#he ended up doing good in the end…. wagh

[pollyanna-nana]

Thistle’s last act was to revive Marcille.

Even while his desires were being fully consumed by the demon, he recognized the threat it posed and, in his final moments before ‘disappearing’, reached for Marcille’s hand. And in the process… seemingly revived her, given the winged lion’s reaction. Wagh…

Incidentally… this is also part of why Marcille and Laios say this in the second to last chapter. She needed to be revived to revive the rest of the party + break the seal on the demon (which also caused problems… but it all worked out in the end.) Man.

#polly speaks #dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi spoilers #dunmeshi #delicious in dungeon #thistle dungeon meshi #laios touden #marcille donato #dungeon meta #sure I’ll make that a tag #also #thistle posting #aaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu I’m not normal. #he ended up doing good in the end…. wagh #also they want him to be ok 😭 this is why I cannot accept that he’s dead he deserves to live and get and be better

[unknownarmageddon]

HOZIER

HOZIER!!!!!

#i’ve tried to do this twice now cause tumblr keeps fucking crashing and my drafts don’t save and it’s. actually pissing me off #so i dunno how much i’m gonna have to say cause i’ve already tried to say it TWICE already and i am so fucking frustrated #but!!! hozier yippee #answering asks #chair asks #chair!! #okay so. anyway. i love when songs have more than one part god #part one is very pretty ough it’s like. Just his voice and some stuff in the background #OH woag another language;; #wagh i love how the voices like. start joining in at the end #and the like build up of the music #OUHHH ohhh woah part two is so so different than part one #Not what i expected this fuckin bangs #i love the music it like scratches my brain #aughhh #AUGH god the part where like #he’s like i wanna run against a world that’s turning the way he sings that part is so fucking good #ouhhhh;;;; #banger really #if i fade away let me fade away…. #I WANNA FADE AWAY WITH YOU….. #yeah augh #this one’s up there on my list i think #i’d move so fast that i’d outpace the dawn!!!!!!! #anyway. #part one’s interesting but god part two dude #oh oh and and i’m hyped too cause unreal unearth is the one i’ve heard like Nothing from cackles

[aurumacadicus]

Featheruary Part 8

Bet you thought I forgot about this lol. Don’t forget to black list ‘long post’ if you don’t want to see my long posts! This is short enough I’m not putting it under a cut. You can find part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here,  part 4 here, part 5 here, part 6 here, and part 7 here.

--

Watching Thor and Steve beat each other up was somehow relaxing. Thor was technically stronger, but Steve was lighter on his feet, and he also had wings to contend with, which Thor found a stimulating challenge, finding a way to fight him without the threat of damage to his wings. Tony’s favorite was when Thor gave Steve a little zap that was still strong enough to make his hair stand on end and his feathers puff out. The squawk Steve had let loose as he was shot to the other side of the gym had been hilarious.

Tony focused on that sound whenever he started feeling anxious for the rest of the day. It was just hard to feel too upset when the memory of Steve’s comical ‘wagh?!’ was ringing in his ears. Sometimes he even got JARVIS to replay the sound, just to refresh his memory.

“Why does Steve think you’re bullying him?” Bucky asked as he stepped off the elevator and into the penthouse.

“Because I am,” Tony replied, and JARVIS helpfully replayed Steve’s ‘wagh?!’

Bucky stared at him for a long moment, mouth hanging open. Tony couldn’t decide if he was speechless because of his frank confession or the sound of Steve being electrocuted. It was a tossup. Tony didn’t worry about it too much. Everyone was surprised when he was blatantly honest about bullying other people. Well, everyone except Rhodey, who typically agreed those people should be bullied. Like Justin Hammer. (Tony was glad Hammer was in prison. Truly. But sometimes he missed watching Rhodey bully him.)

Bucky finally closed his mouth, swallowed heavily, then sighed, shoulders dropping as he rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna pretend I didn’t just hear that.”

“I don’t see why,” Tony muttered, because he didn’t. Everyone knew he was an asshole. Then he clapped his hands together. “So! Are we still doing this thing?”

Bucky eyed him just a little bit longer before he straightened his shoulders. “Yeah. I figure even though you’ll have to go back over it, I’ll still have done something. Plus, it’ll give us a good chance to talk.”

Tony couldn’t help the instinctive sneer. “Ew talking.”

“Either we talk, or we keep doing this miserable pining shuffle,” Bucky told him firmly. “And I’m honestly so fucking tired of saying the wrong things to you in the heat of the moment. I want to get everything out here, when neither of us are about to cry.”

Tony bristled, wings flapping irritably. “I did not cry.”

“Barely,” Bucky scoffed, and Tony was about to argue, but the truth of it made him sag in defeat instead. Bucky huffed and put his hands on his hips, but his lips were fighting a smile. “That’s what I thought. How do you want me?”

Tony thought of all the joke answers he could give, but then… he didn’t want to do the miserable pining shuffle anymore, either. He really liked Bucky. He wanted Bucky to like him back. And he was too old and tired to play will-we-won’t-we, he figured. It had always been an exhausting game, anyway. “It’s embarrassing,” he said, because apparently they were going to talk. He might as well be honest from the start.

Bucky stared at him for a moment, waiting, then said, “It can’t be more embarrassing than me getting horny when I’m being groomed.”

“I told you, that’s not abnormal. Just because you get a bit more affected than the average person,” Tony began, offended on his behalf.

Bucky held his hand up to stop him. “Tony if you’d helped me molt one more feather, I would have come in my pants.”

Tony’s mouth dropped open, too stunned to speak. That close? No wonder Natasha had looked so fucking uncomfortable as she groomed him. Holy shit. And no wonder Bucky felt bad about not warning him! Tony knew sensitivity was a thing, but he’d never seen it to that extent. Suddenly, he understood Steve and Bucky deciding to pluck instead of molt. It didn’t make it right, but it explained it.

“Well now I don’t feel as embarrassed,” Tony decided.

Bucky rolled his eyes, letting his hand fall back down to his side. “Nothing you say is going to make me think any less of you.” Tony raised his eyebrows at him skeptically. Bucky worked his jaw, then mulishly added, “Probably.”

Tony tilted his head, then shrugged, deciding to allow it. “To start off with, when I’m grooming other people, it’s not uncomfortable for me to be leaning over them. I want you to know that.”

“…Okay?” Bucky answered slowly, frowning. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sensing there’s a ‘but’ there.”

Tony shrugged. “You would be right. But, when I’m the one being groomed, it’s better for me to just lay out on my stomach. The arc reactor caused a lot of muscle damage, plus even though I have a new sternum now, it’s not as good as the original, you know what I mean?” He flapped his wings nervously, because he didn’t really like exposing his flaws, and he clamped them back down against his back when he noticed Bucky staring at his chest, as if he could see the way his muscles strained now beneath his shirt.

He was lucky that he could still fly, although that had more to do with the fact that he wasn’t technically a ‘flyer’ before. Condors were a lot like albatrosses, in that way—they were built for soaring, not flapping their wings. The only reason his wings were even intact after his abduction was because it seemed that universally, carrion birds were seen as a bad omen. No one had wanted to take a curse upon themselves like that. They’d figured he’d be dead soon anyway. Unfortunately, the injury made it difficult to hold his wings up for extended periods of time, almost felt like the arc reactor was still in his chest. He could groom himself just fine because of the ways he had to twist himself and his wings to get the entire span, but holding his wings up and still for someone else to groom was too much.

He and Rhodey had figured out how best to get him groomed when he’d gotten home. It had taken a lot of trial and error, and he’d had to schedule more appointments with his doctors so he wouldn’t get infections as they experimented with it, and changing his bandages had been an important part of grooming in the beginning. It was actually part of the reason Pepper had thought she could groom him despite her aversion, since the position was so different; was why it had taken so long to realize she still hated it, and was crying, but was determined to power through for him until he made her stop.

Tony had come to terms with it. He rarely let other people groom him anyway, because often they weren’t prepared for the sheer amount of work it took. He hadn’t met anyone with comparable wingspans that he would have allowed to until he’d joined the team, and even then, he rarely accepted the offer to help him—not because he didn’t trust them, but it was just easier, grooming himself. He’d been doing it for years, after all. Hadn’t seen a point in changing anything.

But… he wanted to let Bucky do it. And Bucky wanted to. So. He swallowed thickly and straightened his shoulders. “Is that okay?”

Bucky blinked slowly, lifting a hand to rub at his mouth as he pondered over what he’d been told. Finally, he answered, “I mean, yeah, if that’s what’s most comfortable for you. I’m just—the inside of your wings, I’m trying to figure out how I’d…”

“You can hold my wing up,” Tony explained helpfully. “I can hold it up if I really need to, but if it’s someone else holding the weight of my wing up, it’s not going to put a strain on me. I’d be pretty useless as soon as you started grooming me anyway,” he added, someone rueful. “I don’t have reactions like you and Steve, but I tend to zone out during a grooming.”

“Zone out?” Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

Tony clasped his hands together and tapped his laced fingers against his chin, a silent plea to just let the conversation be. When Bucky just raised his other eyebrow, he sighed, dropping his hands back to his sides. “I might be known to fall asleep.”

Bucky stared at him, then let out a startled bark of laughter. Tony did his best not to pout. “Well, try and stay awake, will ya?” he asked once he’d calmed down. “Like I said, we need to talk.” He paused, then cheerfully added, “On the bright side, if I accidentally pluck anything, you’re in no position to punch me!”

“I will be in a position to punch you directly in the balls,” Tony deadpanned.

“I’ll be extra careful,” Bucky continued hastily.

#aurumacadicus writes #featheruary #winteriron #wing fic #long post

[yume-fanfare]

What are your favourite ship tropes and what ships do them best? Good recommendations?

ohhh i think i answered something to this effect before but without the examples part

well im unexpectedly the enemies/rivals to lovers guy here because you know. love. hate. has seen you at your worst and loves you despite (because) of it. the shared history of it all. and im also tumblr user yume-fanfare so i have to say i love how ai.yuu did it i love the fighting -> begrudgingly cooperating -> worrying while trying to act like they don't care -> earnest love. i love yumefan i love kono sekai no tanoshimikata and i Love the "summary" last stage does im a sucker for things that show before and now

and i also rly like childhood friends to lovers (←honeyworks fan) and one of my favorite examples has to be the dolce extra chapter "Like". i love the realization of feelings part in those stories and i find that one is really cute <3 and everything else we got from kazuki's pov regarding can't an idol fall in love with another idol was also so waaaghhh

and for other more specific things i also love ships that have the "you've always been my protagonist" dynamic and things to that effect so. tomo.haji gets me. sweet halloween rewired my brain. it's not just that tomoya struggles because he wants to be seen as cool yet hajime has always seen him as his prince, but tomoya has always thought hajime was the cutest in the galaxy, even before yumenosaki and just. wagh. i have thoughts and Thoughts about them but at the end of the day, they're a very cute pair

also i think tropes like bodyguard/person they're in charge of (bonus points if they're annoying) are fun, x.iaoven has some very fun aus like that. knight/noble person variants r also great lately ive been eating up any and all royal fantasy webtoons i see

anddd detective/thief is super fun too! that's probably a enemies to lovers subgenre kadjsldjslks sai.ou did it rly great too and ive seen a lot of amazing more au-specific fanworks

#im also an and they were roommates enjoyer so looking forward to the haika.veh development #and also fake dating is fun but i don't think i have any specific ships that did that in canon ? #but i do have this great fake dating fic rec‚ #but yeah just. most subgenres of enemies/rivals to lovers probably #polka y kuru son de mis fav enemies to lovers forever in my heart también pero están las barreras del lenguaje y del mucho texto #anonymous #preguntas

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Into the Ocean: Part 1.

...

...Hey...You ok?

Huh? Oh yeah uh...

Just thinking about something...Even if Emilia Feng made it, I can’t help but admire how impressive this place is...I mean, it’s real similar to Hope’s Peak...maybe a little smaller, but still.

She’s really showing off with this. Put money into an academy that’s underwater, only so you can use it to murder people. 

Yeah, I see what you mean.

*They walk down the hallway in silence, looking at the hallways that are lined with fish tanks and other such devices.

In spite of how the academy is dusty and hasn’t been explored for a long time, it has retained it’s beauty.

Well, I mean...it’s not like it’s an ancient building. It was only abandoned a few years ago.

It’s rough...when you remember that some of the world’s most beautiful and amazing things come from the mind of terrible. horrible people.

Hey...Makoto...what do you think Emilia Feng would have done with this place if she’d successfully won the Killing Game?

If you want my opinion? Well, we know she was planning on killing the remaining students in the end. Oliver included.

And she always intended to murder...what was his name...? Ash Sivalle, despite the fact that he had been paid to work for her.

Emilia didn’t want this getting out by any means necessary...and the reason why isn’t just because of her reputation.

I think she was planning on repeating the process.

You mean she would’ve held another game after the first...!?

Then one after that, and another one after that...All for an endless, sick-minded experiment.

And with that logic, she’ll probably subject a lot of innocent people to another Killing Game if we don’t stop her...

Right. Now if I was a crazy evil CEO, where would I be?

This looks like as good a place as any.

Yeah...Because this TOTALLY doesn’t look like a trap.

You knew what we were getting into the moment we came down here. Of course she set a trap. She’s the one who called us out.

???: And like a fool...You took the bait.

Huh?

Where are-?

*CLUNK!* *CLUNK!* *CLUNK!* *WHIIIIRR!*

*There are loud mechanical noises, as all of a sudden, a large hole opens up in the center of the room, and something begins to rise out.

...What is...?

!!!???

MAKOTO! GET DOWN!

HUH!?

*CLICK!* *RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT!!!*

WAGH!

NGH!

*Komaru and Makoto dive out of the way, as a huge turret rises out of the hole and starts shooting at them!

So, you finally showed yourself! I was beginning to get bored!

That voice...!

Feng!

*Emilia’s voice sounds out loudly through a speaker in the manual turret.

In the flesh! Well...no, not quite.

Still hiding I see! Why don’t you get out of there and face us!?

And suffer the most traumatic beatdown of my life? No...I’d rather just riddle you with holes.

*RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT!!!*

AGH!

MOVE!

*The cover proves to be almost completely ineffective. The turret, piloted by Emilia, tears it apart like paper.

Tch...!

Uh...!

Hm...you aren’t Canzanilla, or my son, or any of their little friends...which means you must be the missing members of the Future Foundation, right?

...

You must be Makoto Naegi...that frizzy haired friend of yours seemed really confident you would save him...

Hiro!?

Where is he!?

...

Answer me!

...Sorry...I got lost in thought there. I was just wondering something.

What’s that?

I was picturing the sweet sensation of the look on his face when I present to him your CORPSE!

*RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT!!!*

AGH!

MOVE!

I AM!

*They dive out of the line of fire again, their cover options shortening by the second.

*pant!* *pant!* *pant!*

You know...I wouldn’t be so brazen with my bullets Feng! You’re contracted with Tsumugi Shirogane, right?

Shirogane needs us alive for her own little experiment. So if you kill us, you’ll never hear the end of it from her! Surely, as a fellow mad scientist, who also held a Killing Game, you could understand.

I do understand...and to that, I reply with this.

*RATATATATATAT!!!*

GAGH!

MAKOTO!

*Emilia shoots at the cover once again, and this time, one of the rounds pierces Makoto’s shoulder!

My contract with Shirogane ended the moment you exposed me to the public! The moment you became pawns of Maya Canzanilla, and her shitty little crime fighting squad!

RUUGH!

*POW!* *POP!*

!!!??

*RATATATATATATATATATATAT!!!*

EGH!

*Komaru jumps out of hiding, and fires a powerful hacking bullet at Emilia’s turret. It does nothing. Not even stun her for a brief moment, much less damage the weapon.

You call me a psychotic manipulator, but you’re the one’s who bought into those faggots goals! They sent you down here to be sacrifices against the one woman who would resist their tyranny!

Tyranny!?

They cause problems because they’re attention seeking cretins! They don’t belong in our world! Had you not stopped the Kerokuma Initiative, who do you think it would have targeted first!?

*RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT!!!*

They are saving their own skins! NOTHING MORE!

*pant!* *pant!* *pant!*

Makoto...! 

I’m ok...!

...

*Makoto reaches over and pats Komaru on the shoulder.

We can do this...Come on...!

We’re Naegi’s, goddammit...!

...!

...

...Yeah...

*Realizing ducking down and hiding behind cover won’t do them any good, Makoto and Komaru leave their hiding space.

...

...You want us? We’re ready for you.

*The stand in front of the turret, determined. They glare straight at the device, their hopeful eyes piercing through the steel layers.

Tch...that expression of sheer Hope and determination...I’ll commend you on your bravery, but God does it irk me...!

And your very existence irks us...!

Listen Feng...Even if we take a few bullets, we’re not the kinds of people who’ll stop fighting. Even if we lose a leg or an arm!

What a coincidence! I’m the same...I am the answer to all of society’s problems, and I will not stop until my legacy is brought to fruition! 

...

...

I’ll ask you again...before I pump you full of lead...Are you sure that a titan like me is something you want to come up against? You want to test MY resolve against yours?

!!!

!!!

*Simultaneously, Makoto and Komaru run in opposite directions.

...Very well then...Feel free to try...!

//MAKOTO NAEGI AND KOMARU NAEGI VS EMILIA FENG!//

#danganronpa survivor #danganronpa #danganronpa 1 #dr1 #hyper danganronpa h2o #hdrh2o #makoto naegi #komaru naegi #emilia feng #into the ocean arc

[notkageyamasprincess]

发｜miya atsumu x reader

{gif source}

characters: miya atsumu x f!reader

genre/warnings: fluff, tiny snippet of angst and smut (please do skip over it if you are a minor), hair pulling, rough sex, okay even though it’s a tiny crumb of smut it’s a bit filthy, underage drinking (for some countries), i do not condone this behaviour please do not engage in underage drinking

words: 1.0k

summary: miya atsumu and the different ways he touched your hair throughout your relationship. alternatively, a collection of moments in your lives from age six to age seventy.

notes: mmOKAY i know this sounds super strange but pleaseee trust me it’s actually really sweet, and not at all weird even though this lowkey seems like some kink or fetish. also since we’re talking about hair here, i know my descriptions aren’t inclusive of all readers in this one, so forgive me!

Age six: You sat in front of him in class and you came to school every day with your hair in bouncy, shining pigtails. They always dangled in front of him, looking very enticing. How could a boy resist? So, he grabbed one firmly in his hand, and yanked.

Age eleven: He had just gotten his ice cream cone from the stand when he stumbles over a pebble, causing him to lurch forward, accidentally getting some ice cream in your long locks. Uh oh. He frantically wipes at the mess with his napkin, attempting to clean the evidence before you noticed. He failed of course. Oh, you had noticed alright. He had no choice but to hand over the rest of his treat. You went home with sticky hair, but at least you had ice cream.

Age fifteen: You just experienced your first heartbreak. As you sobbed into his chest, Atsumu soothingly strokes the back of your head in consolation, wishing he could erase the pain. But he secretly thought that you were probably better off without that boy anyway. You deserved someone better. Someone like himself.

Age nineteen: The two of you were at a college party, releasing all the tension of exam season from your bodies. You definitely had a bit too much to drink, and obviously couldn’t hold your liquor as well as Atsumu. Consequently, you were presently knelt over the toilet bowl, emptying the contents of your stomach, which was mostly sugar and alcohol. Rookie mistake. He tsked as he held back your tangled tresses. “I told you to get food before coming. I’m taking you home after this. You’re going to have a nasty hangover tomorrow, you know.”

Age twenty-one: You finally confessed your feelings to each other. You’re currently at a ramen shop, on your first official date. Funnily enough, after going through all those men, you still ended up with the same boy you grew up with. As you leaned down to take a bite, he swept your hair over your shoulder so it doesn’t fall into the steaming soup.

Age twenty-two: Atsumu knocked on the door to your apartment, begging for forgiveness. You just had your first major fight. His hopeful eyes lit up as soon as he heard the lock click, but he frowned upon seeing your crumpled face. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry, I said all those terrible things that I didn’t mean, I’m such an ass.” He took you into his arms and surrounded you in his comforting scent. “____, I don’t want to fight like this ever again. I love you.” You gazed up at him with watery eyes. “I love you too, ‘Tsumu. So much.” He wiped away your tears with his thumbs, tucked a lock of hair behind your ear, then caressed your face and kissed you deeply.

Age twenty-four: You finally moved in together. The air in your shared bedroom was unbearably hot, the bed creaked under your vigorous motion, and the headboard struck a continuous rhythm against the wall. He panted from behind you. “Shit, sweetheart, did you get even tighter since last time?” You heard him grunt as his rough hands gathered your hair into a messy ponytail, pulling you backwards to meet every thrust. You let out a lewd moan at the burning sensation on your scalp, loving the way it stung, getting lost in the pleasure. Your creaming pussy clenched around him as he quickened the pace, pounding into you impossibly fast, releasing a myriad of pretty sounds from your throat. “Fuck princess, just like that. Don’t get all shy on me now, let the neighbours hear your sweet voice. Give ‘em an unforgettable first impression, yeah?”

Age thirty: You relaxed under the hot stream of water as he kneaded your sore shoulders. Your belly was round and swollen at thirty-six weeks, and it’s become difficult to carry out simple tasks, such as showering. You purred as he lathered on the shampoo, massaging your head and washing away the oil and grime. “You’re so good to me, baby. I’m so lucky to have you.” “Trust me ____, I’m even more lucky.”

Age thirty-six: You and your husband were seated on a bench, watching your child run around in the playground. The abundant foliage of a hulking tree shielded you from the late autumn sun, and a mild breeze travelled across the park, twirling the leaves on each branch. One landed on the crown of your head, which Atsumu brushed away tenderly. You laid your head on his shoulder and sighed in happiness.

Age forty-two: The mellow glow of the sun filtered in through the blinds in your bedroom. Your child was downstairs enjoying breakfast while you got ready to drive them to school before work. You and Atsumu were in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing your teeth when you felt him collect your hair and loosely tie it back. “It wagh gettin’ into yer mouf,” he explained, through a mouth full of minty foam. You smiled at him fondly, finished brushing, and pecked him on the cheek before getting dressed.

Age fifty-three: You and Atsumu had just arrived home from the airport after sending your child off to their final semester of college. As you walked into the foyer, you glanced at the mirror in the hall, suddenly noticing that your silver hairs have grown in again. Initially, you only had a few strands, but they seemed to multiply every year. Later, you were settled into an armchair as Atsumu sifted through your roots, plucking out all the silver hairs he could find. When he completed his task, he placed a kiss on each of your temples and took your hands in his own. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

Age seventy: You were sitting in front of your vanity, observing your husband behind you as he combed your hair into a neat style. It was part of your morning routine; he would help you get ready before you went on your morning walk. “____, did I already say that I love you today?” You laughed softly and beamed at him. “Yes Atsumu, you did. And I love you too.”

a/n: k why do i write about hair so much tbh?? also even though i read a healthy amount of smut, this is the first time i’ve ever written smut of any form and it’s probably a one-time thing…unless? akdjfhgd i’m kidding i’ll leave that to the experts until i’ve honed my smut writing skills ANYWAYS hope y’all find this enjoyable!

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu #miya atsumu #hq smut #miya atsumu x reader #atsumu fluff #miya atsumu fluff #miya atsumu smut #atsumu smut #haikyuu smut #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu x reader #hq fluff #jia writes

[michaelandersen0]

Listen dude if fucking love to hear about your mla0 theories!! They don't have to be perfect for a fucking second!

WAGH HELLO!

So. My MLA0 theories. My first one I’ve mentioned on this blog before, it’s the theory that Shaun is not always Michael’s brother. This draws primarily from Brotherly Love if i remember my entries right, because Michael makes a comment along the lines of “And I saw my sister… but she’s not my sister.” It isn’t 100% clear who this sister is, as no name is stated to my knowledge (then again I have terrible hearing and mla0 isn’t known for its audio quality.) but this got me thinking.

Why would Michael see someone in a vision/dream and identify them as a sibling? A sister especially, since he doesn’t have one in the canon we know. My theory is that this is because it isn’t a dream or a vision, but a memory from another time. Another iteration. We know that the Andersen’s and Stormy are in some kind of iteration type of situation from the various times Patrick mentions trying to save them over and over, and watching them die over and over. If we take a quick look at another series that uses iterations, EverymanHybrid, we know that one character, Jeff, also has a sibling of his own in Alex. But Alex is not his sibling always. In some iterations he has a sister, for example. (At least if my memory serves correct.)

So if the Andersen gang are in their own cycle, it is possible that someone attached to it might not always have the same family. In this theory Shaun fills a role that always exists, a necessary counterbalance to Michael and Patrick. It is not always Shaun, sometimes it is a sister perhaps.

The alternate version of this is that perhaps Shaun does exist in every iteration, but sometimes there’s another sibling as well, which would also be very interesting (and I won’t lie serves for some pretty good setup for an MLA0 OC in my opinion.)

My second theory is that Patrick is not something like Habit, but is something else entirely and while similar that does not make them the same type of entity. A lot of people jump to referring to Patrick as a demon, or as something like Habit, but that doesn’t feel right to me.

While Patrick can be cruel he usually acts cruelly to try and accomplish good, both times this can be seen with how he treats Eric and how he treats Stormy. Of course the ends don’t justify the means. This is backed up by a video description, curtains up I believe, where Patrick rights “Though our words are harsh, I rarely mean any of them.” He is a trickster, a liar. A similarity he shares with habit, but a thing he is for different reasons. He shows multiple times he is trying to help, and throughout the series has moments of honesty, ones that might not always shine through because of the times he does lie or acts tricky. Patrick, I like to think, is a good person at heart, even if his actions can be callous and his words can be cruel.

This is only part of why I think he’s something different than what Habit is. The other part is, pardon the clock pun, how he seems to tick. His powerset seems different, weaker than Habits. Canonically Habit can inhabit basically anyone, even multiple people. Evan is just his favourite. In the canon of MLA0 Patrick only seems to exist with Michael. If he and Habit were the same creature you would think they’d both be limited to one person, or would both be able to be with whoever. The next powerset is invulnerability. When Habit inhabits someone he is able to make them invulnerable if he wishes, which can be seen with how he won’t let Evan die. Looking back at Patrick we see him appear multiple times, bleeding and exhausted in Michael’s body. If he was something like Habit, would he not just quickly heal Michael to make it easier to do whatever he is doing? While Patrick is clearly somehow supernatural it isn’t clear what exactly he is or why.

Quick side note but I don’t believe Patrick = Michael. I know some people believe that as Habit claims it to be the case in GOODBYE, but I believe that Habit was lying in that episode to try and find the location of Michael out from Shaun. If Habit could get under Shaun’s skin by claiming all of what was happening was Michael’s thought and he was pretending to be someone else then he could get Shaun to give up Michael’s location out of anger. Michael’s location would in turn lead Patrick to Habit, and it’s pretty easy to infer they don’t like each other even though we never see them interact face to face.

To end off this post a few head-cannons that have no real basis but things I think would be fun:

- When Patrick is in control in the right light Michael’s eyes will have a red hue to them, like vampires in some classic literature have eyes that turn red in the right lighting conditions.

- Stormy knits.

- Michael collects bottle caps.

- Michael wanted to be a singer when he was a kid.

- Shaun and Michael both took piano lessons as kids.

Thank you for listening to me ramble

#mlandersen0 #slenderverse #mla0 #mlandersen0 theory #mlandersen #michael mlandersen0 #mlandersen0 patrick #patrick andersen #michael andersen #Shaun Andersen #Stormy mla0

[thatguy-kai]

MLB - THE MYSTERY OF LOUP GRIS

Chapter One

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." - Matthew 7:15

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

A great whorl of pink beams burst from Ladybug's Lucky Charm, whipping across the streets of Paris in a flurry of light as they mended the aftermath of the latest akuma attack.

When the beams returned, spiralling back into Ladybug's yo-yo, a black mass behind them split apart, a redhead woman emerging on all fours with a perplexed look on her face. The last thing she remembered was being harassed by some developers outside her greenhouse and a smooth, but dark voice speaking into her mind. Now here she was below the Arc de Triomphe, watching as gargantuan vines disappeared from the roads.

"Wha-?" she stammered. "What...happened?"

Within moments, whole crowds of people were gathering around them, applauding Ladybug and Cat Noir's newest victory in a great, euphoric wave.

Despite the work she had done today, Ladybug couldn't help but feel a little shy, rubbing the back of her neck as Cat Noir laughed and waved back at their admirers. After soaking up the attention for a few moments, the feline held his fist out towards his partner, smiling as he and Ladybug exchanged a fist-bump.

"Pound it!"

And like clockwork, Officer Roger Raincomprix emerged from the crowd, smiling as he fiddled with his navy police cap.

"Good job, Ladybug and Cat Noir!" he grinned. "We've can take it from here!"

Ladybug acquiesced with a nod and following Cat Noir's lead, leapt over the greenhouse's fence and across to the next building. But as soon as they were out of sight, Cat Noir suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Milady! A moment, please?"

Ladybug stopped as her partner called out to her, raising a single, bluebell eyebrow.

"Cat? What's wrong?"

"Um..." Cat Noir felt himself taken aback for a moment, his words caught in his throat as he stared into Ladybug's sapphire eyes. "I...uh..."

But he willed himself back to sanity, clearing his throat and taking Ladybug's other hand and holding it to his face.

"Milady," he began. "I know that you're busy and all...but in a few days..."

Ladybug angled her head. "Hmm?"

"Uhhhh," Cat stammered. "Well, I know you probably know this already...but it's alright if you don't, but I..uh...just thought you should know...just in case! There's an important day coming up, um and was wondering if you would..."

Important Day? Ladybug suddenly felt anxious, like she had forgotten something very important.

"Is it...your birthday?"

Cat Noir shook his head, forgetting his nerves and laughing as he squeezed Ladybug's hands tighter.

"No," he chuckled. "No, it's not my birthday, it's about us!"

Us. The word sent a short buzz of electricity through Ladybug's body. As Cat Noir leaned closer, she felt even more unsettled, watching as her blue-haired reflection in his emerald eyes.

"Don't you know?" Cat asked inquisitively. "It's been a y-!"

Deet! Deet! Deet!

Ladybug gasped as her earrings started beeping, shocking her awake from her trance.

Saved by the bell.

"Sorry, Cat Noir!" she apologized, slipping her hands out of his. "Gotta go! Bug Out!"

Ladybug drew her yo-yo and turned to leave, but stopped momentarily and turned around, patting Cat Noir's cheek with a nervous smile.

"Maybe next time, Kitty."

And without another word, she threw her yo-yo over the adjacent building and leapt off into the horizon, Cat Noir sighing disappointedly as he watched her disappear.

"It's been a year since we became heroes..."

Ladybug zipped over the Parisian rooftops, her thoughts buzzing in time with the busy street-life below.

It had been almost two months since their duel with Hawk Moth on Heroes Day, two months since the Miraculous Wielders of Paris had come together to face their greatest battle yet.

And though they had won, the battle had taken the heroes completely by surprise. Without either Ladybug, Cat Noir or Master Fu knowing, Hawk Moth had not only managed to launch a co-ordinated attack on Paris but had also unlocked more of his potential.

Ladybug had tossed the same thoughts over and over in her mind for weeks. Yes, the heroes had won the battle, but barely. Practically a fluke. They might have won the fight, but Hawk Moth had escaped, with new knowledge of his Miraculous - slipping through their fingers once again.

Ladybug stopped flying across the streets, landing on a rooftop to catch her breath and gather her bearings, the roof of Francoise-Dupont gleaming in the distance of the yellow morning sun.

But even worse, Hawk Moth had a new ally - the Peacock. Yet another new power on Hawk Moth's side. Ladybug had tossed the same thoughts over and over in her mind these last few weeks and had come to the same conclusion; that they hadn't won at all. The victory had been hollow.

The heroine's hand curled into a fist at her side, gritting her teeth until she felt like they would crack.

She had to get stronger. Both her and Cat Noir. Ladybug had consulted Master Fu about this after Heroes Day, but the monk had yielded no answers.

The heroine retracted her yo-yo cord as she came within view of the Francoise-Dupont. As she landed, Ladybug took a deep breath, her lapis eyes darting back and forth to make sure no-one had witnessed her arrival.

A weight released itself from her chest when she saw the coast was clear, front-flipping off the roof and into the school's atrium, diving into the locker room just as her Miraculous timed out. Streams of white and hot-pink light washed over her, a light breeze tousling her blue pigtails as 'Ladybug' turned into Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

A pink sprite hovered by Marinette's side, a mischievous glint in it's chibi eyes.

"Tikki?" Marinette asked. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

Tikki's sly smile grew, the kwami moving closer to Marinette's ear.

"Maybe next time, Kitty..." she cooed.

Those words sent a hot flush through Marinette's body, her cheeks turning bright pink as Tikki snickered to herself.

"W-W-Wha-What?!" Marinette stammered, her eyes wide as saucers. "Tikki?!"

"Since when have you been so friendly with Cat Noir, Marinette?" the kwami giggled, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "Does Adrien have some competition~?"

Marinette gasped, her hands clapped against her cheeks as Tikki's laughter subsided. Millions of thoughts were racing through her mind like television static, overlapping and growing louder as Marinette tried to make sense of them.

Noticing her master's worry, Tikki put a hand on Marinette's cheek.

"Relax, Marinette..." she beamed. "I was just teasing!"

The chaos in Marinette's mind finally settled down, allowing her to form coherent thoughts.

The girl knew she'd be lying if she said that Cat Noir hadn't grown on her - puns, flirts and all. There had always been a bond between them, right from the moment that they had first met - a union that had only strengthened with every battle they fought together.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked, her pint-sized head angling with confusion.

But, in the end, their being together would only bring uncertainty - hurt even. They were two different people, masks or not and even if she could somehow bring herself to reveal her identity, would Cat still want her? Would he accept all of her? Or was he only interested in Ladybug?

The lie. The fake me.

Marinette sighed, opening her locker and fishing around for her books.

...And that wasn't even counting the biggest hurdle - Adrien. Marinette knew (from no lack of trying) that she could never forget her first love and that even if that love remained unrequited, dating another would feel like an irreparable betrayal, like she'd be breaking Adrien's heart without even having a place within it in the first place.

"I dunno, Tikki..." she sighed. "I don't wanna think about it...Not with everything going on..."

Marinette could practically hear Tikki hanging her head, the disappointment curdling in her tiny form.

"I just..." she sighed without finishing her sentence, gathering the last of her books and closing the locker.

-Until something hooked around her lower right ankle.

"Wagh!" Marinette cried out. Without noticing, someone had managed to sneak past the bluenette and trip her to the ground in a blur of sunlight, red walls and falling books, a guffawing laughter echoing above her.

Marinette removed one of the fallen books that landed on her head, the smug faces of Chloe Bourgeois and Sabrina Raincomprix towering above her.

"Clumsy trash!" Chloe remarked. "Maybe if you'd spent less time talking to yourself and more time listening to moi, I might actually be able to look at you without wanting to barf."

Marinette sneered at the terrible twosome as they left for the classroom, their cackling laughter echoing after them.

Right. How could she forget? Marinette was already at her wit's end balancing her superhero and school lives, so where would she find the time for dating? With her luck, there'd probably be an akuma attack every time she was asked out...

The girl let out a defeated groan, reaching for her scattered books with a forlorn expression.

But just then, a footfall resounded from the locker room door, becoming louder and louder as they neared Marinette.

"Ugh, go away Chloe..." Marinette spat. "Shouldn't you be on your way to class or some...thing..."

The bluenette turned to face 'Chloe' as she finished gathering her books, a pair of snow-white Doc Marten boots before her eyes.

An embarrassed blush formed on Marinette's face. Those weren't Chloe's shoes....

And then she finally looked up, a boy's face staring back.

The blush on Marinette's cheeks brightened as she looked upon him. The boy was a head taller than her, with auburn, fade-cut hair and skin so fair that it bordered a pallor. His clothes seemed just as unworldly, his lean form wrapped in a loose, sable-black drawstring shirt and ragged, white cargo pants that dangled just partway down his shins.

Was he some kind of traveller? A gypsy?

"-e do this often?"

Reality struck Marinette like a freight train as the boy spoke. His voice was low, but had a soft refinement to it.

"What?" Marinette asked, hoping he didn't notice her daydreaming.

"The blonde." he repeated, indicating in the direction Chloe had left. "Does she treat you like this often?"

Marinette felt shy all of a sudden, shaking her head as she put on her best fake smile.

"Huh? Chloe? Nah! I mean she does - but wait, she doesn't and u-um...there are others besides me! But y-you know...m-mostly me and-"

"Grow a spine."

Marinette froze, the boy's words cutting through her like a sharp blade. "H-Huh..?"

"I said 'grow a spine'." the boy spat, his eyes narrowed. "If you don't quit stammering like an idiot and learn to stand up for yourself, people will just keep making fun of you."

He straightened his leather shoulder bag, not even bothering to help Marinette off the ground.

"...That's the way the world works."

And he left without another word.

A wave of insecurity started to rise within Marinette as she watched the boy leave, groaning in defeat once more. Oh man, she barely even met a new person and he already thought she was a total dork. The bluenette knew she had her flaws but did that guy have to be so mean about it?

She sighed and hung her head, picking up the rest of her books.

But her self-reflection was interrupted by the sound of another foot-fall, a caramel skinned girl with large glasses appearing in the doorway.

Marinette's eyes lit up. "Alya!"

Alya's glassed face wrinkled with disapproval. "Marinette, what are you doing on the floor? Don't tell me you fell over again."

"No," Marinette grumbled as Alya helped her up. "It was Chloe. And then after she tripped me over, some boy started being mean to me..."

Alya folded her arms as Marinette dusted off the sides of her pants. "What boy? Was it Adrien?"

She gasped as she put a supportive hand on Marinette's shoulder, a sinister glint in her eyes.

"Girl, you tell me that Adrien was being mean to you and I'll have him dangling from the Eiffel Tower before you can say 'Ladybug'!"

Marinette looked at her friend with silent shock, clamping her hands over Alya's mouth as if in fear of someone hearing them.

"No way!" she exclaimed. "Adrien would never do something like that! He's too perfect!"

She stepped back as Alya rolled her eyes.

"Besides, this guy looked nothing like Adrien! He was taller and with darker clothes and brown hair with some kind of silver streak in it! Or was it white? I can't remember..."

Alya seemed just as puzzled as Marinette was.

"Hmm," she pondered, cycling through some photos on her phone. "Doesn't ring a bell. But you said he had a streak in his hair? Sure it wasn't Luka?"

The mere mention of Luka's name brought a hot flush to Marinette's face. "No...b-but, Luka wouldn't be so mean either!"

Alya rolled her eyes again as she tucked her phone away and started toward the stairs to class. "So what did this guy say to you anyway? What was it that upset you so much?"

Marinette followed her friend up the stairs, sighing with every step.

"He told me to 'grow a spine'. That I needed to stop being such an idiot and stand up for myself."

Alya glanced away coyly. "Well..."

Marinette gasped, a look of mock betrayal on her face. "ALYA! Not you too?!" The bluenette whined like a wounded dog and clung to Alya's arm.

"Mari," Alya sighed, patting Marinette's head. "You aren't weak at all. And you're definitely not an idiot. You're kind, sweet, sensitive and so, so talented."

Marinette could feel a 'but' coming from a mile away.

"...But you shouldn't let Chloe get to you. You need to be brave - to stick up for yourself!"

Her words made Marinette hang her head again. "I know, I know. But that's exactly what the guy said."

Alya laughed as they reached the homeroom class door. "Heh, maybe next time you see this guy, you should thank him."

"Ugh!" Marinette shuddered. "No way!"

The two of them finally reached the classroom, Marinette turning the brass doorknob with a delicate hand. "I don't think I ever want to see that guy ag-"

"Marinette and Alya!"

The girls froze as a voice beckoned them from the front of the room, a merigold-haired woman watching them with her hands on her hips. "Homeroom started over three minutes ago, where have you been?"

The two girls felt the eyes of the entire classroom upon them, Marinette smiling nervously and Alya shirking back towards the door.

"Sorry, Miss Bustier." Marinette quickly apologized, bowing her bluebell head. "I fell over and hurt myself in the locker room. Alya stayed behind to help me with my books..."

The stern look on Miss Bustier's face relaxed, her understanding smile returning, albeit with a weary sigh.

"I do hope you're alright, Marinette." the woman said. "But please be aware that it's your duty as Class Representative to set a good example."

She shuffled the papers in her hands together, tapping them against her desk.

"...And to welcome new students to the school."

Alya's eyebrows raised. "A new student? Who?"

"The one trying to get into the classroom."

Marinette and Alya shrieked as they felt a presence behind them, one that seemed to appear out of nowhere. As they jumped aside, their hearts pounding like fists in their chests, an aloof looking boy sauntered past them - stopping just before Miss Bustier's desk.

Marinette's eyes bulged when she realized who it was, his odd clothes and cold attitude setting off alarm bells in her head.

"Agh!" she exclaimed as she pointed at him accusedly. "It's you! The guy from before!"

The boy folded his arms coolly. "You were expecting Jagged Stone, perhaps?"

His reply made Marinette grit her teeth. She tried to come up with a witty retort, but she was cut off by an exasperated sigh.

"Girls," Miss Bustier groaned. "Please sit down..."

Alya nodded in agreement and took Marinette by the hand, dragging her towards their desk. As they took their seats, Miss Bustier's frown relaxed, her cheerful demeanour returning as she faced the brown-haired boy.

"My name is Alexander." the boy introduced himself. "Alexander Rollo. I just arrived in Paris last week and I'll be staying here for the next few months."

He rolled his neck and picked up his canvas bag at his feet, starting towards the chairs until Miss Bustier called him back.

"Um, Alexander! Don't you think that introduction was a little too brisk?"

Alexander stopped walking, his brow furrowed and jaw set.

"Why don't you take this opportunity to answer some questions from the class?"

Alexander opened his mouth to protest but over half of the class had already raised their hands.

"Excuse me!" Rose asked in a soft, mouse-like voice. "You said you moved here? Where are you from?"

"Not Paris." Alexander answered.

"Yo!" Nino called out. "What's your favourite kind of music? You into DJ raves?"

Once again, Alexander rolled his eyes. "No musicians you'd know and no, I'm not into 'raves'."

"What about sports?" Kim asked, his eyes wide with fascination. "Any exercises you like doing-"

"These questions are exercising my patience." Alexander groaned. "Does that count?"

And finally, Alya stood up, her fingers moving across her phone at a dizzying speed.

"New guy in Paris, huh? Got any juicy info on-"

"Perhaps I was being too subtle..."

Alexander stood up straighter and tucked his hands behind his back, watching the class as if he were a drill sergeant.

"I am not here to make friends, much less try to get along with anyone. While I am at this school, I will do what is expected of me but I will do it my way and with as minimal social interaction as possible."

One could almost feel the temperature drop as Alexander spoke, his piercing eyes narrowing.

"I do not even want to be here. I am here because I have to be. And I will not have this demeaning period of my life made worse by any clique crap or suck-ups trying to play nice."

He glanced at Miss Bustier, the woman shuddering as their eyes met.

"Understood, teacher?"

The coldness of his words steeped the classroom into a stillness, leaving even Miss Bustier at a loss for words.

"...Very well then." the teacher resigned, pushing back a loose strand of her hair. "Well for now, how about you sit up the back next to Nathaniel?"

The tomato-haired Nathaniel looked up from his sketchbook, an uneasy look on his face as he met Alexander's icy eyes.

"...Alright." Alexander sighed. Ignoring Nathaniel's anxious expression, Alexander slung his knapsack over his shoulder and marched up the aisle between the desks. As he strode past, Marinette felt Alexander's steely gaze upon her, an iciness that compelled her to avert her eyes elsewhere. Her bluebell eyes darted across every chair, dewy window pane and oblivious person in the room, but they eventually found their way back to Alexander again, drawn in by the bracelet on his right wrist.

It wasn't a particularly flamboyant piece of jewellery, a simple silver band with a thin white cord wound around the middle, but there was something eerily familiar about it-

A sharp pain shot through Marinette's skull, causing her to jolt in her chair and wince and clamp her hands to her head. Her reaction went mostly unnoticed by the class, except for Alya, who glanced at her friend worriedly.

Are you okay? The girl's eyes seemed to ask.

Marinette simply giggled awkwardly, feigning embarrassment as the last of the pain subsided. But as it ebbed away, a numbing sensation began to gnaw at her ears, just beneath her Miraculous earrings.

An icy hand squeezed Marinette's heart. Something wasn't right.

Normally, Marinette could feel some kind of warmth or tingle of energy from the earrings, even in their dormant state. But as her fingers caressed their metallic, domed surfaces, Marinette couldn't feel anything from them. No warmth, no buzz nor even a sliver of Tikki's power - just empty metal shapes pinned to her ears.

The cold feeling in her heart intensifying, Marinette took a deep breath and looked towards the back of the class, her breath hitching in her throat when her eyes fell upon Alexander.

He was staring at her.

Marinette felt her lungs and heart constrict as she locked eyes with the boy, caught on the receiving end of perhaps the most frightening sensation she had felt in her life.

Alexander's eyes were even darker than before, burning with a stalwart, black fire that seemed ready to set Marinette ablaze, if the constricting coldness didn't choke the life from her first.

The way he looked at her, the way that cold darkness seemed to sink into her soul, like the teeth of a vicious predator.

They locked eyes for a few short, but unbearable seconds before Alexander suddenly looked up, watching as Miss Bustier wrapped up the remainder of homeroom.

Marinette finally looked away as well, but the effect of Alexander's gaze lingered. She almost couldn't believe it; the sheer hatred and malice in his eyes. Was he the reason for the coldness she felt in her ears? Why the Miraculous felt so empty?

Oh, get a grip, Marinette!

he chided herself for thinking like that, for entertaining such a silly thought. How could a stare affect a Miraculous or a person like that? Alexander might have seemed like a cold person, but surely that's not all it would take?

And yet, the feeling in her heart persisted, the bluenette hugging her arms around herself.

Those eyes. They were almost like...an animal.

And after what seemed like an eternity in a frigid purgatory, the bell finally rang.

- END OF CHAPTER ONE -

(My first time posting a fanfic to Tumblr. Please leave feedback if you read to the end?) 😊

#miraculous ladybug #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Tikki #ladybug #Adrien Agreste #plagg #cat noir #chat noir #carapace #rena rouge #viperion #Luka Couffaine #Lukanette #Adrienette #LadyNoir #Marichat #Ladrien #Thomas Astruc #Jeremy Zag #miraculous fanfic #miraculous oc #fanfiction #LOUP GRIS

[australian-desi]

Asur - Review/Reaction

Okay so I loved it! This show has changed me as a person somehow. But honestly speaking it was fucked (some people said more fucked than sacred games but I dont watch that so I dont have a reference). The background of Hindu mythology was used amazingly and holy shit the actors. Guys the actors need a round of applause coz they were simply amazing. I’m still shaking after watching the last episode I literally finished the show in 1.5 days so like safe to say I was hooked. I would also like to say that the show itself was very well paced, at no point did I think that the story was going too slow or too fast, everything was perfectly timed and perfectly revealed. I will be cutting this post for a more in-depth review - and after the cut everything are 

Also before you guys watch - this show is very dark - it depicts suicidal tendencies, gory murders and gruesome scenes - things that will make you lowkey vomit (I have a pretty high tolerance for these things so I was fine, but just in case you aren’t it’s good to know coz they spring those up on you) 

SPOILLLLERRRRSSSSS

Actors/Characters: 

Arshad Warsi as Dhananjay ‘DJ’ Rajpoot: This is the first time I’ve seen Arshad Warsi in a non-comic role, and I was honestly truly blown away. He was simply amazing. Now coming to character. The main message of this show was that ‘evil lives in all of us’. But the way they revealed it was quite phenomenal. DJ is shown to be the ‘innocent’ ‘good guy’ and how is was wrongfully framed for his wife’s murder, but is still working to find the actual serial killer - not because to save himself, but in order to save other people. It is then shown, that he had done something ‘bad’ ‘immoral’ and ‘wrong’ in his life - 10 years ago he caused a 15-year-old to go to jail rather than a juvenile detention centre for the murder of his father. He did this by faking his birth certificate and forging evidence - since there was no evidence to connect the child to the murder (but the audience knows that he did it). Thus, begins the game for his repentence. 

Barun Sobti as Nikhil Nair: So here’s the ting - I genuinely forget how good of an actor our boi is (don’t blame me I’ve spent the last 8 years, watching him go “what the” and “Khushi Kumari Gupta”, throwing anger fits and tantrums), but holy shit I was blown away. Barun has this ability to make his audience feel every emotion he’s going through - anger, sadness, despair, happiness, joy, relief - everything, he is a brilliant actor. Nikhil was an amazing character. He was an all-in-all protagonist. He had a loving relationship with his wife and a daughter that he loved very much. However, when he is kidnapped by the serial killer himself - he is given an option - to either let his wife and kid die, or become an accomplice to murder, where he meticulously plans the murder and the killer goes and does the job. He chooses the latter, thus, blurring the line between good and bad. It is also interesting considering the man that saved lives ended up taking them. The final test for him is when in order to save three hostages, he is asked to sacrifice his daughter. He does that and it is shown that due to the trauma they have faced, one of the hostages shoots the other, making Nikhil regret his decision instantly - the killer thus proving his point, human nature is evil, that even the good turn to evil in hardship. Nikhil blames DJ’s deeds for his daughter’s death, and Naina leaves him, blaming him for their daughter’s death. 

Ridhi Dogra as Nusrat Saeed: Nusrat is shown to be the ex-gf/ex-love etc. of Nikhil, before he left CBI without telling her about where he was going and for how long. In all these years she has been unable to move on from him and has replaced her love life with work as a forensics expert. She is shown to be very talented in her job and is shown to have a friendly relationship with everyone - although, in a hallucination, Nikhil is shown to feel guilty for what he did to her and deep down does love her, but loves his wife more 

Anupriya Goenka as Naina Nair: Naina is shown to be a doting mother, and a loving wife, who has issues that although her husband loves her very much, wants to rejoin the CBI, even if he has to leave her for it. She ends up going to him and is shown to be a very talented software engineer working in cyber-security. She then ends up helping the CBI in order catch the killer 

Vishesh Bansal as 15-year-old Shubh Joshi: This kid holy shit. I watched him in IPPKND as Aarav and some other serials here and there, but man he blew me away. Like I was sitting there shook half the time as to how can someone be this talented. Now Shubh Joshi was who this story was about - the asura, the rakshas, the one who was awaiting for Vishnu to return on this Earth to vanquish him. When Shubh’s mother was pregnant with him, his father the head priest wanted a ‘devta-like putra’ he wanted a god on the form of the Earth to the point, he made his kundli in advance and did not allow for his wife to give birth until the right month. He failed, as his wife slipped down the stairs, and ended up giving birth 2 days before he wanted her to. She gave birth in the month in which demons were said to be born. Thus, Shubh turned out to be extraordinary - he learnt how to walk at 2 days old, he was able to read the scriptures by the time he was 3, and had an IQ of above 160. His dad used to curse him, beat him, and call him an ‘asur’ to the point he started believing it. When his grandfather took him to the psychologist - he was diagnosed with autism, causing him to not have the same social skills and unable to connect with others as well as other kids. His father’s abuse caused his brain to become extremely violent, and it is then shown that he goes to a skeleton and breaks its index finger, then finding a dog and burning it alive, with no emotion. At 15 he poisons his father causing his father to fall into the river to his death - he drops the lota in which he was poisoning him with getting rid of the evidence. However, DJ sees this, and sees no remorse for his father’s death, he seems unaffected by it, and continues on his day as normal. DJ then fakes evidence and his birth report - causing him to go to jail rather than receive therapy and counselling for a better future. In jail he becomes a leader - he is able to convince people to let the evil in them take over the good because that’s what human tendency is. It is what we are meant to do and that those who do not entertain the evil in them, deserve to die. 

Amey Wagh as present-day Shubh Joshi: Gonna say it here - A+ casting. He looks exactly how you would expect Shubh Joshi to look when he is older. So Shubh Joshi is now a serial killer - who kills people from the horoscope of greatness, people who do good deeds - he does this to send a message to Vishnu to come on earth and now thinks of himself to be mighty and powerful as an asur should be. He is shown to now have a huge following to the point where Nikhil and DJ all think of him to look different, but he instead, is their coworker, Rasool Sheikh the hacker in the CBI. As he is quiet and aloof, no one suspects him, and thus, he is able to conduct these murders with absolute precision of planning. When Lolark finds out that he is the real Shubh, he ends up killing him, right after his child’s death and the CBI arrest the wrong Shubh who was shown to be Kesari - the first follower of Shubh in jail. The show ends when Shubh looks deep into DJ’s eyes reminding him of his 15-year-old self, causing DJ to realise he is indeed the real Shubh. 

The rest of the cast and crew were equally amazing but I just mentioned the main ones otherwise we’ll be here for days 

Things I liked: 

I loved the use of Hindu mythology, they also narrated some stories in Shubh’s POV questioning whether the gods were always right - was Vishnu right into tricking the asur’s into their death for no reason, was Krishna right, knowing about the war and not being able to stop it? 

Also loved how in depth the characters were - Shubh was horrible in what he did, but by writing in a way that if the things that happened to him hadn’t had happened owing to his developmental disorder he would’ve been a ‘good’ person. 

The fact that it wasn’t Shubh’s complete fault that he thought this way, and the fact he had autism + the system really failing him showed us that not all bad people are born bad - sometimes situations make them that way. And some don’t even know the difference between the right and wrong choice - what if some people do truly think evil is bad. 

I loved the concept of the main protagonists being good people but being pushed to embrace the evil - especially when Nikhil, who thought he did a good deed by saving the hostages to prove to Shubh that inherently good people do truly exist and he sees one of the hostages kill the other - truly shakes this belief. It shows that even after being forced to accomplice to murders - he still had hope, a hope that was brutally crushed 

I loved the cast as well, they all had good chemistry and Barun and Arshad were amazing. 

Things I disliked: 

The female characters weren’t explored at all. Nusrat’s whole arc revolved around Nikhil and finding the killer’s. There were some episodes where she wasn’t even there. And a lot of her character was an accessory to Nikhil’s and DJ’s characters. On the other hand, Naina’s character was only a mother and a wife. In fact she joins the CBI to help them find her husband, she isn’t even leading the investigation or anything. Also in the first half of the show she was truly very annoying and just deserved better in general rather than just being the parallel love interest. They should’ve done more with the female characters. What was stopping them from being as brilliant or as great as the male characters. Nikhil and DJ were described as geniuses and out of this world. While Nusrat just helped. 

The amount of Shuddh hindi - I know he’s a pandit’s son and his whole thing is religion he will talk in Shuddh hindi. But honestly, I wish they gave english translations or show it with pictures or something else coz it was very very very hard for me to understand some things and I lost a lot of context 

That is all - enjoy this review hopefully I didn’t spoil the whole show (I definitely did), and have a great day

#asur #barun sobti #ridhi dogra #arshad warsi #anupriya goenka

[emperorthyme]

voicemail  [ ao3 / ff.net ]

you have [5] new messages.

Wednesday, 6:19 p.m.

“Kurapika, hi! It’s Gon! I guess you’re not next to your phone right now, but that’s okay. I just wanted to tell you I kind of…dropped my phone in the lake, so I’m using Aunt Mito’s to call you! I didn’t want you to get worried if you tried my old number and didn’t get an answer. Oh hey, Killua’s here—hey, Ki—wagh—!”

[vague scuffling and cursing]

“Kurapika, hey. It’s Killua. Gon didn’t drop his phone in the lake. He threw it. Like an idiot.”

“Killua, let go of me!”

“He said the bugs we were using weren’t big enough to lure out the really awesome fish, so he used his phone as bait. Like an idiot.”

[more scuffling, a pained grunt, then Gon, breathless]

“It’s shaped like a beetle!”

“Yeah, dummy, but what kind of beetle just sinks to the bottom of the lake?”

[…]

“A heavy one.”

“Anyway, you have to call back at this number to explain to Gon why cell phones aren’t bait.”

[brief pause as Gon silently wrestles the phone back from Killua]

“And you have to tell Killua that he can’t get mad at me just because he was using my phone to play Fortnite.”

[Killua, quietly sobbing]

“I lost everything!”

End of message. To save this message, press 1. To delete, press 2.

[1]

Message saved.

Wednesday, 11:43 a.m.

It’s Mizai. Please return this call when you get a chance, Kurapika. It is important. Please do not delete this message and ignore my texts for eighteen hours like last time.

End of message. To save this—

[2]

Message deleted.

Tuesday, 3:07 a.m.

[sung] Hellooo, Hisoka here. I don’t usually like to leave voicemails, but—

[2]

Message deleted.

Monday, 4:51 p.m.

Kurapika. It’s Leorio. You’re probably not getting these, but…I’ll try again. Last time, your inbox was full. So you must at least be emptying it. Would you check your texts from Cheadle? She’s getting, um. I guess…impatient is as good a word as any. And I know you don’t have to deal with the fallout of that, but I would really appreciate it.

[…]

Anyway. I…hope you’re listening to this. I guess I won’t know if you don’t. That’s…it’s probably better that way.

End of message. To save this message, press 1. To delete, press 2.

[…]

To save this message, press 1. To delete, press—

[1]

Message saved.

Monday, 8:36 a.m.

Hello, it’s Senritsu. I wanted to check in on you this morning. You didn’t seem quite yourself yesterday. Don’t worry. I don’t believe anyone else noticed. It’s only because I know how your heart sounds when…well.

[soft laughter]

Maybe that’s something you don’t really want to hear.

[…]

You have friends, still, Kurapika. Please do not forget that.

End of message. To save this message, press 1. To delete, press 2.

[2]

Message deleted.

You have no new messages. To review saved messages, press *.

[*]

To skip saved messages, press 1. To delete, press 2.

First saved message.

Kurapika! What the hell? September first, right?! I’ve been making excuses to Killua and Gon, but there’s only so much I can bullshit!

[…]

Damn, I could practically hear you contradicting me. See, this is why you need to get your ass over here, because if I start hearing you in my head, that means I’m gonna start sounding like you, and that would be…that would just be hell.

[…]

God, I hope this is the right number.

Second saved message.

Hey. I just wanted to make sure you got back okay to…wherever it is you’re working. Y’know, you could stand to release a little more information about shit like that. Are you a mob boss now? A contract killer? A really fancy babysitter? All three?! Hell if I know!

[muttered] Why did I call?

Oh. Right. I like your friend…Senritsu? She seems very nice, and she’s taken a liking to you for—god, who even knows what reason. But…you should stick around her. And she at least doesn’t seem the type to get into contract killing, so maybe I can write that one off.

[…]

Okay. I already know you’re not gonna call me back, but could you send a text? Oh! I got an idea. Send “A” if you’re alive, and…I guess “D” if you’re not, haha.

[…]

Shit, what a bad joke. Well, at least you probably deleted this message without listening. And if you did, then that’s what you get for letting me leave voicemails instead of just…y’know, picking up. You should do that, by the way. Just in case. N-not for me! But if Gon or Killua calls, you…you should answer, if you can. Okay?

[…]

Um. Sorry, this got…kinda long. Bye.

Third saved message.

Kurapika! I got in! I just got the letter—right now, actually. Holy shit.

[papers faintly rustling]

I…got in. It’s—it’s a really good school. Really expensive too, but...anyway. I’ll worry about that later. Damn, I really got in. I didn’t think...fuck, I was so nervous during the tests and the interviews. You know I don’t even really get nervous like that, haha. I think I ralphed after the last interview. Yeah, I...definitely did. Really hope none of the panelists used that restroom.

[…]

Okay. That’s it. I just thought I’d, uh, let you know. Whatever. You don’t need to congratulate me or anything, I just...wanted to tell you first.

[…]

[muttered] Stupid…

Fourth saved message.

Eyyy…Kuruhp-[hic]-ah…

[there are voices and music in the background, and the creak of a door opening, followed by a loud, irritated exclamation]

Oh fuck! Sorrysorrysorry!

[door slamming]

Shit…just…wanted to find somewhere quiet. I guess they did too. Haha. Oh, I dunno if you heard all that, but I walked in on some people just going to town on each other. I’m at this party. Uh…Zepile told me to come out and celebrate getting accepted into med school but I don’t think this is…really my scene. Kind of over the whole rager part of my life, right?

[…]

Oh yeah, but I did get um…totally shit-faced, haha. I just think…you’d be giving me the nastiest look right about now, and probably thinking, “This guy’s gonna be a doctor someday. He’s gonna handle scalpels.” And then you’d storm out! I’ve been kinda…doing this thing where I try to figure out what you’d be saying if you were here, and I think I’m getting [hic]…pretty good at it.

[…]

Don’t really have any point of reference, though. Because you’re not here.

[…]

Obviously.

[very, very long silence, broken by heavy, staggering breaths]

You ever kissed anyone, Kurapika?

[…]

That’s a stupid question. You’ve probably kissed a lot of people. Who wouldn’t want to kiss you? You’ve got this mouth, and it’s just…it was like kissing was invented because of your mouth. …That make sense?

And I’ve always thought that—uh—kissing is mostly just the introduction. The…appetizer, haha. I’ve just been way more interested in what’s next. But, y’know…Kurapika…I really wouldn’t be thinking that if I got to kiss you. I wouldn’t be thinking about what’s next. I think I’d just be…just be losing my mind that I got to touch you at all, and…and that you weren’t disappearing.

[…]

I’d just…keep kissing you, I think. And that would be it. And…and that would be perfect.

[Leorio chuckles. He starts humming. After about twenty seconds, the humming slips into snores.]

Fifth saved message.

Kurapika, if you’re listening to your messages, Gon is in the hospital.

[…]

It looks bad.

[…]

I hope whatever you’re doing is fucking important.

Sixth saved message.

Okay, do you know how pissed you sound in your voicemail greeting? “You have reached Kurapika. Please leave a message if the nature of your call is urgent.” Who talks like that?

[…]

Damn…I guess I thought that since you actually called me back last time you might start picking up. Clearly that was delusional. Haha. Anyway. You ever see the footage of the election speeches? Killua told me it went viral, but I figured you’ve been too busy to stay on top of all that. You better be sleeping sometimes, though. Or else.

[…]

Well, I guess that was all I got. I need to call Cheadle now…she said it was important, and I really don’t feel like getting barked at all afternoon. Bye!

Seventh saved message.

I’ve called fourteen times in the last half hour, and I will keep it up until you answer, dipshit. Leorio out.

Eighth saved message.

[silence, broken by soft hiccuping]

Kurapika…I miss you. I really miss you. I think about you…too much, and I can’t stop. I know I can’t stop, because I’ve tried to stop and I—I’m thinking about…how your neck would smell. Weird shit like that. Your ears, I…I think about those too, how they look so soft, like fucking…flower petals. You’re the prettiest goddamn person in the world, and I don’t know what to do with that, because you’re also the…the fucking most infuriating bastard I’ve ever met.

[Leorio’s voice is low and wet, he’s crying]

I-I don’t know what you want me to do, except leave you alone, but I can’t do that either, you know I can’t do that…

[quiet rustling, like someone turning over in bed]

You’re not gonna listen to this. You probably just delete all these as soon as you see them. You’re probably like, “God, him again.”

[chuckles, sniffling]

That’s fine. I guess it would make it um, awkward, if you see me again and you’re just, “Yo, what was all that about my neck and ears, pervert?” And then I’d have to explain that I’m in love with you, and…well. I guess that really wouldn’t make it better. Listen, I’m…shit, I’m drunk as hell, haha. Don’t worry…about any of this. Okay? If you’re listening. You’re not, though. You won’t.

That’s good.

[long pause, broken by quiet, irregular breathing]

Goodnight, Kurapika.

End of saved messages.

#scarfwrites #leopika #leopika fanfiction #hxh #hxh fanfiction #sweats in i havent read the manga but this seems like a plausible timeline

[eretzyisrael]

Pakistan: The Australian Consul-General's wife's tale

If you visit the Israeli town of Ramleh, you will find a synagogue built by Pakistani Jews. It is named Magen Shalom, after the synagogue in Karachi which no  longer exists. The Jews of Pakistan once numbered about 3,000, but the violent repercussions to the Arab-Israeli conflict have driven the community  away. (In addition, as the case of Asia Bibi has shown, Pakistan is hardly today a beacon of religious freedom.)  The following story is based on real events and centres around the Jews of Karachi, who were desperate to  cross the closed border with India in the 1970s. Wayne Croning has recreated the story in his own words...names are made up.

Hannah made the driver cover the number plates of the Mercedes, even made him remove the flag from the bonnet.  She got in front and gave him the address. Jamila Street, in the Ranchore. Her husband David was posted to Karachi a few months previously,  as the Australian Consul-General. Hanna and their children arrived a few weeks later. They had been to several countries, including some in South America. The city reminded her of Bombay, where she and her family once lived. Crowded, bustling, hot and humid. But she loved it. She loved the food, the people and the culture. The first thing she did on arriving at any new country was to look up the Jewish population; being Jewish herself. After a short search with help through a high ranking local official, she found to her amazement, that there was indeed a small but thriving Jewish community with a decent-sized synagogue in the commercial hub of the city. As they drove from Clifton to Saddar, they eventually got onto Bunder Road (M.A.Jinnah Road), and took a turn off this busy street.The street they were on now was narrow, but crowded with people, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles. The synagogue was not hard to find. A large stone and brick building soon appeared on their right. Above the steel gate, and on the building itself was a sign: 'Magain Shalome Synagogue’.

An early picture of the Magain Shalome synagogue, Karachi (Photo: Haroun Haidar blog) They pulled up to the side of the street and parked. Hannah got out, walked to the gate and was stopped by the chowkidar or watchman. “Who is it you wish to see?” he asked, in Urdu. Hannah had picked up a bit of Hindi after spending a few years in Bombay.“Rabbi sahib say milna chatha hoo.” (I would like to meet the Rabbi). He replied that this was Saturday and to come back in one hour. She waited in the car, and soon observed a number of people entering the premises. Men, women and children, families, all dressed for Shabbat, in their finest. They all appeared to be East Indian, but some of their features were a little different. The gates were fully open now and she decided to walk in. The main door of the synagogue was made up of solid oak. She entered and was greeted by a high-ceilinged, cathedral-like room.and spacious, wooden benches flanked each side of a narrow aisle. Women on the left, men on the rght. Men wore kippot, women wore shawls around their head. An elderly, bearded man stood to the side of the entrance on the inside, greeting everyone. He looked surprised when he saw Hannah. Smiling, he introduced himself.“Hello and Shalom. I am Rabbi Simone Isaac. And you are...?" Hannah smiled back. “I am Hannah. She had covered her head with a silk scarf. After guiding her to a seat, the Rabbi went to the back of the building. Large chandeliers hung down, brightening up the space. The Ark stood on a raised wooden pedestal in the middle of the wooden prayer platform. Torah scrolls were stored here. The Rabbi climbed the two stairs, removed one of the large scrolls, holding it high above his head with both hands.  He walked around the prayer platform, reciting prayers in Hebrew. After the service ended, Hannah managed to meet the Rabbi again. She learned a lot after their hour -long conversation. Most of the Jews here were from the Bene Israel community, that originated on the South West coast of India, just South of Bombay. Some were Baghdadi Jews and a few had Afghani connections. Most of them spoke Marathi, Urdu and of course English. Many had left in 1948, one year after the Partition of India and the birth of a new nation: Israel. By the mid 1960’s the population had further dwindled. Most left for the UK, Israel and even India. This was now 1972, India and Pakistan had just gotten over a major war. The border was closed between the two countries. Hannah was seen regularly at the synagogue; attending Shabbat prayers, weddings and social events. She had even attended two funerals, where the dead were laid to rest at the Jewish cemetery not too far from the  synagogue. She got to know most of the families, made close friends with some of the women, hosting many parties and get-togethers at her home. Her own children also attended prayers at the synagogue every Saturday.  She would supply the community with Kosher wine, grape juice, etc., even medical supplies. As she grew closer to the community, and came to know several of them wanted to make ‘Aliyah’ to Israel, especially the younger generation, she devised a plan: Travel to Israel for Pakistanis was not allowed (passports were stamped as such).But many had immigrated to Israel via Iran and India. The bizarre idea came into her head one day.  She would drive with two or three Jews to Lahore and then drive across the border at Wagh, hiding them in the trunk of the same consular car. “Are you insane?” her husband asked as she prepared for the trip. “What if you are caught? What if they are caught? Even if you do, what will happen to them in India? They could be arrested there!” Hannah smiled but said with confidence .“They will not stop a foreign consular car. I have made arrangements with the British Embassy in Delhi. They will be given British passports. The ones who want to immigrate to Israel can do so as well. There is a representative from Tel Aviv who will be in Bombay at the end of the year. They are inviting Indian Jews to immigrate to Israel. When the day arrived, Hannah and two young women and one man, got into the Mercedes and bid tearful goodbyes to relatives. The long drive to Lahore took about two days, with stops along the way. Hannah also took the family pet dog along for the trip. The morning before crossing the border, she hid the two young women in the trunk of the car. The rear middle armrest was removed and a plastic pipe fitted to allow cool air from the air conditioner to reach them in the trunk. The young man was given a consular uniform with a badge and would act as the chauffeur. They drove to the border. It was heavily guarded with signs posted along the fence. Guard dogs began barking at the car. The guards took a walk around and noticed Hannah’s dog in the back seat.  in Delhi.” she told them, holding out her passport.“This is my chauffeur and these are his papers”, she added, handing them his passport. After informing her that she would be allowed to cross, they refused to let the chauffeur through. She looked up at the guard, half annoyed. “I cannot drive! Do you want me to walk to Delhi?? ”He appeared confused for a second. After consulting with a senior official, he came back.“You can both go through, but at your own risk. We cannot be responsible for your safety, or the safety of the driver.” With that he handed back the papers, opened the gate and let them through. On the other side, she encountered similar problems. “I can’t walk to Delhi!” and an annoyed look finally got her through. “I have to make this trip two or three times a year. Make a note of my name and my number plate,”she said, as they slowly drove away from the border. The two young women made it to the UK. The chauffeur had to return with her to Karachi, so as not to raise suspicion. She made several such trips back and forth. Things became more relaxed at the border crossing.The chauffeur made it out to Israel after the third border crossing. Hardly any Jews remain in Karachi. Many of them married into other communities, changed their religion or just left for good. Many years later, a journalist interviewed the Karachi Jewish community who had settled in Israel in a place called Ramleh. They had set up a new synagogue and named it Magen Shalom after the one in Karachi. When one elderly man was interviewed he had tears in his eyes.“I miss Karachi. I was born there, I miss the place dearly.What really hurts is that I can never go back for a visit. Never!” Diplomat's wife smuggled Jews out of Pakistan Pakistani Jews go to court over synagogue

#Jews of Pakistan

[maniacalmachinist]

Predator/D&D (pt 7)

Sorry about the delay, this chapter wound up a bit longer than expected, amid other bit of life’s complications.  Hope you enjoy it.  XD

CHAPTER 7:  CONSEQUENCES

Hachende darted ahead, thankful to be away from those lesser creatures for a while, leaping from tree to tree, keeping his footholds light and quick.  He was above the pack of “noles” within minutes, trying to find a good spot for an ambush.  They appeared to be little more than short, drooling brutes, hunched at the shoulders, and their heads darting around, sniffing the air.  He spotted mostly simple weapons similar to the commune of humans in their village. Most had simple masses of heavy wood, or something resembling a spear.  There were a few in the rear of the hunting group that had staves much like the elf Sedira had, and figured it implied a similar “magic” talent to some degree.  He continued to look around them, and spotted a larger one which seemed to make the others around it cower, and was the only one that appeared to have some metallic weapon, a “sword” he recalled the humans calling it.

He set his sights on ten targets, and unclipped his discs, linking them to his tracking, then dropped into the middle of the hunting group. He flung the discs to his sides when he landed, and they began to whir around, the cries of the brutes echoed as few were taken by surprise, the rest ducked.  His discs returned, and decided to brandish them as hand weapons for expediency as a few had locked their sights on him where the kicked up snow had made his presence known.  The large one glared at him, and barked orders in some unknown tongue, the ones with the solid wooden weapons set on him quickly, swinging their weapons clumsily.  “You lack form . . . you insult my honor with how poorly you fight!!” He clipped a few in their thighs as he dropped to one knee, relocking the discs on targets and letting them loose, providing a defense of blades.

He danced with the discs and gnolls, wounding some and killing another with each attempt they made.  He roared loudly, shouting his victory cry, before being hit with a stinging sensation, finding a solid shaft digging into his side.  He panned his vision, trying to track the direction, but saw nothing in thermal . . . he switched until he picked up on movement, more shafts flying at him.  “More . . . how can there be more?!”

“ANUKH ARUMWON!!” Came a shout, the voice clearly the one called Wagh. The gnolls gave pause, and there was a sudden blood curdling howl, as a pair of glowing large canines barreled through a few of the creatures, ripping them apart.  Therein chaos erupted, Hachende shocked at the sudden shift in the gnolls attention amid the orc and dwarf charging in, their massive weapons batting the ugly fuckers aside.  Hachende focused himself, not to let these two show him up, he took out his spear and made for the large one.  The gnoll leader deflected his weapon amid the screams of his cohort falling to the crazed pair, the sword actually biting into his spear.  He aimed for the beast’s legs and arms, but it showed an amount of experience dodging and deflecting.  Hachende lunged, but was stopped short of his prey, something had caught onto his leg, then rolled to keep his attention on the Pack Leader.

“Tha’s it lad, keep tha’ boggart tied up wit ya fancy moves!” gloated the dwarf, bisecting another gnoll.  “Gnolls travel in groups o’ six . . . aye, they ha’ four more waitin’ on tha’ Pack Leader’s orders! RYAAA!  Lass!!  Grease their shaman!!” and he was answered by a chain of melodic speach rolling through the trees and a sudden glob of sludge splashed among those with the wooden staves.

The Pack Leader was distracted a moment amid the wails of their casters being caught in the sludge, giving Hach time to sever the root that had tripped him.  He leaped back up to his feet just as the Leader made another lunge at him, catching the sword with his spear again, he batted the weapon aside and drove his spear at the brute’s head. The brute growled, shifting aside while grabbing Hachende’s thrusting arm, “FUCK!!” screamed Hach, pissed at making such a suckling’s mistake.  Despite it’s size, it threw Hach over it’s shoulder, the yautja let go of the spear; rolling on the ground and took out his discs.  He darted at the Leader, flinging one disc and held onto the other, the Leader deflecting it with his sword, but it overexerted.  Hach caught the returning disc, punching the beast with the one in hand, splitting it’s lower jaw, then slash it it’s throat with the other . . . there was no howl, only the gargling of it last breath while it collapsed.  Hachende let out a cry of victory . . . his prey had been taken by the kiss of midnight!

The hunting pack fell apart not long after the loss of their leader.  Their shaman couldn’t stand on the sludge, fighting to maintain balance while Lars beat them into a near pulp with his fists, astounding Hachende more.  Wagh was tending the dwarf’s wounds, his hands glowing green while he chanted, and Durgo’s cuts were mending before Hach’s eyes.  Lars came back moments later, having killed off the hidden archers, “They’re ugly and smelly fuckers, but at least they carry decent equipment sometimes.  I know the ol’ blacksmith would love to have more material.”

Hachende tended himself with a medikit, still puzzled why he couldn’t detect the other four creatures.  He used the tools to extract the shaft and “head” from the bolt that struck him, crying out in pain, which startled the rest of the group.

“Laddie, no offense to ye, but best to see a healer . . . doesn’t do to let tha’ pain dull yer senses.”

“With as much as you drink, Durgo . . . you’re not one to talk about dulling senses,” Lars retorted.

“It is through pain that we know we are still alive, as is our path of the warrior,” growled Hachende.

“Well, regardless . . . time for the spoils of war . . . “ chimed Sven.  “Oh, Durgo . . . the big guy himself netted six, and you only downed 3 . . . so, you owe us a round tonight.”

“Wha?  Wait, thar’s no . . . “ he started counting with his hands how many final blows he actually made, “Fook!!”

Jessica groan, rummaging through the pile of things collected from the Gnolls.  “Hmmmm, the sword is unusual . . . “ she touched the edge of it and suddenly hiss in pain, “Shit!!  Acid!!”

Hachende looked up at her shouting, then inspected his equipment . . . his spear and one of the discs had a series of melted points where his weapons made contact with the sword, “What in the name of the Dark Warrior is that weapon?!?!”

Jessica went to her pack and pulled out a scroll, then held out her hand over the weapon while reciting what was one the parchment.  The scroll glowed and disappeared while golden light descended on the weapon, and symbols appeared on it’s edge.  “Oh . . . oh my . . . how did a gnoll get something like this, of all things!?!”

“You’re fucking us with the suspense here, what is it Jess?” groaned Lars.

“It’s a Black Dragon falchion, The Scorned One.  Gyremar will want to see this immediately!”  She looked at Hachende, “It’s your weapon now . . . it ties itself to the one that bests it’s owner.”

Hachende pondered . . . touching the sword and found it slightly warm, and welcoming to his touch.  He picked it up, then headed to the Pack Leader, and removed it’s spine and skull in a roar of triumph.

Durgo scratched his head, watching Hach’s seemingly ritual collection. “Dunnae’ know why ya collectin’ hea’s here, lad.  There is nae any bounty on these boggarts.”

“There will be proof of my conquests to go with the others . . . doesn’t do to return for mating season and not an exceptional kill to enthrall the females.”

Sven and Lars laughed together, “Fucking hell, I love your society already . . . “ Lars bellows.

“I doubt you could survive our females . . . my last mate broke my arm last season, and that was a result of being tossed across the room.”  Hachende cackled.

“The more I learn about you Hachende, I’m not sure if yours is a society of fighters, or fools,” bellowed Gyremar.  The group looked up, seeing the silver approach the ground, surrounded by the shuffling of Kobolds among the rocky edges.  “I had told them to prepare in case your team couldn’t handle the Gnolls.  Daresay, I’m proud you made it out intact.”  He looked at Jessica, “Now what’s this about a falchion?”

Jessica pointed at Hachende, and motioned him to raise the sword.  He raised a brow under his mask, and presented the weapon to the dragon. “Hmmmm . . . that is an odd find for a group of gnolls.  I’m assuming a large, strong one had it, yes?”  Hachende nodded, presenting the head of the Gnoll Leader.  “The Scorned One . . . fells, hoped I would never have to hear that title again.”

Lars looked up, “What’s the deal with it, Steward?”

“Come inside, I’ll explain . . . oh, and Hachende, I think I have something for you. Dar’gor, we’re going to have guests for a while, take them to my Den, and get them some food . . . then you and yours can do as you will with the gnolls.”

“Yip! Yes boss!” Dar’gor barked, “You warm-bloods, follow . . .yes, follow, yip!”

“Wor’ o’ advice lads . . . dunnae be eatin’ kobold cuisine . . . ya’ will be payin’ fer it lat’r.” warned Durgo.

The Steward’s “Den” was a large cavern near the middle of the mountain.  Dar’gor, their guide, wasn’t very talkative, but Kobolds were overly cautious and fearful by nature.

“At least these caverns are big enough for us . . . hate to have to hunker down to the height of a dw-uuuuuh,” Lars began, then caught himself . . . sadly, Durgo caught on.

“Ya’re havin’ a problem wi’h me height, boyo?  Lemme tell ye, caves are large fo; a reason . . . cannae be tellin’ how much ye’ll be haulin’ from end to ‘nother.  Bigger halls, more swag to be haulin.”  He then made what Hachende thought was considered a rude gesture.

“Enjoyed your trip to my Lair, friends?” Gyre interjected as they came into view.

“Oh . . . huh . . . thought you Dragons had lairs of treasure lying around . . . this is kind of . . . vacant.” observed Lars.

Gyre responded with a chuff of mild amusement, “Not all dragons are covetous of such things.  That tends to attract a lot of fools out for hide and gold.”  The dragon was sitting on it’s haunches, looking through what was a VERY large book, it’s binding half the length of Gyremar himself. “Part of this was the journal of this lair’s former master, Carmix’la the White Wyrm.  Watching you fight, Hachende, matches her last notes . . . but it also explains something else.”  Gyre reached to his side opposite the group, picked up something, the placed it before Hachende.  “I think you will find something in there that could explain more than I can on your current situation.”

Curious, Hach knelt and ran his claws over the chest, “Im assuming this has been around for quite some time?”  To which Gyremar nodded.  He lifted the top, and his eyes and mandibles flared in shock.  “Dark Warrior . . . this was Dur’ton’s!” He pulled out a biomask, more ornate than his own, and wristcomp, but the symbols were unmistakable . . . both saw heavy damage, but still slightly functional.  

“Uhhh, Dirt on?  Dirt on what, I don’t . . . “

“Shut it, Wagh!” shouted the three humans in unison, to which the orc tapped his fingertips together, uncertain what he did wrong.

Hachende grunted in agitation and bewilderment, “He was among our legends, cycles ago . . . and then vanished.  We had assumed his last hunt claimed him and his equipment . . . “ he then donned the mask, and played the last images of his life, which displayed through the old wristcomp’s projector.

“Hmmmm, lad these images app’er close to what you showed us las’ nigh’.  But his landin’ seems to be furt’er southeas’ o’ ere. “

Gyremar gazed at the playback intently, “Hmmmm, at least a day’s travel by flight . . . seems your predecessor had bad luck on his side, landing and hunting where the White Wyrm was already tracking prey at the time.”

Hach grunted, going through the playback, then getting a date on the last entry, “Hmmmm . . . 2,000 of this world’s cycles have passed . . . “

Gyre ponders, “Has it really been 2000 years . . . can’t believe I was so young then. Still, it does explain why the white wyrm fell so easily, as I said earlier.”  He looks up at the ceiling, stroking the long, feathery scales on his chin, “It was likely a few days before I engaged her, scales were torn or missing, wings were shredded in several places, burn marks in various areas . . .”

Hach listened, “ Dur’ton was likely having trouble tracking this creature, as I had trouble tracking you.”

Gyre snapped his gaze to Hach, “Trouble tracking a dragon . . . in close proximity?  You’ll pardon my understanding, but it’s kind of hard to miss us when that close.”

Hach shook his head, “Our equipment allows us to track prey, switching out ‘modes,’ so we can mark our quarry.”  He pointed at the humans, dwarf, and orc, “They show up in heat detection, but you do not.”

“Ah, tha’s a flaw laddie . . . ye’re bett’r off tryin’ use yer senses than usin’ fangled contraptions.  Is like how tha’ gnolls escaped yer vision when we fough’ ou’side.  Sure, seein’ a targe’ is nifty . . . but ye cannae use gadgets to replace tracker senses.”

Hach groaned, irritated that this little creature was trying to lecture him, but noticed one of the two of the humans were missing.  He looked around frantically, “Wha . . . where?!?!”

The one called Sven rose up, face to face, right under his mask, “Yup . . . blind spots my friend.  And don’t even bother trying to see Jessica then . . . cloaking spells are hard for most to see through.”  Hach panned his gaze again, unable to see anything, frantically switching his biomask’s vision . . . she was nowhere to be found.  There was then a tap on his shoulder, turning to see the female become more visible, as if there was some shroud peeling away.

“My magic is more like displacement, or short range teleportation . . . but I agree.  For as good as your equipment may be, here . . . it would be a hindrance in some aspects.”

This world constantly confounded him . . . standard weapons work a bit, but the technology he’d been raised with since he could carry a spear had become nearly useless.

Gyremar stroked his muzzle, watching the events unfold, “Well, you are a capable warrior perhaps . . . but you will need to attune yourself to this world. But it’s assuring to see you’re adapting this well . . . and at the same time, puzzling . . . I will have to do more research after we get your ship to Crosslight.  From there, we’ll have to address some urgent problems . . . “ he closed the book, and beckoned the group to follow him, escorting them to the landing.

It had become mid-afternoon, the day was at it’s warmest, and the skies were rather clear as the group flew to Hach’s ship.  Gyre had allowed the Yautja to hang onto the rope so he could better direct the dragon.  Gyre was thankful that the craft cleared a decent “landing strip,” but hated that it was in such an awkward locale.

The ship itself was as Hach described, the length of it running from Gyre’s front legs to his hind limbs.  “You may want to have our companions in there with you, might make it easier to deal with than the skiff.”

Hach grunted, but understood, “Fine . . . but they are to touch NOTHING.  I can try and set the ship to hover, but from there the rest is up to you.”  He growled to the group, “You . . . follow me, but leave everything ALONE. You will sit just behind the command chair, and NOTHING ELSE!!”  He unsheathed his wrist knives as if to emphasize the point, to which they nodded.  He retracted the knives, “Gyremar, can you get that snow off my ship?”

The Silver nodded, rearing back and unfurling his wings . . . then flapped them forward, mighty gusts sending debris and snow everywhere, clearing the vehicle.”

“Spirits of invention!!” gasped Wagh.

Hach tapped his wristcomp, and his ship hummed to life, then brought up the holo displays, trying to reroute power to the hover functions.  The group quietly followed him, and his instruction, taking note of his trophies . . . some of which were definitely human.  Wagh pointed at one that had an elongated head, “Dat one dark and mean . . . it notin’ but hate!” He shivered.  Hach clicked in agitation, taking up the command chair, and attempted to reorient the ship.  The group gathered behind him . . . he was at least thankful that they could follow orders.

Gyremar tapped the ship, “I’m going to start pushing the ship . . . brace yourselves!” at which point the ship shook, then settled as the dragon pushed with his hind legs.  Hach let a snort of amusement watching the spectacle from the ship’s eyes, the whole thing looked like some giant reptile trying to mate with his craft.  

“Well, since this will take a while . . . what stories you have of your travels, Hachende?” inquired the one called Lars.

Hach grunted, but figured it might make time pass by, “The one called Wagh pointed out one of my first kills, during a blooding rite.”  He then pointed to a symbol, etched on his massive forehead, what looked like three intersecting curved lines.  “All younglings on The Path must go through this, and survive, as proof that they are worthy of the Hunt.”  He pointed at the elongated skull, then pulled up his holo imager, displaying the full scale and size of the creature.  It stood easily eight feet tall, and twelve feet long, the image replicating it’s movements and even the sounds, a hissing that could only be described as metal sliding over metal that grated the nerves.  “We call them ‘Kiande Amheda,’ the Hard Meat . . . they of the black shell, and acid blood.”

“Aye, laddie . . . tha’s a real nasty already . . . “

Hach grunted, mildly amused, then pulled up a large ovoid, then what seemed to have a 10-legged scorpion crawling about, no pincers, but a deep recess in it’s underside.  “Oh, that’s hardly the worst . . . this is what they look like, prior to a host anyway.” Hach kept the image animated, a generic human figure was shown walking near the egg, when the scorpoid sprang up with it’s tail, and latched onto the face of the human, the legs wrapping around the human’s head.  “This stage plants the seed of it’s kind in the host . . . “

“Wait wait . . . you mean . . . that thing . . . it . . . rup-rup, er, bursts o-out . . .,” Jessica asked, clearly unsettled . . . the image moving forward and confirming her fear, as a smaller version of the beast erupted from the host.  Jessica, suddenly turned around and retched.  Hach had never seen this reaction so frequent in a species.

“Oh, ugh . . . now I can’t even imagine that horror . . . and I thought undead were bad,” grunted Sven.

“Ya said it lad . . . tha’s mos’ unpleasant . . . and it takes a loot ta get me unsettled.”

Hach snorted, “Oh, it’s not done yet . . . “ the image went back to the full grown beast, and it opened it’s jaws, launching an inner set in Durgo’s direction.

“Fookin’ hell, you bloody son o’a boggart!!” yepled Durgo, falling back, and the image continued, it’s skin molting, and it resulted in a slightly larger form, but it’s head flared out a bit, more ornate.  The process repeated again, the relative sizes adjusting to compensate for the small room, the creature appeared massive, it’s head had become a fully flared comb, it’s body thick and heavy, with a pair of smaller claws on it’s chest.  “This is the egg layer . . . their mother . . . or matriarch . . . “

Wagh seemed openly scared, “Dat bad creature . . . it mean . . . an nasty . . . it hate life . . . it eat life!”

“Fuckin hell . . . a Queen . . . you know, like in ant hives . . . “ remarked Sven

Lars popped him up the back of his head, “Bees, asshole . . . bees have hives.”

“Fuck . . . you know what I mean!” groaned Sven.

Hach was mildly amused with their responses, “I killed two on my blooding . . . this one put up the better fight.”  There was an air of pride in his tale, but the company didn’t seem to enjoy it . . . he looked at Jessica, and could smell the rank odor of regurgitation.

“Ah, bloody hell . . . fookin nasty Jessica.”

“Urgh . . . bleh . . . sorry . . . that was . . . not expected ugh!” She drew a symbol in the air above the rather insulting mess, producing a glowing green mark while she whispered, then waved her hand over the mess . . . the puddle of putrid dissipating into dust.  Hach was momentarily insulted by her weak constitution, but still amazed that she was able to do such in her weakened state.

In keeping things going, the group continued to share stories and the like.  Hach found himself oddly intrigued, coming to understand the humans a bit more.  While they were ideal prey, their methods of fighting was oriented in what they called “warfare.”  Hach was curious, “And how many are involved in this event called ‘warfare?’”

“Ach, it depends laddie . . . which nations, wha all they have, why they be fightin’.  Armies can consist o’ ‘undreds, ta thousan’s.” Recited Durgo.  “I remember the Battle for Nae’rwinter, the major citeh neares’ ‘ere, as me gran’pa tol’ me as a wee tyke.  The mighty city were under siege . . . all manner o’ soldiers an’ adventurers were answerin’ tha call to figh’ back the demons an whatnot tryna take tha citeh.”

“Demons you say . . . what manner of creature is that?”

“Ugh, from what I know, they’re hellspawn . . . creatures from the fiery depths that cling to shadows, and hunger for life.  You can banish them from the mortal plane, but to actually kill them requires you to do so in their domain.”

Hach blinked under his mask, “What does that mean?”

“Their bodies turn to ash since they’re not of this plane . . . so there’s very little they leave behind.  If you want demon horns or trophies, you have to go into the burning hells to get it.” recited Jessica, rather matter of factly.  “Getting there is the easy part . . . getting out, not so much.  The only exception would be those born with infernal blood in their veins . . . Tieflings.  And dealing with them can be rather . . . aggravating.”

Something dawned on Hach, “Pardon, but is that form of procreation common?”

Sven nodded, “Lars and I are brothers, but my mother was a planetouched Aesimar . . . kind of like the opposite of Tieflings.  Where they’re infernal, Aesimars are Celestial . . . opposite sides of the same coin.  You also have the Dragonborn, Ganesi, Half-Orcs, Half-Elves . . . the list goes on and on.  The larger the city you find yourself in, the more hybrids you’ll likely run into.”

“Wait, Dragonborn?”  Hach keyed the external comms, “Dragons actually mate with humanoids? Is this true, let alone possible?!?!”

Gyremar bellowed, almost laughing, “Well, that’s an awkward question . . . when you’re able to transform, there’s often no telling what kind of trouble you’ll get into, or when.  But, when bonds form, there’s little way to get out of them.  I think some have a village several days travel by foot from Crosslight . . . hmmmmm, Frostperch I think they call it.  Gold, Silver, Red,  and White live there if memory serves, as their bloodlines prefer rocky mountain regions.  There’s stories of ‘Prism’ villages, which are comprised of most or all lineage variations.”  He grunted, pushing the ship up an incline, then stopped when they reached the peak.  “Oh . . . uh oh . . . “ he paused, an epiphany hitting him.

“Gyremar, why have we stopped?” inquired Hach.

“It occurred to me . . . the gnolls were silent for months, but just came out several days after the wyvern was put down.  Fells, fells, fells . . . I should have checked the den more closely.  That beast was likely keeping other savage creatures at bay.  And if the gnolls close to the Kobold barrows were active, it would mean that the Orcs to the north of the village may also mobilize!”  He grunted, taking the ship in his front and hind claws, hugging it to himself then pushed off the ridge with his tail, powering his wings with all his might.  “APOLOGIES FOR THE ROUGH RIDE!!”

Hach was thankful for being in the command chair, but could hear the yelps and groans from the group getting tossed and flung into the rear wall.  He had to admit, flying about, strapped to a multi-ton reptile was almost as thrilling as the Path itself.  He initiated the ship’s scans, adding data from his own wristcomp, and from Dur’ton’s equipment.  The mapping was tremendous . . . he had been in the area for a long time before meeting with the “White Wyrm” as the others called it.  He made a mental note to review the recordings at a more convenient time as it appeared one slight change in the area can throw things off.  

#predator #yautja #D&D #gnolls #combat

[theunseeliemperoress]

Ultimate Custom Night: Voice’s

(I’ve decided to make a post of all the lines from the game [not including phone guy’s] and give my analysis/opinion on them)

This is the video I used as a ref

Foxy: “Yar I came for ye booty. That be treasure you know.” “Yar. You never stood a chance.” “I can’t run like I used to. But I can pull my self apart just fine.” (Could refer to how he’d run at you in the first game) “Arr. So much more spacious in here. I may stay a while.” “Yar har har. Never underestimate the cunning of a pirate. Or a fox for that matter.” He sounds exactly how I thought he would.

Nightmare Fredbear:  “Let’s see how many time’s you can be pulled apart.” (pulling things/being pulled apart seems to be a reoccurring theme) “I assure you I am very real” “This time there is more than an illusion to fear.” (Both lines could be about how in FNAF 4 none of the animatronics are real) “We know who are friends are. But you are not one of them.” “Let me put you back together. And  then take you apart all over again.” I like how his voice is gruff and distorted (actually I like how all the fnaf 4 animatronics have distorted voices). It also sounds layered to me. Or there could be a second voice underneath.

Happy Frog: “Everyone underestimates me. But then they turn their back and I’m like boo! And their like wagh!” “Move over Freddy Fazbear! Happy Frog is the new star of the show.” “We’ve only just begun. I will never let you leave. I will never let you rest.” (Said in a whispered tone. Sounds more sinister than her usual voice) “I bet you weren’t expecting me were ya? Turn your back for one second and I’m like wozoo! Ninja skills.” “You and I don’t get to talk as often as I’d like.” Very cute voice acting. I like how they throw in one creepy line. That should throw a few people off.

Jack-O-Chika: (voice is distorted) “I am a burning reminder of your misdeeds.”) “Greetings from the fire and the one you should not have killed.” (Player character killed someone. Who? My theory at the moment is they’re the purple guy (or maybe one of them) and they’re in hell. But we’ll see if that sticks) “Did things get really hot in here? Or is it just me?” “Come and burn with me. The fire burns eternal. And now you shall as well!” (Further supports my hell theory) A lot of their lines contain hints towards the lore. But due to the distortion they can be hard to hear. Typical of fnaf lore (in plain sight but hard to decipher). My fave voice from the fnaf4 animatronics.

Lefty: (whispers everything) “Shhh...Come spend eternity inside. With me.” (Inside where?) “Shhh...I’ve been looking for you. And now I’ll never let you go.” “Shhh...I’m so glad that I found you. Let me make room for you.” “Shhh...It will all be over soon.” “Shhh...There is room for one more.” (One more in the suit?) His voice is actually one of the creepiest to me. Especially as it sounds like a little boy.

Mangle: “I wanted to wait till just the right moment to drop in.” “It’s so much more fun hanging out in here with you.” “He’s here. And always watching. The one you shouldn’t have killed.” (”The one you shouldn’t have killed” is mentioned a lot) “Don’t be afraid. Soon you will look just like me. Beautiful.” “Now I get to play take apart and put back together. You won’t feel a thing.” The fact they have a male and female voice actor makes me really happy.

Marionette: “The others are under my protection.” “Seeing you powerless is like music to me.” “The others are like animals. But I am very aware.” (Did the other children/victims loose their humanity? Why not this one?) “I don’t hate you. But you need to stay out of my way.” “I recognise you. But I’m not afraid of you. Not anymore.” (Further evidence player character was/is a killer) The childish voice makes an already creepy character creepier. Are they the one “You should not have killed?” (Though their voice sounds like a little girl and Mangled clearly say “He’s here”.)

Ballora: “I could hear you breathing.” “Admit it. You wanted to let me in.” “These are strange circumstances. That have brought us together.” “Don’t be shy. Why do you hide inside these walls?” Her lines are very flirty. Which seems strange.

Toy Chica: “Where’s my beak? Lodged in your forehead of course.” “*Giggles* You won’t get tired of dying will you? You won’t get tired of my voice? Will you?” (further evidence towards the hell theory) “Let’s go somewhere more private. So I can eat you.” Interesting but very fitting voice acting.  Nightmare Bonnie: “You will not be spared. You will not be saved.” “The shadows (indistinct) me. And (indistinct) you back to horror(?) “Your/You’re wickedness made of flesh.” “I’m here to claim what is left of you.” Creepy voice but I can barely understand anything he says

The Music Man: “Hear that. It’s the sweet sweet sound of your eternal silence.” “Hey keep it down would ya?” “When I’m here you play by My rules.” “A song was requested of me. And now I sing it.” “You and I will be making music together for a long long time.” A weird voice for a weird looking character.

Nedbear: “Stranger danger! *laughs* I was just waiting for you to drop your guard.” “Woops. That’s gonna leave a mark.” “This is how it feels. You get to experience it over and over and over again. Forever. I will never let you leave.” (A little girls voice can be heard just out of sync) “Don’t you hate getting killed by obscure secondary characters?” The hillbilly accent is fun. The little girls voice implies even these characters have dark secrets.

Nightmare Freddy (voice is distorted): “No light can save you now.” “I have always been hiding in your shadow.” “What a gift to relish a victim that can’t perish.” (Hell theory) “I am given flesh to be your tormentor.” “I am remade. But not by you. By the one you should not have killed.” Very creepy. Probably one of the easiest Nightmare to understand but still creepy.

Nightmare BB: “There just isn’t room in here for both of us.” “You knew I’d get you eventually.” “Come closer. Help me count my teeth.” “Flash that light all night/all you like. It can’t save you now.” “You’re not so big. Just a bite size morsel.”

Nightmarionette: (voice is distorted) “The nightmare is just beginning.” “Let’s taste (?) death again, and again and again.” “I am the fear of your reflection and the one you have created.” (The one you have created could be the Marionette) “This is a nightmare you won’t wake from.” (Hell theory?) “This time death can not save you.” (Hell theory) Voice is very hard to understand but very creepy.

Nightmare Mangle: Voice is covered by a lot of static and radio interference. I could hear something that sounded like “Come here come here” though it’s not clear.

William Afton:  “I always come back.”  Has a more human sounding voice despite being in a state of disrepair (like the nightmares and withered animatronics) which makes sense. The fact he and Springtrap are different animatronics throws a wrench in a few theories I’ve heard.

Orville Elephant: “I hope you enjoyed the grand finale.” “Now is my time to shine.” “He tried to release you. He tried to release us. But I’m not gonna let that happen. I will hold you here. I will keep you here. No matter how many times they burn us.” (a little girls voice can be heard just after his. Who are they?) “What did you think of my act? I don’t get out much. So you’ll have to forgive my enthusiasm. I love how he sounds like a sweet old man.

Pigpen: “Even monkey’s fall from trees.” “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” “The talented hog hides his claws.” “I consider it a dignified death. Not really it was actually quite pathetic.” “If you sit by the river long enough you’ll see the body of your enemy floating by.” The hillbilly voice really suits him, and the banjo makes me laugh.

Rockstar Bonnie: (Electronic voice, sings) “What a fine day to come here and say Your face and flesh I must flay” “What a treat, to come here and meet (?), your face as it hits concrete (?) “I found my guitar. now reach for the stars, As I bludgeon and pull you apart.” “Why so blue? You know I’ll be true. And now I’ll make slippers (?) out of you.” “So good to see you again. My truest friend. But now your life must end.” (Calls the player character his “truest friend”. Does he mean it? Why does he want to kill PC? Did PC kill him (if he’s one of the possessed animatronics)  Interesting how he’s the only one who sings.

Rockstar Chika: “That’ll teach ya for trying to trick this old bird.” “Thought you could fool me with that sign. But I was too smart for ya.” “I may not like wet floors but the smell of fresh meet is just too enticing.” “Looks like you’re the one who slipped up this time.” “That’s right. And don’t you come back now you hear.” Her voice makes me think of a female rockstar from the 70s or 80s.

Scrapbaby: “Time for your controlled shock.” (said two different ways) “Let’s see how many pieces I can cut you into.” “You won’t die. But you’ll wish you could.” (hell theory) Sounds just like Baby’s voice. (personally I’d have made it a little different but it’s fine as it is) Toy Freddie:  “It’s not my fault. I have these fat plastic fingers that can’t press the buttons.” “Mr hugs got me again.” “If I get jumpscared. You get jumpscared.” “That game was totally rigged.” “That’s what you get for leaving me hanging.” Voice could get annoying after a while.

Trash and the gang: (female voice, whispers) “Psst over here. Get closer.” “Excuse me could you come a little closer?” “Hey. Down here. Hello. I wanted to ask you something. Its something really important.” “Psst. I have something to tell you.” “Hey hey. I want to tell you something.” The voice seems to only be there to trick the player into listening more closely before they are jumpscared.

Rockstar Freddie: “Please deposit five coins.” (Said repeatedly during gameplay when active. After jumpscaring the player is said once and grinds to a stop)

Rockstar Foxy “Yar. Ye play with fire and sometime’s ye get burned.” Voice is very similar to Foxy’s but the slight difference is fitting.

Withered Bonnie: (voice has an electronic echo) “Time to face the consequences of your behaviour (?)” “Might as well face the facts. You were always destined to fail.” “You blinked.” “Why (indistinct)? Is it me (indistinct)? Or is it you? Perhaps it is us both.” “I’ve made (indistinct) fate. But (indistinct) taught (?)” Could someone please tell me what he’s saying?

Withered Chika: (Indistinct) through the vent. But now we are together.” “Let me show you how to break your face and look like me.” “I was the first. I have seen everything.” (The first what? Animatronic? Victim?) “Come closer. Let’s smile(?) together.” “I have seen him. The one you shouldn’t have killed.” The juttering voice is creepy though not the creepiest.

Baby: “I guess you forgot about me.” “Want to see the scooping room?” (Player character could be the main character from SL or Baby’s creator. Or both?) “Guess you forgot about me. Looks like something bad happened.”

Robot(?): “Now I will tell you a story.” “But he could not choose.” “He placed the remains together.” “He promised to never leave them.” Sounds like the War of the Worlds CD my mum has. Who’s story is it telling? The player characters? The Marionettes? 

Mr Hippo: NOPE. NO. Not doing it. I’m not typing all his lines. I’d like to do other things today thank you very much. (His line “maybe I met some sort of demise of my own” is interesting though) Sounds like an old man.

#ultimate custom night #fnaf #long post bellow the read more #info dump

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Mahou Shoujo Ore 5 | Yotsuiro Biyori 4 | Lupin III Pt 5 5 | Hinamatsuri 5 | BnHA 43 | Boueibu HK 5

Mahou Shoujo Ore 5

Hey hey hey, this is the second show I’ve seen ape Osomatsu-san this year. Seriously, no show is safe in a parody as a target for humour’s sake…Note Osomatsu-san is also by Pierrot, though, so they’re attacking themselves to some extent.

Now that they’ve pointed the Osomatsu-san reference though, I can’t believe I didn’t see the scarf colours last time! But…this is episode 5…

Oh, I kind of noticed it, but I’m probably too used to it since I watched the first season of Osomatsu-san – the blue lines are part of that show’s signature style.

Muscovado is apparently a substitute for sugar. It literally translates to “black sugar” though…

Sagami is…a former place in Japan…?

Tama River. I’m terrible at Japanese geography, so I don’t think you should be asking me about this…

Dang, apparently Pierrot is based in Mitaka, Tokyo so whatever joke I was chasing there fell flat.

Wow, they got really self-referential this episode…yikes.

So this is the rumoured Chiba-san? Uhh…

Oh my…I do not see the word “Japanimation” get much mileage at all these days, but I cringe every time I see it.

It’s Pokémon Go! Wow, that’s another level of meta for sure. My hopes for resolving all the stray plot threads while maintaining that wacky sense of humour (or however I phrased it) definitely went out the window…Notice the footage is dated April 24th 20X8, which is about a week before the episode went to air if the X actually hides “2018”.

Suginami. Apparently, Bones, Sunrise and other studios are stationed there…but Pierrot isn’t.

If there’s one thing I didn’t expect in MSO, it’s the fact this show became Shirobako in a sense. I still need to get around to Shirobako, by the way…

Ey, wait a second! Astral, you got your wish! We get to see…Fujimoto’s face!

Whoa! They went all out on the CGI fire effects! What is this show, Golden Kamuy?! (LOL)

Comichiya’s probably Comiket. The katakana (chi -> tsu, to -> ya) look kinda similar if mangled.

Dangit! I missed my mark on the guesswork again! Tokyo Big Sight isn’t in Suginami.

Basically, this is just a long road to admitting they couldn’t do a recap episode, but they don’t have enough content to pad this ep either. Ah, sweet revelations (sarcastic).

Is it just me, or does the bottom of Fujimoto (1)’s face look kind of like…Mohiro??? Wagh??? Update: No, the hair colour’s off.

The “on the train” technically says “on the NEXT train” (emphasis mine).

Wow, they namedropped Ishikawa (probably Kaito)! Ishikawa voices male!Saki, so it makes sense.

Oh my gosh, Mahoutsukai Watashi! What a bold move this show’s taken – it’s telling its own meta-narrative. Which means when I cover it for the collab post…it’ll be meta of meta…that’ll put my head in a spin for sure.

You can see Fujimoto and Sakuyo character designs if you pause for one scene (the one with “staff working from home”).

You can see the name Masayuki Ito (伊藤雅之) on that list with the downward arrows, but I don’t know what significance that name has unless they’re an animator or something...

Mensore is explained here.Basically it’s youkoso in Okinawan.

Jimami Tofu…isn’t tofu, as weird as that sounds. It’s an Okinawan-sponsored drama.

Well, at least this time I got a big epic battle (no matter how short it is). Nothing better than that!

They got Akira Ishida, Tomokazu Seki, Koichi Yamadera and some other guys to voice the Fujimotos this time. Notice there’s no crossover between the Osomatsu-san voices and the Fujimotos, which was probably intentional.

I thought there’d be a real Shinzo Chiba, but there doesn’t seem to be one…

There was a shot of Fujimoto (before the manager)! Wah! Was that there in previous episodes???

Every time people promise wardrobe malfunctions, they tend to…uh, deliver on that…

The Monokubo illustration this time is creepy…I like it!

Yotsuiro Biyori 4

Is this a zombie movie (LOL)?

Wow, Sui really loves cats, doesn’t…he…? (LOL)

Oh, so that weird zombie movie in medias res opening was actually one of those fakeouts…DN Angel’s anime did that, I remember…

Wow, they make Tokitaka so epic in this scene! A determined man is more handsome than one in an ordinary state, don’tcha think?

You can even see rice flying! Amazing! Tokitaka’s got such skill.

I am so spoilt for smol boys this season, between this and Boueibu HK…

Ooh! My eyes have been blessed with the hotness of Tokitaka!

There’s more chicken than usual this ep, eh?

Shiratama anmitsu.

I never thought we’d need a backstory for the resident cat, but okay. It was hilarious and fun while it lasted and now it’s almost over…huh.

Denzou? Eh? (I kinda get why the name’s badass with the kanji involved, but it’s hard to explain to a non-Japanese speaker…)

Agedama.

The next ep title translates to roughly “A Loving Hand for the Lost Lamb”…as in, to extend a hand to it.

Lupin 3 Pt 5 5

Okay, part 5 episode 5 is confusing when it’s just “5 5”, isn’t it?

I think the guy in the green jacket will be important later…? He’s in a key visual for this show, at least.

“This pasta called soba’s pretty good!” – LOL, soba ain’t pasta, y’know…

I’ve learnt about the stack before. Here you go.

IP camera. Hey, I’ve done something on IP cameras before, but normally Detective Conan (and most other mystery shows of the modern day) seem to be reliant on CCTV…

Chicken game…? Sounds tasty!...Not.

Ami doesn’t seem too pleased about all the shooting, LOL.

Even Ami knows bowing is a sign of Japanese respect. Just like how dragons understand the meaning of “Hatori Chise” involves birds…(i.e. I’m kind of skeptical that a real French girl would learn to bow to her Japanese friends when her life is always on the line, a la Ami.)

Episode…1? Y’mean, there’s more adventures, but no Ami? Aw, I was enjoying having her in the fray.

Hinamatsuri 5

A TV? $30??? Wow, I would fight a psychic girl for that! That’s friggin’ cheap!

“Toshibu” (sic), LOL.

Bikkuri means “surprise”, LOL.

“A teacher and a student walk into a bar…” – it sounds like a joke. Not that that could be conveyed accurately in Japanese, though. The fact it even works as an English joke must be a coincidence…

Hitomi’s such a terrible liar! Wahaha!

Nitta’s just like “I’ve given up on this girl”. Either that, or he has a hangover…(LOL)

Sayo looks kind of like Hina. If it weren’t for the hair colours I would’ve mistaken the two.

BnHA 43

Carrying a gun to a fistfight…yep, bad. Plain bad, Mustard, ol’ boy.

Sorry, there was a lot of fighting this ep and nothing much to say!

Boueibu HK 5

LOL, the bald bodyguard…he looks kinda grumpy.

Notice Kyotaro goes “ore kyoumi nai” (I have no interest in it), but the subs missed the subject of the sentence! CR, you weirdoes!

Echire butter…exists!

“You know about genetic testing?” - Irina! I think this is your department!

Ryoma’s the end of the evolutionary line!

Hmm…if there was no Ice Age in Honyara Land…might there have been something else that caused the Furanui/Karurusu conflict? There’s only animosity from one side, after all.

Bunbuku Chagama. Magozaemon was fat, so he would make a perfect teapot/tanuki…

Wait, if Maasa = Ichiro in the age department (roughly 16), that would add up. He went abroad for 4 years and held off on carbs the entire time…yikes.

“The people of this world envy those who represent the opposite of what they fear for themselves, so they criticise and attack them.” – Ooh, Ata makes a lot of sense here…! It’s a quote for the collection.

Asobukoto = It’s not really “fun” per se, but “playing” or “hanging out”. That is, if you translate rather literally.

They’re all underage (roughly 16 – 18), of course they wouldn’t drink! Of course, this is coming from a person who doesn’t drink…the only samples of alcohol I’ve had are few and far in between…

Hey, I studied this stuff in the past, you don’t have to regurgitate this info (about needing food to better absorb alcohol). Lemmee tell you, alcohol ads are weird…

They didn’t make the “glasses fogging up” a weird plot hole. Phew.

Wow, to think I’d be getting a science lesson of things I already know in my Boueibu…I never thought I’d see the day where that happened.

According to this page, one of the things the ramen shop serves is gomoku soba. Wait…that’s right! Ramen’s appeared in this show before! In the Chri-pa episode! Sorry Astral, I gotta spoil s2 for you!

Wow, this chicken carcass is even less of a threat than anything else so far! Wow-hee.

Taishi only seems vaguely fazed about the fact he’s being made to fight monsters. Interesting. I never think about the perspective of the non-red boys regarding fighting monsters until they’re pointed out, really.

So wait, the magic knight of space…makes bubbles? Uh, Astral, you might wanna learn from this…?

Hey hey, I found a page on tonkotsu ramens (sic from the Hakata anime) and paitan ramen.

Kyotaro on stairs = basically my mood when I want to imitate the “draw me like one of yor French girls” meme. (Very badly.)

So…when I said I missed individualised attacks, I never saw this coming. Sorry about that, people. (Even if that was only Ichiro’s bubble attack.)

Kyotaro makes a lot of sense here. But seriously, I think I need Astral’s easy button right now. That was easy.

Notice Karurusu is acting as a pelt…weren’t otters hunted for their pelts?

Oh, Sujikawa’s a first year, huh?

*Sujikawa picks up the boulder* - *round of applause from me* Wow!

Both Maasa and Dougo have such supportive friends, it almost makes me jealous.

The English! It’s…correct! (thinks back to a magazine article with “Difence” (sic) written on it in pink letters)

I, for one, am happy they’re tackling relationships aside from “brothers” this time. Finally, here’s something that stacks up against its competition in regards to deeper themes, even if it is a comedy!

Dougo and Maasa (Magozaemon) were in class 2, if you pause at the right time. Notably, the members of class 2 were all boys, LOL. Even with the boy to the left of Magozaemon, I think that name might be pronounced “Ai” (due to this page), but it’s in manly kanji.

#simulcast commentary #Happy Kiss anime #mahou shoujo ore #lupin iii part 5 #boku no hero academia #Hinamatsuri #rokuhoudou yotsuiro biyori #binan koukou chikyuu boueibu happy kiss! #binan koukou chikyuu boueibu happy kiss #boueibu #boueibu hk #magical girl ore #Chesarka watches MSO #Chesarka watches Hinamatsuri #Chesarka watches BnHA #Chesarka watches Yotsuiro Biyori #Chesarka watches the Lupin series Pt 5

[vsplusonline]

Trade in the time of Coronavirus: Sectors overdependent on Chinese imports face a grim reality

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/trade-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-sectors-overdependent-on-chinese-imports-face-a-grim-reality/

Trade in the time of Coronavirus: Sectors overdependent on Chinese imports face a grim reality

As fresh cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) raises fears of a global pandemic, the impact of the shutdown across China has started to hit Indian businesses, some very severely.

With the province of Hubei and eastern parts of China taking a big hit, key industries in India that depend on imports, are coming to a grinding halt. The story is not so bad for India’s exports to China, but imports to several industries are feeling the strain.

According to Crisil, about 18% of India’s total merchandise imports are from China. India had a trade deficit of $159 billion as of calendar 2019 and it remains a net importer from China (including Hong Kong) of $56 billion. In this backdrop, the worst hit are industries in electronics, consumer durables, auto components and pharma.

Short circuit The sector that is under severe stress is the electronics industry. A significant share of inputs required in electronics components manufacturing has traditionally been sourced from China.

“As a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, the sector is in dire strait as the entire supply chain is now severely affected. Even those supplies that have already arrived in India require an advanced level of sanitisation before they are allowed to be dispatched to various markets. The tragedy is, no worker is willing to touch any device sourced from China as of now,” says Rajoo Goel, Secretary General, Electronic Industries Association of India (Elcina).

The crisis is now across the value chain. There are thousands of electronics manufacturing services (EMS) manufacturers bought from India, and now their supply chain is, in turn, affected. “From mobile phone manufacturing to printers, to PCs to set-up boxes and inverters are being affected since PCBs were being sourced from China. These were just being assembled in India. Similarly, aluminium, copper and chemicals in electronics manufacturing were sourced from China. For a large number of electronics manufacturers, it’s still much easier, and financially viable to import the Semi Knocked Down (SKD) or Completely Knocked Down (CKD) equipment from China,” says Goel.

He adds that the situation is so grave that in next 10-15 days, the industry will be able to utilise only 50% of new production capacities and in the next three weeks, there is a possibility of a complete lockdown across various manufacturing plants.

Problems for the players in the sector are compounded since other countries in the region do not want to fill the gap. “It will be a major lockdown because, if instead of China, a player thinks of importing from, say, Japan or Taiwan then, the suppliers don’t want to entertain Indian importers because they know the new demand generated as a result of the Coronavirus is temporary,” says Goel.

In the next 30 days, all electronic equipment will turn dearer by 20-30 %, including mobile phones, among others. Experts say this issue will hamper the sector for 3-6 months.

Image Source: Crisil

Bitter pill Another sector that is facing the brunt because of its over reliance on China is the pharma sector.

According to the Trade Promotion Council of India, approximately 85% of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) imported by India are from China. India’s overdependence on China for APIs exposes it to raw material supply disruption and price volatility. Notably, China accounted for around 67% of total imports of bulk drugs and drug intermediates in 2018-19. India has a high dependence on fermentation-based APIs/intermediates namely antibiotics and vitamins.

“Representative of Pharmexcil informed that in all 58 molecules are imported from China, out of which 12 are imported from the Hubei province which is affected by the Coronavirus. Areas beyond 500 km from Wuhan may possibly start dispatching KSM’s & API’s in about 2-3 weeks, while Wuhan city itself might take about 8 weeks or thereabouts to bring about normalcy to some extent,” says Satish Wagh, ex-Chairman, Chemexcil

Wagh adds that 16 molecules will be affected to a large extent such as certain antibiotics like Chloramphenicol, Erythromycin, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Amoxicillin, Vitamins A B, E & C & E, hormones like Progesterone, Metronidazole etc. “India may have to go slow on exports of formulations based on these molecules so as to ensure adequate supplies for India irrespective of other international commitments. In case of such commitments to the foreign suppliers force majeure clause can be initiated,” says Wagh.

Anil Bhardwaj, Secretary General, Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME), says the import of APIs is critical for pharma industry and its shortage will cripple pharma manufacturing.

“There is no one remedy to contain this impending crisis. I think solutions would be sector specific. For API, India may have to develop its own sources within the country. A lot of Government support is needed to realize this and it could turn out to be an opportunity,” says Bhardwaj.

Leather hunt Another sector that has massive levels of ‘essential Imports’ is the leather goods manufacturing sector. “There are many global buyers who strictly adopt the practice of nominating China-based suppliers for their final orders that are made here in India. So such orders will be negatively impacted. There are a whole lot of enhancements/ add-ons related to uniform packaging, labelling etc. needed for final products and there certainly is going to be an impact on such supplies,” says Puran Chand Dawar Regional Chairman (North), Council for Leather Exports (CLE) and President, Agra Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Chamber (AFMEC).

What is clear is that business players in the leather sector need to re-strategize their long term roadmaps as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. “In a nutshell, I would say, the lesson from the Coronavirus outbreak is that in the long run, Indian importers need to shun their long-held practice of putting ‘all eggs in one basket’ attitude. They need to diversify their risks and can’t depend on one single market to meet their 70-80% of their sourcing demands. They need to explore other markets too, even if those are currently dearer by a few percentage points. This will help them better tackle any such future irregularity in their supply chains,” says Dawar.

Image Source: Crisil

Not all bad If dwindling imports have led to a crisis situation across many sectors, some in exports are expected to benefit.

“India will now be looked upon as a short to long term option. India is poised to gear up for production in the short-term with the low-end and medium-end products are expected to benefit well. Carpets will benefit and so will furniture and handicraft categories. If the situation continues this way, we expect India’s exports to see a 10-15% growth next year,” says Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Past Chairman, Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC).

According to Rakesh Kumar, Director General, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), as far as exports are concerned, it is a major emerging opportunity for India. “There are some major trade shows that happen in Germany and other markets, where the participation of Chinese delegates and buyers have been next to negligible now. In 2020 seasons of summer, winter and fall, no surplus of Chinese products are expected. This situation is a definite opportunity – buyers are thinking about an alternative supply source. That may not necessarily be India and can be markets like Vietnam, Indonesia or Malaysia as well. One has to have a first mover approach to be ahead of the curve,” says Kumar.

Kumar adds that he does not see the situation improve in China before Q3 of 2020, but it is important to note that not everyone will have faith in India as capacity building has been an issue. “We can do better with mid segment buyers where capacity building does not come into play. For the large segment, confidence is still in question as far as the Indian market is concerned. We will do better for higher value and niche segment (handmade) where our strengths will also come into focus. The next two months will be quite important, but the sentiments are positive,” says Kumar.

However, what is not clear is the knock on effect of the virus. With many countries in Europe seeing a spike in cases, the perceived benefits from exports may not materialize if the global economy starts slowing down and demand takes a hit.

“Various industry bodies/trade bodies like FIEO, Chemexcil, ACMA need to urgently start analysing the sector-wide impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on their respective sectors. At the moment, the biggest bottleneck is that the information coming out of China cannot be trust completely. The real impact of the health hazards could be more than what’s being told at the moment,” says Mahendra Sanghi, Ex-President, Assocham and Group Chairman, Sanghi Group of Industries.

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[aurora-borealis-love]

The Consular General’s wife

The following story is based on fact and centres around the Jews of Karachi, a once thriving community. To make it very clear, on one was ever forced to leave Pakistan, including the Jews that once lived there. They, and many others, including Christians, Hindus, Parsees, even

Muslims have left of their own free will, for whatever reason. Humans have been on the move since the dawn of time. The story is not my own. All credit goes to a blog “Point of no return”. I have recreated the story in my own words...names are made up.

Hannah made the driver cover the number plates of the Mercedes, even made him remove the Flag from the bonnet. She got in front and gave him the address. Jamila Street, in the Ranchore Lines area.

Her husband David was posted to Karachi a few months ago as the Australian Consular General. Hanna and their children arrived a few weeks later. They had been to several countries, including some in South America. Karachi was different though. It reminded her of Bombay, where she and her family once lived. Crowded, bustling, hot and humid. But she loved it. She loved the food, the

people and the culture. The first thing she did on arriving at any new country was to look up the Jewish population; being Jewish herself. After a short search with help through a high ranking local official, she found to her amazement, that there was indeed a small but thriving Jewish community with a decent sized Synagogue in the commercial hub of the city.

As they drove from Clifton to Saddar, they eventually got onto Bunder Road (M.A.Jinnah Road), and took a turn off this busy street. The street they were on now was narrow, but crowded with people, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles. The Synagogue was not hard to find. A large stone and brick building soon appeared on their right. Above the steel gate, and on the building itself was a sign ‘Magain Shalome Synagogue’. They pulled up to the side of the street and parked. Hannah got out, walked to the gate and was stopped by the chowkidar or watchman.

“Who is it you wish to see?” he asked, in Urdu.

Hannah had picked up a bit of Hindi after spending a few years in Bombay.

“Rabbi sahib say milna chatha hoo.” (I would like to meet the Rabbi)

He replied that this was Saturday and to come back in one hour. She waited in the car, and soon observed a number of people entering the premises. Men, women and children, families, all dressed for Shabbat, in their finest. They all appeared to be East Indian, but some of their

features were a little different.

The gates were fully open now and she decided to walk in. The main door of the synagogue was made up of solid oak. She entered and was greeted by a high ceilinged , cathedral-like room. Large and spacious, wooden benches flanked each side of a narrow aisle. Women on the left, men on the right. Men wore kippahs, women wore shawls around their head.

An elderly, bearded man stood to the side of the entrance on the inside, greeting everyone. He looked surprised when he saw Hannah. Smiling, he introduced himself.

“Hello and Shalom. I am Rabbi Simone Isaac. And you are...?”

Hannah smiled back. “I am Hannah.” She had covered her head with a silk scarf.

After guiding her to a seat. The Rabbi went to the back of the building. Large chandeliers hung down brightening up the space. The Ark lay on a raised wooden pedestal in the middle of the wooden prayer platform. Torah scrolls were stored here. The Rabbi climbed the two stairs, removed one of the large scrolls, holding it high above his head with both hands. He walked around the prayer platform, reciting prayers in Hebrew. After the service ended, Hannah managed to meet the Rabbi again.

She learned a lot after their hour long conversation. Most of the Jews here were from the Bene Israeli community, that originated on the South West coast of India, just South of Bombay. Some were Baghdadi Jews and a few had Afghani connections. Most of them spoke Marathi, Urdu and of course English. Many had left in 1948 one year after the Partition of India and the birth of a new

Nation; Israel. By the mid 1960’s the population had further dwindled. Most left for the U.K., Israel and even India. This was now 1972, India and Pakistan had just gotten over a major war. The border was closed between the two countries.

Hannah was seen regularly at the Synagogue; attending Shabbat prayers, weddings and social events. She had even attended two funerals, where the dead were laid to rest at the Jewish cemetery not too far from the Synagogue. She got to know most of the families, made close friends with some of the women, hosting many parties and get-togethers at her home. Her own

children also attended prayers at the Synagogue every Saturday. She would supply the community with Kosher wine, grape juice, etc., even medical supplies.

As she grew closer to the community, and came to know several of them wanted to make the ‘Aliyah’ to Israel, especially the younger generation, she devised a plan: Travel to Israel for Pakistanis was not allowed (passports were stamped as such). But many had immigrated to

Israel via Iran and India. The bizarre idea came into her head one day. She would drive with two or three Jews to Lahore and then drive across the border at Wagh, hiding them in the trunk of the same consular car.

“Are you insane?” her husband asked as she prepared for the trip. “What if you are caught? What if they are caught? Even if you do, what will happen to them in India? They could be arrested there!”

Hannah smiled but said with confidence . “They will not stop a foreign consular car. In India I have made arrangements with the British Embassy in Delhi. They will be given British Passports. The ones who want to immigrate to Israel can do so as well. There is a representative from Tel Aviv who will be in Bombay end of the year. They are inviting Indian Jews to immigrate to Israel.

When the day arrived, Hannah and two young women and one man, got into the Mercedes and bid tearful goodbyes to relatives. The long drive to Lahore took about two days, with stops along the way. Hannah also took the family pet dog along for the trip. The morning before crossing the border, she hid the two young women in the trunk of the car. The rear middle armrest was removed

and plastic pipe fitted to allow cool air from the air conditioner to reach them in the trunk. The young

man was given a consular uniform with a badge and would act as the chauffer.

They drove to the border. It was heavily guarded with signs posted along the fence. Guard dogs began barking at the car. The guards took a walk around and noticed Hannah’s dog in the back seat. They asked her to roll down the window.

“Australian Consulate General, with official business in Delhi.” she told them, holding out her passport. “This is my chauffer and these are his papers”, she added handing them his passport.

After informing her that she would be allowed to cross, they refused to let the chauffer through.

She looked up at the guard, half annoyed.

“I cannot drive! Do you want me to walk to Delhi??”

He appeared confused for a second. After consulting with a senior official, he came back.

“You can both go through, but at your own risk. We cannot be responsible for your safety, or the safety of the driver.” With that he handed back the papers, opened the gate and let them through.

On the other side, she encountered similar problems. “I can’t walk to Delhi!” and an annoyed look finally got her through.

“I have to make this trip two or three times a year. Make a note of my name and my number plate.” she said, as they slowly drove away from the border.

The two young women made it to the U.K. The chauffer had to return with her to Karachi, so as not to raise suspicion. She made several such trips back and forth. Things became more relaxed at the border crossing. The chauffer made it out to Israel after the third border crossing. Hardly any Jews remain in Karachi. Many of them married into other communities, changed their religion or just left for good. Many years later, a journalist interviewed the Karachi Jewish community who had settled

in Israel in a place called Ramleh. They had set up a new Synagogue and named it Megan Shalom after the one in Karachi. When one elderly man was interviewed he had tears in his eyes.

“I miss Karachi. I was born there, I miss the place dearly. What really hurts is that I can never go back for a visit. Never!”

Thanks for reading,

Wayne Croning Oct.24th 2019.

(photo is courtesy of Haroon Haider blog)

#Pakistan History Jews