I appreciate it.”

“As you should,” Machi throws her bag over her shoulder and goes to the door. Before she can turn the nob, she turns back at you. “I forgot to mention, but you have a visitor. The boss has been waiting here since he brought you in.”

An unknown emotion stirs in the depths of your soul. Any playful retaliation you had for Machi’s previous comment dies on your tongue, your eyebrows furrowing. Why do you feel troubled by this revelation? You fight back the anxiety that bubbles up in your stomach. There’s no time to linger on this newfound unease, as Chrollo enters the room after exchanging pleasantries with Machi. Despite your efforts to suppress your discomfort, your body does as it pleases, heart palpitating and throat feeling tight.

He shuts the door behind him quietly and leans against the wall.

Chrollo Lucilfer. You consider your relationship to be a strictly professional one -- maybe a touch of reverence on your behalf -- never feeling as friendly with him as with the other members. He stands before you now in casual attire. Jet black hair frames his face, loose and fine, proudly showcasing the unusual tattoo on his forehead. It’s strange to see him without his trademark leather coat. Instead, he wears jeans and a navy blue undershirt. Immediately, you pick up on the bloodstains on his shirt, assuming he had shed his coat before coming in.

He smiles at your staring, not commenting as you glance away. “How are you feeling?”

“The medicine hasn’t worn off, so not too bad,” you struggle to exhale, your breathing ragged. Why does it feel so warm in here all of a sudden? “Machi told me you, uh, carried me here. Thank you. I’m sorry about your shirt… I’ll buy you a replacement.”

Chrollo puts a hand up to stop you. “There’s no need.”

Being one on one with your mysterious boss is as awkward as you imagined it would be. You still don’t know why he’s here. In between jobs, Chrollo would disappear into thin air, untraceable until calling the Troupe back together. So him being the one to find you on the verge of death hasn’t made sense. Machi gave noncommittal answers whenever you brought this up or told you to ask him yourself. Which you intended to at the time, but now that you’re in his intimidating presence, the words die on your tongue before they can begin.

He pushes himself off the wall and sits on the edge of your bed. The proximity feels strangely intimate, your face flushing at how familiar the act seems to him. Chrollo’s close enough now where you can pick up on his rich cologne. Dry wood with hints of leather. The scent increases your heart rate, anxiety at a new peak. You bite your lip and ball your hands into a fist to try and cope with the all-encompassing unease. To appear weak in front of him would be an insult to your tattered pride.

“Machi informed me about your memory,” Chrollo leans forward as if to inspect you. Grey eyes bore deep into your soul, searching for something. “She said you thought it was July when you regained consciousness.”

You swallow thickly at his questioning. How humiliating is this? Whatever it was that had happened to injure you already felt degrading enough. your pride as a competent Nen user in shambles. The most plausible explanation is that Chrollo discovered you after you had lost a fight, but the remaining details are fuzzy at best. Theorizing is all you can do. The unexplained amnesia is frustrating, but it’s only a few months, so you figure it could’ve been worse.

“That’s correct.”

Chrollo closes his eyes, as if in deep reflection. “So that’s how it is. I’m sorry to disturb you while you’re trying to recover, but can I ask a few questions?”

“Ah, of course. I’m sorry if I’m forgetting something important…”

This catches his attention, his posture tensing ever so slightly. You notice how his jaw tightens and assume your guess was correct. Your desire for answers on these missing four months strengthens and you feel hopeful that Chrollo holds some of the answers. It’s frustrating how both Machi and Chrollo seem to know more than you do but are refusing to give solid answers. Maybe they’re being considerate of your health? You’re not so fragile that you need to be coddled by your fellow Troupe members.

Chrollo looks down at you through thick eyelashes. “Do you think that you are?”

“I… I think so, yes.”

He sits silently for a moment, running a hand through his hair and giving a bittersweet smile. “We’re in a relationship.”

Wait, what? This would explain why Chrollo was with you at a time when the Troupe wasn’t gathered and his casual demeanor. Your expression must not be as schooled as you intended, as he gives a humorless chuckle to your wide eyes and parted lips. You… were in a relationship with The Phantom Troupe’s boss? Your boss? When did that happen? How did that happen? Did the others know? Ah, the teasing that would come with that. It’s not that you don’t find him attractive, your eyes work just fine, but the revelation still takes you back. Cheeks burning, you break eye contact and play with your hair. Feeling overwhelmingly self-conscious, you pull your blanket up further to cover your bare shoulders.

“There’s no need to be so embarrassed, [First],” Chrollo chastises with a playful tilt of his head. “I’ve seen all of it many times before.”

He’s not making this easier on you. You’re desperate to move on from the subject and decide to bring up another troublesome topic. Though you have an idea of what the answer will be, you’d still prefer that he’d confirm it for peace of mind.

“I was wondering, boss--” you cut yourself off with an apologetic smile when he furrows his eyebrows, “--I mean, Chrollo, about my Hatsu. I can tell I don’t have it now. Are you ‘borrowing’ it?”

There’s no other plausible explanation. In what other scenarios would you lose a fight that horrendously? You can’t picture anything else, your abilities have been enough to earn you Chrollo’s recognition and subsequent invitation to the Troupe years ago. It’s not uncommon that your boss will ask to borrow other Troupe member’s abilities. Sometime during the months that you’ve forgotten, this must’ve happened, or so you assume.

Chrollo nods his head. “I am, yes. Why do you ask? Would you like it back?”

“It does feel like a part of me is missing,” you admit sheepishly, scratching your cheek. “So, if it isn’t too much trouble…”

“I had to delay the job I borrowed it for due to what happened to you. Is it alright if I hold onto it for just a bit longer?” He’s moving even closer to you now than before. The bed shifts underneath his weight, Chrollo delicately taking your face into his hands. Your mind has trouble scrounging together a comprehensible response. How can you focus when the pads of his thumbs rub soothing circles against your cheek, his deep eyes hypnotizing. You swallow thickly when his pointer finger drags slowly against your bottom lip. Chrollo told you that you’re together, you remind yourself, assuming he has just missed touching you. It’s impossible to not notice the hungry gleam in his eyes.

“Oh, well, in that case, it’s fine.” You only manage to relax when he pulls away from you, content with your response. This has been a draining series of events. Chrollo’s one-sided familiarity isn’t easy to keep up with, you still view him as your boss and he views you as a lover. Sensing your apprehension, he takes your hand in his and places it over your pounding heart.

“Do you feel this?” He hums, to which you nod, speechless at the bold action. “Even if you don’t remember your love for me, your body hasn’t forgotten a thing from our time together.”

Is that what this feeling is? Love? You want to trust him, to take his word for it, but something still doesn’t feel right. Chrollo’s presence has kept you on edge ever since he entered your room. Even now, your skin is covered in goosebumps, hair standing on the back of your neck. What else are you forgetting? This is the question that reverberates in your mind, threatening to consume you entirely. Softly, as not to offend him, you take his hand off you. Chrollo’s expression is unreadable as you do so.

“I’m sorry, Chrollo, I’m just not sure I’m ready for... this yet.” You admit in truth, guilt washing over you at how his flirtatious demeanor changes to a calculating one. This is the version of Chrollo that you’re most familiar with. Your mysterious boss, who coldly issues orders and relishes in thrill of thievery, someone not as personal as he’s been acting like. Chrollo moves back and you’re grateful for the room to gather your bearings.

“Of course,” his aloof tone sends shivers down your spine, a distant gleam in his eyes. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have every intention of watching over you until you recover. It wouldn’t sit well with me otherwise.”

Chrollo motions to your closet door, which is slightly ajar. Inside you recognize some of his clothes that are hanging next to yours. “And I do live here, but I’ll sleep on the couch for tonight. How does that sound?”

So the two of you were so close that you had invited him to move in? How fast was this relationship going, anyway? It doesn’t feel like you to get that intimate with someone else in such a short time. The way Chrollo phrased it makes it sound like you used to sleep in the same bed too, how embarrassing… God, his comments are going to be the end of you. You need time to think. To let all this information that’s been thrust onto you sink in.

“If it’s not too much for an inconvenience. I feel awful… about forgetting as much as I have. Machi said she didn’t see any notable head injuries, so I can only assume it was a Nen ability.”

“That could be it,” Chrollo responds more flippantly than you expected, standing from your bed. You thought he’d be eager to explore the avenues of returning your memory. Maybe it’s too painful to think about? “You haven’t eaten since this morning, so I’ll get us some dinner. Keep resting up.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry for all this trouble.”

Chrollo waves away your apology without concern. He does, however, acknowledge you before leaving your shared bedroom. There’s a smile on his face that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. You hope you’re imagining it.

“By the way, [First]... I want you to know this. I’ll have you fall in love with me again. That’s a promise.”

Then he’s gone without another word.

#chrollo x reader #chrollo imagine #chrollo lucilfer imagine #chrollo #chrollo lucilfer #yandere chrollo #yandere chrollo x reader #yandere chrollo lucilfer #yandere chrollo imagine #hxh #hxh x reader #yandere hxh x reader #elannia #yandere #yandere x reader #hxh imagines #my stuff #answered

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blog-jei6x · 3 years

Text

How start to love favoritism and get redemption arc in LO.

So i want to talk about Underworld work, especially how much there prospers favoritism. There is you can read post why favoritism is bad

link

as in this post i started to interest in it after discussion between Daphne and Thanatos, but after i started reread LO i have seen how much Thanatos was right, but his position was shamed by everyone, by"good" characters, by audience, even Author have shown it as something wrong, and only he strated to love Persephone and thought that special attitude to her is fine, he became good person and start his redemtion arc.

i don't want to talk about how unbalanced this relationship is (I saw many posts about it and i have nothing to add), i am more interested how it influences on other co-workers.

Favoritism in underworld or maybe on Olymp seems to be something normal, because Hera given this work for Persephone for to get closer with Hades (it was hinted very clear), although they had antoher opotuinities for this, with their finances and love for Savor they could do Dinner party, ball, party etc where Persephone and Hades could know each other better. Why was love affair at work best variant for it? I sincerely have no idea.

Wherein Persephone said that she isn't enough skilled for this work, so someone enough skilled doesnt get this position, because Hera want to make couple from Persephone and Hades.

i would be fine if Persephone try hard for this job, yes, some characters said that she is smart, but I didn't see her labor and striving, i dont feel like she deserve this position, her only merit on that moment was beuty, it s not enogh i think, btw to be nice and kind too. As they say in my country "a good person is not a profession".

Let's look on Underworld's bosses.

in story RS tried to show as Hades is hard worker, he preferred work to relationship, he thinks about work even in strip club and many characters said that he is so. But his behavior shows him absolutly from another side.

to my mind he and Hecata busy only his personal life. With Minthe and after with Parsephone.

as soon as Hades knew that Persephone in Underworld he left everything and flew to save her, very romantic, isn't it? but let's think a bit: Persephone came in dangerous closed facility (btw where their security system?) and made accident, it like someone broke in secret laboratory and start the fire, even if it accidentally it s not something that would be left without responsibility.

Someone can said: it's not her fault, it reptile Minthe! I partially agree with it (only partially) but it s truth for audience not for Hades, he didnt know it. For him it should be random person which got into forbidden place and acted badly there.

Hades reaction: he started to regret her, to apologize, to go everywhere with her, What the Hell was going on? oh yes and another co-workers had to look for Persephone`s brooch and cloak, so they had to left their their direct responsibilities, because somebody coulndt go away after she understood that this place is dangerous, she could wait after door of Tower 4 or befor Hades cabinet, she wouldnt lost anything in this way. But Persephone is sooo smart, isnt she, Hera?

btw very considerable moment Thanatos started to worried about his work when he knew that Persephone is liked by Hades, because he entered in train before her, does it mean that Hades not only choose favorites but shamed co-workers which dont like this favorites? we will see that yes he do it.

Another situation is presentation Persephone, oh i feel your cringe Minthe, i were in similar situation, my past boss forced our team to congratulate his girlfriend with birthday, should i say that we even didnt know her? it was so awkward. when i read this part of story i feel the same cringe as in that day. Yeah this boss was kinda terrible, mb he didn't like me because i am not enough beauty for him? i have this feeling after LO reading.

First working day of Persephone is just quintessence of favoritism. initially Hecate went with her everywhere, after - Hades started to do it, they even changed his schedule and yeah i find indignation of Minthe and Thanatos (i dont care about their motives now) very reasonable and Hecates arguments were just silly. Why he should work with someone unqualified? and why boss dont have better business than to take an excursion on Underworld with new intern?

Hecate arguments is annoying, he cant said that she is unskilled (she is really so) because he eaten her baklava? great. Why they need to apologize for Persephone stupidity? Tell me someone pls, it s to hard for my mind. And yeah it's not school prom, mb Hades will start to work and stop flirting with new intern?

Oh i start to hate her, how she can be one of the favorite character by audience. Can she just be honest? Persephone is here and everyone go around her because Hades find her attractive.

Another favoritism example it is Persephone salary, Author could not accentuate that trainee dont get salary in Underworld, and it would be fine, okay she get receive income now but no, Persephone should be special and other interns aren't so special, it would okay if she would work in office some time and she would be so hard worker that leadership would want to prize her for it. But she is just special, just because she is attractive for Hades.

In chapter 88 Persephone confessed that she flirt with Hades, but she dont want special treatment, but she embarrassed only by business card, not salary, not that everyone worry about her. It shown as joke, oh ha-ha how naive Persephone, for me it looks not like joke, more like mockery for people who work hard and don't have such prizes, because they are not attractive for their bosses.

And in this chapter Hades left his working place and gone to decide Persephone's problems, problems other workers don't matter, but Hecata asked nice question.

i think no, how Hade's corporation are still active and success with such directors?

but actually no, looks like Thanatos and Minthe are still try to do some job, because only they could teach Persephone how to work with computer program (why is not Hermes? he works in the same position as Thanatos does it mean that he doesn't understand in this work anything because she even did not ask him?) and I on Thanatos side in this, why he should spend his time for her? (He already has trouble that he works worse than Hermes) and btw he tried to work, did not fawn for boss favorite, so he tried to make his work better in honest way.

And maybe she will try to read user guide? if she learned how to rule car from reading what is problem to do the same with computer program? and doesn't waste time of another workers.

Anyway It's strange that people which try to work are not fire yet. Because another worker who tried to do her work right was almost fired, because princess don't know her ID. Whose fault is it? Again for Persephone's fault another worker had trouble, and why is shown as humor again? why pain and fear are funny here, and it's unfunny where Gestia acted with Persephone in similar way. I think if it s funny it should be funny with everyone not only with defenseless and weak workers which isnt boss favorite.

and of course hades gone to bank with their interns, because what else he could do on the work? pffffff

the only time where Hades reaction looks adequate at the start at least, it accident where Persephone given coins to souls which made riot because of it and again with it should deal other workers. everything what happened with Persephone that Hades was a bit angry and after they kissed, she transformation in butterflies, he forget about this accident and started to search what transformation means.

I thought it makes no sense to compare relationship Hades/Persephone and he\his other workers. For everything that she done any other worker would be fired, beaten, killed or something.

this leitmotif in LO if you like Persephone you are nice, if you don't - go to hell. Thanatos redemption start from his liking Persephone and think that Favoritism is fine.

Why it should care other workers and Thanatos especially? because they have trouble because of her, she tried to waste their time, and some great hard worker dont get any prize, where she get prize only for flirting with boss. their boss became unproductive and don't care about them, he think only about his sweet princess.

So go away Daphne, pls. You are such smart as Persephone.

Btw Thanatos is gathering souls, and Hermes falsified counts of souls because of Persephone, i am not sure about that but looks like Hermes productivity were such great because of this falsification, so if it is so, he can hate her with pure conscience, because he was blamed that he is lazy and bad worker and didnt get increase in salary.

So okay, i think Favoritism can be in fiction, but not how it was shown in LO, as something unequivocally positive and romantic, and Thanatos opinion was unequivocally shamed, everything it can work with grey moral story and such type of characters, someone can say: in LO characters are "grey", maybe, for me they are much worse than grey, but in story they dont show as grey, grey moral story it s when you can like any character and dont be in others eyes "misogynic" or no one will say to you "dont sit right with me" because of it, and another phrases which get person who prefered unpopular LO characters.

Oh what a huge post, thank you if someone read it to the end)

#anti lore olympus #anti lo #lore olympus critical #lo critical #lo spoilers

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emiruem · 3 years

Text

I was telling this hitsukarin AU to Abby, but then I realized that it seemed to have become just a mountain of text, although at the beginning I was just explaining the concept. I'm not a writer and I have big problems with language, but I wanted to tell this story ahhabahahah.

An adult Karin, who became a member of the women's football team of the Japanese national team, therefore, often tours to different countries.

She hadn't seen Toshiro since high school, when he helped her protect the city from the empty ones when Ichigo lost his strength. She was in love with him ( but of course they both never realized that their feelings were mutual)

After Toshiro left, then she decided that she would forget these feelings and move on with her life. Then she started dating one of her childhood friends, they studied together and he was in love with her for a long time too.... they had a long relationship

One day during the football cup, which was held in Korea, Karin realizes that she is pregnant with her boyfriend's child. For this reason, she decides to skip the season and return to Karakura.

At the same time, General Shunsui decides that it is time for the soul society to change in order to lag so far behind the human world, but for now this is only his initiative and he needs to discuss a lot of things with the council 46 later, so he sends captains who have lived in the human world for some time ( captains-vayzards and Toshiro) to prepare reports on the human world, which will allow the general to convince the council 46.

Karin returns to Karakura and when she comes home, she realizes that her boyfriend is cheating on her with some other girl while she is away for work.

and...karin is hysterical from the fact that the person with whom she lived for so long betrayed her, and she is also pregnant from him and does not know what to do, she has already told yuzu about the pregnancy and is already afraid that ichigo and her father will think about all this. She has nowhere to go because she absolutely will not return to this guy in their shared apartment so she returns to the kurosaki house where there is no one.

Ishshin went to Naruki for a medical samet, Yuzu lives with Jzinta in another place and Karin does not want to bother them, Ichigo and Rukia are now in the soul society.She simply locks herself in "her former room" and succumbs to hysteria and apathy.

Her ex-boyfriend calls her constantly, but she does not receive these calls because she does not want to hear anything from him.

She hears the doorbell ring and thinks that most likely it was he who came. Therefore, she loudly shouts "get out, I'm even sick of seeing your face" through the door.

In response, she hears Toshiro's voice: "I knew that so much time had passed and you wouldn't want to see me"

she is surprised to understand who exactly came.... in even greater hysteria, she slowly opens the door looks into toshiro's face, not understanding what is happening at all

He sees her and understands that everything in her life is "WELL, NOT OKAY AT ALL" his feelings, which have only grown and grown so much over the years that he came to see her right after he received his gigai, were greatly inflamed in his chest from anger at something that caused her such obvious mental harm.

She let him into the house because she just couldn't do it any other way. she told him well, in general, everything that happened because she just couldn't do it any other way. She needed to tell at least someone this, he just listened to her and she knew that he would not condemn her for her situation and story.

She end with the questions " what should I do now, Toshiro ? This child, what should I do with him?

* a moment of emotional tension*

Toshiro comes up to her and hugs her , he says that since he is here now, he can't leave it as it is, he will help her in everything that will be in his power.

He almost says, " I can stay and be close to you and this child". He already loves Karin and knows that he will love the child that will be born to her. In addition, his mission is very long and he can afford to stay close to her for at least the next 10 years in the most difficult period. Of course he has nothing in this world and he will have to try very hard to have a child and take care of Karin.

Karin understands exactly what Toshiro means and cannot reject him... she is afraid of being left alone and losing her first love again, his embrace is warm and his presence really gives her confidence that everything will be fine with her and her child.

Toshiro calms Karin and gives her a sense of security and tenderness that she has been missing for a long time in past relationships.

She is already beginning to believe that she will live quite happily with Toshiro , who told her about his mission and completely showed his true feelings for her.

That guy also appears soon, but Toshiro will send him away with the phrase " you are not worthy of being the father of the child that Karin will give birth to"

it even comes to a fight....but what is the point of a person fighting with a trained shinigami and everything is fine BUT

one day, Toshiro wakes up in their already new rented apartment from a scream

Karin, screaming in pain, wakes him up and says that she urgently needs a doctor, Toshiro is horrified to see blood flowing down her legs. Terrified, he still calls an ambulance and tries to use therapeutic kido to help Karin

Karin still loses consciousness and is admitted to the Isida's hospital. Genicologists and obstetricians diagnose "miscarriage provoked by a strong nervous and hormonal breakdown" while there was also a " threat of death of a woman in labor"

Toshiro can only wait at the intensive care unit with a stony face, but internally realizing that now most likely there is going on in horror that now he can lose both Karin and their child, he just sits silently completely in shock

Abby s point:(totes unrelated note but what if she dies but he can't go back to soul society because of his mission, by the time he goes back to ss, she's already with family, without any memory of her living days anyway )

He no longer even believes that everything will end well, because he is primarily a shinigami and understands when people are on the edge of life and death.

When the operation was just over and Karin was still unconscious. The obstetrician recognized Toshiro as the father of the child and laid out all the information about the condition of Karin and her fetus to him

Toshiro, who no longer hoped for anything at all, realized that the worst had happened on the face of the obstetrician. Therefore when he was informed that Karin was still alive his eyes were already ready to shed a few tears of happiness

but this was replaced by frustration when the obstetrician said about the death of the fetus. The doctors reassured him saying that judging by the tests and Karin's general condition, she will be able to have children later when her body recovers

but toshiro silently realized what a blow it would be for Karin who found it difficult to love this child and as soon as she love him she immediately lost him

the obstetricians told him to issue documents for Karin's admission to the ward and he was not there when she woke up and the doctor told her about what had happened to her

Karin felt only pain and fear for the child even more than for her own life, but when she woke up, it became a little easier for her in the hospital. She felt tired and empty. Obstetricians reported that it was not possible to save the fetus Later, doctors will say that Karin was very lucky, cuz her body was always trained and always led a healthy lifestyle.

she realizes that she has lost her child and this leads her to complete emotional burnout. When Toshiro walks into her hospital room and sees her awake, she slowly turns her head in his direction and says softly: "I lost him"

"Yes, I know, and I'm sorry I was completely useless," Toshiro takes her hand,his facial expression twists and he looks away.

Karin does not react in any way she looks into empty space

......

Toshiro understands that she will need a lot of time, so he decides that he will give her as much as he can give and he will not leave her as long as he can be near in this world.

#hitsukarin #bleach #toshiro hitsugaya #kurosaki karin #hitsugaya toushirou #sorry i'm not a writer #maybe someday I will draw something on this au #ahahahahahahah

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cordonian-literature · 3 years

Text

Forever Mine

chapter three

❦ summary — The time for Princess Riley to step into her role as queen fast approaches and finding the future king is Cordonia’s top priority. Commander Liam is aware of that, and has plans to make sure the princess ends up with someone suitable.

➺ chapter warnings: none

❦ catch up here!

➺ word count: (+/-) 2081

*all characters belong to Pixelberry, except those unique to my story*

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

The waves crashing and the fresh breeze brings life into Commander Liam’s step, who walks towards the beach with the King to his left. Constantine continues talking about his favorite parts of the Regatta, though Liam doesn’t care much to listen.

The Commander had been cooped up in his office for the past three days straight. He fell asleep and woke up in the same position in his chair, and whenever the King needed to speak with him, Constantine simply marched into the room himself.

He hadn’t seen a single glimpse of the princess since the picnic. Even now, Liam still hadn’t spotted her. He understood that she needed to give her attention to her suitors, but he became increasingly confused as to why he hadn’t put himself up to be one as well.

No matter how much he wanted to fling himself in front of Riley and be at her mercy, he knew it was no use: it was too late for him to become a suitor. And, more importantly, it wasn’t smart for Liam to put himself in such a vulnerable position.

Constantine’s words fall on Liam’s deaf ears, but the King goes on and on, not noticing that the Commander wasn’t paying attention. Only when Constantine walks away to announce the beginning of the races does Liam focus on him. As Constantine makes a few strides towards the front of the crowd, Riley appears next to him.

While Constantine speaks about the war and loyalty and Riley, the Princess’s eyes reach the Commander. Once Liam smiles at her, she pushes her shoulders further back, and her smile widens.

Months ago, after Leo had abdicated and Liam tried to teach Riley what he could, the princess had been reluctant to accept the role. She had even approached Liam with a request to tell her father to not announce Leo’s abdication. She wanted to draw it out, maybe wait until Leo had heirs that could take the throne and the crown could skip over the pair of siblings.

Her anxiety had overtaken her. Liam had been the one to witness the worst of it: the labored breathing and heavy tears and incomprehensible phrases. She had cried and asked him to leave her room, and though he had wanted to embrace her, he walked away.

But the next day, Liam urged her to continue her lessons. When she refused, he asked her what she was afraid of. He put it in his mind that whatever words she would utter he would make disappear from this world.

With her hands shaking, Riley had explained to him that ever since she was a child she had done absolutely nothing in the public light. During any event, Riley would only be allowed to stay long enough for the press to take pictures and for her to smile at important persons before she was led back to her room in the palace.

Liam knows her words are true, and from the bottom of his heart, he pities her. The poor girl had never expected to have so much responsibility on her shoulders. She had most likely come to terms with the fact that she would never have any political significance and was just meant to be a pretty pawn at a man’s side.

That day, which had been months ago, he had gently urged her to stand and told her that the people loved her and that there was nothing she could do wrong to upset them.

Most of the things he had told her were lies, but they had quelled her anxiety thoroughly. With every concern she had, Liam had a better plan as to how she would rise above it.

Now, while she stands next to her father as Neville’s, Rashad’s, and Prince Alexander’s boats launch themselves into the race, Liam’s heart swells as Riley begins to walk towards him.

Her angelic voice rings out, “I haven’t seen you in days! I’ve missed y—”

“RileyRileyRiley!” Maxwell cries, running up to the pair.

“Maxwell, what—”

“I’m really hungry right now and I’m smelling something fantastic from Zeke’s boat,” he says. “Please come investigate with me?”

“No!” she cries.

“Please?” Maxwell asks again before Riley can continue her sentence.

“It would be better for the two of you to join Lord Michael’s party on his boat,” Liam advises, though internally he hopes Maxwell will run off so he can get another moment alone with Riley.

“But—” Maxwell whines.

“Go see what Lord Michael is serving his guests, and I’ll try and figure out what Zeke has on his boat,” Riley proposes.

“Oh, and we can ask for samples!” Maxwell cries. “But remember, Riley, don’t be shy just take the whole tray. Say you’re about to pass out from hunger or something. They won’t risk the princess’s health!”

“Perfect, Lord Maxwell,” Liam pats Maxwell’s shoulder a bit harder than he meant to. “Now go along, the princess will catch up.”

Focused on food, Maxwell runs off, leaving Riley and Liam alone.

Riley’s giggle fills the air around Liam. He tries to come up with a joke to prolong her laughing, but before he can say anything she speaks.

“I should go talk to the press with my father.”

Liam nods. “Yes, that would be a good idea.”

“What should I say if they ask me about the war? Or about Prince Alexander?”

“Say that Cordonia’s generosity is greater than her selfishness, as the Regatta symbolizes. We didn’t choose conflict, we were forced into it.”

“Okay, that...” she pauses and frowns, causing an adorable wrinkle to appear on her forehead, “that makes sense. And what about Alex?”

“Prince Alexander,” Liam reminds her. He didn’t mean to be forceful, but her shoulders jerk up.

“Sorry, sorry! I just...”

“No worries,” he comforts her. Liam maintains a stoic expression, but his insides boil as he wonders how many affectionate nicknames she’s given people. Did Riley have a nickname for Liam?

“I...” Riley stutters again.

“Deep breaths,” he tells her, noticing her face becoming pale. She obeys his command, and once she’s calm again he continues. “Tell them that you and the prince are still getting to know each other. It’s true, and doesn’t make it seem as if you favor him.”

“Alright.” She nods at him confidently, looking towards the reporters still talking to her father. Liam thinks she’s about to walk off, but her eyes meet his again.

“I... will be in the library later tonight,” she states. “If it’s not too much to ask, will you meet me there? Shortly after midnight.”

“Why so late?” Liam asks, his curiosity peaked.

“I don’t want anyone to speculate, you see.”

Liam is partly glad at her responsible outlook, but is intrigued at the fact that she thinks people might believe she holds affections towards him. Is she truly just worried about how people would view her, or was she trying to hide her feelings as well? Was this her way of voicing her feelings?

Before the silence becomes frighteningly long, Liam pulls himself out of his thoughts. He reminds himself that this is her social season. It’s too late for anything to happen between them.

“Of course,” he tells her, lifting her soft hands to his lips, stopping himself from kissing her wrist.

“Wonderful,” she says, a slight blush appearing on her face as she walks away.

...

After the three suitors and their boats returned to the harbor and Lord Neville’s victory was announced, the short man made a beeline towards Riley, allowing her to compliment him.

From the sidelines, Liam wondered where this man’s confidence came from, and more importantly, how to get rid of it. He watched as Neville brought Riley into his boat for the party and kept her at his side while speaking to other nobles. Riley never made a move that showed she wanted to walk away from him, but the one time her eyes met the Commander’s, Liam understood what he had to do.

He didn’t stay for the beach party, even though Lord Maxwell lightly urged him to. Instead, Liam went back to the palace and straight into his office, where his right-hand-woman was waiting for him.

Zoe Zacharias, a talented and highly intelligent soldier that Liam had trained with. She was not prepared for the role of Commander as her strategic skill wasn’t as sharp as Liam’s, which is why she was not chosen by the King. But once she began working under the new Commander, Liam saw her improve and knew that she would be a perfect successor to him, God forbid his death were to come earlier than expected.

What was even better was the fact that she listened and went through with every one of Liam’s commands without question or hesitation.

“Commander!” Zoe salutes as Liam walks into the office.

Without batting an eyelash, Liam tells her to look into Neville’s background and history.

Zoe nods, a slight smirk on her face. “Need to find a weak point, sir?”

Liam grins. She caught on quickly. “Before midnight, if you can.”

“Yes, sir.”

Liam leaves to prepare for dinner, keeping his meeting with Riley at the back of his mind at all times.

At the dinner table, when he notices Neville sitting next to Riley and comfortably talking to her, Liam averts his gaze and hopes that Zoe has found something.

Thankfully, only an hour before midnight, Zoe enters Liam’s office with a report. Reading over it, the Commander’s shoulders relax. Leaning back in his chair he takes out a pen and a piece of paper to start writing a letter.

…

“Highness?” Liam’s voice echos along with the sound of his boots, reaching Riley. She lay on a pile of blankets in front of the fire, a small basket of food next to her.

“I thought we agreed that you would not call me that anymore.” She pats the space next to her, and that’s all it takes to summon Liam to her side.

He sits on the blankets with her, allowing his fingers to brush against her ankles and over the thin material of her dress. Liam glances up, seeing that Riley’s face was impassive. He allows himself to smile at the seemingly empty way she gazes at him, knowing what type of game she is playing.

Liam notices assortments of bread in the basket. “Will some bread lighten your mood, princess?”

Ripping a piece of bread from the loaf, Liam holds it out to her for half a second. When she doesn’t move to take the piece, he gently presses the soft bread against her lips, and her face becomes softer.

The glow of the fire lets the tiredness in her eyes shine through; Liam saw every uncomfortable emotion in her changed expression, and brought his forehead closer to her’s.

She was overwhelmed, he knew. She couldn’t muster the energy needed for these events. Liam’s pity for her runs deeper. Just an hour ago he had read an article written by the same reporters who had asked the King and Princess questions during the Regatta. They criticised the way she executed her answers and made false assumptions about her personality that made Liam’s heart ache.

The social season had so far only brought Riley pain, and Liam’s anger at the King increases. The old man was foolish, selfish. What was the use of protecting his daughter from a world he would later push her into?

Liam burrows his head against the crook of Riley’s neck, his heart calm when she asks if they can stay that way for a while.

But after a few seconds, Liam moves away from her. “It’s late, princess.”

She sighs and stands. “You’re right.”

Liam collects the basket and the blankets, putting them to the side where the servants could take it away. He takes her hand and softly kisses her knuckles, hoping to prolong the moment of quiet peace. But Riley takes her hand out of his grasp and gently rests it on Liam’s shoulder, then leaning forward to land a soft kiss on his cheek.

Liam’s expression doesn’t falter, but he waits for her face to come into view. He wants to view her kind eyes and loving expression before the stressful night ahead. But Riley turns her head quickly and leaves the room.

Minutes later, Liam leaves, too. As he makes his way back to his office, he hopes that Zoe has already delivered the letter.

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

a/n: i know this is probably crap, and i know i havent updated in more than a month and im crazy sorry for that - life stuff got in the way and i wasn’t doing so well mentally either. but!! my mojo for writing is back!!! hopefully it stays lol

also, i understand my lack of updates was probably annoying, so please let me know if you want to be added/removed from the tags!! no hard feelings!

@twinkleallnight @gkittylove99 @sweatyrysconnoisseur @kingliam2019 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @queenrileyrose @royalromancer @princess-geek @mom2000aggie @zoehanji @claireloutoo

#choices fanfic #trr fanfic #liam x riley #trr au fanfic #the royal romance #the royal romance fanfic #evil liam #liam rys #trr laim #trr riley #riley brooks #sorry for being gone for forever lol

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shacklesburst · 3 years

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So I’ve been reading the exploratory talk notes the likely incoming coalition has put out and to be honest ... yeah, sure, it’s a lot of blah blah and nothing more than a declaration of intent in the widest sense, but I’m cautiously optimistic it’s gonna go kinda okay? Some of what’s caught my eye so far:

Ending the “EEG” apportionment, an extra tax (de facto, not de iure) on electricity that’s supposed to be used for renewables development (lol, sure); takes up about 20-30% of kWh pricing rn that is then additionally taxed at 19% VAT.

Changes to LABOR LAW??? More specifically making more flexible working hours available? I can’t believe living in a time where that’s even on the table.

The specific phrasing around the Bürgergeld makes it sound kinda like a UBI? Testing out UBIs has been on the FDP’s manifest for years now (and they call it specifically that), but unsure whether they’re gonna get anywhere with this. You probably couldn’t make the whole Hartz IV debacle worse if you tried, so ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Fucking Green’s and SPD’s all-day school focus. I mean, sure, give all the kids a place to be in if they can’t or don’t want to go home but for the love of all that’s true don’t make it actual school in the afternoon.

Children’s rights in the Basic Law. Hopefully they’ll get to it this time.

Better data availability for innovative startups?? What does that mean? I hope they’re talking about like, public data.

Easier immigration, easier naturalization, also for asylum seekers.

Paying lip service to the police and how great they are. Let’s hope it’s nothing more than that. As for that ...

... re-evaluating the totality of powers and authorities the security/intelligence apparatus has amassed over time and revising the whole complex. A noble goal and I wish them the best of luck with that. Hopefully nobody gets assassinated. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Revising family law making it possible to build a “Verantwortungsgemeinschaft” (i.e. legally recognized found family of two or more people of any sex, with same rights and responsibilities as marriage, including adoption).

Revision of the trans law, probably making it easier to legally change sex, but they don’t go into detail.

Voting age of 16.

No new or higher taxes. *cough* sure.

Dial down coal subsidies.

Foreign policy: Germany as stable and consistent part of the EU, probably in an envisioned primus inter pares role, together with even more integration and (maybe) European army.

Foreign policy: deeper integration of European railway systems and power infrastructure.

#politics #germany #mine

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wonjaekook · 3 years

Text

beneath the daylight moon

CHAPTER 3.

Read Chapter 2 here!

“Why do we sometimes see the moon, even during the daytime?”

Jaehyun didn’t know, nor did he care to notice that such a thing existed; it was a mystery to him, but you were a bigger enigma.

Jaehyun lowered his phone from his ear, nearly dropping it as he stared at the man opposite him. You and Jaehyun both spoke up at the same time, two voices raised in unison to ask the same thing. A name, which in this case served as a question of its own.

“Johnny?”

It took Jaehyun a moment to process that you had just said his best friend’s name and he had to muster all the self-control that he could manage to not to turn and look at you in shock. Instead, he swallowed hard, continuing to stare at Johnny. He rose from the bench slowly, but quickly hurried over, a short laugh leaving his throat as he embraced him.

“When you asked for my address, I thought you were going to send me a package or something,” Jaehyun said through a grin, giving his friend a solid smack on the shoulder as they part, “not this.”

“Getting into the building was the hard part. I could’ve just gotten your address from Mark. Thankfully, your grandma was home to buzz me in. I think she loves me already.” Johnny’s familiar grin was like a piece of home. One would think that Jaehyun had gotten used to moving around, as he’d done so his entire life, but being in a new place was always somewhat strange. It was nice to see his friend again.

“Of course she does,” he said, unable to hide the happiness in his voice. “Are you here for business or for pleasure, then?”

“Why not both?” As Johnny started to talk more, Jaehyun remembered you. He did his best to resist looking over his shoulder at the place where he left you, but shifted on his feet impatiently as time went on. “...so, I hope your weekend is free so we can check the place out.”

Jaehyun nodded somewhat absentmindedly. “Yeah, sure, I’m free.”

“Since I’m here, do you want to do something now? Unless I interrupted you here?” Johnny’s eyes were warm, a soft caramel brown that shined with obliviousness.

“I can finish this up tomorrow afternoon.” He said it loudly enough that he hoped you heard. Though he didn’t leave off with much more to say to you, he felt like the conversation wasn’t even close to over. That’s how it always goes with you - something left unsaid, unfinished. One of the two of you always has to leave and, this time, it’s him. “I’ll make you something good for dinner as a welcome back meal.”

“I thought you’d never offer.” Johnny turned back towards the entrance to the roof, then stopped a moment later and faced outwards again, taking in the view. “By the way… it’s really nice up here.”

Jaehyun turned as well, following the general sweep of Johnny’s gaze, except really looking towards where he stood talking with you a few minutes ago. To his disappointment, but no great surprise, you were gone. “Thanks. I guess it is.”

In your room, you’re alone. After feeling Jaehyun’s touch, a warmth you were no longer accustomed to feeling, your contactless existence felt even more hollow. You’ll meet with him tomorrow, you decided, if not just to brush your hand against his once more. Also, because you have to talk about him. About visiting your body. And about Johnny.

Johnny... he’s back. He’s here. The notion terrified you and excited you at the same time. If your sister sees him…

You supposed you’re not the only ghost around these parts anymore.

After talking with you today and then having spent time with Johnny, one of the warmest presences in his life, Jaehyun lied in bed at the end of the night feeling far more relaxed than he had for quite a few days. That is, until he dug out the piece of paper your sister had given him. With his phone in one hand and the paper with her number scrawled on it in the other, he hesitated. The message was fully typed out, just a “Hey, this is Jaehyun from down the hall. Could you send me what hospital and room number Y/N is in?” but he couldn’t send it. He preoccupied himself with double-triple-quadruple checking that he typed her number in correctly, read his message over and over again for grammar and spelling mistakes, dwelled on other ways he could phrase it.

He thought about the look in your eyes on the rooftop. Though you had asked him to go, that lack of conviction on your face was what was making this message take fifteen minutes to send instead of just one. He usually thought of himself as an optimist, though now his mind was in a jumble, trying to figure what would really be the best thing to do. His thoughts spiralled in and out of doubt, wondering if you truly wanted him to do this, wondering if this will even work. Wondering, once again, if history was repeating itself.

Then, he remembered some wise words from his grandmother. ‘If you can try, you should. It may just be worth it.’ Though she probably hadn’t meant that saying for something like this, they were the last push he needed. He pressed send.

You watched from the hallway between your room and your sister’s as her phone lit up. Her hair was arranged in its usual nighttime style and she was just about to crawl under the covers of her bed when her eyes caught on the received text message. The small, pleasant smile that graced her worn face made you mirror her look. You could only hope that the news makes her sleep well tonight.

The text that Jaehyun was greeted with, about five minutes after he sent his own, was very straightforward. It contained the exact information he had asked for, including the address of the hospital, and ended with a ‘I don’t know how you know her, but thank you for caring.’

That night, his dreams were soundless, sightless, but filled with a kind of warmth that he couldn’t describe with words. It wasn’t at all a nightmare, but he still woke up with a heavy feeling in his chest.

This time around, Jaehyun didn’t avoid meeting you. If anything, he stretched the definition of ‘afternoon’ to be far earlier than most people think of it. He arrived on the roof at 11:30 in the morning and, at first, shuffled around the area, absentmindedly staring at different pots and gardening fixtures that he’d installed up here as he wished that time would move faster. After about fifteen minutes were spent unproductively, he decided that he might as well make use of his time. He spent another hour and a half heaving the bags of fertilizer that he brought up previously to where he needed them, packed it into the planters, and pulled weeds. The manual labor made him work up a sweat. Though he had gotten into the habit of bringing his own towel to wipe it away, a part of him still wished he had your handkerchief. His thoughts briefly wandered to you again - how you had handed him the item, what it means to you - and that seemed to be enough to summon you.

From the doorway to the stairs, you stood watching him for a moment. He wiped away sweat, shined in the sun, still glistened slightly despite the hat that he had started wearing, and crouched in front of a planter so that he could get a better look at the nothing that appeared to be growing in it. He didn’t notice you at first because your footsteps were soundless.

“That’s where you planted them, right? The Four O’clocks?” You saw his muscles tense in surprise, though that was the most reaction you got for sneaking up on him. Still, an apology left your mouth. “Sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t apologize, I just didn’t notice you until now.” His eyes shifted back to the planter in front of him. “And, yeah. They haven’t popped up yet for some reason, though. I’ll have to do more research.”

He stood, brushed his gloves against each other to get some of the extra dirt off, and removed them, stepping over towards where he had left some of his other stuff. As he walked, you trailed along next to him, watching the way a drop of sweat slid down from his hairline into his shirt. It had been a long time since you’d felt temperature - neither a cold breeze nor the sun’s warmth had touched your skin. You weren’t sure if you missed it or not. The only time you had really felt any heat were the times you touched-

The times you touched Jaehyun.

Something inside of you twinged with both pain and hope. If fate existed, he must be a sign of something good to come in your future, right? The key to all of this. Though just yesterday both of you realized that neither one of you had the answer to what was happening to you, you felt like all you could do was cling to even the smallest bit of feeling that he was returning to your life.

“I texted your sister.” He said, snapping you out of your thoughts. A small towel was in one of his hands, which he had clearly used to wipe away sweat while you were trapped in your thoughts. There was a small smile on his lips that you quickly mirrored.

“I know.” Slowly, you reached for his hands, taking one of them in your own, his palm gently held between yours. The warmth seemed to seep into your very being. You swore you could even feel the slight slick of sweat on his palms. “Jaehyun, thank you.”

He tilted his head and his smile became puzzled. “I haven’t even visited you yet.”

“Even just contacting my sister meant the world to her. And that means even more to me.” You tentatively released his hand, the feeling of aliveness quickly leaving your body. “When are you going to go?”

“I was thinking tomorrow.” The immediacy struck you. Tomorrow was so… soon. When you had forgotten your doubts for the last little while, they returned again.

“Tomorrow… tomorrow is good,” you forced yourself to say. The determination on his face told you more about him - once he’s set his mind on something, it’s hard to get him to diverge from that path. He was dead set on helping you.

Silence flowed between you for a moment, only the distant rushing of traffic from the small city below infiltrated the bubble of the rooftop. Jaehyun broke eye contact with you, his tongue flicking out as he nervously wetted his lips. “How do you know Johnny?”

You took a deep breath, like you would if you were trying to ease your nervousness when you were in your own body. “It’s not so much that I know him. It’s more my sister.” You stepped towards the railing at the edge of the building, looking out at the city and the blue sky above. It was far too early for a daytime moon, being a bit past noon. “They were a thing in high school. People really thought they would end up together forever, but college got in the way of that. Now, she’s with that… that piece of human trash that calls himself her boyfriend.” Though your tone had started off pleasant, wistful, remembering a softer past, it quickly turned bitter. Being stuck in the state you were in, you had spent more than enough time wandering aimlessly around your apartment, watching him do nothing all day, watching him waste time and resources. A part of you really believed that her current boyfriend was just a placeholder for the hole that Johnny left when he went away, but you didn’t tell Jaehyun that. It might be better just to leave your hypotheses to yourself for now.

Since you were staring out, speaking to the city air instead of facing Jaehyun, you couldn’t gauge his reaction. The more of your explanation he heard, the more surprise showed in his eyes. After you finished speaking, you took a moment, glared down at the city below, and then composed yourself and turned back around to look at him. He stepped forward, joining you against the railing. “That… explains a lot.” There was a strange smile on his face, like he was finally understanding something. “Johnny never really dated seriously in university. Always seemed kind of hung up on someone from the past. He never named her to me, in all the years I’ve known him.”

“You know him from college, then?”

He nodded. “Yeah. He’s my best friend. Small world, isn’t it?” You realized the particular irony of the statement to your situation, as you couldn’t leave this building, never mind the town, and let out a snort of laughter. “I guess that explains why he suggested we start the restaurant here.”

You stood in silence again, staring out at the rooftop garden instead of at the street below this time. Though some parts of the garden were still rough around the edges, it no longer looked like the roof was abandoned. The area teemed with new life, tiny splotches of green disrupting the brown of the soil and fertilizer as most everything that he’d planted had started growing by now. Everything except the Four O’clocks. “Jaehyun?” He looked towards you, humming in acknowledgment. “Even if visiting my body doesn’t help, I’m still glad that I met you.”

“If only it was under better circumstances,” he agrees. His eyes fell on the wall that led to where the mural was. “Hey, when you wake up, do you want to finish that mural? I think it would really tie this place together. I’ll even buy the paint for it.”

You looked in the same direction as him, the image of the unfinished painting clear in your head. Right now, you really had no desire to do anything with it, but you supposed that Jaehyun made a good point. “I guess. It would be nice to have a brush in my hand again.”

The sound of a car honking loudly from below shattered the tender moment, startling both of you. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he fished it out, glancing at the incoming message from Johnny.

‘Where do you want to go for lunch?’

“Shit.” He pushed off of the railing, standing up straight. “I forgot that I’m meeting up with Johnny and Mark in an hour.” He started to gather his stuff from the top of the crate where he had left it before glancing over and catching your eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow? You won’t run away again?”

You shook your head. “See you tomorrow, Jaehyun.”

When he walked to the roof exit, he turned around to look at you again. You were seated on the old crate that he first saw you on, in those same dark denim overall shorts with the paint splashes and white tee. Like you could sense him staring at you, you turned slightly. As you did so, your image seemed to waver slightly, as if the sunlight was moving through your opaque being; a strange mirage in the afternoon air. He blinked and you appeared normal again, so he raised a hand in a final farewell for the day. After you returned the gesture, he disappeared into the stairwell.

For the rest of the day, he intermittently thought of you. Johnny and Mark largely kept him distracted, helping him plan some of the items he’ll have on the menu of his restaurant, what the interior could look like, what to name it. As they drove around after lunch, the conversation shifted.

“Dude,” Mark said, “I heard that Ten is also in town right now. You should visit him.”

“I haven’t seen him in years.” Johnny said, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “It would be nice to catch up.”

Jaehyun chimed in at that. “Ten from high school?”

“Yeah. I’m kind of surprised that you remember me talking about him.”

“Do you still talk to anyone else from back then?” There was a slight insistence to Jaehyun’s voice that perplexed Johnny. Jaehyun knew he probably shouldn’t have been pushing this hard, especially since his best friend never opened up to him about it before, but he couldn’t help it. “There’s this girl who lives on my floor who seems about your age.”

“Are you trying to get me to hook you up with someone? It’s about time.”

“No,” Jaehyun said firmly, his eyebrows furrowed. “And you know I wouldn’t have a problem with that if I wanted to talk to a girl.”

“Tell that to your ex. If I hadn’t pushed you to talk to her-”

“I don’t want to talk about her.” There was a snap to Jaehyun’s tone that he usually didn’t use and it cut off the conversation quickly. Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, checking his phone. Jaehyun almost decided to drop the topic entirely, but he felt like he owed it to you to ask. “The girl from my floor is named S/N L/N.”

The tapping of his fingers against the wheel stopped. Slowly, Johnny’s grip tightened. Normally, Johnny was in complete control of his emotions. Now, he didn’t seem angry, but it clearly evoked something in him when Jaehyun said your sister’s name. “Yeah. I know her.”

Mark nudged Jaehyun, raising his eyebrows in an attempt to communicate with him nonverbally. Jaehyun ignored the signal. “Were you close?”

Johnny shrugged, forcing himself to relax slightly as he drove. “You could say that.”

No one spoke for a while, until a familiar, nostalgic song played on the radio, reigniting the conversation. Jaehyun planned on leaving the conversation at that, inviting the two over for dinner. As afternoon turned to evening, they returned to his apartment complex. When he stepped out of the car, he couldn't resist looking up. The roof seemed like such a long way from here. He shook his head slightly to clear it and led his friends to his apartment. The elevator ride was short and empty of anyone but them, with Mark gushing about eating his food again. When the doors opened to his floor, he got out and nearly walked right past her. Johnny didn’t, though.

As soon as he exited the elevator, his friend saw her. Jaehyun stopped walking when he saw that Johnny wasn't with him and Mark. Johnny was having some sort of staredown with your sister. She had the same bag on her shoulder that she did the last time Jaehyun saw her, though the sunglasses were missing this time, leaving her expressions largely unguarded.

She seemed to swallow heavily, taken aback by this ghost from the past. “John.”

“S/N.” All Jaehyun and Mark could do was watch. They stared at each other for a moment longer before Johnny once again forced himself to relax a bit and offered her a small smile. “Jaehyun was telling me about how you live on the same floor.” “What are you doing back here?” She said, cutting right to the chase. She seemed far more outwardly unhappy to see him than he did to see her.

“Visiting. Probably going to move back soon, though.” He was watching, carefully assessing her reaction. He stood tall, his hands in his pockets, casual. She appeared much more stiff, weighed down more by life than he had been in the years since they’d seen each other.

“I thought you wanted to get out of this town?” There was a certain bitterness to her voice that was very personal. Almost resentful.

“You still remember that?”

“How could I forget?”

Jaehyun and Mark glanced at each other, wondering if they should do something. At those words, though, Johnny’s smile brightened slightly. “I’m glad I’m unforgettable.”

“This isn’t about you anymore.” Johnny’s face fell slightly at that, eliminating the slight cheer that he had just gained. “I have to go.” As she reached the elevator, she turned back to them, looking Jaehyun in the eyes. Her eyes were piercing, though they didn’t seem to hold any malice, only confusion. “You’re really strange, Jaehyun.”

It crossed Jaehyun’s mind that he might have started something far beyond his depth or control. After the elevator doors closed with her behind them, Johnny turned back towards him and Mark. “Dinner?”

As he cooked, Jaehyun watched the sun set outside the window adjacent to the kitchen section of the apartment. From here, he couldn’t see if the moon was out yet, but he thought about it and he thought about you. He wondered if you were thinking about him, too.

The way you thought about Jaehyun was with the sort of desperation someone who was hanging onto the edge of a cliff thought about a rope. Right now, he was your lifeline for more reasons than one. In your dark room, the emptiness felt suffocating. You lied sideways on your bed, staring at the ceiling, untaken by the sleep you no longer require. Back when you were alive, you might have taken the time to paint him, capture the way he had made you feel in the short time you’ve known him and the few conversations you’ve had with him. Then, you would have opened your sketchbook and flipped through the drawings from better days, ignored the darker sketches of more recent times.

You wondered if your sister had flipped through those drawings since it happened, seen the last picture you created. It was a self-portrait of sorts, though your eyes were filled with black and your limbs were strung up like a marionette. Out of control in your own life, close to being soulless. You didn’t know nor remember what had possessed you to draw it and you wished you had finished with something brighter. It didn’t matter anyways - the book was stuck on your shelf with some of your other things, out of reach of your touchless world. What did matter was what’s going to happen tomorrow.

The more you thought about it, the more the doubts bounced around in the transparent space of wherever you would call your mind now, the more Jaehyun visiting your body in the hospital seemed like a terrible idea. It has been a long time that you’ve been like this and it’ll probably be an even longer time if you somehow wake up. You weren’t sure you were ready to be exhausted like that again.

You thought about your sister and her hunched figure over the dimly lit coffee table at night, the bills piling up, each dollar that leaves her bank account only adding a single grain of sand to the hourglass of the life she’s built here. She never really talked finances with you, but you knew it was never easy. You covered rent, but she tried to keep all of her other bills away from you. You dreaded more than wondered what would happen should that hourglass finally become empty. How much time does this life have left?

It only took you a moment to leave your room and reach her. She was exactly where you pictured her, though she wasn’t staring at the bills, trying to crunch numbers anymore. Her gaze was on her lump of a boyfriend asleep on the couch. “S/N,” you couldn’t help but whisper, “just leave him. Go to bed.”

For a heartbeat, it almost seemed like she heard you, or was at least about to pay herself a courtesy, as she rose from her place at the table and walked the short distance to the hallway adjoining the living area to the bedrooms. Then, she stopped, stared at the ground, and turned slightly, laying a hand on his shoulder. He began to stir as she spoke. “Honey…” the word rang bitter in your ears, “come to bed.”

The look he gave her through bleary eyes showed a type of spiritual rotting that had its roots deep in his core. “Bitch, I was asleep. Can’t you leave me in peace for one night?”

“You’ll sleep better in bed than on the couch…” The meekness with which she spoke had you curling your hands into tight fists, your nails digging into your palms. Both she and you knew that no matter what she did, she would always be wrong in his eyes. Always. If she hadn’t woken him, he would’ve gotten angry in the morning instead, bemoaning how she hadn’t woken him and gotten him to sleep on the bed instead. You’d seen that exact argument happen before. You couldn’t say how many times you’d seen this exact scene, too.

He grunted, slowly getting up. “Is that so?” He tilted his head, cracking his neck in something of a stretch. “You think you know better than me?”

“No,” she flinched as he raised a hand, “I’m sorry.”

The grin that filled his face wasn’t bright. It was crooked, sick, and it made you want to vomit when you knew you weren’t even capable of doing so. Back when they first started dating, he was much better at hiding the pleasure he takes in “besting” her, but now he didn’t even try. As he walked past her, he bumped her shoulder with his arm, making her draw herself in, attempting to minimize the space she took up. After he was gone, more safely away from her in their bedroom, she sank down onto the couch, wrapping her arms around her torso. She stared at the scattered bottles and trash on the small side table next to the soft. It took about a minute before she leaned forward, resting her face in her hands, slow tears falling down her cheeks. You couldn’t bear to look at her like this. Back when you were in your own body, you never knew she cried like this. When you couldn’t stand to watch the fighting without doing anything anymore, you would just lock yourself in your room and pray no one got hurt. Every bit of it, you regretted. You should’ve stood up to him more, stood by your sister, shared her pain. Regret was a bitter taste.

“Y/N,” you heard from her, a quiet plea into the night, “I’m sorry. Please come back.”

You’d heard her cry out for you before, but this time it hurt even more than usual. Your hands were still curled in fists and, after the feelings of regret and helplessness and pure rage boiled over, you lashed out, like you could hit one of the bottles on the table. The silence shattered as your hand made contact with the object, sending it clattering onto the wood surface of the side table, then rolling onto the floor. Your sister’s head snapped up, her eyes following the bottle. The last round of tears fell as she blinked rapidly and scrubbed at her eyes, trying to figure out what caused the bottle to move. She finally got up uneasily, now just dabbing gently at her eyes, before she picked up the bottle to dispose of it.

As she started to warily clean up the rest of the trash, you stared at your hands. There was no way…

It was late by the time your sister joined her boyfriend in bed and it was only slightly later when Jaehyun settled down to sleep. Johnny hadn’t spoken about Stella for the rest of the night and Jaehyun hadn’t asked. He agreed to meet him in two days to check out locations for the restaurant, and that was that. In some ways, he was grateful. The more he involved himself in this situation, the more he felt like everything was spiraling out of control. But, in the opposite way, he wished something more had changed. He just hoped that visiting your body will lead him to something better.

It took a little while, but he eventually fell asleep.

He didn’t remember arriving in the hospital, just opening the door to your room. Your hair was longer than it was when he saw you on the roof and you appeared almost skeletal, your cheekbones hollow and eye sockets sunken in deeper than they should be. Hadn’t the doctors been taking care of you?

When he leaned over, taking your hand, your eyes immediately flickered open, as if you’d been waiting for him. He blinked and you transformed, your skin glowing with life and hair full and luscious. “Jaehyun, you saved me.”

Your voice came out as a warble, confusing and bird-like. Not at all how you sounded when he talked to you before. He tried to speak, but you cut him off. “Y/N-” “You saved me, you saved me.” You repeated, the mantra becoming a sort of chant as you stared at him, unblinking. The fingers on the hand that he was still grasping began to turn into talons, sharp and digging into his skin. “You saved me, you saved me, you saved me.”

He awakened in a cold sweat and bolted into an upright sitting position. The city birds that hung out outside his window were chirping, faintly reminding him of the way your dream-self had sounded. He shivered and pressed his face into his hands. Why did he keep having nightmares about you?

The sunlight streaming through the window was a small comfort, reminding him that things were fine. He considered going back to sleep, but figured that if his body wanted him to get up, he might as well. From what he saw on the hospital website, visiting hours didn’t start for a little while, so he had time to get ready and do some work on the garden before he left. The physical labor took his mind off of things for a while, but the car ride to the hospital certainly didn’t. His car felt far too empty and quiet even with one of his favorite playlists on. He considered himself lucky that the drive was short, though most of the medical traffic for the more rural nearby towns flowed to this hospital because it’s the nearest city, small as it is. The parking garage felt miserable, drab and lifeless, and the inside of the hospital itself felt no different. Stark white, sterile except the dirt streaks on the tiles from visitors’ feet, walls largely undecorated save for large signs warning about various diseases.

The lady at the front desk didn’t ask too many questions when he signed in and said your name. She simply gave him a visitor pass and let him through, scrawling down his name in a sign-in book. Your room was on the fourth floor, so he made his way to the elevator, passing by a few people who appeared far more tired than he did. They’d clearly spent a lot of time here. Some had red eyes from crying, some were simply hunched over, staring at nothing. The elevator was empty and stayed that way for the entirety of his short ride. On the fourth floor, there were fewer people, these strangers milling and sitting about. One guy, maybe around his age, was seated on a bench, staring at an apple that Jaehyun assumed he had placed down next to him. He glanced at the strange boy but kept walking, eventually standing in front of the door that he had been directed to by both the check-in lady and your sister.

The doorknob turned easily, though the door creaked as he pushed it, showing signs of age that the hospital had tried to simply paint over. He let himself in and closed the door behind him, finally turning around and allowing himself to look at your body.

Thankfully, you weren’t as skeletal as he feared you would be. He almost laughed at how different the room arrangement was from his dream as well, the relief making him relax slightly. Your body looked to be in quite good shape despite the amount of time that you’d been in a coma. Patches of your hair were clearly shorter than the rest, where he assumed you had to have some sort of surgery, though signs of said operation were no longer quite visible. IVs were stuck in your skin, providing you with the fluids that you needed to stay alive. Whatever this version of alive was. Your skin didn’t have quite the same sheen to it that it did when he talked to you, but you looked largely the same, like you were asleep. It was almost strange for him to see you in different clothes than your usual paint-stained overalls and white tee, the blue and white hospital gown seeming unnatural. He had only ever seen you in the warm outside lighting of the rooftop, so seeing you under this white fluorescent lighting was almost a strain to his eyes. The thought crossed his mind that you looked far better surrounded by green and brown and blue than you did by all of this white.

“Hi, Y/N,” he said quietly, walking closer to your body. There was an empty vase at your bedside, so he opened his bag, revealing the flowers that he had purchased on the way here. It was a pretty standard arrangement of pink roses and baby’s breath, but it brightened the room immensely. “It’s kind of strange to see you here. I hope these help. I would have brought you flowers from the roof, but they aren’t ready yet. Sorry.”

He didn’t know what he was looking for as he talked. Maybe a flicker of your eyelids, a twitch of your fingers. The air conditioning kicked on suddenly and the blast of chilly air made a few locks of your hair shift ever so slightly, almost tricking him into thinking that you moved on your own. After waiting for a moment, he finally reached for your hand. Your skin was colder here than it was when he touched you before. Your hand slotted into his nicely, but it was limp, unresponsive. A few minutes of nothing passed, time he spent just looking at you and repeating ‘please wake up’ in his head, before he quietly tucked your hand back under the covers of your bed.

“I hope you wake up soon,” he said, “so we can properly meet.”

As he exited the room, he kept his head down, mindlessly walking back to where he remembered the elevator being. The hallway was straight and long and, with his lack of attention, he ended up slamming into someone’s shoulder relatively hard. Both he and the other person staggered slightly, stopping in their tracks.

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking,” he said quickly, glancing sideways at the boy he had run into. He was the same guy he had seen sitting on the bench before, staring at the apple next to him. The look on his face was an extreme reaction, pure shock covering his features. Jaehyun cringed to himself. “Hey, I really didn’t mean-”

“You can see me. You can touch me.” The guy interrupted him, raising a hand to point at him. “It’s been so long since anyone’s been able to do that!” Oh shit.

“Look,” Jaehyun said quickly, panic immediately filling him, “I’m not trying to become some sort of ghost-whisperer. I’m already trying to help someone and I can’t handle more and more of you.”

“No, listen-” As Jaehyun tried to turn around, pretend like this never happened, the boy grabbed his arm, his fingers sharp as they dug into his skin slightly. “I saw you go into that girl’s room. From the sounds of it, you didn’t get what you wanted. I can help you.”

Jaehyun narrowed his eyes at that. “If you can help me, why are you still like this?”

“I can help you. And her.” Jaehyun’s eyes shifted towards the door that he had just left behind, then back to the boy gripping his arm. “But I need your help first.”

#btdm #beneath the daytime moon #jaehyun fic #nct fluff #nct angst #jaehyun scenarios #nct jaehyun scenarios #nct scenarios #btdm collab

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nicholasdyer · 3 years

Text

( OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN + CISMALE ) — Have you seen NICHOLAS DYER ? THIRTY-THREE year old is a DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT AN ARCHITECTURe FIRM who resides in MANHATTAN. He has been living in NYC for TWENTY-NINE YEARS, and is known to be PASSIONATE and EMPATHETIC, but can also be IMPULSIVE and PERFECTIONIST, if you cross them. People tend to associate them with BRUISED KNUCKLES and SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS. @codstarters

Hello everyone! Very excited to join you guys. I’m going to keep it short and simple because I’m trash at intros. The name’s Emma, I’m 25 and from the cst zone. I bring to you my baby Nick. (He’s a brand new muse so I apologize for the lack of info, I’ll be adding more as muse grows. ) Still working on some connections but feel free to smash that heart button if you’d like to plot!

Nicholas Dyer was born New York City on October 19th and is the oldest and best looking out of 4 siblings.

There is nothing complicated about Nicholas life really. He comes from a wealthy, hardworking and very loving family, but that doesn’t mean that the Dyer’s offsprings didn’t know anything about hard work. Their father always made sure to let them know that everything they had, they had it because he never slacked off, he worked hard to achieve his goals and the life he wanted for his family. In fact you could always find him telling his oldest son “Without labor nothing prospers, son.”

He took that phrase pretty seriously. As a child he put a lot of pressure on his shoulders to be the perfect son. He wanted, no he had to succeed at everything he did to show his father that he too understood the meaning of hard work and make his parents proud. He was a sort of parent pleaser.

And so his need and desire to make them proud went beyond just getting good grades. Soon it also involved more important decisions like his career choice or his relationships, what he said or even how he felt sometimes. It felt to him like like he was losing himself, or more like he never truly got to find out who he was and what he wanted.

It was around college when Nicholas chose that it was enough of living a life he didn't plan for himself, that he had to start doing started more of the things he liked and to start making bigger decisions for himself, like moving out of his parents house and finding an apartment. Amongst those things there was boxing. Of course, at first his parents, specially his mother, wasn't very keen on the idea of his son getting beat up and having a black eye or bruised face. “Why would want to do this to your face? You have such a beautiful face.” Those were the words that his mother told him every time he visited their house for the weekend. It didn’t bother him, it actually made him laugh that out of all the compliments in the world she could give him, it would have to be about his looks. But then again, any other mother would’ve said the same thing. What kind of mother would want to see their son’s face with a black eye or some bruises just because he thought it was a fun sport.

Another decision that made an impact on Nicholas life was moving to London. He went to study the last semester of his career as an exchange study at Cambridge. There he felt like he was able to truly show himself, no parents breathing at the back of his neck, judging, disapproving all the choices he made. London felt like big breath of fresh air. He graduated college there and began working at an architecture firm. Of course he started very low, but thanks to his hardworking perfectionist side he managed to climb on a very short time to a higher position.

He lived in London for around 4-5 years until a famous architecture firm offered him a job back in New York. It was hard decision to make but the fact that he experienced his first heartbreak and that he sort of missed his family helped decide that it was the best thing to do, at least for a while.

Personality:

He’s very passionate about everything he does.

Good-natured, well-meaning.

Despite the vibe he gives sometimes, he’s a huge softie and an extremely emotional person.

A perfectionist to the core, Nicholas not only sets the bar high for himself, but for the people in his life as well.

His loyalties lie primarily with himself, his family and best friends.

Nicholas can be sometimes closed off with people, it’s very rare for him to let new people in.

It doesn’t happen very often but sometimes he tends to act first and think later, which has led him to some trouble but he’s always been able to talk himself out of it.

He can also be charismatic and even cocky at times.

Wanted Connections:

Siblings: Of course I’d love to see Nicholas siblings around the rp. Even if at the moment his relationship with his parents isn't the way it used to b before I picture the Dyer’s kids pretty close. Like they probably they do have fights and probably get on each others nerves sometimes like every other sibling but at the end of the day they know they have each others back and also complain about their parents when they get really unbearable.

Highschool sweetheart: I would love for Nicholas to have some romantic connection from the past when dated someone his parents thought would be a good match for them just to please them. Of course he probably would’ve been very polite and a gentleman with her but he never got to feel any romantic feelings towards her. Of course how she felt towards him its totally up to you, she could’ve done it also to please their parents or maybe she did had some feelings towards him, its totally up to you. I just want some angst in mah baby’s life, the more the better.

Best friend(s): It could be someone he met in his childhood or someone he met in college. Of course I want someone who has been through Nicholas whole change from being the perfect little son to slowly becoming himself. They are his ride or die, and probably have always had his back and probably are someone Nicholas turns to whenever he needs to seek advice from someone who isn't his family for a change. Also they would be the ones who Nicholas went to cry to when he got his heartbroken back in London.

Fling to (best) friend: Okay so maybe they met through some mutual friends and at first sight they were like “you’re cute, let’s go out.” Probably had one or two dates, ( maybe even hooked up) and after that they got along really well but neither of them saw it becoming something more so both agreed that it wasn’t going to work out and decided to stay friends. And eventually they became besties and make jokes and tease each other about when they went out.

Exes (good or bad terms)

Flings

Neighbors

Sparring buddies

Roommates

Frenemies

Good / bad influences

Crushing on (could be mutual or unrequited)

Those are just some ideas that came to mind but if none of these catches your eye then we can definitely come up with something else I definitely will take all the plots.

#codintro #ugh this is a mess #come love us

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plush-anon · 4 years

Text

Happy Halloween Scooby Doo! Review

Muahahhhahahhahahaha! Thanks to the Walmart tradition of stocking movies for sale weeks before the intended release date, I have myself a copy of what claims to be Scooby Doo’s FIRST Halloween adventure!

…in spite of movies like Witch’s Ghost and Goblin King, holiday specials like WNSD’s A Scooby Doo Halloween (which had a haunted Scarecrow too…), BCSD’s EL Bandito (for Dia de los Muertos - obvs not the same, but most companies act like it) and Halloween, The NSDM’s Halloween Hassle at Dracula’s Castle, and the DTV short film Scooby Doo and the Spooky Scarecrow (which, ironically enough, did NOT take the opportunity to feature Dr. Jonathan Crane).

So let us take a look now at Happy Halloween Scooby Doo! and see whether this film will be a graveyard smash of a treat, or a black licorice bomb of disappointment.

Full review (and SPOILERS TO GO WITH IT) are below the cut in my new review format; if all goes smoothly, I’ll go with this for future Scooby films.

WARNING: This review is very long.

One minor note before we begin: the Special Features actually include BCSD’s Halloween, WNSD’s A Scooby Doo Halloween, and PNSD’s Ghost Who’s Coming to Dinner

...so they were AWARE this was not the first Halloween adventure of the Scooby gang, and yet still use that tag line. Hm.

Still, kudos for including them - this’ll help boost the reasons to keep this movie, if it turns out to be a real Milk Dud of a movie *ba-dum tish* :D

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The movie starts off rather abruptly, actually - no slow pan over the setting, just WB Animation credit and BOOM, we’ve cut to a Halloween parade and Elvira is talking.

I’m of a mixed opinion including Elvira on top of having Bill Nye and a Batman Rogue - while she most certainly fits the Scooby aesthetic, it doesn’t feel as grand an impact after her weird little cameo in Return to Zombie Island (ugh) and I’m not sure how well the movie will balance her in wait a minute

wait just a

WAIT A MINUTE

Did - did that parade float skeleton just sing Crystal Cove as the town’s name?

oh no.

Oh No.

....also their song is terrible and they should feel terrible.

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Fred: We got him! Banh Mi Shop, second floor!

me: the heck is a Banh Mi Shop? *mild googling noises*

So I guess Jonathan Crane really had a craving for a Vietnamese sandwich before he enacted his Halloween scheme.

...you think he’s a lemongrass chicken type of guy or a BBQ pork guy? It’s always hard to guess at these things, esp when coffee and pumpkin spice aren’t on the table (as per fanon, of course)

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Velma: We have a flawless track record!

So I guess WB is just gonna ignore the past few DTV retcons established in 13 Ghosts and Return to Zombie Island?

I mean that rather defeats the purpose of them existing at all, but fcuk YEAH I can get behind throwing that retcon garbage out of canon!

And STAY OUT!!

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Shaggy, talking about ghosts being real: I’m like the boy who cried wolf - I keep warning you but like, you won’t believe me until I finally get eaten!

Yet again, Warner Bros makes a wolf reference to Shaggy. Yet again, I am torn asunder between wanting werewolf!Shaggy in a new Scooby property, and fearing for the appearance of werewolf!Shaggy in a new Scooby property.

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Velma: Point is, being afraid is a waste of time!

Scarecrow, LITERALLY EXPLODING THROUGH A BRICK WALL three buildings away:

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He’s floating through the air and t-posing to assert his dominance 🤣🤣🤣

Gods bless animation 😁

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Daphne @ Shag and Scoob locking themselves in the van: Are you serial?

Me: wait, SERIAL? *re-reads captions* yup, that says “serial”.

Is this an editing mistake? I don’t think that works here…unless that’s supposed to be a joke on how they always do this. But then why would that be an irritating surprise, they literally do this EVERY episode 🙄

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Oh hey, Red Herring’s Party Screams truck has Red Herring running out of it

Could this be a hint to how the story goes? The villain appearing on a literal Red Herring?

Naaaaaah, WB’s not THAT smart

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So if we take @captainbaddecisions crack theory on Jonathan Crane being Shaggy’s uncle seriously, does this mean that Jonathan is using magic to fly, float fear toxin orbs around himself, and making things explode, a la the family trait of Crack Theory A?

Logically he’s probs using wires or magnets or some shit, but it’s a fun thought to entertain 😁

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Welp, we finally get the opening credits! … with Jonathan Crane smashing through the Mystery Machine’s windshield, set to a slow poppy song straight from the 60s, and spewing the title of the film out in glittery pink mist.

All the while Scooby and Shaggy throw candy at each other, deliberately obtuse to the cloud of fear toxin enveloping their friends and the townsfolk, the steady destruction of the Mystery Machine they’re laying in as multiple cars crash into it and send it spiraling, and the general mayhem and destruction that Scarecrow is causing

Never change, guys, never change

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I just choked on my lemonade

There’s an article plastered to the roof of the Mystery Machine titled “Talking Dog Confounds, Ignites Ethics Debate Over Dog Labor”

ahahahahaha

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Annnnnnnnd there goes the Mystery Machine, tumbling in the air and over the roads with Shaggy and Scooby still inside without seat belts. Will they perish in this horrible road accident? Will Death finally come to claim them at last?

Of course not. This is Shaggy and Scooby we’re talking about - I’m almost positive they can survive anything up to and including a nuclear bomb. This is child’s play to them.

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So they “capture” Scarecrow… by pinning his cape to a tree with crossbow bolts.

And they do not try to at least tie up his arms or his hands in ANY capacity.

JUST the cape.

...you know, Velma, for a team with a “flawless” track record, you guys are making a hecking TON of mistakes in facing against one of Batman’s ROGUES GALLERY, ESPECIALLY with no Batman in sight, good freakin’ grief. 😩

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Yaaaaaaaaas, this Scarecrow design is LUSH

He’s got the lank, the height, the BTAS costume colors, the elongated face with beaky nose and pointed chin and angular cheekbones, the eyebags like Gucci, the furrowed brow… honestly the only thing missing is the more reddish color hair, and even that isn’t mandatory. I love 😍

Not to mention the HOT DAYUM voice he has - low and velvet rough and so godsdamned particular in a way that could either tie in to obscuring a southern accent as in fanon or just as a stringent academic, oh my yes. He’s voiced by someone called Dwight Schultz, who’s most well known for playing Captain ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock in the OG A-Team show, and someone called Reginald Barclay in Star Trek TNG and Voyager, if any of y’all know that character in particular.

And of course, the first line he says is a delightfully wry “Oh, but I AM getting away with it,” with the sort of smirk that absolutely lends credence to why he’s a threat to Batman, and not some simpering wimp that can be defeated with some crossbow bolts in a tree.

I think I’m going to enjoy this movie at least somewhat, so long as we get to see him 🥰🥰🥰

(tho on a side note: Daphne why on EARTH are you trying to film Crane saying the meddling kids line? Do you have a video compilation of past villains who’ve done that, and you hope to add his to it? Was your phone damaged when you went up against the Riddler a few DTVs ago and you want a second shot at recording a Gotham Rogue saying it? Bc I don’t think a Gotham Rogue would be too pleased with seeing himself as a Mystery Meme on the Youtubes, you get what I’m saying?)

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Okay, so the floating orb things are explained away as fear toxin bomb drones somehow… despite looking nothing like the other drones and being much smaller with no visible propulsion, while also flying unassisted through and around objects to explode against places once flung…

(tho interesting note, none of them are aimed directly at the crowds, just behind them - odd, that)

But how did he heckin’ FLY at the beginning?

Yeah, they show him wearing wrist-mounted grappling hooks at the end of the intro song sequence, but they are NOWHERE IN SIGHT at the beginning - and I do mean in sight, since he emerges against a backdrop of flames. There was nothing there (see the T-pose above for further evidence), and nothing there when he FLEW THROUGH THE MYSTERY MACHINE’S WINDSHIELD AND FLEW BACK OUT AGAIN. And these things are pale silver, which stands out like crazy against the darker backgrounds, so no hand-wavy ‘they were always being used’ bullcrap we’ve seen in other movies.

Hmmm *scribbles in notepad* note to self, add notation concerning Crack Theory A on magic!Shaggy to “Uncle Crane” theory files - evidence denotes that Crane is able to fly (or at least hover in mid-air unassisted) for terrorization purposes. May boost strength of CTA by family association, lending credence to magic inheritance along the bloodline...

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“Avocado Toast Generation”? Crane, I honestly don’t know if you really mean that, or if you understand just how much that phrase gets under any Millennial/Gen Z kid’s skin. Having seen multiple variations of your character, it really could swing either way (tho kudos on the dead switch idea - very nice 👍🏻)

Although this does lead to an interesting stand-off: Fred, upon seeing the town threatened with 3 days worth of fear toxin, immediately moves to let Crane go, while Velma stops him and refuses to consider compromising if it means Crane escapes. They both look legitimately frustrated at the other for taking the stance they do.

Fascinating~

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Hmmm

Crane honey, I don’t know if your drones are made of flash paper and hope, or if Scooby and Shaggy are using the reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaally old candy (the stuff made about ~3 years ago most neighborhoods give out to the teenagers that knock around midnight on Halloween) to shoot them down, but either way you may wish to speak with the manufacturer about this

Then again, this IS Shaggy and Scooby - they probably could’ve spat marshmallows at the drones and brought them down with equal success and explosions

(and good on them for shooting those down! Atta boy 👍🏻)

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Aw dang it

1. They still have Crane captured and now in handcuffs (despite having… you know… NOT been bound by anything except cross bolts in his curtain cape thing)

2. Dwight Schultz has decided to pitch his voice higher and more nasally than what he has. Hopefully this is more of an incredulous sort of pitch than something that sticks for the rest of the movie, ugh.

Also, I think they’re framing the movie to be more Velma-centric this time around - she’s the one explaining to Crane how they tracked him down, apparently through a piece of fan mail he sent Elvira (is that the only reason she’s there? Also why was Velma examining random pieces of fan mail for toxins, Elvira probs gets hundreds a week irl) and it looks like they’re framing something up on how fear isn’t something you can pretend isn’t there. neat!

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whajit

53rd?

53rd?!?!

ONLY 53rd?!?!?!?!

Boooo, Scarecrow’s WAY more popular than that! I call foul

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Okay why is Daphne’s schtick so far to spit laaaaaaame slang after every sentence Velma says

I would rather this not be her schtick

Actually could she go back to filming mystery stuff, bc at least I can pretend it’ll build into the OG Zombie Island Daphne

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Phew, his voice has returned to its low, raspy goodness

also, Crane needs to learn about personal space, good grief

(interesting clue brought up tho - Crane only steals tech that CAN’T leak his toxin, ergo it can’t be tracked until he releases it. Sensible use, given that Batman probs tracks it if it does.)

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Velma: I’m not afraid of you, Crane. Fear is an illogical reaction to an imagined threat.

Crane:

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Crane: Fearless, then. Intelligent. Proud and stubborn. You remind me very much of the one person in this world I care about.

uhhhhhh

Yourself? Harley? Edward Nygma? Ichabod the raven? Idk, I’m honestly curious as to where this thread will go 🤔🤔🤔

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Fred, leaning against the Mystery Machine: Guys, it’s gonna be okay. She told me!

O_o

Fred? Honey? Are you sure you weren’t supposed to join Crane in the transport vehicle back to Arkham?

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OH SWEET JESUS SHAGGY GREW YAOI HANDS

WHAT THE HECK

THAT’S WAY MORE UNNERVING THEN YOU GUYS NOT BEING AFRAID ANYMORE

(although the fact that they’re both unsettled by NOT constantly shaking or having their heart racing is honestly kind of heartbreaking. Y’all need therapy, good grief)

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Shaggy and Scooby just chewed up candy (wrapper and all) to make themselves a Halloween costume of… what looks like barfed-up candy (ew)

Before then proceeding to dance so well that everyone around them also starts dancing in a 60s-70s era rainbow light show and giving them candy

I worry for these two sometimes - that kind of power seems to be getting to their head 😬😬😬

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Oh hey, acid green toxic waste is spilling from an 18-wheeler onto the Fear Toxin drones and emitting a purple pink haze that envelops a pumpkin patch! That won’t do anything suspicious at all I bet!

(wait is Poison Ivy going to come into this at some point)

(also major kudos to the music here - very 80s horror synth, I like)

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So the Pumpkins have grown faces, limbs, consciousness, the ability to fly and a lust for human flesh

And they appear to be led by the Pumpkin King of the Pumpkin Patch mentioned in the Charlie Brown Halloween special

He’s not as friendly as I pictured him being, sadly 😕

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Why is this random ass cop coming up to FD&V to say that they’re in over their heads… AFTER the mystery’s been solved?

Like dude, you’re only making yourself suspicious at this point, go home

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Huh, interesting - the gang are being interviewed for a tv news network while they’re considered the town heroes

Why am I getting bad vibes from this…

Eh, it’s probably nothing

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Velma: {Shaggy and Scooby} are, um… REALLY into the Halloween spirit.

Shaggy: THIS ISN’T COSPLAY, VELMA!

I’m dying 😂

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Holy Shit

Velma just snapped and went off on Shaggy and Scooby for acting scared and doing nothing to help wrap up the mystery

(even though these guys are the ONLY reason that the gang didn’t have to choose between setting Scarecrow free and poisoning the entire town for 3 days straight, but hey, what do I know - I’m just writing an in-depth reaction post to this movie and taking note of details like this, clearly I know nothing *eye roll*)

Last time I saw Velma critique the guys’ usual mystery solving shenanigans, it was much more low-key and without knowing they were nearby

But I’m sure that’s just a coincidence

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What the

Bills?

Bills?!?!

Fred just mentioned that fixing the Mystery Machine was going to leave a hefty bill and that they may need to get dishwashing jobs to earn money

Which is more of a job you might expect a high schooler to get on the go and yet

They actually have to pay bills

How old are they here??!

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wait a tic

THIS is how they introduce Bill Nye?

He just calls up Velma with no explanation other than Velma saying “Oh hey, it’s Bill Nye!”

I just - what?!?!

How do you know him so well that he can just pull up your number and call you, and then geT YOU A NEW FREAKING CAR LIKE

WHAT?!?!?!?

Was there a Scooby episode with him in the past two years where the fcuk did this come from

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Also the car is dressed like Bill Nye

And he can talk to the gang directly as the car

So that he can solve mysteries with them whenever he wants

This… this was not what I was expecting to come about from the Bill Nye cameo

(alas, poor predictions of being Crane’s roommate, you will not come to pass this day) 😔

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Ooooo, purple haze throbbing on the horizon! That’s always a good sign of things to come! 😀

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And now Daphne’s… asking Elvira to mentor her fashion wise. And Elvira’s taking her on as her unpaid intern/personal assistant.

Yooo, movie, can you pick a direction and stick with it for Daphne? You’ve gone from her spewing outdated slang to wanting a costume for trick-or-treating, and now this.

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Welp, now I can say I saw a giant pumpkin dog vore an old woman

I didn’t WANT to see that mind, but I guess I can say it now 😐

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OH SHIT NO

IT TURNED HER INTO A FLYING PUMPKIN SHAPED LIKE HER FACE

ABSOLUTELY UNSETTLING, 0/10 WOULD NOT RECOMMEND

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At least we get a nice scene of Daphne kicking the pumpkins’ collective butt

Something normal

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Elvira: WOW! You’re a regular Mary Sue!

*falls over cackling*

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And now there’s a giant purple fissure opening up in the concrete to swallow the town of Crystal Cove whole

(good, i whisper softly into the darkness of my living room. Let it fall)

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Man, I feel so bad for this single father right now

He’s gotten wrapped up in all of this nonsense with his daughter, and he is just Distraught at being chased by Jackal Lanterns, having the town collapsing under his feet, and having to gorge jump in his sedan to get away from the worst of it

It’s okay, Mike Dad - we would feel the same way in your shoes

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Hologram Bill Nye is wearing Cat ears and cat whiskers/nose, and is cleaning his hands like a cat cleans its paws

Why was this the movie we found out Bill Nye was a furry

Why Warner Bros

Why would you inflict this upon us in a Scooby Doo-Scarecrow mystery

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Hey, can Jonathan Crane return now? The movie needs its dignity back.

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A clue on the whys here - the town was built on top of a MASSIVE lithium deposit, with the talks to mine it being scrapped due to environmental concerns. That’s actually a decent lead in for why some

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Welp

The Jackal Lanterns just went full Mad Max with the Halloween Parade floats and cars

No, I don’t have any idea why either, just roll with it

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Nice, they confirmed that Fred’s full name is still Frederick Herman Jones XD

Also a great little action sequence with Daphne - while there’s not much movement, they frame the scene dynamically, with some good quick wordplay. Very nice.

--------

Velma has a mind palace

Aight

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Velma: Shaggy, I could kiss you!

Oh, to hear this as a child, when I still hardcore shipped Shelma *sigh*

------

Oh thank gods we’re going back to Scarecrow again

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Shaggy ate some Scooby Snacks, leapt out of a moving vehicle, and onto the backs of two flying pumpkins that he promptly reined in to fly to Crane’s prison transport

...yet again, I am amazed at the sentences I am led to type for Scooby Doo DTVs

------

Ah, how very Hannibal Lector of you, Jon

Man, he actually looks very meek in normal clothes - red long-sleeved shirt and grey slacks

-----

Hmmm

So Crane ISN’T behind the Jackal Lanterns - in fact he’s outright befuddled by them. This means his whole spiel to Velma earlier about both of them being caught in the same trap was… metaphorical? The breakdown doesn’t actually go into WHY he thinks they’re in the same trap - Crane’s whole schtick is tied to accepting fear, not denying it, so why would they be the same?

Either way, someone is using both him and Mystery Inc to do something to Crystal Cove (please be Red Herring, please be Red Herring, please be Red Herring)

Actually, that reference at the beginning really WAS a red herring - they framed it as being Jon the whole time when it wasn’t. Kudos!

Additional kudos to having Jon be seen more out of mask than in - he is a looker, and I aim to look as much as I can ;)

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Annnnd Daphne’s now trying to convince Elvira to switch clothes with her

I don’t get it - how on earth did we get from Daphne trying to find a good costume for trick-or-treating to asking Elvira to switch oh there it is nevermind.

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There is literally a scene where a giant buzzsaw is slicing towards Crane

and he just

stares at it

going “huh, that’s different”

And I LOVE IT

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And here we have another fascinating scene: Velma going to free Crane from his cell, as Daphne tells her to just leave him to die by pumpkin

I’m wondering if they meant to draw a parallel between the two here - Velma starts by reciting a nursery rhyme, then overcoming her fears in order to release madness to take control. It’s not done very cleanly - mainly bc we barely have any time with Crane in this movie - but I wonder if they meant to insinuate that Crane was like Velma once, where he refused to acknowledge he was afraid, which caused him to lose focus on his initial goals

Idk, ignore my ramblings

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Crane, smirking: I’ll need my personal effects - extenuating circumstances.

Me, fanning myself: I’ll need you to remove yours first

(i am not even kidding, Crane is an absolute DILF in this movie and it flusters me. Stupid sexy animation)

---

YAAAAAAAAAAASSSSS

SCARECROW TO THE MOTHERFCUKING RESCUE BABY, SCYTHE AND FCUKING ALL!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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FCUK YEAH THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

HE HAS A DANCE LIKE QUALITY WITH SOME OF HIS FIGHTING MOVES

VIOLENT DANCING BRINGS THE GIANT JACKAL LANTERN DOWN BABY

THEN HE BACKFLIPS AND GYMNASTIC SWINGS INTO THE VAN

ROCK IT SCARECROW FCUKING ROCK IT

(minor note here, but the subtitles show Dr. Crane instead of Scarecrow - unsure if that’s more that the movie calls him Dr Crane or if it indicates he’s acting more heroic than villainous)

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GODDAMNIT

THE GIANT PUMPKIN SNUCK VINES INTO THE VAN AND STOLE HIM BACK

WHEN CRANE WAS... wearing a seatbelt before, but isn’t now.

...

BOOOOO

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Yet again, we find a Scooby movie that attempts character development, but with Velma

Unlike Shaggy’s Showdown however, I’m mixed on how successful it is.

For starters, Velma hasn’t been this cocksure in other DTVs we’ve seen, so it’s a bit odd to see it now. While not 100% out of place - after all, the gang DID capture one of Batman’s Rogues Gallery on their own - it still feels a touch forced. Compare that to Shaggy’s Showdown, where Shaggy has ALWAYS been a coward (one that, in more recent years, writers have had willing to abandon his friends for safety), so the character development there feels more natural.

The progression of events with Velma actually work somewhat okay - but again, here’s where past DTVs come to bite them in the ass. The past handful have had the gang be wrong, have had them fail, or catch the wrong guy. This makes Velma’s attitude here at odds with the other films, something that sticks more due to a character that’s appeared in the past few films as a minor inconvenience - a Sheriff who keeps telling the gang not to interfere, they’re doing things wrong, etc. If this had been a character who was completely wrong in the past AND SHOWN TO BE WRONG FOR HIS OPINIONS, while the gang never guessed wrong, this would work much better. Unfortunately, it doesn’t, and here we are.

I think it would have flowed better if Velma’s cockiness came solely from catching Crane on their own. Have a random cop character or reporter or whatever (just not the recurring cop), insinuate that the gang is in too deep with Scarecrow, that he should be handled by the adults or professionals or whatever. Velma could bristle, overcompensate, and THEN fall from her pedestal like we see, reach out to the gang and commiserate over feeling scared, and grow. Again, it’s not too far to reach for, but they handle it poorly; as a result, the outcome feels a little more shoehorned in.

It’s an honest shame, bc we haven’t had a Velma centered story since Frankencreepy, and we all remember what a hideous fcuking mess THAT was *shudders*. Still, it somewhat gets its point across, I guess.

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Fred why did you rip your shirt off

Actually better question why do you not have nipples

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Awwwwwww

Velma just apologized to Shag and Scoob for snapping at them earlier, and admits how she doesn’t appreciate how much they make Mystery Inc what it is

Also she eats a Scooby Snack with them and admits they taste pretty good

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Huh

Velma’s mind palace is the Mystery Machine driving through space

Also Shaggy and Scooby are able to telepathically follow her in and communicate with her

Literally, they actually followed her into her head telepathically, and show her their memories of things she hasn’t gotten to see tonight (while also possibly enhancing her ability to remember things, given how much DETAIL she captures perfectly of things that she would maybe have glimpsed in a millisecond AT MOST)

...another tally for Crack Theory A of magic! Shaggy and Scooby *scribbles*

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Fred, be very very thankful that there are no people operating those pumpkins in person cause uhhhh

Those traps would be spraying red instead of orange

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Another weird music choice - the gang goes up to fight the Jackal Lanterns, but the music is the same 60s bubble we heard earlier

Not terribly atmospheric, really

(wouldn’t a Smashing Pumpkins cover of Scooby Doo be more appropriate, or did you guys spend all your money on hiring Elvira and Bill Nye?)

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Dang

Velma just admitted her fears and jumped into the mouth of the Mega Pumpkin, before getting Fred to use the app from earlier to shut it down, revealing it to be a giant drone surrounded by smaller pumpkin drones

This feels… counterintuitive, but I’ll try to explain at the end

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Okay

I’ll admit it

The Whodunnit is actually pretty decent in concept

There was a sprinkling of tidbits that could be assembled for the final conclusion and still make a decent amount of sense, all to find the sheriff doing it

Only he isn’t a sheriff

He’s a former Tech CEO who was also busted by the gang years ago in a case the Sheriff kept bringing up throughout the movie - due to his prison sentence, he lost more than half his wealth and the opportunity to expand it further with the Crystal Cove Lithium deposits

He was also someone who sold tech to Crane for his fear toxin distribution, where he got the idea to frame him for it

(tho on a side note, Crane is an absolute dork and a terrible liar - just look at the email he sent XD and that profile pic, my gods)

He deliberately picked at the gang for the past few DTVs (specifically 2: Return to Zombie Island and Curse of the 13th Ghost) to fracture their confidence, undermine them, etc - all so that in one fell swoop, he could retake his fortune, frighten everyone in town away from the mines so they couldn’t interfere, frighten away the gang (while also ruining their reputation as mystery solvers), and take Crane off the docket so he couldn’t identify the CEO when he pretended to be the sheriff

This… is actually a pretty damn good plan, for a Scooby villain. He was patient, manipulative, and clever, learning how best to tie up loose ends and win back what he lost. A clever revenge story that came so close to coming to fruition, and could have honestly been sold convincingly…

...if it hadn’t been done so much better in Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

Yeeeaaaah, this movie basically lifts the rough framework up from that one - past mystery villain comes back to attack the gang and ruin their reputation (tho this one decides to also make his fortune back and tie up loose ends with former criminal contacts, a la Crane). Gang is embarrassed in front of the news folk, another villain is framed for it (like Old Man Wickles of the Black Knight fame), and the gang must reconcile to foil the villain for good.

Although it also??? Merges elements of Frankencreepy in it?? The movie is focused on Velma, who is struggling to admit when she’s wrong (which ties into her fear, somehow… I’ll think on that point a little) and things purportedly go haywire when she won’t bend. This… isn’t illustrated as well here, since there’s very little direct cause-and-effect from Velma’s actions that would prove this point - that insisting her way is the right, best, and therefore only way to go ends up making things worse.

As much as I despised Frankencreepy (and I DESPISED IT), it did do that part well - showing that refusing to budge on something can lead to you hurting your friends (literally, in that one), and that admitting you were wrong and need help isn’t the end of the world.

(that movie also had former villains returning to gain vengeance upon the gang using psychological warfare, hm - may need to go over that one again, unfortunately).

It’s a shame, too - the basic elements for this plot are all here, they just need to be polished and reworked a bit to make a really fascinating movie.

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Anyways, back to the asshat CEO who just… faked being a sheriff. Because white people can get away with that so long as they have the outfit and the car *throws up hands* (the sad part is this is probably something that actually happens)

As he drives away we see a familiar silhouette looming in the cornfields, watching him approach

Velma had Bill Nye on speaker, so he could record the entire confession for the federal officers nearby (who were taking Scarecrow back to Arkham), and track the phone signal to his exact location

And right as his holographic call cuts out, we see the shadow of a Scarecrow looming over him, causing him to scream.

When the feds arrive at his final location, both his body and the money have vanished. The car still sits, engine running, before the crows leering over him from the field vanish into the sky.

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Now that he’s dead, the gang walks and finds themselves at a Halloween party, with friendly faces and good food. The mystery is solved, though the culprit may never be found again.

Then Daphne admits to NOT trying to steal Elvira’s costume for Halloween, but instead trying to steal Elvira’s identity and replace her.

Something that she’s apparently nearly gotten away with on past mysteries working with Phillis Diller

*sighs* movie, why couldn’t you just stick to the costume schtick? This is just… so much worse.

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From there, Elvira walks off to wrap things up, reveal the monster face on the back of her head sans wig (which was also a monkey), and start the credits, where we see the gang working to bring the Mystery Machine back to its former glory a la Frankenstein pastiche.

This movie… this movie is a hot mess, but at least it’s an OKAY hot mess.

It really does feel like someone started writing a decent Velma-focused movie concerning the Scarecrow and a past Mystery Inc villain interfering, but was bogged down by notes from higher-ups: Wait! Write in Elvira! Also write in Bill Nye! Hey, let’s have a Mad Max car chase with the Jackal Lanterns! And have Daphne obsessed with literally becoming Elvira! Also make reference to things that we’ll insist be explained this way instead of a way that makes sense! Great!

(seriously tho, we never find out who Crane cares about most that reminds him of Velma, what the heck?)

It’s like two or three different scripts were smooshed together without being cleaned up - stuff is said that doesn’t get resolved, the celebrity guests don’t get to breathe much and feel squished together, and the build-up for the villain feels… less impactful, even knowing that he’s been in the past two films.

It might have worked if he’d been in… let’s say like 5 or 6 DTVs in a row, speaking roles for dissing the gang growing in each (ex start with “Good job kids! But maybe next time, leave it to the professionals, okay?” and growing more bitter from there), but only 2 feels kind of meh. Still, I do appreciate the clues we got to collect together, and they all work in the final breakdown of the scheme - some DTVs can feel like they pull stuff completely out of nowhere, so kudos there.

I appreciate what they wanted to do with Velma - give her a character development arc similar to Shaggy’s in Shaggy’s Showdown. Unfortunately, it wasn’t set up quite so neatly: they blended her ‘refusal to admit fear’ with her overconfidence that she was always right, and it led to a weird conclusion. To face her fears, she leapt into the Giant Pumpkin, which… proved that she was right all along about it being fake, and that solves things somehow. It doesn’t address how she can get something wrong sometimes, it doesn’t really address what she’s afraid of (which is honestly quite good: she’s afraid of failing in a way that allows bad guys to escape justice and in a way that hurts her friends), it’s just a bit of a mess. Points for aiming the focus the right way (and in a way that DOESN’T sexualize the underage teenage girl, unlike some DTVs cough cough Frankencreepy cough cough), but it’s very very messy how it goes about it.

The movie actually balanced pretty well for the whole gang - no excessive focus on one leaving the rest in the dust (too much at least - Fred was a touch underdeveloped, but nowhere near as annoying as past iterations have been. Shaggy and Scooby were kind of meh in some places but great in others, while Daphne was just odd. I think they were trying to recapture the BCSD Daphne characterization, but they failed. Still, she did spend some good time kicking ass with the pumpkins, so that was fun.

Now for the Rogue, Jonathan Crane. If you like Crane, this movie gives you: maniacal Scarecrow, calm and creepy Crane, a brief glimpse at fanboy!Crane (he admits in his own awkward way that he’s a fan of Elvira, and later tells her he loves her work - it’s fun), and (best of all for me) a heroic Crane - one who helps the protagonists and ends up kicking ass pretty damn well, brief as it was. And while DILF Crane is always a treat, he feels underutilized in this. In comparison, Scooby Doo/Batman Brave and the Bold really utilized a lot of different aspects of Riddler, to the point he actually does feel pretty menacing by the third act. It’s a shame we don’t quite get that with Crane, but I do love seeing him 1. More out of mask, and 2. Acting as a good guy (in his own way), so he’s enjoyable on the whole.

I kind of wish that the whole movie was spent more with Crane, but again, the script is a bit of a mess on this part - the fact that he’s not completely screwed over is a goddamn miracle.

Elvira was… okay. She didn’t have much of a purpose beyond getting the plot started and giving Daphne some hooks to play off of. Bill Nye (abrupt as his introduction was) did provide some necessary elements to the mystery, as well as the tech; he wasn’t too bad by the end. (still a touch bitter we didn’t get ex roommate Nye, but hey, what can you do)

Humor was… mixed. Some good, some meh, but very few long enough to feel painful. Some bits felt extraneous at times, but they did help to build to the conclusion, so points for effort.

At the end of the day though, I’m probably keeping this more for Jonathan Crane than anyone else. It does have a lot of fanfic potential tho 🤔🤔🤔

That’s all from me tonight, folks! Hope you enjoyed my own little breakdown of the movie.

#happy halloween scooby doo #plush reviews: final thoughts #jonathan crane #scarecrow #spoilers

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twentiethcenturymoviesandtv · 4 years

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Star Trek: Genre and Themes

Considering the fact that Star Trek was pitched as “Wagon Train in space”, it seems almost redundant to discuss the genre of such a show.

Since the beginning, Gene Roddenberry’s show’s genre seemed pretty obvious: science fiction-western. And really, it’s hard to argue with that. Kirk’s style has been outright referred to as ‘cowboy diplomacy’ by future installations of Star Trek. The adventures and ‘exploration’ of the new territory is very reminiscent of the western television shows of the time, and the setting of outer space would seem to place it pretty firmly in the ‘science fiction’ genre as well.

But, like always, there’s a little more to it than that.

As I’ve mentioned many times before, very few pieces of media can be categorized as only one genre. Even the most seemingly obvious and one-dimensional examples have elements of other genres. No show is designed to fit into only one genre, with any individual television program carrying many characteristics of one specific genre, while sharing many elements of other genres.

And while it may be easy to look at the setting of a film or television show and use that to determine a genre (space = sci-fi, medieval = fantasy), that doesn’t mean it’s terribly accurate.

Such is the case of Star Trek.

As a matter of fact, despite Roddenberry’s initial pitch to the studios, Star Trek actually doesn’t have a whole lot in common with the westerns of the day (Besides Spectre of the Gun). Kirk’s ‘cowboy’ nature actually doesn’t come into play nearly as much as one would think. Captain Kirk’s decision making isn’t quite the same as a traditional western lead, weighing more factors than just ‘frontier justice’. For another, the setup is totally different. The Enterprise is a military exploration ship, full of people on a mission, not just of exploration, but of diplomacy. Kirk’s job is not only to defeat ‘bad guys’, but to find the best solutions for problems of other cultures.

So while Kirk’s ‘good old fisticuffs’ solutions may seem a bit more of the ‘Wild Wild West’ than later incarnations of the show would resort to, it doesn’t make it a western. In fact, Star Trek has far more in common with future versions of science fiction shows than one might think.

Star Trek, at its core, is a show about an optimistic utopia, a future where humanity has learned to straighten itself out. A future where there is no oppression, no prejudice, no poverty, but of a unified, educated, compassionate Earth, reaching out into the galaxy to explore, extending a hand of friendship. This is Kirk’s job: being the hand of friendship. Set in a distant future, a twenty-third century where Earth’s problems are solved, as such, there is no need to examine humanity’s flaws as they are.

At least, not directly.

As is done with many examples of the soft science fiction (or speculative fiction) genre, Star Trek uses its setting and set-up to examine the problems with our own society through the disguise of another. Routinely, Kirk and the gang land on a planet or meet a people that represent a part of humanity that is less than pleasant to look at. Episodes like Let That Be Your Last Battlefield take a scathing look at racism, a huge social issue in the late 1960s. Other episodes examined topics like the Vietnam war, labor, and, a science-fiction favorite, the dangers of technology.

Add this onto the ‘traveling through the stars’ plotline of Star Trek, and you’ve got yourself a pretty good argument for a solid science fiction show, with or without the western elements to it. With that said, that doesn’t mean there’s more to the show than just sci-fi.

Star Trek’s storylines typically fell into the category of action or adventure. There were gunfights (or phaserfights), fistfights, chases, daring escapes, and space-battles galore. There was typically at least one hair-raising action scene per episode (with a few exceptions, such as The Trouble with Tribbles or The Way to Eden). Even the episodes without ‘action’ per say as it would later be solidified in shows like The A-Team or Magnum P.I. turned out a decent ‘adventure’ story, with emphasis on the journey and adventure as a whole, rather than action-packed sequences that kept audiences on the edge of their seat.

Star Trek was all about the adventure, as even the opening credits will make clear. The voyage of the Enterprise is aimed at discovery and exploration. The setup of the show is, at its core, the greatest adventure: exploring the unknown. Every episode is aimed at the exploration of the human experience and curiosity. By definition, an adventure is a risky undertaking, and the exploration of deep space and discovering new civilizations and planets is nothing if not risky.

It’s pretty easy to say that Star Trek fits pretty neatly into the ‘sci-fi/adventure’ category, although it does have shades of other genres. Episodes like Shore Leave, The Trouble with Tribbles, I Mudd, and A Piece of the Action have a distinct comedic slant to them, whereas episodes like Catspaw, The Enemy Within, Wolf in the Fold, and The Man Trap have a rather sinister, horror/thriller edge. Other episodes have dabbled into courtroom dramas, tragedies, westerns, and even war, giving all three seasons a wide range of types of stories that they tell. However, one genre that Star Trek has always been the absolute master of, even more than science-fiction or adventure, has been the genre of drama.

At the heart of every Star Trek episode, no matter how cerebral or action-packed, is an overarching sense of drama. Not drama in the ‘soap opera’ sense, mind you, but drama as in real character interaction and growth. The drama in Star Trek is in McCoy and Spock’s argument in Bread and Circuses, in the death of a recently married lieutenant in Balance of Terror, in the death of Kirk’s brother in Operation: Annihilate. Star Trek’s dramatic moments are rooted in character, from Spock’s admittance and sharing of Vulcan rituals in Amok Time and his muted desperation at thinking that he’s killed his Captain in a burst of uncontrollable rage to the doomed romance between Kirk and Edith Keeler in City On the Edge of Forever. The drama in Star Trek is in people, whether human or not.

The examples of Star Trek’s use of characters, be they regular or not, is truly groundbreaking. From Spock’s mind-meld with the Horta in Devil in the Dark to Kirk’s terrifying identity crisis in The Enemy Within, Star Trek’s strength is in the people, in the personal dynamics between the characters, most notably between the main trio of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Even the other, more minor characters on the show received levels of characterization unheard of for the time: Sulu’s love of botany and retro weaponry, Uhura’s musical ability, Scotty’s intelligence and romantic troubles, and Chekov’s obsession with spouting totally innaccurate Russian history, possibly just to annoy the rest of the crew. Even Nurse Chapel’s flashes of snark helped her stand apart from the many nameless crew members who came and went throughout the series.

In short, Star Trek’s characters were people. Nowhere was this more evident than in Mr. Spock.

By the 1960s, most ‘alien’ characters on television were either jokes or monsters, cast as gimmicks in My Favorite Martian or as evil conquerors in shows like The Twilight Zone or The Invaders. But in Star Trek, the ‘alien’ was as ‘human’ as the rest of us, if you’ll pardon the phrase.

A Mr. Spock type character was unheard of in 1966. A half-human, half-alien, treated as a respected equal of the rest of the crew, was a completely foreign concept at the time. Spock’s development as a character, and indeed, his criticism of the human condition proved to be one of Star Trek’s best elements of its use of character and drama. Spock as a character was constantly at war with himself, torn between the outwardly emotionless Vulcan half, and his emotional, illogical human half. Spock’s internal struggle proved to be one of the most gripping elements of the show, and as his interactions with Kirk and McCoy proved, although Spock did not like to be compared to humans, in many ways, he was more ‘human’ than we are. His subtle flashes of emotion and occasional bursts of illogical behavior proved repeatedly that there was a lot more to Spock than what he tried to let on. He, along with the other members of the cast, had layers.

And Star Trek was very good at exploring those layers.

No science-fiction show would introduce characters with layers to explore if they hadn’t had every intention of making the show hang on the relationships of the characters. And the relationships of characters is the absolute core of drama.

In the end, Star Trek is a science-fiction adventure drama, a speculative look at the nature of humanity and people in general. Star Trek is a look at a better future, an improved society turned to exploration. It’s about the new frontier, about the best and worst of humanity, about friendship, adventure, and morality, full of good and memorable stories and characters. It paved the way for even more complex shows to follow, and remains one of the most thought-provoking and earnest shows of all time.

Even now, audiences remember those characters, those stories, those little moments with these people that they grew to know. They hold up, remaining just as genuine and heartfelt as they were in 1966.

And they owe that, in no small part, to those wonderful characters.

But that’s a discussion for next time.

Thank you guys so much for reading! Don’t forget that my ask box is always open for conversation, suggestions, or questions. Stay tuned for the next article, where we’ll be looking at the crew of the Enterprise and their roles in Star Trek. I hope to see you there!

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kinetic-elaboration · 3 years

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July 28: 3x01 Spock’s Brain

Today’s ep was the infamous Spock’s Brain. I’d never seen it before and always insisted I didn’t want to but...this is a complete rewatch so I guess I kinda had to.

As predicted, it was bad. Utter nonsense for a premise and the actual execution shot through with sexism. There were some aspects that I did like but most of them have been done better by other eps--and in any case were not worth the ridiculous basis of the ep itself. Honestly, if I were watching all this live, and I waited months for this, I might have wondered if the show weren’t better off cancelled.

But I would have been wrong because the next ep is The Enterprise Incident so! Sometimes you just need to be patient.

This episode is starting out so strangely. Why is the bridge being shot from all these weird angles? And why do the colors seem...duller?

They really can spy on these other ships, huh?

“My name is Captain James Kirk.” Not breaking out the middle initial today, I see.

Chapel going for the drama as she falls down.

Kirk too, sprawled over his chair. (Makes me think of “The chair is, in fact, not bolted to the ground.”)

This honestly reads like a bad parody of Star Trek.

Ridiculous lines include: “His brain is gone.” “His incredible Vulcan physique.” “In search of his brain.” “Where are you going to look for his brain?” “It was taken out, it can be put back in.”

“Spock’s body is more dependent on his brain” than a human’s. Ummmm I feel like there’s something suspicious in there.

The only good thing about this ep is Kirk’s devotion to Spock.

Seriously why does the bridge look so different? Filming it from a different location changes everything.

When Kirk paces in front of the view screen, it really shows off how small it is.

“The spaceship that has Spock’s brain.”

I like these schematics and Chekov’s little presentation here. Also Kirk can automatically put years to all the planet evolution codes or whatever--like on the one hand, of course he can, that’s his job, but on another... what a nerd.

Honestly these people--obviously, they are underground on the ice planet. Obviously!!! I actually do appreciate this scene in general, with the bridge crew working out a problem on the bridge, which actually almost never happens--it’s definitely the best scene of the ep--but still. It’s obviously the ice planet.

Also, I like that Uhura gets to contribute. She thinks outside of the box, asks the good questions. Don’t just look at the outside evolution of the planet--ask about what the brain could be used for, and where it might be.

“Get there, find the brain.”

Oh no, he accidentally called Scotty Spock :(

“High of 40. Livable.” I realize this is a Russian joke but that’s really not that bad lol. Definitely not an ice age anymore.

“They give pain and delight.” So they’re dominatrixes?

“You are small.” Well no need to be mean about it.

Don’t you have a companion?? Love that that’s one of their synonyms for “spouse” or “partner.”

The alien men look like they’re wearing short jean skirts.

“A dead and buried city on a planet in a glacial age.” That’s a good idea. Could have done something better with that.

Chekov’s still stuck on the no women thing, I think.

Why did they dress Spock in a leftover outfit from This Side of Paradise?

McCoy and his stimulants again, waking up the alien lady after they stunned her. Multi-purpose.

“I know nothing about a brain.” Clearly.

So all the women live below ground, and all the men live above...

Ah-ha, they have found Spock’s voice.

“There is a definite pleasurable experience connected with the hearing of your voice.” This ep is almost worth it for that line.

Also Kirk’s face when he hears Spock’s voice.

I like that Spock is still funny. Honestly he’s probably funnier disembodied. This is a very humorous Spock characterization. “That is a practical idea. It seems unlikely that I shall be able to get to you.”

WHAT IS BRAIN.

They’re being quite sexist, aren’t they? “No engineering geniuses here. Only women. None of these women could ever have done surgery on Spock’s brain.” Like I know it’s that they’re obviously (or supposedly obviously) naive and childlike but like combining that with the sex segregated society and the actual phrasing of these lines (WOMEN?? Engineers?? Doctors??) plus Kirk assuming the Controller is a man (who says?) all creates this like definite sexist vibe while watching. Ugh make it stop.

How can Spock’s brain control everything? They’ve only had it for 5 minutes.

“Mistress.” I told you they were dominatrixes.

Oh yeah Captain Sulu!!

More sexist quotes: “What a way to maintain control over a man.” “I’ve certainly noticed their delightful aspects.” Please stop talking; you’re digging yourselves in a deeper hole.

(Seriously though--I feel like the unspoken world building fact here is that the women need the men for procreation specifically, which is why they capture the men, and then control them--using the “pain belts”--to have sex--the “pleasure.” They probably also use them for other labor, given the presence of the male guards and the line “they won’t help us if we don’t control them” or whatever it was. But surely the delightfulness of the women is more than their physical appearance, is what I’m saying.)

What is the commentary on gender here? Women = scary, dumb, and hot?

Yeah, how DOES Spock’s brain fit into this?

Lol at Spock’s empty body calmly watching them all fighting.

“Science will triumph.” A real lost opportunity in the AOS-verse to have Kirk say this after a bar brawl.

“You are a disembodied brain.” I feel like there’s a (McCoy) joke in here about how he’s reached his ideal state.

His body is the building. (I was right, I totally called this plot point as soon as Spock started talking about his incredibly large body and how his brain was still doing things like regulating oxygen. I must say... this is not a bad idea, except for the brain stealing part. Like there’s something in there, the idea of the complex as a body, powered by a brain. Idk.)

So basically Spock is taking another opportunity to insult Bones’ medical skills. Oh Spock, never change.

I feel like Bones is enjoying his Spock puppet, on some level.

“Pain bands.”

Use the Spock puppet, Kirk! Use it to fight the lady alien!

“The controller is young and powerful, perfect.” / “How very flattering.” LOL I can’t believe this is real.

“You took his brain. You will put it back.”

So the alien lady puts on the spiky helmet and now she’s suddenly smart. I hate thissssssssssss.

(I actually do think the idea of old knowledge stored outside of the... brains...of the current generation, for their own protection, as decided by the paternalist elders... is not itself a bad concept. Of course it’s also a concept that other eps did better, like The Apple or For the World is Hollow or even Return of the Archons. Again, combining it with all the gross things they said about women earlier just leaves a bad taste. Even though--even though!!--we don’t know who the elder people were. Like, was this a matriarchal society that saved the women in the underground because they were better? Or was it a patriarchal society that put the women in the underground because they were considered weak and in need of protection? I rather assumed the second, but I think there’s some evidence for the first, in particular, that the story reeks of Sexualized Male Fear. What’s a better combination of hot and scary than a matriarchy of women in short skirts?)

“Got your gun.” (But the other way around.)

“Our need for the Controller is more important than your need for your friend.” That sounds an awful lot like “The needs of the many outweigh needs of the one” and we all know what Kirk thinks about that. That said, he’s really not...engaging with her facially fair argument at all.

“No one may kill a man. Not for any purpose. It cannot be condoned.”

Love Scotty’s acting skills. Gotta get this gun back really fast--create a diversion by fainting! But not too much!

I do love McCoy. He’s an adventurer too. He pretends he’s not but he jumps at the chance to discover and learn. He will not hesitate to put himself in danger if it’s for the common good or to protect his friends.

“Put the teacher on.”

Now finally Kirk is engaging with the fate of the society he’s encountered lol. Like, again, he’s not wrong; they’ve stagnated under the computer/controller and it’s not moral to steal from someone else to keep your comfortable and boring life going when you could just do the work yourself, but coming this late, it feels like an afterthought. It’s also weird that she just like stood by and let them take Spock and his brain after all that to do about...not letting them have the brain. Like at the end of the day she was not so inept. Also, they never explained what happens to all the knowledge in the teacher. One would assume they’d have to access it--or not? They’re just to start from scratch? Also legit I guess. And finally... all I can really hear, in the emphasis on integrating with the men again, is “You’ll learn how to develop a society naturally and also about heterosexual sex wink wink.” (Except that as I said... I think they know about that.)

I see McCoy’s regretting that “child’s play” talk now.

“Give priority to reconnecting Spock’s vocal cords.” Yep that’s how the brain works for sure.

Wow Spock really does have to do everything himself. Including operate on himself.

“This Vulcan is telling me how to operate.”

How did he operate without...opening Spock’s skull... in any way??

Not to question the verisimilitude of Spock’s Brain lol.

Everyone’s being so rude--Spock is providing valuable last minute exposition/explanation about this weird-ass society!

It’s always odd when they don’t return to the bridge. Like, they’re not going to collect Chekov?

That was... something.

I liked a few things: any excuse for Kirk to be devoted to Spock; the humor Spock showed; I liked the bridge scene where they looked at the map of the planets; and I liked certain things about the premise of the episode, although, like I said, most of the general aspects (post-disaster society, reliance on computers, etc.) had been done better in other episodes. I liked the look into the Male Brain lol.

What I didn’t like was how outright ridiculous the basic catalyzing event was--Spock’s brain has been literally stolen like??? Are you kidding me? That led to a considerable amount of dialogue that read like a Star Trek parody. Did not like that. And of course, as I said... the sexism. I think I’ve unpacked that enough. It didn’t need to be sexist, and you can explain it in a way that’s not, but the vibe sure was. It was like... well a lot of TOS is like this imo. You can give it an A (or at least a B) for effort, but what comes out is so obviously tainted by the sexism of the creators. Like, for example, how they say they believe in women who are just as capable and professional as men, but struggle to show it. This ep wanted to show a matriarchal society but it wasn’t really a matriarchal society--it was a Freudian dream that was all about the male psyche and what it most fears and wants.

All that said.. the next ep is a D.C. Fontana creation featuring one of my favorite TOS Ladies, the Female Romulan Commander, so I will be receiving a consolation prize.

Also the AOS verse is still more sexist and doesn’t have an excuse I said what I said.

#the year 2021 #2021: star trek #2021: fandom thougts #star trek tos

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