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thebibliomancer · 2 years

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Flames of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 21

Flames of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because AHHH PIRATES IN THE SWAMP!

Last times on book: Team Naia continued on their Aughra and Thra given quest to light fires of resistance with all seven Gelfling clans. With five out of seven fires lit, their journey takes them back to Naia’s home in the Swamp of Sog. She finds that home is not as she left it with her parents fighting and the home tree dying of Darkening. Naia tries to heal the Crystal through one of the darkened crystal veins in the fish cellar but nearly dies, being saved by Amri pulling her away. They have a feelings jam where Amri admits his feelings for Naia and that Gurjin told him to back off while Plot was going on. And then skekSa shows up to cause trouble.

Never a dull moment in the Sog.

Chapter 21

skekSa has a very bad day, is overall unhappy with where her life is right now. Naia can sympathize.

Everybody is very alarmed to have the Skeksis Mariner show up at the Great Smerth.

Naia quickly explains to her parents that skekSa is after her and Gurjin.

Maudra Laesid gets over her surprise quickly and shifts into ‘well lets kill her then’ mode. She did want to attack the castle so she’s not going to look a gift Skeksis in the mouth.

Maudra Laesid drew her spear. “Drenchen, ready yourselves. Anyone with a spear, unfurl your nets. Prepare to take this underwater if we can, where we have the advantage. Tonight we kill a Skeksis.”

Naia suddenly thinks of urSan and tries to tell her momdra about the Skeksis/Mystic thing but she doesn’t get a chance before skekSa arrives.

And she’s found a new... friend?

Saplings at the perimeter of the glade toppled as a large nine-legged creature burst into the torchlight. It was as big as an armalig carriage, with a spiny shell and nine segmented legs ending in wide bubbles of skin, keeping it afloat on the water despite its weight and the burden of the Skeksis that was crouched over its knobby thorax.

skekSa the Mariner stood atop the giant skater when it slowed, floating across the rippling water that pooled around the Glenfoot. In one of her three claws she clutched a rein of leather and chain, fastened to a muzzle of iron that held the skater’s barbed mandibles like a cage. She yanked on the reins, and the skater let out a strained hiss like steam from a kettle.

The scales on her face glittered green in the torchlight, feathers streaming from the crest on the back of her head. She had lost her hat somewhere during her journey from the north all the way to the south, her black cape littered with swamp mud and foliage instead of sea salt, but she was no less intimidating as her gaze settled on Naia and Gurjin.

“Found you at last,” she growled.

Oof. The Plot has been hard on skekSa. Like she had a scary face moment in Tides where her jovial nature had faded when the protagonists met her again on the mountain. But not having a scary face illustration here makes it more unsettling.

Many of the Drenchen have never even seen a Skeksis before (it being noted in book 1 that the Skeksis never bother to come out to the swamp because swamp) and freeze in uncertainty.

But Maudra Laesid tells skekSa to gtfo or she’ll murderalize her and feed her to the fishes.

Naia again tries to explain that if skekSa dies, a friend of Naia’s will die too.

“Then the Lord Mariner should surely give up her mission to kidnap my eldest children, shouldn’t she?” Maudra Laesid boomed. “So that she doesn’t force me to end her life tonight!”

skekSa’s smile split her beak.

“Oh, I love a good threat,” she said. “You are not kindhearted at all, little Gelfling! Not at all, when it comes down to it.”

Hey, you activated the mama bear. Or whatever Thra has instead of bears.

Or is this one of those ‘if you kill me, you’ll be just as bad’ arguments?

Naia tries once again again to beg her mom not to kill the pirate but Laesid says “I’m sorry about your friend, Naia. But she will kill many more friends of yours tonight if we do not kill her.”

Hmmmm, I mean. Fair argument.

How many Gelfling lives is the life of a Mystic worth? Because that’s the big question around the decision not to kill the Skeksis. And at the end, at least in the movie continuity, the answer is going to be ‘almost all the Gelfling.’

Oof.

I really hope the Age of Resistance continuity takes a different branch.

Let the movie be the continuity where the Gelfling failed to unite. Let the actions of the protagonists mean something.

Anyway, the Drenchen try to drop a net on skekSa but she jumps from the back of her giant swamp bug in time to avoid it.

The swamp bug gets tangled and sinks under the water, probably to drown. Which bums out Naia. But basically everything going on is bumming her out.

Then skekSa starts hurtling grenades (or “thunder eggs”) around and catches the Great Smerth on fire despite it being a very soggy tree.

“Put out the fire!” roared Bellanji. “Put it out before the tree comes down!”

Maudra Laesid called upon them from the other side: “Spears! Bola! NOW!”

Ah, the dichotomy of Naia’s parents.

Some Drenchen do go off to firefight, others surround skekSa.

The Mariner ignores them though and advances on Naia who suddenly realizes she wasn’t prepared for a boss battle. She’s got nuthin.

But Amri shows up with a borrowed sword and puts it to use as Tavra taught him. Or at least his stance is good.

“Get out of my way, little apothecary. You are smarter than to get between me and my prey.”

“Nope,” he said, eyes bright with fearlessness. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I’m not going to let you hurt Naia, either!”

Gurjin also shows up, gives Naia the sweet metal dagger, and taking up a long spear himself.

I’m awed at how there’s all these armed Drenchen around but skekSa managed to just face off with the protagonists anyway.

Anyway, the very first clash of swords and skekSa’s breaks Amri’s. Her sword is just too big and probably of better quality. But since he was expecting that, he gets out of the way and cuts her hand.

So she just smacks him into the water.

He is not an warrior boy.

Then skekSa just pushes past all the miscellaneous Drenchen (seriously, they may as well have stayed home) to approach Naia and Gurjin again.

Gurjin tries to stab her with his spear but she just catches it and breaks it.

Naia asks the Drenchen and her momdra not to attack so maybe the Drenchen do have a good excuse for not being helpful.

The billowing firelight rippled off every quill and feather of skekSa’s furious visage, as if her entire body were boiling with rage.

“I’d wear your twin skins on my coat tonight,” skekSa growled, raising her sword. “I’d roast the two of you on the hot coals of this ugly old tree. But lucky you. I fear the Emperor’s wrath more than I desire revenge --”

Then Neech shows up and bites skekSa’s face a whole bunch.

That’s not going to make her less angry but dang if it isn’t good to see you again, Neech! How long has it been?

Momdra Laesid runs out of patience for not killing a Skeksis right about now.

“Now! Pin her traitor bones to the bottom of the lake!”

And all the Drenchen finally attack.

And they stand a chance at bogging her down in sheer numbers and bloody mindedness. She breaks six spears before they reach her but the seventh touches her armor. Drenchen jump out of trees finally tangling skekSa in a net, which she rips out of. Laesid hits skekSa in the shoulder with a poison-thorn bola, but the Mariner still charges at Naia again.

And Naia is dazed by all the violence and fear and hate and everything. She doesn’t know how to stop this without skekSa’s death. And she wants to protect her friends. And everything is on fire and not the good kind of fire that stops wars. It’s just a lot. So much a lot.

Then urSan shows up and tackles skekSa.

“What is that?” exclaimed Laesid. “What’s going on?”

“urSan!”

Amri called her name right as the two big creatures split apart, blood streaming from both of their shoulders, urSan’s wound mirroring skekSa’s where she’d been struck by Laesid’s devastating thorny bola. Though skekSa’s dark skin hid the effects of the poison, urSan’s pale skin showed that it was already taking hold: green tendrils shining with fluid as the poison set in.

Oh, cool. So even if the situation resolves non-violently, either Sa or San might just keel over from being poisoned.

Then again. Healing magic?

Anyway, poisoned or not, perfectly symmetrical violence or not, urSan stands between skekSa and the Drenchen.

“There is no going around me,” urSan said calmly, though her breathing came heavier and heavier. “You will have to go through.”

skekSa tightened her grip on her sword. “I searched for you all this time. How convenient that you appear now. My bonded other. Oh, it’s all too rich, that you should be the one to try and stop me when it is our shared destiny I am trying to improve.”

Right, yeah. She was poking around urSan’s mountain home. Looking for her maps and charts.

Can’t help but think that maybe this confrontation could have been avoided if she’d just found them. Maybe, maybe not.

Possibly the Ritual Master was already on her boat so she wouldn’t be able to abandon continent so easily. But skekSa’s Thing is that she really, really does not want to be involved in any of this. And is getting angrier and angrier that she is.

“I will not allow you to take Naia and Gurjin. They have a task yet to accomplish. I will not allow them to become ingredients for skekTek’s wicked experiments, nor droplets in skekSo’s decanter. If you continue your aggression here, I will put an end to us both.”

“And if I do not continue, we will both find our end anyhow,” skekSa replied coldly. “skekZok betrayed me. He told the Emperor that it was my fault we lost the twins. That I’m a traitor! Now I have no choice but to bring them back to the castle, or skekSo will call for my head. Mine, and also yours, as we all now know.”

Oof. Yeah. Forced into a corner.

So paranoid even in her nicer days that she thought it obvious that the Emperor would send assassins at her.

So terrified of the Emperor that once he called her to serve the Castle, her only options were obedience or fleeing the entire continent.

And yeah, skekSo would believe skekZok over skekSa. skek. He’s a loyal member of the court and she’s a renegade that went ‘politics blow, later losers’ and became a pirate.

Heck, since skekMal is a member of the court in this continuity, aside from skekGra who they may or may not even know is still alive, skekSa is the most renegade Skeksis. Just off doing her own thing. Outrageous.

Even Naia is taken aback how far skekSa has fallen into being just as cruel and single-minded as the other Skeksis when they first met her it was striking how not like the others she was.

Naia asks “Why do you not leave this land behind? Travel the seas that you love. The world goes on into the horizon, far away from skekSo and the other Skeksis.”

I think maybe Naia missed a few meetings because its been established that skekSa needed a whole fleet of Sifa navigators OR her better half’s super cool charts to sail away from Skarith. Not to mention that I’m pretty sure Naia freed her giant living boat and that’s going to be a sore subject as well.

skekSa just laughs at the question. Laughs and also vomits because of being severely poisoned. I think she’s probably dying.

“I wanted to! All I wanted was to be rid of this wretched landlocked place, travel the sea, and find my fortune -- but you betrayed me! Just like everyone has betrayed me. urSan, the Sifa, the Gelfling -- skekZok. Now I’m truly alone. Ah, urSan. At least if I die here, I’ll have the pleasure of seeing you die, too.”

She fed up with this world. Everyone betray her.

I joke but its also a bit tragic.

The Mariner dropped her sword during her poisoned convulsions and doesn’t make a move to pick it up. So Maudra Laesid orders for the sword to be moved away from her.

For some damn reason, Gurjin is the one who goes to do this. Despite being one of the two people skekSa is here to capture.

What a himbo.

It was so big, he could barely lift it, even in two hands. Once he had it, he stood before skekSa, close enough to look her straight in the eyes.

“It’s over,” he said. “The Drenchen --”

“Gurjin!”

skekSa’s claw shot out, snatching Gurjin around the waist and yanking him back to her so quickly, he dropped the sword. Before urSan could react, skekSa leaped backward, stealing Gurjin into the lake below with an enormous SPLASH.

THIS WAS SO AVOIDABLE, GURJIN!

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #liveblog #Flames of the Dark Crystal #skekSa #the Mariner #Naia #Amri #Kylan #Gurjin #Maudra Laesid #Bellanji #urSan #the Swimmer #just swimming around a swamp #several people make bad decisions

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riversofmars · 4 years

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Okay.... okay..... what about 13 going the fuck off! Like finally getting to fully loose her goddamn temper, the oncoming storm and all that shit and River be watching her full on heart eyes mother fucker 😍😍 and then calming her back down in the tardis???????

Thank you anon! I loved writing this, I’m in a dark!13 mood anyway to this was brilliant, hope you like it!

Out of Control

Word count: 2100

Rating: T

Ship: River/Thirteen

River slowly woke up, her muscles ached, she was disoriented. She still felt the effects of the numbing agent in her system. She groaned and slowly tried opening her eyes, the light was blinding her. There were voices but she just couldn’t tune into what they were saying just yet. She tried to push herself up and realised her hands were cuffed. Clearly someone believed handcuffs were needed even as she was unconscious… they knew her well. So whoever had kidnapped her knew who they were dealing with. She searched her mind for the last thing she remembered. Luna university… grading papers…

“I don’t know who you think you are but you better run along, this is none of your concern.“ River knew that voice, the realisation hit her. Her eyes finally adjusted to the light and she was able to make out the shape of Madame Kovarian. She was sure it was her, even if her back was turned to her. Even after all this time… she should have known she wasn’t quite rid off her. Just because she had died in the aborted timeline, didn’t mean she wasn’t still out there somewhere hatching another plan. A plan that was always going to involve River, her perfect weapon…

“You have no idea, do you? Well that’s just perfect.“ River spotted another person who was just approaching them. She couldn’t quite make them out as Madame Kovarian was standing in the way, but it was a female voice that River didn’t recognise. “I suggest you run while you still have the chance.“

“Out of our way.“ Madame Kovarian said, the woman was clearly interfering with whatever they were doing here. River had a look around. They were on the surface of a planet and a barren one at that. Rocks and blazing sun, that was about it. What could they possibly be doing here? There were a couple of guards with them and a shuttle was parked quite close by.

“Oh no, Madame Kovarian, out of my way.“ The woman said and there was a tense moment of silence.

“How do you…“ Madame Kovarian sounded genuinely confused and so was River, who was this person? Feeling a little bit more awake, River pushed herself up to get better look at what was going on. She peered past Madame Kovarian to the mystery woman that was facing her down. A petite blonde with very little sense of style. She had to be sweltering in this heat with her long coat on. There was something about her though, a certain twinkle in her eyes and a steely determination. It sent a jolt through River as the woman noticed her sitting up and they locked eyes. There were three more people who were keeping their distance, two men and a woman, who looked rather confused themselves.

“I really think you ought to let Professor Song go now, before I make you. This is the last time you try to take advantage of her.“ The blonde returned her attention to Madame Kovarian while River grew even more unsettled. How did she know who she was?

“Ah sleeping beauty is awake, we haven’t got time for this.“ Madame Kovarian looked back to see River awake and she gave her a gleeful smile. Then she looked back at the other woman and gave her soldiers a signal. “Kill her.“

“I really wouldn’t if I were you.“ The young woman replied as she pulled a device out of her pocket and directed it at the guards that had raised their rifles. Their weapons jammed.

“Who…“ Madame Kovarian seemed genuinely thrown by how events were unfolding. River, however, felt her breath catch. That was a sonic screwdriver, was it not? She looked around and that’s when she spotted the tip of something blue just peeking out from behind a dune. Why, hello, Sweetie!

“How are you going to kill the Doctor if you don’t even recognise them?“ The Doctor titled her head slightly amused.

“You can’t be.“ Madame Kovarian shot back in disbelief.

“I am. And I suggest you step away from my wife and run. Very. Very. Very far away.“ The Doctor took another step towards them. She gave River a wink who still couldn’t quite believe it. That was a rather unexpected turn of events but certainly a delightful one. Being a woman certainly suited her husband.

“This is a trick.“ Madame Kovarian insisted.

“Final warning.“ The Doctor twirled her screwdriver in her hand. “Step away from her.“ She focused her steely gaze on the woman that was responsible for for much pain, so much suffering. The Doctor hadn’t forgiven her, even after all this time, what she had done to her beloved Ponds.

“Or what, Doctor? If you actually are who you say you are, thank you for coming out to play and making this easier for everyone involved.“ Madame Kovarian seemed to be frantically working on a way of turning the Doctor’s premature appearance into an advantage.

“I was actually hoping I would meet you again some day.“ The Doctor said.

“Is that so?“

“Yes.“ She nodded pushing her hands into her pockets. “I hate leaving unfinished business.“

“So what are you going to do, Doctor? Kill me?“ Madame Kovarian chuckled and looked around. The Doctor appeared unarmed and her companions, who didn’t exactly look threatening, were keeping their distance.

“You have no idea how tempting it is. After everything you’ve done to her. I would enjoy it but you're not worth the effort.“ The Doctor stepped right up to her now, her voice was low and threatening. And then she pushed right past her, knocking her shoulder into hers, forcing her way through. “Now get out of my way.“ The Doctor focused her attention on River as she knelt down and reached out to undo her cuffs.

“Hello, Sweetie…“ She smiled but River didn’t have time to properly respond as her attention snapped back to Madame Kovarian.

“Doctor, behind you!“

The Doctor turned around just in time to see Madame Kovarian lunging for her with a knife. In this new body, the Doctor was quite quick. She ducked the knife and slammed herself into her attacker at waist height. Her momentum worked in her favour and Madame Kovarian slammed to the ground. The Doctor was on top of her in an instant and knocked the knife from her hand. She grabbed it for herself and pressed it to her attacker’s throat forcing her to stop struggling.

“Was it worth it?“ The Doctor bellowed at her, the adrenaline rushing through her veins, her emotions heightened. “All the effort, the time that went into it. River’s life? Amy’s pain? It was all for nothing. I held my silence. The timelords didn’t return. In fact, they’re wiped out for good. But none of it thanks to you, all the pain you’ve caused was for nothing and still you can’t stop. It is over. Your pointless quest has run its course!“

“Silence must fall.“ Madame Kovarian pressed through gritted teeth, she tried to push herself into the ground away from the blade but the Doctor held her in place.

“Give me a break, you’re delusional. It’s all done with. All that remains is your own obsession.“ The Doctor shot back.

“Look at yourself, you deserve to be stopped, you’re out of control.“ Madame Kovarian spat.

“You haven’t seen me out of control yet, would you like to?“ The Doctor’s voice dropped becoming low, threatening and almost smooth. There was a dangerous twinkle in her eyes. “Why don’t you ask the Daleks what that’s like? Or the Cybermen? Or maybe ask yourself where all my names have come from? Destroyer of worlds. The Oncoming Storm. The Doctor of War… would you like to find out?“ Her voice was barely more than a whisper and River felt her heartbeats quicken. She had never seen the Doctor like this. It took her breath away. “Not so brave now, are you?“ The Doctor smirked. “Of all my enemies, Madame Kovarian, there is no-one I despise quite as much as you. I will never forgive what you’ve done to the people I love. If you value your life, you will spend the rest of it as far away from my wife as you possibly can. And from me. Because the next time we cross paths, I will kill you. You’ve had your warning.“ The fierce determination, the protectiveness, the blatant display of power, River couldn’t deny that it did something to her.

“You are dangerous, Doctor.“ Madame Kovarian retorted, her eyes wide.

“Yes, I am. Never forget that.“ The Doctor let go of her and got to her feet. “The only reason why I’m not killing you right now is because I want you to take this message to every member of your little chapter. If any of you ever come for my wife again, I will hunt you down one by one and kill you. And believe me, I have time to spare.“ She threw the knife into the sand right next to Madame Kovarian’s head. She had no need for it. She looked at the soldiers who backed away from them. Her warning was received loud and clear.

“This is not over Doctor.“ Madame Kovarian insisted as she pushed herself up. The Doctor helped River to her feet and unlocked her handcuffs with her sonic.

“Yes. It is.“ She didn’t even look at her, her attention fully devoted to her wife as she brushed her hand against her cheek. “Let’s go.“ She pointed River in the direction of her friends.

“You’ve not seen the last of us, Doctor!“ Madame Kovarian shouted as they started walking, frustrated for being ignored.

“Yes, I have.“ The Doctor turned, her anger resurfacing. She directed her sonic at the shuttle. In the heat of the blazing sun, a spark was enough. The fuel lines ignited and the shuttle exploded. “You should have just kept your mouth shut.“ She took hold of River’s hand and they kept walking towards the Tardis.

“You can’t just leave us here.“ Madame Kovarian caught up with them, grabbed the Doctor by the shoulder to stop her.

“Yes I can.“ The Doctor answered completely disinterested.

“How will I spread your message?“ Madame Kovarian knew the implications of their shuttle destroyed. The planet was hostile and they would be stuck. She had to find a way to appeal to the Doctor’s famous better nature and mercy. “You wouldn’t actually leave us stranded would you?“ The Doctor turned back, stepped right into Madame Kovarian’s personal space.

“Actually, I was lying.“ She hummed. “I will be happy to spread the word myself. The reason why I’m not killing you right now is because I expect it would distress my friends too much to see it. They don’t think I’m capable of that and I’d like to keep them thinking that.“ Then she smirked a little. “They’re wrong of course. I’m more than happy to pass this death sentence. This planet is nothing but rock and dust, uninhabited, no vegetation or water. And now you have no means of travel. You will be dead within the week. Have a good long think about the actions that brought you here.“ Then she turned back to River who gave her a satisfied and approving nod and they carried on on their way.

“River, you can’t let her do this.“ River ignored Madame Kovarian’s plea. It didn’t undo the damage done to her life and that of her parents but it certainly felt like justice was being served. “Doctor!!“

“There are things out there I can’t protect you from, but this, I had to do.“ The Doctor said and squeezed River’s hand as they headed back to the Tardis. She tried her best not to think about what was yet to come for her wife. Not long until Darillium for her. And then the Library… “They’re gone from your life forever. From now on, the only one that has power over you, is me.“

“Oh Sweetie, yes please.“ River smirked flirty and pressed her lips to hers.

#River x thirteen #river x the doctor #river song #thirteenth doctor #thirteen #doctor who #Alex kingston #Jodie whittaker #madame kovarian #oneshot #prompt #femshlash #fanfiction #dark!13 #DW #space wives

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Hulu New Releases: September 2021

https://ift.tt/3zxzTpM

September usually means the beginning of the traditional fall TV season. As such, Hulu’s list of new releases for September 2021 contains some impressive TV swings.

For starters, all of ABC and Fox’s (both now united under the Disney banner alongside Hulu) fall season offerings will be made available to stream on Hulu the next day. More impressively, however, two FX on Hulu originals make their way to the streaming world this month.

The first is the long-awaited adaptation of the classic comic Y: The Last Man. The story of a virus that destroys every mammal with a Y-chromosome (save for one escape artist and his monkey) is set to premiere on September 13. Shortly after that, the B.J. Novak-produced anthology series The Premise arrives on September 16. Even those who are fatigued from timely anthology concepts will want to check this one out.

How Y: The Last Man Updates Its Story for the Modern Era

By Alec Bojalad

Nine Perfect Strangers Review: Hulu Series Achieves Wellness

By Erin Qualey

There aren’t any original movies of note coming to Hulu in September but that’s alright as the library titles are uncommonly compelling. Edward Scissorhands, Gattaca, The Interview, Office Space, and Raising Arizona are just some of the library films this month.

Here is everything else coming to Hulu this month.

Hulu New Releases – September 2021

September 1 50/50 (2011) A Fish Called Wanda (1988) Anaconda (1997) Angel Unchained (1970) The Apparition (2012) At the Earth’s Core (1976) Blue City (1986) Bull Durham (1988) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Cannon For Cordoba (1970) Cellar Dweller (1988) Cold Creek Manor (2003) Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) Crazy Heart (2009) The Dunwich Horror (1970) Edward Scissorhands (1990) El Dorado (1967) Election (1999) Exterminator 2 (1984) Free Willy (1993) Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995) Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997) Free Willy: Escape From Pirate’s Cove (2010) Friday the 13th – Part III (1982) Friday the 13th – Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984) Fright Night (1985) Gattaca (1997) Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) The Glass House (2001) Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) Hitman: Agent 47 (2015) Hoosiers (1986) I Spit On Your Grave (2010) I Spit On Your Grave 2 (2013) I Spit On Your Grave 3 (2015) Internal Affairs (1990) The Interview (2014) Jacob’s Ladder (1990) Just Between Friends (1986) The Killer Elite (1975) Kiss the Girls (1997) The Last Castle (2001) Magic Mike (2012) The Manchurian Candidate (2004) The Mexican (2001) McLintock! (Producer’s Cut) (1963) Miss You Already (2015) Mommy (2015) Mosquito Squadron (1970) Mr. North (1988) Much Ado About Nothing (2013) New Year’s Eve (2011) Nixon (1995) Office Space (1999) The Omen (1976) The Patsy (1964) Phase IV (1974) The Possession (2012) Priest (2011) Raising Arizona (1987) The Ring (2002) Road to Perdition (2002) Salvador (1986) Secret Admirer (1985) Shaun The Sheep Movie (2015) Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Solace (2016) Stephen King’s It (1990) Sucker Punch (2011) Tears Of The Sun (2003) The Tenant (1976) Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005) Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys (2008) Under Fire (1983) Vantage Point (2008) Volcano (1997) The Wedding Plan (2016) The Wrestler (2008) The X-Files (1998)

September 2 Trolls: TrollsTopia: Complete Season 4 (Hulu Original) Death in Texas (2021) The Unthinkable (2021)

September 3 The D’Amelio Show: Complete Season 1 (Hulu Original) What We Do in the Shadows: Season 3 Premiere (FX) Bolden (2019) Undine (2021)

September 4 Flower (2017)

September 8 Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Season 2 Premiere (Hulu Original) La La Land (2016)

September 10 The Killing of Two Lovers (2020) Transporter 3 (2008)

September 11 High Ground (2021)

September 13 Y: The Last Man: Three-Episode Series Premiere (FX on Hulu) Colette (2018)

September 15 Dark Side of the Ring: Season 3A (Vice) Joseph: King Of Dreams (2000) Love, Simon (2018) Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

September 16 The Premise: Series Premiere (FX on Hulu) Stalker (2021) On Chesil Beach (2018) Riders of Justice (2021)

September 18 Dark Side of Football: Complete Season 1 (Vice)

September 20 Grown Ups (2010)

September 21 9-1-1: Season 5 Premiere (FOX) The Big Leap: Series Premiere (FOX) Dancing with the Stars: Season 20 Premiere (ABC) Ordinary Joe: Series Premiere (NBC) The Voice: Season 21 Premiere (NBC)

September 22 New Amsterdam: Season 4 Premiere (NBC) Our Kind of People: Series Premiere (FOX) The Resident: Season 5 Premiere (FOX)

September 23 A Million Little Things: Season 4 Premiere (ABC) Alter Ego: Series Premiere (FOX) Chicago Fire: Season 10 Premiere (NBC) Chicago Med: Season 7 Premiere (NBC) Chicago P.D.: Season 9 Premiere (NBC) The Conners: Season 4 Premiere (ABC) The Goldbergs: Season 9 Premiere (ABC) Home Economics: Season 2 Premiere (ABC) The Masked Singer: Season 6 Premiere (FOX) The Wonder Years: Series Premiere (ABC) The Eric Andre Show: Complete Season 5 (Turner Networks) Funhouse (2021)

September 24 Law & Order: Organized Crime: Season 2 Premiere (NBC) Law & Order: SVU: Season 23 Premiere (NBC) An American Haunting (2006)

September 25 Gemini (2018)

September 27 Bob’s Burgers: Season 12 Premiere (FOX) Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: Season 2 Premiere (ABC) Family Guy: Season 20 Premiere (FOX) The Great North: Season 2 Premiere (FOX) The Rookie: Season 4 Premiere (ABC) The Simpsons: Season 33 Premiere (FOX) Supermarket Sweep: Season 2 Premiere (ABC)

September 28 The Good Doctor: Season 4 Premiere (ABC) Felix and the Hidden Treasure (2021) Home Run (2013)

September 29 La Brea: Series Premiere (NBC) Minor Premise (2021)

September 30 New Order (2021)

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Leaving Hulu – September 2021

September 1 The Iron Lady (2011) Our Family Wedding (2009) Young Adult (2011)

September 2 Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (2016)

September 23 An American Haunting (2006)

September 29 Destination Wedding (2018) Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector (2006) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) One For The Money (2012)

September 30 2012 (2009) 50/50 (2011) A Fish Called Wanda (1988) A Hard Day (2014) A Perfect Day (2006) The Adventures of Tintin (2011) Anaconda (1997) Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008) Anacondas: Trail Of Blood (2009) Angel Unchained (1970) The Assassin (2015) At the Earth’s Core (1976) Australia (2008) Bad Teacher (2011) Beasts Clawing At Straws (2020) Better Living Through Chemistry (2014) Big Fish (2003) Black And White (2000) BOY (2010) Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) Breakdown (1997) Bruno (2009) Bull Durham (1988) Burning (2018) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Caddyshack (1980) Caddyshack II (1988) Cannon For Cordoba (1970) Cellar Dweller (1988) Charles and Diana: 1983 (2020) Charlotte’s Web (1973) The Chumscrubber (2005) The Condemned (2007) Contagion (2011) Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) Coyote Ugly (2000) Dangerous Minds (1995) Daredevil (2003) Desperate Measures (1998) Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (2018) Don’t Think Twice (2016) Dumb & Dumber (1994) Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003) The Dunwich Horror (1970) Eliminators (2016) Exterminator 2 (1984) Fired Up! (2009) Foxfire (1996) Fred Claus (2007) Fright Night (1985) From Paris with Love (2010) Galaxy Quest (1999) Grandma (2015) Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) The Grudge (2004) Gundala (2019) Hard Romanticker (2011) Hideaway (1995) Himalaya (1991) House of the Dead (2003) House of the Dead 2 (2006) Housesitter (1992) I Do…Until I Don’t (2017) I Wish I Knew (2010) Ice Age (2002) In The Cut (2003) Indignation (2016) Intolerable Cruelty (2003) It’s Kind Of A Funny Story (2010) Jacob’s Ladder (1990) Johnny English (2003) Just Between Friends (1986) The Killer Elite (1975) Knowing (2009) Lady Vengeance (2005) Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018) Lost in Hong Kong (2015) Machines (2016) The Man From Nowhere (2010) Maximum Risk (1996) Mercury Rising (1998) Mosquito Squadron (1970) Mountains May Depart (2015) Mr. North (1988) The Nightingale (2013) Nixon (1995) Old Stone (2016) The Omen (1976) Once Upon a Time in the West (1969) Open Water (2004) Open Water 2: Adrift (2006) Places In The Heart (1984) The Polar Express (2004) Pop Aye (2017) R.L. Stine: Mostly Ghostly (2008) R.L. Stine’s Monsterville: The Cabinet Of Souls (2015) R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? (2014) R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly: One Night In Doom House (2016) R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It (2007) Raising Arizona (1987) Reno 911!: Miami: The Movie (2007) The Ring (2002) Rookie of the Year (1993) Salvador (1986) Scent of Green Papayas (1993) Secret Admirer (1985) Sk8 Dawg (2018) Sleeping With The Enemy (1991) Sleepwalkers (1992) The Soloist (2009) Somewhere (2010) Sorority Row (2009) Space Jam (1996) The Stepfather (2009) Sunshine (2005) Super Troopers (2002) Sweet Bean (2015) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) Take Shelter (2011) Taken (2009) This Means War (2010) Thunderheart (1992) Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005) Tokyo Rising (2020) Tooth Fairy (2008) Train to Busan (2016) Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys (2008) Under Fire (1983) Universal Soldier (1992) Virtuosity (1995) The Wailing (2016) Whip It (2009) Wilde (1998) Wings Of Courage (1995) The Woman Who Left (2016) Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

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izumisays · 4 years

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dear yuletide author

Thank you so much for reading this and taking part in this wonderful annual conspiracy! 

First of all, I hope you have a lovely time! If any of the fandoms below pique your interest, I’m delighted already, and ready to hear all the stories you want to tell.

Fandoms: Chihayafuru, Nirvana in Fire, Thunderbolt Fantasy

As for reading preferences, I’m happy with a wide variety of tones and genres, of any rating, ranging anywhere from lighthearted antics to dramatic casefics. But the core of all the stories I love has always been character interaction and interplay of their competences.

How the characters play off each other and bring out their best/worst, how they’d react to a divergence of events, how true they’d stay to themselves in a different setting – I love fanfiction for allowing us to reconnect with our favourite stories time and again by asking these questions. And there are so many ways to do it! To name a few favourites, I’m always game for POV hijinks, a missing scene, a casefic, canon expansion, backstories and what-ifs.

You may notice that quite a few of my requests lean towards shipfic – those, too, are welcome in a variety of tones – but I also tried to include openings for gen ideas if that’s your jam. Additionally, while it is not usually my top interest, I don’t have anything against AUs if there is something that you are itching to explore: I tend to enjoy them for a new aesthetic that fleshes out the favoured character dynamics in a new light, or a fusion that redefines the playing ground to allow the characters to exhibit their core competences in new and exciting ways.

I would be very grateful if you could avoid a/b/o and similar kinktropes, played-straight soulmate fic, and character interpretation that runs contrary to their core values. If in doubt, please reach out to me on anon - the askbox is open!

CHIHAYAFURU: Mashima Taichi, Wataya Arata, Suou Hisashi

You don’t have to include all three characters, but I’d love to see a fic that explores the connections between them better. I’m up to date with all manga scanlations.

Wataya Arata/ Mashima Taichi

In the immortal words of Henjin Meijin, Arata is that person for Taichi whose opinion makes or breaks him. (His wording may have been different, but if I go rummaging into the chapter archive to find the exact quote, I’ll end up binge-rereading year three into the night again, and then where would my Yule sign-up be?) (On that note, what kind of a MASSIVE LOSER waxes poetics about Taichi’s boyfriend problems to Taichi’s MOTHER, whom he JUST met? Suou Hisashi, that’s who.) Needless to say, that paramount opinion was not always great, and neither was Taichi’s general wellbeing.

Good news is, Arata is confident in his manliness, and he has no problem acknowledging Taichi’s ridiculously pretty and not too bad at karuta these days, and he’s also moving to Tokyo. Taichi’s definitely pretty and has an apartment in Tokyo, where a country bumpkin of paramount importance may possibly stay over until things are sorted out… eventually. Hint hint.

Jokes aside, I pine for the dynamics between the two of them. I nearly lost it, reading the Meijin semifinals — and if you can show me a person who saw them bawl as they crawled into each other’s laps on Japanese national television and didn’t bawl in response, well, that person is sure not me.

I’d like to see a story that lets them build and explore that connect. I do not object to eventual OT3, but I think Chihaya is on a quest to find her own footing and pursue other goals at the moment, and I’d really like it if she was allowed to do this (join forces with Shinobu to drag karuta into a professional league, girl!). I’d like to think that in that space, different bonds and relationships can develop and strengthen, starting with Arata and Taichi.

Taichi the overanalyzer, the hardworker and the looker, the golden boy who at some point surely hit that red button, meme-style: you will be perfect at everything, you will have everything, except the one thing that you want above all. Arata appears to be his perfect foil: steady and serene where Taichi’s scrambling and flawed, adorably awkward and disarmingly sincere where Taichi’s groomed, smooth and miserable about his own deceptions. But they don’t see it like that! And they keep tripping each other up so beautifully!

I’d love to read your take on them growing closer and hopefully smooshing their faces together. Roommates in Tokyo? Long-distance friends? Figuring out how to tell your flatmate you’ve been in love with him since you were 12? Established relationship while hijinks happen? AWKWARD THIRDWHEELING WITH SUOU?!

On that note:

Suou Hisashi & (or / - wejustdon’tknow.gif) Mashima Taichi

I cannot believe that ridiculous man. Did you see a grown ass adult swoon because his unrequited disciple I mean not-friend I mean Taichi just up and went to meet his relatives??? To help reconnect them?? One can do things like this?? What next, being able to make phonecalls like an adult??

Does not compute.

I was there, Gandalf. I was there when the story first indicated that we might be getting an unlikely team-up of the world’s weirdest Meijin and Tokyo’s most miserable overachiever. But even in my wildest dreams I did not dare hope to see them sprawled on the carpet on a humid summer afternoon, Taichi comfortable in his own skin and Suou, erm, probably not very comfortable with his fascination :D He did not sign up for this. He, a grown ass man in what must be his early twenties, is too old for this youthful seishun sakura bullshit. And yet it is he who mournfully accosts Taichi’s mom to talk about how this other boy is paramount in Taichi’s universe. He who gets offended because Taichi knowing how to adult and work the social ropes is too sexy and competent. He who finds something compelling in the painful struggle of genius and skill.

Arata - Taichi - Suou

For maximum indulgence of yours truly, bring those into one place. Arata coming to Tokyo and finding Suou a fixture in Taichi’s life how?! Suou being infinitely pissy at the Fukuyi upstart and yet dragging himself to socialize with the boys regardless like a totally-not-pathetic adult with a social life of his own? Arata being mildly puzzled about the antagonism, but in there for the sweet snacks?

You tell me! I delight in my anticipation.

NIRVANA IN FIRE: Mei Changsu, Xiao Jingyan

Is this a complex, narratively inevitable historic tapestry strangling people with its treads, full of delicious politicking and identity porn? Yes, it is.

Is my burning – nay, primal – desire so simple as to smoosh two faces together and watch them kiss? Yes, it is :’)

I mean, I will obviously not say no if the kissing is giftwrapped in the said tapestry of beautiful, politicky plot, but the fever I can’t get out of my system is this: LET THEM KISS, GODDAMMIT. LET THEM BE HAPPY. I welcome canon divergences, alternative endings, fix-its, insert eps and codas where it looks like they would have kissed (erm, or at least confronted each other in a way that would inevitably end with them making out) if only Mei Changsu wasn’t so caught up in self-loathing and fluffy foxfur coats, and Jingyan didn’t talk too loudly about his so dead, so very dead beautiful ex to hear Mei Changsu weep stoically into his beautiful white furs.

I adore Prince Jing. He is 90% cheekbones and 20% heartbroken pouting over his so very dead friends, and all of it noble and awkward and stubborn and deserving of happiness. Mei Changsu is ridiculous, and capable, and twisted into pretzels of his own creation: not above gloating over his enemies while daintily dipping cookies into his tea, he gets too caught up in weaving the tapestry to notice he is a part of it. Pull him off his high horse, Jing! Render him helpless by being yourself! Do something about being hopelessly charmed with each other, through resentment, loss, bitter pining, and narrative inevitability! JUSTKISSALREADY.gif!!

THUNDERBOLT FANTASY: Rin Setsua; Sho Fukan

I LOVE THIS SELF INDULGENT WUXIA NONSENSE AND I CANNOT LIE!

Sanfan is a mixture UTTER GLEE and deep fondness for the genre staples, self-aware and masterful playthrough of all the wuxia tropes in the book, and one goddamn well-constructed story. It plays the tropes straight, calls them out with a knowing wink, walks the tightrope between the two with panache, and just as you are relaxed and enjoying this trapeze show, it grins cheekily at you, sets the discoball on fire and pulls a bunny out of a hat. It’s DELIGHTFUL and fun and lovingly crafted, just like a good passion project should be.

I want anything that capitalizes on the absolutely hilarious dynamics between Rin Setsua and Sho Fukan (and while personally I end up using the Japanese versions of their names more often, please feel free to go with the Chinese names if you prefer). Sho Fukan does not want any of those heroic quests, he’s the human equivalent of been there, done that mood, and he just wants to REST and hopefully dump a bunch of magical murderswords someplace safe. Rin Setsua is a Totally Respectable and Non-Villainous Member of Society, of which he will inform you firsthand in the most high spoken and verbose way possible, and maybe even produce paperwork that has definitely not been tampered with. He harbours no ulterior motives, ever, and does not trail behind Sho Fukan for any reason beyond the pleasure of his company, and his mission to personally victimize and cockblock every morally derelict villain in two countries, by no-one’s request.

Whether you go shipfic (yiss!) or canon levels teamup circus (also yiss!), don’t hold back your horses. Everything about this is Extra, and should continue to be so <3

I am okay with both expanding the canon and playing with AUs/crossovers/fusions for this one, provided they retain the character dynamics. I love the extended cast as well: any characters including the Seiyou gang (and on that note, if you want to write the Seiyou backstory for Shou’s gang that has no Rin in it, you’re welcome as well), reappearance of the familiar faces from Touri (read: Rin’s victim list, past, future and present), original characters lined up and waiting to be screwed over (guaranteed) and rescued (the administration does not bear any responsibility etc etc).

Thank you for taking the time to read the letter, and I’m greatly looking forward to reading your story — and hopefully, getting to chat about these ridiculous and wonderful characters post-reveals :)

#dear creator letter #yuletide #yuletide 2020

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apriumjam · 5 years

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SatsuRes Tutorial

Here is a rundown of the basics of the new Satsuten Restaurant game.

Installing the game

To start the game, you need to download it, amazingly. You can search for the game with さつてんレストラン

iOS

You will need to make a Japanese iTunes account. Japan-Codes and other sites have tutorials you’ll need to follow.

Android

I don’t personally have an Android device so unfortunately I can’t be of much help. However, I hear a lot of Android users mention something called qooapp, so you may want to start there.

Starting the Game

The game starts off with you receiving a letter, after which you decide you may as well take a look at the restaurant. After this, you’re greeted with this screen.

This is where you decide what base interior your restaurant will have.There are three initial designs you can choose from. Pick the one you like. Protip: green button means “yes”.

Shortly afterward, you will meet this screen

This is where you will begin to create your personal character, also called avatar. Customisation options are pretty sparse at first -- just pick something you like and confirm when you’re happy with it.

After this, you will be thrown into the first part of the tutorial, the transcript of which you can read here (in progress...).

Cathy, also your first waiter, will tell you all about the basics of the game.

Basics

Let’s take a look at the interface.

Restaurant Tab

This is the first tab on the bottom, the restaurant tab. Here you can see your main UI. The upper left has your level, in my case 12. On the upper right...

HP: This is energy you use for serving guests. You have an absolute maximum cap of 10 HP at a time. This is very important -- try to only level up at 0 HP, because otherwise, you will lose all your extra HP. There is no overflow mechanic. The time displayed is how long it will take to replenish all your health. You recover 1 HP every 10 minutes.

Diamonds: This is gacha currency. You can, of course, buy diamonds with real money. If you’re planning on doing that, and are using iOS, you need to buy an iTunes gift card in yen.

Gold: Currency for buying various customisation options such as interior props, avatar options, and recipes. You can gain gold passively through actions such as cooking and serving guests.

Below these are three additional icons.

Quests: Gray will let you know that these are your trials. The first tab are your dailies. Rewards accepted here will go to your present box. The second is the scenario, or the story. Check here every so often to read or skip through new parts of the story. They unlock depending upon your level and also give you access to new waiters, like Ray. The last tab is achievements, which you will gain if you meet certain conditions, such as leveling up. The rewards here will also go to your gift box once accepted.

Gift box: Self-explanatory, your gift box. You probably already know how to use this if you’ve played other mobage before.The first tab is your items. The second tab is recipes. The final tab is your reward history.

News: Game news such as gacha announcements.

In this restaurant tab, you will also notice that you can sometimes see other characters with exclamation marks over their heads.

These are actually other players, or other chefs. You can help other chefs by clicking on the exclamation mark over their head in the “restaurant” tab. You will then be taken to their kitchen, where you can tap on their dishes currently in progress.

This is beneficial for several reasons: it gives you experience and gold, and it increases the quality of the chef’s dish. However, know that this does not increase the quality of your dishes, nor can it be used to increase the quality of a dish that is already at maximum quality.

You will also sometimes see present boxes on the screen in the restaurant tab.

Tap them to receive a gift.

Kitchen Tab

Here, you can...well, queue certain recipes for being cooked. At first, you will only have one slot. As you level up, you will be able to add new slots for additional dishes. New slots will cost gold and take time to create. Long tapping on a hotplate will allow you to level up a plate. This increases the amount of servings that will be made in that slot.

Different recipes will take less or more time to make. It would appear that higher rarity items take longer than lower rarity items. You can choose to speed up the process with diamonds, but this is not recommended. You can also use miracle time tokens (covered under items).

Recipes have their own profiles. Clicking the green button at the bottom will cause the dish to be added to your queue.

The first column, along the left beside the food image, tells you its category (SatsuRes, in this case), rarity (one star), and “boost” (EP, or event points, for use in events).

Second column along the left. The first line tells you how long the recipe will take to make. In this case, 11 seconds. The second line tells you the recipe’s udemae, which is basically its level. The higher your recipe’s udemae, the more gold customers will pay to buy it. The third line tells how much the recipe sells for.

Last column, along the right. The first line tells you how many servings that recipe will give you. In my case, this recipe gives us 10 servings. The last line is experience, and depicts how many times you need to cook your recipe to level it up.

Both experience and udemae increase based on how often you cook the dish. Mastering a dish -- getting maximum experience -- allows you to buy new dishes.

For example, this drink requires you to master the food pictured, donuts, before you can unlock it.

You will know a recipe has been mastered if you see this crown on its icon.

Another important aspect of the kitchen is the red refrigerator at the back. Tapping on it will tell you its capacity.

The capacity is how many dishes you can hold in it at maximum. You can store dishes that you cook here if there is no more room on the floor. Clicking on the plus sign next to it will allow you to increase the stock of the fridge using refrigerator capacity tickets, gold, or diamonds.

Floor Tab

This is the floor, where you can serve various guests your food. Each round of serving will only use 1 energy, regardless if you have 1 dish or 3 dishes. Just like the kitchen, you can long tap on a plate to increase the amount served at a time as well as increase the gold and experience you gain from that particular slot.

When you try to serve a guest with 0 HP, you will see this screen:

You can replenish your HP with either special drinks or diamonds. If you want to do this, only do it when you know you won’t be leveling up soon.

Occasionally, certain events will occur on the floor screen. One is the roulette.

Swiping right on the screen, or clicking the green “skip” button, will give you a chance to get diamonds, energy, experience, or gold.

Another type of event that may happen is being visited by an influencer.

You will have a limited amount satisfy the influencer (in this case, 3 hours). This can be accomplished by serving the influencer dishes. Of course, this uses up energy. After the influencer has been satisfied, they will give you a gift.

Gacha Tab

The gacha. Not much to say here.

You use diamonds or tickets to get a pull, and then pray to RNGesus you get what you want. Right now we only have the Zack and Ray avatar costume set available.

Clothes/Decor

Clicking on this tab will give you a choice of editing your avatar or your interior design.

Somewhat self-explanatory.

Upon reaching level 20, visit your interior decor page to initiate floor expansion.

You will see this message, which tells you that the expansion has been initiated. Upon visiting your restaurant page, you will see countdown timer on the lower right. It will take about 24 hours for your floor to expand, after which other characters will visit your restaurant.

There’s a lot of stuff we can do over here. Let’s go over the large blue icons first, from left to right.

Shop: This is where you can, well, buy stuff, with diamonds or with gold. The large gold tab is premium items which need diamonds.The pink one is for avatar customisation, and uses gold. The final, blue tab, is for your restaurant decor, and uses gold.

Scenario: This is for reviewing chapters of the story you have unlocked.

Recipe Book: Here, you can see all the recipes you have purchased, as well as buy new ones. Learning new recipes gives you experience.

Influencers: Keep track of influencers you have seen or have yet to meet. This page also lists what requirements you need to meet to see certain influencers. For example, to encounter the blind nun, we need to have been helped by number 421 a total of 10 times.

Now for the green buttons, going left to right.

Friends: You can view your friends (first tab), see requests (second tab) whether incoming (first) or outgoing (second), and search for friends using their username. Mine is Jam.

Social: First tab: see who helped you recently. Second tab: see your friends’ activity. Third tab: see your activity.

Item Box: View a list of all the items currently in your possession, such as drinks.

Settings: There’s quite a lot here, so let’s make a separate header for this.

Help: Various tutorials for different parts of the game.

Settings

First option: Change your name, your phrase/description, and set your birthday.

Second option: Your notification settings. From top to bottom: new news on the board, friend request, notification you’ve been helped, individual dishes being completed, all dishes being completed, and energy completely replenished.

The second tab here lets you to choose a certain time to be sent notifications.

Third option: Your sound settings.

Fourth option: The amount of diamonds you have, as well as splitting them up into purchased diamonds or free diamonds.

Fifth option: A code for when you’re changing phones, for example. Put in a password here and you will get a one-time use code for it.

Sixth option: Check for game updates.

Seventh option: Change your active waiter.

Eighth option: You can change your trophy here.

~~~~

And there you have it, these are the basics of the game. I’ll be translating the chapters, recipe flavour text, items, and so on as I’m able to.

#satsuriku no tenshi #satsuten #satsures #angels of death #mine

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jeonjagia · 4 years

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Dancing For Yoongi- Chapter 20 Broken Hearts Make Broken Bodies

I have been trying to contact Chandry for 10 minutes now, and there is no reply. "Guys, let's head back, something's wrong," I tell the boys. We gather our supplies, load the van, and head back. I bite my lip as I drive, wondering why she isn't answering. Pulling up to the building, I see the door is open. It was closed when I left. Panic setting in, I open the door to the van before it's stopped, and head inside. I come to a sudden stop. There's Jin, on the floor, pale as a ghost, a pool of blood near him. Rushing toward him, I kneel and see where he is injured. Sighing I see it's just a flesh wound, but a bad one at that. The rest of the boys enter now. "What the hell happened?" Jimin asks looking around. Everything seems in order. Until I notice the food. Food uneaten to be precise. Standing I walk to jungkooks desk and see a bowl of spaghetti and a glass of milk. The glass has condensation on the outside. Touching the bowl, it's slightly warm. "She left 30 minutes ago," I say judging by the heat of the bowl. "What do you mean?" "What? You think she shot jin and made a run for it? No ass she was taken!" I say rounding on Jimin. He backs away. "Suga, get ahold of yourself," Jhope orders. Sighing, I see if my gun is loaded, then head over to the weapons table. Grabbing four throwing knives, another gun, and bullets, I pack up. "Where are you going? We dont even know where she is?" RM chastises. "Yes we do, that building was a fake, and the only person who knew that was her father," I inform. "We need to find her," Sighing, the boys get to work. Jungkook in his computer, RM pulling information from books, and me, thinking logically. I need to find her, I don't know what he will do to her. I think to myself.

"I DONT KNOW WHERE IT IS!!!" I scream as he cuts me once again. "Lier," He says glaring at me positioning his knife again. "No, no, I'm serious, I don't know," I pant begging for him to stop. He keeps going as he cuts, slice after slice into my stomach. "You'll be scarred for life, and no one will have you," he muses. My arms ache as they are tied above my head. I'm stretched out on a metal table, hands and feet tied. My shirt pushed up to my chest, exposing my stomach, which he is making his art upon. The next few hours, if they are, I can't tell time, are spent screaming for him to stop. They think I have the location to one of the bases, which I don't, but they do not believe me. "Stop," my father orders as he reappears from the dark corner. "I've had enough, she doesn't know where it is, pity," he says looking at my stomach, "well just wait till they make a move," he says gesturing for the man to leave with him. I'm left, skin burning and blood dripping. Please yoongi, don't do anything stupid. Please. I pray.

We are ready to go. And I already know where we're going: the mansion. The real one. Jungkook found it after an hour of work. Bastard. I think to myself. I know he's hurting her, trying to squeeze information from her. As I imagine it, my fists clench. He's going to get what's coming to him.

Getting into the van, I plug the location into the GPS, and start the car. "Hyung, don't kill us in your quest for vengeance," Jimin says buckling himself in. Smirking at his statement, I drive away from the building, and head off in the direction.

We've arrived at the place, and parked a few blocks down. I didn't think I would find it so fast. But yes, this is the place. Cocking my gun, I slip out of the van, walking around to the other side. "Alright," I say after everyone groups, "we're going in, go silent and try to find Chandry. We know where the storage is, so if you find it, and if you can try to take some, take some. If not, don't try to," The nod, understanding. "Our main focus is Chandry, get her, get out." Nods again. Loading up, we sneak around the perimeter of the fence, looking for an easy way in, undetected. Jimin finds it, a small section of the fence unguarded by cameras or people.Pulling out my laser, I cut a hole for each of us to fit through. Once we're inside, I hurry toward the house in the blind spot of the cameras. The next patrol is in 10 minutes. We have to be inside the house in 10 minutes. "Jimin, find an opening," I command backing up to the wall of the house, gun at the ready. Moving along the wall, I slowly peer around the corner. A guard is coming along way above schedule. Shit. I curse. "Jimin, hurry it up, we have incoming," Jimin pauses understanding what I mean. He hurried faster, trying to get the glass of the window out of its frame. Watching the shadows, I can see the guard will be coming in 5..4..3..2..1.. "What the-," his sentence is silenced as I jam my hand to his throat, knocking him back. Grabbing into his jacket, i pull him forward, not wanting to alert other guards. He struggles against me, successfully jamming his elbow into my jaw. It'll bruise. Growling I throw him into the wall, his head coming in contact with a lump in the decor of the structure. He's out cold. "Jimin," I urge, wiping away blood from a cut on my lip. "Got it!" He announces, holding the glass piece Placing it on the ground, we enter into the building, the dining room to be exact. Lush carpet adorns the floor, and a huge chestnut dining table centers in the room. Beautiful flower print table cloth and dishes decorate the table, making it seem like a rich family lives here. Looks can be deceiving I guess. Moving across the room, I press up against the wall along with the door, and quietly turn the handle of the ornate entrance. Peering out, I see to the left is the entrance into the house, a chandelier hangs stating the wealth of the place, a half wrap staircase runs along the furthest wall. Right in front of me, is a hallway. Painted white with ornate decor built into it. Another lush carpet lines the hardwood floor. Now I need to figure out where the downstairs is. That's where all their dirty work is. Like I said, looks can be deceiving. Watching the guards to the left, I figure out a time where we can exit the room and enter the hallway. "On three, run quietly to the hallway," I say over my shoulder to the boys as I still watch the guards. "One...two...three!" I exit the room, and make a run for the hallway. The boys follow and line up behind me in the hallway. "Well done boys. Now we need to find the downstairs," "Here boss," Jungkook says quietly opening a door, which leads to stairs to a lower level. "Go go," I urge as they file down. Entering the stairs, I close the door behind me. It's dark, so my eyes have to adjust to the light. The staircase is metal, so there's no hiding out coming. Circling around the structure there is a hallway to the right, and I head for it. Metal doors line the hallway on either side. I have no idea where to go. "Jungkook, where was she?" I ask keeping an eye out for guards. We are right out in the open. "I didn't have it boss," "What? Well pull it up!" I urge knowing we don't have time. "There's no wifi down here," he protests trying on his phone. Where is she?! Loosing it I yell, "Chandry!" "Yoongi, what the hell are you doing?!" RM yells through clenched teeth. "Chandry!" I yell starting to try the doors in a panic. "Jungkook find her!" I yell pulling on the metal handles.

"Chandry!" I hear from my sleep and I start awake. Theyre here. No. Yoongi, you didn't. "Yoongi!" I yell, struggling against my bonds. "Yoongi its a trap! ITS A TRAP!" I scream, my voice raw and hoarse. Please let him hear me! I think to myself as I look at the gun aimed at his height, rigged to fire if the door is opened. A tear falls.

"It's a trap!" I hear from the end of the hallway. I head toward it, still yelling her name. "Yoongi, ITS A TRAP!" I hear again. The last door on the left. Trap my ass. Trying the door gently, I can tell it's unlocked, but has some resistance. It's rigged. Cursing, I back track. I have no idea what the trap will do. "Jhope, the doors rigged, I don't know if it will hurt me or her," I say checking my gun. "Here," he hands me a scanner type device. "What the hell do I do with this?" I ask pressed for time. "Scan the room, it will come up with a picture on jungkooks phone," he informs. Handy. Heading back to the door, I scan it up and down, left and right. "Got it?" I ask looking back at them. "Hyung, there's a rifle rigged toward the door if you open it," Jungkook says examining the screen. Nodding I know what to do. Sinking down, I open the door from below. And then come the bullets. The gun fires fill its out. "YOONGI!!!" I hear her scream. Once it's done, I stand up, brushing casings off my shirt. Entering, I see her tied to a metal table, cuts adorn her stomach. Bastard. I curse. Unsheathing my knife, I cut her loose. She hugs me instantly. I hug her back. It's like she's clinging to me for life. I pause, thinking of the mission. It's too easy. It was all too easy. Pulling her off the table and carrying her,I hurry out of the room. "Guys we need to go," I say approaching them. "Why?" "It's a trap." "Yes we know," "No, not here." "Where?" Sudden realization plays in their faces, and they start backtracking. Up the stairs, into the hallway, and into the dining room. A guard catches us, and starts firing. With one shot he's down, but he's alerted others. Into the dining room we go, back out of the window, and to the side of the house. Quickly eyeing if there are any guards, I run with Chandry in my arms, back down the hill and through the fence. "Here," I say setting her down against the van. I then help the boys get through. "Into the van!" I yell, picking Chandry up and placing her in the back seat. "Jungkook now is not the time, but try to work on her," I order getting into the drivers seat. He nods knowing how serious this is. Once everyone's in, I kick the gas, screeching tires in our getaway. As we are on our way back, I keep checking the rear view mirror to make sure no ones coming. No ones coming. It was a trap. "Hyung, this is so disgusting what he did," Jungkook states from the backseat. "Why? What do you mean?" I ask concerned for Chandry. "He's cut her, the bastard sewed her up, only to cut her again. She's going to have giant scars on her stomach," he says picking at the bloodied gauze as she lays across his lap. Jungkook was right. He still loves her. I can see it. However cruel and twisted, he loves her. Shaking my head, I say, "Jungkook, just try to heal her as best you can without Jin,"

We pull up to the house and start to get out of the car. I take Chandry in my arms. She's already passed out. "There's something bad in here," I tell the boys. Entering the mission room, I don't see anything abnormal, except for the blood still on the floor from Jin. Still need to clean that up. Placing Chandry gently down on the floor, I take my gun out and cock it. Going from room to room, I make sure that the doors weren't broken into. Everything's fine, until I come to taehyungs room. It's ajar. Shit. Entering slowly, the smell comes first. Closing my eyes, I already know what to expect. Coming around the corner, there she is. Hardly recognizeable from the blood and broken face bones. Grimacing I look at her, or what's left of her. Taes going to be heartbroken. He actually started to love her. Backing out I head back to the room. "Everything's clear," I say staring at taehyung. He looks at me for a long while before he realizes what I can't say. "No," his voice sounds so heartbroken. Putting his gun away, he starts out of the room. "Wait, what happened?" Jimin asks from the floor where him and Jungkook are working on Chandry. A few seconds later we hear it. The roar of a heart broken man. Closing my eyes, I can't imagine what he's feeling. Another yell. "Boss?" Jimin inquires. "They got Celeste," I whisper. Jimin realizes and with a pause, continues working on Chandry. And another yell. I wait for him to come back. He soon returns, hands covered in blood, knees of his pants too, he must have kneeled by her. He's crying, in a rage, furious. I can relate. "No!" He yells knocking over a chair. "Tae," I say calmly. He doesn't stop. He takes the metal table, throwing everything off, papers, pens, and paper clips, all flying in one smooth motion. "Tae," I repeat more firmly. He stops and glares at me, eyes red, tears pouring. "I'm going to kill him," he says lowly at me, almost growling. Anyone who makes an enemy of Taehyung, doesn't live very long after they've wronged him.

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 4 years

Text

Pieces of the People We Love, Part 6. (The Borderlands Series)

Description: Not many people had the chance to see a vault or to mean anything in the world of Pandora. Will a hardly built relationship in the loneliness of the desert have the potential to change anything in the world of anarchy and chaos - or will the friends try to murder each other?

Chapter description: The journey is destined to be - or at least, so it seems. Alongside Scooter and your two favorite bandits, you had to leave the Hells Cauldron behind your back.

Warnings: A lot of guns, violence, reader is a tough badass - not a vault hunter tho. They’re badass and don’t give a fuck. And Scooter is a dumb bitch, as always. All Psychos and Fanatics are various Vine references - oh, what luck that reader can understand them since she is friends with Bandits.

Word count: 2.1 K

Tagging: @notaliteraltoad, @nemodoren

Series master list: H E R E

Shortly after what Walrus had told you, the Bandits lead you to their monstrous truck. At least he made Blindy and Rayray go with you and not some random idiots.

As Peter promised, they even packed you some food, money, and munition to go with. But there was something weirdly odd about Peter being so nice - if you would come alone, he would never help you. You were one hundred percent sure of that.

"What you're after, Walrus?" - You asked him quietly, aside from the boys, just before you were set to go on your journey. - "You don't do any of this just to warm your heart, do you? You're not such a good person. I know you, my man."

"Vaults are rumored to hold treasures with enormous value. Be a dear and grab me some while you'll be at it, will you?" - Walrus patted your shoulder with a fatherly smile. Of course. That motherfucker. He was a sly one - not caring that much about Scooter, his well being and meeting with his friends. All he cared about was the vault. And its treasures.

"I am not a VH, how many times I'm going to tell you? Scooter isn't one either, he's just... A local mechanic. That's what he truly is." - You tried to talk him down to let you just take your hands off the whole deal. But you knew how much could Peter be persistent.

"But you were aspiring to be one when you listened to all the podcasts on your ECHO from that guy named Tyron or what... Or am I wrong? Correct me." - The midget looked you right in the eyes. You could just murder him, take the car and then leave Scooter alone to continue his journey.

"I was ten, Peter. Vault Hunters aren't nothing but a bunch of posers. And you know that. How anyone like me ever got the chance to at least get closer to a thing like a vault?" - You mumbled, moving your metal arm uncomfortably. Vault hunters were a great part of the reason why did you had your metal arm in the first place. Damn monster hunting.

"Come on. It's an adventure, it's fun and you have a hell of debt in my bank. You have to do this. And if you'll be a naughty girl, Cowboy, my boys will drag you back to me." - He smiled and with his guards, four extra-armed psychos turned back to The Throne Room. You wanted to yell, shout, shot and kill something. Or somebody.

But you kept it all in and turned to crawl into their truck, to sit on one of the benches. You looked at Rayray who seemed to be extremely happy. Was there a reason for that?

"What? You reached the fourth quarter or what's your problem?" - You mumbled while Blindy and Scooter were settling down in the front of the car. Scooter seemed to be overly fascinated by their car type, so you just rolled your eyes and let him be.

"Back at it at Krispy Kreme." - He answered simply and you closed your eyes, laid down on the bench and prepared yourself for some sleep. It was only proper since it was already around midnight.

"Oh yeah, this is going to be a hell of a road trip, I tell you that." - You answered ironically and closed your eyes.

The next four days were a hell of a time to think. You were changing on the steering wheel pretty periodically - you were driving from the morning to midday, Scooter took the wheel after lunch to evening, Rayray was driving until midnight and Blindy himself was driving until you woke up.

You had... Fun. That was as unnatural as it seemed, but you had some fun. Sometimes, they randomly stopped from the quest to find Janey Springs, the most famous rocket engineer on Pandora, when they saw an interesting lookout. One night, you even took a short break in a local pub to have some beer and small talk. Rayray wasn't too happy about that since he had to stay sober.

To your surprise, these guys were fun. They were telling you stories and answered every question you had - you played poker with them one night. And Scooter himself wasn't too bad. He even snatched your playlist from the car you drove into Ham's Creek, so you could jam around to Rapture while driving.

You drove through deserts, forests, mountains which were snowy and even through the miles and miles of Eridium-cracked lands, where Eridium was in huge rocks around the way. And then you drove through even more deserts. It got repetitive over the week, yeah, but as you checked, the COV was still preparing to set to Athenas. Wherever Scooter's vault hunters were, they still didn't have the chance to kill them. Which was good.

After a whole week in their car, you finally reached the destination. It was a town in a cave, very far away from where you started your journey. Its name was Hollow Point and your rocket engineer was supposed to be there.

"Okay man, I will take ya to ma old workshop which I owned with Janey before I, you know, died. Be nice to them, okay?" - Scooter looked especially at you and you rolled your eyes. You weren't about to chew their heads away or anything. You just wanted that damn rocket.

"Fine. I won't try to kill her if she looks at me. Happy?" - You rolled your eyes like a professional and Scooter sighed at your behavior. You were now allies - you weren't friends, but wouldn't get him killed either. It was a thin ice situation, but at least it was something.

"Ya can try, but her girlfriend won't approve that and maybe cuts ya skull opened up with her shield. She's like scary-scary shit. Be aware. Ya shotgun won't help ya against Athena." - He warned you and your small party slowly went down the hill to Hollow Point. It was a silent town - there was a human being here and there, but overall, nothing was happening.

It was almost a ghost town. There was a small pub which you walked as far away from as you possibly could because of its stink and exterior. There was a doctor's office and a gun shop - but it was people you never heard of. Some sister Nina and Mrs. Gunslinger.

Suddenly, everyone stopped in front of a closed mechanic's garage. There was Scooter's name on it, but the light wasn't shining. The shop looked to be closed for a long time now, full of boxes and webs. You didn't like that feeling that anyone's home.

"Is Janey totally supposed to be here?" - You looked inside and made sure that the hat won't fall off your head. There was no one. - "Scooter, did you just dragged us through the whole Pandora to look at your old, abandoned workshop?"

"No, no, no, I swear to God! She's here, man. I'm super duper sure." - Scooter looked scared at you because he knew that you're furious at that moment.

"You think I'm gonna believe you such bullshit? Oh, you're so in trouble now. I thought we're allies!" - You rose your eyebrows and demanded the explanation with the way you stood.

"We are! Janey is here, we just need to find her. Be patient, Cowboy." - He was still walking backward, and now, you for him in a tight corner. An ideal place to kill him. And you were about to.

"Imma about to kill you, Scooterboy, Imma about to kill you so hard." - You rose your hand to pick up the shotgun on your back, clenching your jaws together. Just as you loaded the gun, something flew next to your head, you were barely able to somehow jump to the side.

"What are you two doing here? We don't kill people here since three years ago." - A robotic voice spoke to you from the darkness. You tried to search for the source, but that someone was hidden in the shadows. - "The mayor doesn't have enough money to rent the Hyperion machines. What are you doing in front of my garage?" - The person put their hand high and a red light started to shine on her forearm. The thing flew directly back and clicked silently at that moment.

"See? I told ya that Janey and Athena would still be here, man." - Scooter got up from the corner and ran away from you as possible. - "Thanks for savin' ma life, Athena. Nice to see ya, ya still kissin' a lot with Janey?" - He disappeared to the darkness to greet someone. When he came back to your small group again, a woman was standing next to him.

She looked dangerous in some way. Let's face it - she was terrifying. But staying in your character, you just pressed your lips together and furrowed at her.

The woman, whom Scooterboy was calling Athena, had violet hair and a cute face. But the cute face and big eyes weren't making her any less not dangerous looking. She may be thin, but those thighs were enough to snap your neck instantly. You took a few steps back and fused the shotgun again.

"Is it you, Scooter?" - She snapped the next moment and wondered. Then Athena put a hand on his shoulder and carefully scanned his face with her eyes. - "We thought you're dead, oh my lord?" - She mumbled unbelievably and hugged him. She truly knew him, but no way she had something with Scooter. Athena was out of his league.

"And no way I'm going to answer your question. And don't ever touch me again, please." - She mumbled and turned at you, Blindy and Rayray standing in the background. You were pretty taken away by the way Athena embraced Scooter. - "Who that?"

"Ma new friends, Athena, say hi. That's Cowboy and she has a few temper issues and a hothead. Those men, they are Bandits, but like... Cool ones, ya get it? One name's Rayray and the other one's Blindy. They saved me and help me to find you two." - Scooter pointed all of you proudly and you nodded to Athena, clipping the shotgun back on your back. Boys were clearly too scared of her, so they just acknowledged her person.

"Nice to meet y'all. I suppose you're searching for Janey?" - Athena walked to one of the building's door and opened up the door. There was some music playing inside while Scooter and Athena were chatting. Athena seemed to be in a good mood just because Scooter showed up.

Your deal with Walrus suddenly came upon your mind - maybe Scooter was a truly close friend of the vault hunters and could get you close, after all? That would be nice. Janey and Athena could ride back home just like that. That would be incredible.

Janey was in the back dancing in a rhythm of some rock song, not paying attention that someone entered the building. She had a messy garage, you needed to say that - oil was everywhere, just as her stuff tossed around like wrenches and shit. Janey was a genius at her worst - genius, but messy as fuck.

"I bring you a surprise, dear." - Athena sighed and trailed off to the next door, leaving you there with Janey.

From under the car, a blonde woman rolled on a small skateboard or whatever it was. You noticed the scars on her uncovered belly, neck and arm; she was probably set on fire or some other shit. That was freaking you out a bit. Janey was apparently a strong woman.

But when she stood up to look at you, she looked like a little loving pure ball of smile and energy.

"Hey, what can I do for ya?" - Janey cleaned up her fingers with a cloth thrown over her shoulder. Her stare almost ended up on you, but then she noticed Scooter standing there. She was amazed and wonderstruck since she stopped and looked only at him. - "Have I fell asleep again?"

Then they also went into a tight hug so Janey would definitely know that he's real-real. It was a nice, friendly moment. The last thing you needed to do was to convince Janey - to build you a rocket.

#borderlands #after the tales from the borderlands #borderlands 3 #athena #janey springs #scooter #scooter x reader #here we go again

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add-v-bae · 5 years

Text

Fire and Steel (4.5)

Rating: T

Pair: Yoongi x Reader x Jimin (poly relationship)

Word count:

Summary: One likes fire, the other likes blades. You like them both

Part one | Part two | Part three | Part four |

Gif found on Google

Gonna start this one by explaining that I went back and made some adjustments to other chapters so that the timeline of this would make a little more sense with this chapter. This is a flashback that I wanted to write because it gives some context to things to come, not to mention it’s always a little fun to learn about fetus days of characters.

There will also be a trigger warning of self-harm in this chapter, and the beginning and end of it will be marked.

It was a cool evening, the sun almost down beyond the small number of trees that surrounded the area around the cabin while you and Jimin were sitting around a fire pit.

You were 16 at the time, around finals week, so it was nice to have nights like this when you got the chance to relax instead of focusing on your studies.

However, it was also nights like this that made you miss the way things used to be. After many years of being inseparable as a trio, Yoongi had up and disappeared, his mom telling both you and Jimin that he hasn't been in the mood to be around people, so neither of you bothered him.

You hummed, looking up to the man across the fire pit, a loud giggle escaping him as he threw dry pine needles onto the fire, the thin strands crackling and the flames growing larger, puffs of smoke filling the air around the both of you; the heat becoming almost overwhelming.

"So I heard Jiyoung confessed to you today."

Your sudden talking seemed to catch him off guard, his head jerking to look at you. "Huh?"

Jiyoung. I heard she confessed?"

He grunted and grabbed his stick, poking it into the now settling flames. "Yeah. Told her I'd think about it. Probably going to tell her I can't on Monday..."

You pursed your lips, sitting closer to the edge of the log you'd pulled over. "Why not? Got someone else you're interested in?" you asked teasingly.

His cheeks instantly grew red. "Shut up..." he mumbled.

That caught your attention. "Wait, do you really? Is it someone I know?"

He nodded.

“Is it a girl from school?”

His expression changed, instantly shaking his head.

Now you were confused. “But Jimin, I don’t know any other girls besides the ones from our school...”

He looked at you, not saying anything for a moment before biting his lip. “Please don’t tell anyone...”

It took a while for you to realize what he was talking about, eyes widening in surprise. “Wait...Jimin, is it not a girl?”

The look on his face told you everything.

However, you didn’t want him to feel ashamed, at least not around you. “Is he from our school?”

“Yeah.”

“Is he in our grade?”

“No...”

You were right back to being confused. “Have you talked to him before? We never really talk to people in other grades.”

“Yeah...haven’t in a while but we used to all the time. Kinda miss him...”

A sad smile crossed your face, remembering your missing third link. “Yeah, I get that. I feel the same way about-”

Wait.

You looked to Jimin with wide eyes. “Is...Is it Yoongi?”

His eyes focused on the middle of the flame, looking borderline terrified. “Please don’t tell him...He’ll hate me..”

You shook your head and got up, walking to him, arms wrapping around his waist. “I won’t tell him, but he wouldn’t hate you. We all mean too much to each other for something as small as something you can’t control like your feelings to get in the way.”

He hummed, arms returning your comforting embrace. “Still...even if he wasn’t bothered by me being a guy, what kind of guy would be okay with dating a pyromaniac? What kind of person in general would?”

You cupped his cheeks, making him look at you. “Your pyromania isn’t something you can control either. As long as you keep using healthier methods like this, I don’t see the problem.”

His frown didn’t fade, bottom lip still pouted. “It’s extra baggage. Nobody wants more to deal with than they have to.”

Now you were frowning as well. “Well, everyone has their own baggage. Even I do.”

He snorted, taking his hands off your sides to wipe at the tears that had begun to form in his eyes. “What baggage could you possibly have, Y/N? You’re practically an angel.”

You were hopelessly in love with your best friends, said pyromaniac and a man that’s currently M.I.A for some unknown reason, that’s what.

However, you decided against confessing that, instead laughing softly to yourself. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.”

You couldn’t handle it anymore. It’s been over a month since you or Jimin had seen Yoongi and you were sick of worrying.

You didn't tell Jimin a thing of what you had planned when you marched to Yoongi’s house, knowing full well that his parents weren't there to stop you.

Upon arriving at his front step, you dug your hand into the potted plant next to the door and pulled out the spare key, unlocking the front door and beginning the quest to Yoongi’s room.

You knew knocking would backfire on you, and as horrible as you would feel about it if it was all for nothing, you undid your belt and jammed the small metal bit into the doorknob, jimmying it for a moment until you heard a click.

You took a deep breath before opening the door, a gasp escaping your mouth before you even comprehended what was going on.

Start of trigger warning

Blood. There was a lot of blood.

The blond didn’t seem to notice you, eyes dazed as he dragged a pocket knife across his arm, a new line of blood prickling across it. Before it got too thick, Yoongi grabbed an already bloodstained rag, wiping it away and watching as more pooled in its place.

“Yoongi?”

He jumped, quickly crossing his arm over his chest to hide his arm from you, eyes looking to you. “Y/N? What are you doing here?”

You rushed to the bathroom to wet a washcloth, moving back to the room and to the older’s side. “What the hell were you doing in here?”

He winced the moment the cloth touched the open skin, whether it was because it stung or because the rag was cold, you didn’t know. “It’s nothing...” he mumbled.

You looked up from his arm with a look that told him exactly how much you believed that.

He grunted and carded his free hand through his hair. “I don’t know...I just wanted to, and once I started, I couldn’t stop.”

You hummed under your breath, filled with worry and trying to sort out how you’d handle the situation.

End of trigger warning

You stayed the night with him in hopes that it would help comfort him before you brought him to the shack the next day, knowing that it would be a load off Jimin to know he’s okay.

As you walked forward with Yoongi in tow, hand clutched at his sleeve, you spot Jimin at the fire pit, sitting on the ground next to it and poking into the small flames with a stick.

Upon hearing your footsteps, the brunette looked up to you, eyes lighting up at the sight of the man beside you. “Oh my god, hyung!” he cried, jumping up and rushing to throw himself at the other.

The blonde dodged out of the way of his hug, looking away from him.

Jimin lifted his head to look at Yoongi, confused at the rejection, as the man would usually grunt and catch him and let him cling like a koala bear. “Hyung...?”

Yoongi kept his eyes on the ground, humming to himself. “Don’t touch me.”

You’re still not sure why he started refusing any affection or remote kindness from Jimin but you could tell how much of a toll it took on the younger.

That ended up being what almost severed one side of your friendship-since-childhood. Yoongi continued to push Jimin away and after a while of trying to reach him, Jimin grew more and more angry with him, his romantic feelings soon turning to almost hatred.

It was heartbreaking, really. Jimin’s strange philia brought forward an openmindedness and understanding, while Yoongi’s brought about anger and walls.

Something you really hoped to change.

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talesfromthecycle · 4 years

Text

Vengeful Chapter 2 “Starlight In Hiding

The larger presence with an outline of devil’s horns atop their head stepped into the alley and momentarily blocked out the lights shining in through the alley. Yet once they entered, the light returned and reflected onto the silver skin and hulking armor of the visitor. They dressed neck to toe in a cold black plate armor with their face peering out from the chestplate like a kitten peering out of a basket.

“Clair,” The armored woman with black horns upon her head spoke, “What’s the hold up? Don’t tell me you’re tired already, we just- Wait what happened here?” She took a look around the alley at Nessa and the unconscious thief.

“In your fury for exercise you passed up an obvious scene, am I to believe you were running this whole time with your eyes closed?” The priestess referred to as Clair retorted back in a snarky tone. “I was just telling this civilian to gather her things and leave.” She shot a glare back to Nessa who nodded and began gathering up her satchel and picking up the slew of papers and supplies that fell out during the struggle.

“Perceptive as always, but how about you take the culprit to the authorities while I help clean up.” The knight walked forward accompanied by the clanging of her armor clashing together. The priestess scoffed and haphazardly dragged the thief away out of the alley and disappeared around the corner.

The knight stood over Nessa and held out a tattered book with a smile on her face, “I believe this is yours, I’d hate to lose a tome of this volume.”

Nessa smiled back and took the offered book and put it back in her satchel which she carried gripping on the top of the bag with the broken strap hanging off to the side, “Oh, thank you ma’am, I’m surprised you could tell it’s a tome at this point honestly.” She laughed it off as she stood up much shorter than the knight in front of her.

“Well if I’m being frank, I only assumed, given your wand is still over in the corner as well.” The knight pointed to the still sparking wand fizzling with purple flashes.

Nessa whipped her head and swore under her breath, rushing to pick it up. With the wand in hand, she made a dialing motion with her finger as the light dimmed until it returned to a normal state.

“I’m really sorry, this whole situation has me all stressed out,” Nessa went on as the two stepped out into the street, “Thank you so much, both you and your friend were a great help. Is there anything I can do to repay-”

“Nonsense, really it was nothing on our part. Now then, how about we head back to the guild and put this behind us.” A moment of silence passed over the two of them briefly.

“Oh. Well, uh,” Nessa stammered in response, “I’m not a guild member actually, ma’am.”

The knight’s silver face was washed in a wave of red for a moment, “Oh right, sorry. Guess I just assumed you were one of the new recruits this year with you being a mage an’ all.” She spoke quickly and struggled to find the point of her words, “Well the offer is still there, kind of. I can escort you home for all the trouble you’ve been through. It’s the least I can do.”

“I guess I’ll take you up on that offer then, but you haven’t told me your name even.” She chuckled and eased up after the knight’s accidental assumption. Even if for a moment, it gave her a flash of joy to have been mistaken for an adventurer in any capacity. Nessa began to head home with the knight at her side.

“Oh my apologies, I’m Hela,” The knight politely raised her hand to her plated chest and bowed her head slightly, “I’m a guild member for Hidden Star which you could probably tell. And you?” As Hela finished speaking, Nessa noticed the familiar comet emblem pinned to the shoulder of a cloak that Hela wore.

“My name’s Nessa. I’m just a simple paper girl honestly, nothing too exciting going on with me.” She sheepishly responded with her attention seemingly darting around as they slowly ascended the grand stairs out of the lower districts.

“Nessa?” Hela repeated and pondered for a moment, “I could’ve sworn I heard that name somewhere before.”

Nessa’s heart stopped for a moment as a nervous shock passed over her, “Well um, you might’ve seen me from time to time updating the quest boards. Heard gossip because I screw it up all the time? Something along those lines?” She desperately tried to cover up any recognition that Hela might’ve found in her. “No that’s not it,” The knight appeared oblivious to Nessa’s paranoia as they both scaled the stairs, “Oh now I remember, this explains everything!” Hela snapped into recollection which paralyzed Nessa in fear. “I recall seeing an admission form back at the guild for a Nessa just a few weeks ago. The picture looked a bit like you, and even shared your name. No wonder I thought you were a new recruit,” The situation clicked slowly in Hela’s head as Nessa sighed in subtle relief but still appeared distressed, “So many similarities, but you said you don’t apprentice at the guild, right?”

As the two reached the end of the stairs, Nessa’s pace slowed and her gaze turned away from the seemingly piercing glare of the knight. Despite her attempt to respond she couldn’t come up with an excuse fast enough before Hela broke the silence.

“Sorry, I really shouldn’t have dwelled on that. I just thought-”

“It’s alright, you didn’t mean anything by it I know.” Still refusing to keep eye contact, Nessa interrupted, “The truth is, I did sign up for an apprenticeship at Hidden Star. I ended up not showing up to the entrance exams though. I just chickened out of the process because I didn’t think I’d get in.” She looked up to see a tower connected to the ceiling of the cavern and began to lead through the residential district towards it.

“Excuse me for being brash Nessa, but that’s some nonsense if I’ve ever heard it,” Hela retorted which surprised Nessa into turning around to look the knight in the face once more, “Nobody, not even my team and I, started off working for the guild with the experience we got on our backs now. If you don’t put yourself in danger of failure, you can’t succeed. I bet you’d do great as an adventurer if you put your mind to it, same with anyone really.” Hela kept a genuine and reassuring smile on her face through her encouragement, the contagious smile spread to Nessa quickly.

“I guess you do have a point Hela, but I kinda still missed my chance this year. Not to mention with each year I’d fit less and less in. I basically missed the boat several times over.” Nessa joked as they both stopped at a grand fenced area housing an old dilapidated manor with a single stone tower protruding from one of its corners. Stepping towards the gate, Nessa pushed and moved one of the gate doors forward slightly and walked through.

She shakes her head and whispers under her breath, “When is he going to learn to lock this stupid thing,” Nessa looked back to Hela who still stood behind the gate, “Thank you again for the escort and back there with the thief, I really appreciate it.”

Hela looked past her in awe at the sheer size of the manor behind Nessa before snapping back to attention to the conversation, “Oh, of course. Wow, I hadn’t realized folks moved back into this old place. I thought it was still abandoned.” Nessa gripped one hand onto the gate and leaned into it searching for the right response to give, “Well, I,” Her eyes darted from the floor, her hands, and back to Hela again as she struggled with what to say, “It’s still technically abandoned. My little brother and I just sort of hide out here ever since the original owners left to the surface about a decade back. I know you’re a guild member and all but I hope you’d keep this a secret between us if you could.”

Hela took a long look at the manor, it slowly faded into darkness as the crystalline sun slowly dimmed with the coming of night hours. She then looked back to Nessa but not with her usual innocent smile and instead with what Nessa could only understand as a determined gaze.

“Of course I won’t tell anyone. What you’re doing isn’t bringing any harm to anyone. But I wouldn’t be doing my job right if I didn’t do something about it. So I’m going to cash in a favor with my guildmaster and see if he can open up another apprenticeship spot. I’m not going to force you to come or anything like that. But the guild can provide a better life for the both of you than this. Feel free to stop by if that interests you.” Hela stepped away from the gate and gave a three fingered wave to Nessa as she departed.

“Stay safe.” Hela concluded making her way away from the manor.

Nessa was nearly left speechless, the offer and kindness stuck in her mind like a pin on a board as she watched the knight leave. With those words still playing over and over, Nessa wandered towards the tower and pulled a rusted key from one of the pockets on her uniform. After a moment of jamming the key into the beaten up door, she opened it up and stepped inside and locked the door behind her. Climbing the spiral stairs up the dark and dusty tower she eventually reached a well lit room seemingly split down the middle with a clear divide of messes and piles of assorted objects on one side and neatly organized bookshelves and unlit candles on the other.

“You forgot to lock the gate again, Mair.” Nessa said drearily as she hung her satchel on the back of a chair and then leaned against a wall with her arms crossed looking over at the other side of the room.

Lying on a rickety bed with face buried in an unlabeled book, a full blooded night elf teen jumped slightly but remained hidden behind his book, “Oh sorry sis, completely slipped my mind.” Mair responded casually.

Nessa simply sighed while stepping cautiously onto her brother’s side of the room, dropping some of the candies she received earlier on his nightstand. Before his hand reached out to swipe the sweets she cupped her hand over them halting the advance, “On the topic of mind slips, did you finish your school work this time around?”

“I did,” Mair elongated his admission in annoyance, “I miss one assignment and suddenly you go in mom mode.” He snarkily added in keeping his face hidden behind the book still even as Nessa was standing right next to him.

Without even a retort, Nessa pulled the book down out of the young teen’s face, causing him to wince after being removed from his disguise. Though the discoloration was faint on his already dark violet face, his swollen eye was a clear indication of a bruise starting up.

“Shoot,” Mair whispered under his breath and smiled his usual disarming grin with his standard missing tooth, “I can explain.”

Nessa walked off back to her side of the room rubbing her temples as she began to pace, “I don’t get how you even manage to find more people to fight at this rate. Did you start it? Did you get in trouble? Am I going to get another letter about this crap?”

“No, kinda, maybe. In that order.” Mair sat up on his bed and seemed to spring to life, “It was that one upperclassman again, he was pushing around my friend and I had to intervene. I taught him a lesson though, you totally should’ve seen the look on his face it was priceless. That one professor that I’m cool with backed my side of the story so it’s a total win win.” He told the story with a series of acting out punches and dodges like he was acting a one man play.

Nessa simply watched and kept silent through his explanation before finally giving her case, “Just be more careful in the future please, you don’t know when someone might carry a knife or some magic on them. Then suddenly a little brawl is a trip to the infirmary, or worse. I don’t need you getting suspended over this either.” She sat down at her desk. She placed her satchel on the desk in front of her and gathered a mass of sewing supplies to work on the broken strap.

Mair thought over his sister’s words before taking notice of her side of the room, “Alright alright, I get it. Hey, what happened to your bag?”

“Some thief slashed it up earlier today. Luckily some adventurers from Hidden Star helped me out.” She answered casually as she began to fix up the broken strap.

“Woah you actually got saved by some adventurers. That must’ve been awesome. But, uh, how come you didn’t just zap the thief with some magic or something? That would’ve been cool as hell.”

“I wouldn’t call an attempted mugging awesome, rocks for brains. Besides, the bastard got a hold of my tome so it’s not like I had anything useful to cast on hand.” Nessa rolled her eyes and slouched over her desk.

“Ah, just another piece of evidence that warriors trump mages in every avenue. Don’t need no dumb book to beat up a lowlife.” Mair jokingly flexed his arms to annoy his sister and then returned to his side of the room.

“Keep telling yourself that buddy,” Nessa laughed off the remark but silently paused her work and then turned around in her chair to face her brother, “Speaking of those adventurers, I talked to one of them and she said she can try and open up an apprenticeship spot over at Hidden Star. Thought you’d want to sign up since you just barely missed the age requirement a few weeks back.”

Mair’s eyes lit up with excitement at the offer, “Seriously, no way! I wouldn’t have to waste a whole year just waiting around. That’d be so cool!” He calmed down a bit and looked to Nessa with a confused stare, “But wait, wouldn’t you want to take that spot too? I mean, you’ve been waiting longer than me, it’d feel a bit unfair, honestly.”

Nessa stood up and walked over to the northern edge of the room where a rickety ladder leads higher up in their old tower and stood just beneath the ladder. She smiled at Mair and just shook her head, “How about you just think it over for now, if you’re interested we can see if both of us can go in together and try out from there. If not I’ll be fine waiting another year, won’t kill me.” She put one hand on one of the rungs and began to scale the ladder, “I’ll be back down in a minute, how about you actually start on your schoolwork now.” She remarked on her way up which only led her brother to groan and rummage through a pile of his books.

Nessa climbed to the topmost floor of the manor’s tower, looking out at a view from the shattered stone wall that led out to the entire city in the ravine. She slowly approached the gap in the wall to look at the dimly lit web of stone connecting the ravine together. The crystalline sun had dimmed to only but the shine of a moon, with several more crystals making their debut as stars on the darkened ceiling. The artificial stars reflected in the cold black waters of the ravine back up below the streets as if the sky surrounded the suspended world. In the middle of the city, a grand hall remained lit as a bonfire. It stood as the beating heart of the night city, the lone spider to tend to the web of bridges. Nessa’s view could only barely capture the hall behind the hundreds of bridges weaved over it’s lights. She stood there, staring in thought, basking in false starlight.

#Dungeons and Dragons #dnd #elves #writing #chapter 2 #vengeful #tales from the cycle #underground #fantasy #adventure #guild

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thebibliomancer · 3 years

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Tides of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 7

Tides of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because I need to get back into it. Being on a trip really kicked me off my momentum. Something about a boat? Some Gelfling?

Last times on book: Amri, Kylan, Tavra, Naia, and new party member Onica set sail on a quest from Aughra and/or the Crystal to unite all the Gelfling clans in resistance to the Skeksis. Presuming the Vapra good and united thanks to the All-Maudra claiming support, the group heads to Cera-Na next to appeal to the Sifa Madura Ethri. On the way, Amri learns some swording and Kylan learns some sailing. A good time is had by all except for all the hurt feelings.

Chapter 7

Amri and co meet with Maudra Ethri but don’t quite get the response they’re hoping for.

"Though Sifa ships may sail alone for many trine at a time, we always return here... and when Omerya is in port, we are all home again,” Onica explained ass he brought them into port and tied the ship to one of the many white coral spires rising from the coastal floor.

Love it. Love the lore. Love the description later of Cera-Na being a forever changing city of ships depending on which ones are at port.

Love the description of the Sifa “looking like wind and fire” due to their red hair sometimes streaked with black or blue or turquoise.

And I love Amri realizing that the Sifa also welcomed Gelfling from other clans as well and recognizing attributes of Spriton or Drenchen or Vapra.

“That is the beauty of Cera-Na, and Sifa tradition. We are bound together not by blood or by the confines of the earth. We are bound together by heart and by the changing wind. If the prophecies and signs say one must become Sifa, one does. We accept that.”

Given that its an explicit trait of the Sifa, I wonder how the other clans view intermarriage. In the comics Mayrin married a Sifa. In the books, Tavra is totally dating one to her mother’s disapproval. Kylan is of mixed Spriton and Stonewood heritage.

Would Rian have faced resistance from her family if Mira hadn’t exploded into goo?

We’re getting descriptions of Gelfling who have heritage in multiple clans like its an unusual thing so I guess the clans marry internally as a matter of course. Castle guarding is an unusual situation that would expose Gelfling to those from other clans. The Sifa interact with a lot of clans due to traveling around.

Anyway.

They run into an old friend of Onica’s, Tae, “a freckled Sifa with golden-red hair” (gosh she sounds pretty) and they get to chatting. Even though Tavra has been hanging in Onica’s hair and whispering to her this entire time, she doesn’t pipe up or identify herself when Tae gives Onica her condolences over what they heard happened to Tavra.

Onica tells Tae that she needs to speak to Maudra Ethri and Tae says she’ll try to arrange it but warns that Ethri has been preoccupied with a dot dot dot guest and with a thief on the loose.

Man, this feels exactly like rolling into town and getting hit by a whole bunch of sidequests all of a sudden. I really wish there was an open world Dark Crystal RPG. Choose a clan to start with to get a neat clan perk, that sort of thing. Alas.

Tae and Onica turn away from the group to have a whispered exchange, annoying Naia greatly, and then Tae scampers up into the Omerya.

She then waves them inside and they follow her through the maze of passageways up to the deck. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, Amri is reminded of Domrak and sees a hearth, thinking to himself thats the common thing between all Gelfling clans, that their center is the hearth before noticing that the hearth is cold and hasn’t had a fire in a long time.

Hmm.

A Sifa came striding from an exit across the deck, every step jangling with metal chimes and bells. She had wild, dark crimson-and-black hair, accented with glittering beads and copper wire, ears strung with gemstone earrings. One of her green eyes sparkled more than the other, catching the light like a stone.

“Gem-Eyed Ethri,” Tae said with a curt bow. “Maudra to the Sifa of Cera-Na.”

She also sounds pretty.

Ethri surprises the non-Onicas by being so young, being the same age as Onica and having grown up with her. And also that her very sparkly eye is actually a gemstone jammed into her head. I guess Gem-Eyed isn’t just figurative language. And if you’re going to need a false eye anyway why not go for the glitter?

The maudra asks what they need to talk to her about and after confirming that Ethri has seen the plot recap flower petals, Naia bluntly asks if the Sifa will join them.

“Join you?” the Sifa maudra asked, as if she didn’t understand the question.

Naia frowned, taken aback. “If you don’t believe us...”

“I believed the instant I saw the dream stitched in the pink petals. But you’re asking me to pledge myself to... what, you? To Aughra and Thra? If I agree to join you, who am I even joining? How will we know when the time is right - is it you who will tell us? Is this a war or an idea?”

Huh. The unite the clans thing is a little short on details actually, yeah.

Amri feels like Maudra Ethri is laughing at them and is about to get confrontational when Onica tells Ethri that its all true, that she saw the dream herself, that Aughra gave them the mission, and that the All-Maudra is on board.

But Ethri says Doubt. Hey if you have the Vapra, why do you need me? And if its so important why didn’t Aughra ask her directly? So this unitification thing is nice and all but Ethri is just going to go do what’s best for the Sifa and the other clans can do whats best for themselves too.

“Be assured?” Amri cried. He bit his lip, trying not to speak out of turn, but he couldn’t help himself. “The Skeksis are eating our people. That’s the long and short of it! Devouring us like moss from the cave wall!”

Ethri waves off his outburst and tells them that she has to get back to her important guest. She dismisses the group, tells them that they can spend as much time as they like in Cera-Na before they dash off to try to convince another maudra, and then asks Onica to stay behind for a word.

Onica tells them to go on ahead, that this isn’t the Ethri she knew and that she’ll try talking to her. An apologetic Tae reappears to show them out.

After the group minus Onica is alone, Tavra finally shows herself (having been transferred to POV Amri when the group was leaving).

Amri asks why she’s been hiding and Tavra replies simply “I don’t want people to know.” Whatever emotion or motive attached to that hidden beneath her usual Tavra stoicism.

Tavra tells the three to return to Onica’s ship and wait there while she sneaks aboad the Omerya and tries to spy out who Ethri’s mysterious guest is. Then in the morning, they’re going to force Ethri to commit to the united Gelfling.

“Force her!” Naia exclaimed, surprised and impressed. “How?”

“You’re not the only one whose mother is maudra. There is a reason the Vapra have led the seven clans since the rise of the Skeksis rule.”

So, look, that sounds like you’re going to try to pull rank on her which I feel is going to go not how you’d prefer.

Anyway, she tells them to stay out of trouble while she’s gone but she should know better by now. When has this group ever listened to her about staying out of trouble? The instant she’s gone, Amri suggests going to the beach (mostly because he’d prefer to be on solid ground instead of a ship).

Amri gestured, away from the Omerya and Onica’s ship. “I think we should do what all good Gelfling do when something strange is afoot in a strange land. Seek answers.”

Naia grinned in agreement. Apparently she wasn’t eager to retire to the ship, either.

“Great,” she said, leading the way. “Let’s find ourselves some trouble.”

See?

Tavra’d be better off instead just point blank asking them what they plan to do instead of listening to her. That way she’ll know where to find them later.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #Tides of the Dark Crystal #liveblog #Amri #Naia #Kylan #Onica #Tavra #Maudra Ethri

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vgperson · 5 years

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What Did I Translate in 2018?

#vgperson

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recentanimenews · 2 years

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Princess Connect! Re: Dive’s New Character Nanaka Headlines a Magical November!

Heyas, Knights! It’s early November, so you know what that means - leaves falling to the ground, colder weather approaching, and a bit of a lull in the tides. But we’re not slowing down at all - in fact, November’s probably one of the most jam-packed months of content for Princess Connect! Re: Dive yet! Let’s leave no leaf unturned and heat it up with brand new reports to report, announcements to announce, and double drop campaigns to… campaign for, I guess?

Magical girl Nanaka is here! Voiced by Haruka Yoshimura, the last member of Twilight Caravan is ready to make her magical appearance. While she’s definitely got a bit (read: a lot) of a geeky side to her, when it comes to shredding through enemies, Nanaka’s toolkit will be a welcome addition to any magic team. Her Focus Gacha is the best time to recruit her to your party, so don’t miss out on her big magical girl slash geeky gamer girl energy.

Much like any good anime blu-ray bundle, we’re also including a great pack-in bonus for Nanaka’s Focus Gacha! Mages are all the rage these days. Illya and Misaki will also see a boosted draw rate, meaning you’re more likely to find other mature magic damage dealers as well. This is the perfect opportunity to add more characters that deal damage of the magic variety!

The Nanaka Focus Gacha will run for 12 days, from 11/11, 23:00 UTC to 11/22, 22:59 UTC.

Get your hiking boots ready for another limited-time challenge, as the Tower of Luna opens its doors once again for challengers to climb! The supercharged Dungeon is back once again and this time, it’s prepared a new set of 20 floors complete with unique monsters, shadows, and a new set of bosses to beat, with plentiful rewards for your troubles. Don’t worry, your progress from the last Tower of Luna event is carried over and you can continue the ascent from the floor you left off. Remember, your party of characters can carry over between floors (assuming none of them hit 0 HP), and you can reset your characters to full HP once a day. Can you make your way up to the 130th floor and complete the EX mission?

The Tower of Luna reopens its doors for five days, from 11/10, 13:00 UTC to 11/15, 15:59 UTC. If you haven’t done so already, you'll need to finish Main Story Quest 9-1 in order to access the Tower. We wish you luck, adventurers!

It’s that time again, Knights - get ready for Clan Battle! Work with the aid of your fellow clan members to take on monsters too powerful for adventurers to handle alone. The November Clan Battle features a gauntlet of five bosses, and you’ll be able to do up to three clashes a day on whatever boss your clan’s currently on, earning a clash for every 300 stamina spent. After the event is over, you’ll earn precious Memory Shards, Clan Coins, and Jewels, depending on how well your clan did! The reward structure is the same as before, but you’ll earn Suzume Memory Shards this time around.

The November Clan Battle will run from 11/17, 13:00 UTC to 11/22, 7:59 UTC.

November also brings about a new main content drop for you, too! Cut your way across the greenery as you make your way through Phaethon Fields (North), featuring new enemies, new challenges, and new rewards for your troubles. Here, you'll find new equipment that can raise your units to a maximum of 5 equips at rank 11, as well as new hard stage nodes for Rei, Shiori, and Saren. Clearing your way through Area 18 will also unlock up to the end of Chapter 9 of the main story. (By the way, if you’re not reading the main story, you are missing out. Highly recommended.)

We'll also be increasing the level cap from 112 to 115. Better start preparing that Mana and EXP potions, as this content will be here before you know it!

In addition, new BGM will be added to the Memorial Jukebox for further customization, and Memory Shards for Tsumugi will also be added to the Princess Arena Shop. This seamstress just knows how to tug at our strings.

The November content drop hits on 11/11 at 13:00 UTC.

The Tower of Luna won’t be the only floor you’ll be ascending as the third floor of the guildhouse is also being unlocked in this update! With so many new characters and furniture to display and place, hopefully, this new floor raises the ceiling of what’s possible with your own guildhouse. We're certainly looking forward to more of your creative designs with an additional floor to work with!

The third floor of the guildhouse will unlock after 11/16, 23:00 UTC.

Speaking of customization, you’re in for yet another treat! If you were a fan of our previous sets of blue or white furniture, you’ll love our latest collection of brown rustic cafe-inspired furniture. Whether you want to order some pastries, tea, or even an omelet, this set is only here for a limited time so make sure to set up shop before it disappears!

This limited-time furniture set will be available starting from 11/11, 23:00 UTC, so be sure to make way to set up the cafe in your guildhouse. This furniture set will only be available until 12/11, 22:59 UTC, so make sure to put your order in before time runs out! The full list of cafe-inspired furniture is as follows:

Professional Oven

Cafe Coffeemaker Cupboard

Cafe Lamp

Wooden Cafe Table & Chair

Wooden Cafe Chair

Wooden Cafe Counter

Wooden Cafe Partition

Fancy Cafe Menu Board

Upward Wooden Ladder

Downward Wooden Ladder

Traditional Cafe Wall

White Stone Flooring

With so much content dropping in this update, you’re sure to need Mana and the latest equipment for your heroines. Well, we’ve got you covered with another round of double events. During the Normal Quest Double Drop Campaign, you’ll find twice the equipment, Mana, and other items when completing Normal Quests during the campaign period.

The Normal Quest Double Drop Campaign runs for six days, from 11/13, 13:00 UTC to 11/18, 12:59 UTC.

After filling up on the goodies in your cafe-inspired guildhouse and Normal Quests, it’s time to head into the Hard Quest Double Drop Campaign, where you’ll be able to get twice the amount of Memory Shards, equipment, and Mana while completing Hard Quests. It’s hard not to get excited for all the drops you’re about to see!

The Hard Quest Double Drop Campaign also lasts for six days, from 11/18, 13:00 UTC to 11/23, 12:59 UTC.

For easy reading and accessibility, included below is a summarized version of all the updates announced today. Thank you for all your support, and we hope you continue to enjoy Princess Connect! Re: Dive!

See you in Astraea, Knights!

— Crunchyroll Games

*Note: All event details may be subject to change. Please check the in-game notifications at the start of the events for the full details.

Nanaka Focus Gacha (11/11 23:00 UTC to 11/22 22:59 UTC)

Boosted rate-up for Nanaka, Illya, and Misaki.

Nanaka, Illya, and Misaki are available for redemption.

Tower of Luna (11/10 13:00 UTC to 11/15 15:59 UTC)

Unlocked after completion of Main Story Quest 9-1.

Complete each floor for rewards.

Reset your teams back to full health daily.

Progress made during this month will carry over towards future Tower of Luna events.

Floors 111-130 and EX Floor 130 Unlocked.

November Clan Battle (11/17 13:00 UTC to 11/22 07:59 UTC)

November Content Update (11/11 13:00 UTC)

Main Quest Area 18 unlocked.

Level cap increased from 112 to 115.

Character equipment cap increased from 11-4 to 11-5

Chapter 9 of the main story is fully unlocked.

Tsumugi Memory Shard added to Princess Arena Shop.

New BGM added to the Memorial Jukebox.

Guildhouse Updates

New limited-time furniture added to the Guildhouse Shop (11/11 23:00 UTC to 12/11 22:59 UTC)

Third floor of Guildhouse (Treehouse) unlocked (After 11/16 23:00 UTC)

Normal Quest Double Drop Campaign (11/13 13:00 UTC to 11/18 12:59 UTC)

Hard Quest Double Drop Campaign (11/18 13:00 UTC to 11/23 12:59 UTC)

By: Guest Author

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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awed-frog · 6 years

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Angst and Feels (Why Fanfiction Matters)

I used to be normal. By which I mean: by the time I was in college, I no longer read children’s books, or even YA. I was too busy, for one thing - I’d spend hours in the library, sometimes cursing at the impossibly difficult stuff I’d been asked to do, but mostly relishing all the new, inspiring things I had the privilege to learn. I was reading about witches, about the use of colours on Greek vases. About Virginia Woolf.

My English, though, wasn’t good enough. Having taken Latin in high school, I knew what a hexameter was but I would define it as a ‘six foots meter’. In the end, one of my professors, mildly exasperated by it all, told me I needed to read more; much more. He suggested YA books, and, since I’d read most classic novels as a child (in translation), I bought a battered second-hand copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It was 2002. The books had been out for five years, but I knew next to nothing about them.

And, well, it wasn’t always easy to keep up with JK Rowling’s funny, inventive prose, but two days later I stepped through the doors of our English bookstore and bought the other three novels. I’ve been addicted ever since.

But the thing is - I didn’t connect with other fans in any way. Back then (in my country), the internet was still an unfocused, unclear thing. If I remember correctly, I didn’t even have an email address until 2003. Not a proper one, I mean. Not something I used to actually communicate. And there was no one I could discuss Harry Potter with. Ah, is that a children’s book? people would say, and that would be the end of it.

I kept reading the series, though, and when the waiting got too difficult, I gave the internet a second chance. I discovered fanfiction, and that was the beginning of the end.

(No more normal for me. Gone. All gone.)

Because, in the end, we are social, creative animals. Shared stories, like shared memories, bond us together more closely and firmly than anything else ever will.

When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finally came out, I happened to be back in my small town for the summer, and I went out at midnight to buy it. It was unheard of - a miracle - that our local bookseller had decided to take part in this crazy initiative, and I didn’t expect anyone to actually be there. Instead, well, some people were. Not many, but it didn’t matter. We were a small crowd of mostly adult readers, some trying to pretend they were passing there by chance, others wearing wizard hats or capes. One girl had a homemade piece of jewelry shaped like the Deathly Hallows symbol. It shone on her chest as she waited for the bookstore to open, silent and somewhat fearful.

I knew exactly how she felt. I was terrified. I didn’t want the series to be over. I was afraid I wouldn’t like the end. I was fearing, most of all, that someone would spoil it for me.

(I had been waiting so long.)

In order to prevent that, I had hatched a detailed, careful, crazy plan: I would go into the mountains, alone, walking from hut to hut and stopping in isolated meadows to read the book in complete solitude. I had given myself two days to finish it, and I had no doubt I would. I am a fast reader, and I’d been craving this one story for two years.

My parents told me I was insane, but it didn’t matter. I went ahead - the book was heavy, so I only packed a few other things - a parka, raisins, a water bottle and an extra pair of socks - added a small notebook on top, and the map, and my clunky mobile phone (turned off), and I left.

I have vague memories of those two days. I barely noticed the landscape around me, because, somehow, it filtered into the one from the novel. It slid in and out of focus, unseen, unremembered.

(A place I’d known since childhood, now invisible around me.)

Like Harry, Ron and Hermione, I walked around in the wilderness, oblivious to both its dangers and its beauty. I was tormented by their doubts and fears; I was hounded by Death Eaters; I was hungry and unhappy. I once hurried through the rain, my mind a thousand miles away, and, as soon as it stopped, I spread out my parka on the unfriendly grass (all sharp with rocks and thistles) and I started reading again, my wet hair slowly dripping on the pages.

I remember very well, however, that by the time I arrived to my second (and final) hut, I hadn’t finished. I was planning to read through the night, but I was still wary of spoilers (and I was right to be: I discovered afterwards our local medias had mentioned it all - Harry’s death; Harry’s resurrection - on that very same day), which is why I kept to myself - a practice much frowned upon in such places. I barely nodded at the friendly-looking couple sitting in front of me for dinner, and I ignored the little family chatting behind us. And, at night, I sat up in my bed (it was too cold to stay in the common room downstairs), turned on my flashlight, and started reading again.

Thinking about it now, it was like the end of childhood all over again: this secret, solitary reading, way past my bedtime, in a room I shared with two other people (strangers).

I was wearing every piece of clothing I had, because it was still bloody cold, but it didn’t matter at all.

(So tired, and yet unable to stop reading. The words flickering a bit in the bluish light.)

And then Snape died.

And I started crying.

I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t stop. He’d been my favourite character, and, having discovered the books as a grown-up, I’d never seen him as the overbearing, nasty teacher; from the start, I’d been drawn in by his lights and shadows; by the damage which had so clearly been inflicted on a clever, unforgiving man (someone who could have been so much more; someone who, in other circumstances, could have been loved, deeply and unreservedly). I’d been hoping against hope he’d turn out to be Good. And here, spelled out by writing, the most magical of all human inventions, here was everything I’d been wishing for - a compelling, heartbreaking backstory; murder; redemption.

I tried to be silent, but you can’t really cry silently, not like this; not with the kind of sorrow which grips you tight inside and shakes you around like a ragdoll until there’s nothing left of you at all.

I finished the book. I slept about two hours. And when I went down for breakfast (thick bread slices with homemade wild blueberries jam and that generic fruit tea, way too sugary, they always offer you up there) I wasn’t looking at anyone, or seeing anything. I was completely empty; lost inside my own head. Happy and sad and terribly lonely, because this story I’d loved so much was now over.

And then the woman in front of me - someone my own age, perhaps a bit older, who was there with her husband - I’d shared the dorm with them the night before - put her hand very near mine on the table (you do not touch strangers here: it is not done).

“Was it good?” she whispered, and I looked up at her. I was so out of it, I didn’t even realize what she was talking about.

“I saw you with the book last night,” she added, and then did this sort of thing which was on my face as well, this half smile, half frown. “I heard you cry.”

I shook my head. I didn’t know what to say.

“Don’t tell me anything. Just - is it good?”

“It’s very good,” I whispered back, my eyes falling down to the table; idly following the knot in the wood which looked a bit like a Cheshire cat.

“Oh God,” she cursed, or prayed, softly, and this time she closed her fingers around my wrist, and I started crying again.

The thing is, I’ve always felt books too deep and too raw. I was that kid who would forget the world around her, wouldn’t hear her mum calling for dinner, wouldn’t go to bed in the evening.

You know the kind. The One more page child. The Let me just finish the chapter child.

What I’d never known, though, was the joy of talking about these stories with someone else.

There was no one else.

Some of my friends read, but not like this; not compulsively. Also, they didn’t care - they wouldn’t cry for a fictional person. They wouldn’t smile all day because someone’s quest had succeeded. They never got upset.

(How?)

And the adults - well, of course they encouraged me; they praised me. But it was still a lonely way to grow up.

(I didn’t mind.)

(I never minded.)

(It’s never just a story, though, is it?)

With Harry Potter, that changed. I’d always written fiction into my own head - I mean: some stories I wrote down (my own), but other stories I just dreamed about (little me, with her courage and fears and that one t-shirt with a horse on it, stepping into all these worlds; making friends with those characters; taking part in their adventures). I never wrote them down, because I could feel they weren’t my stories, not really. They belonged to the real writers; to the people who’d first written them down - Dumas and Ende and Tolkien and Wilde and all those other people. I had no right to -

And then, in my twenties, I discovered that I had the right. Sort of. That other people lay awake at night trying to put it together - why did Snape kill Dumbledore? Is it possible that - or maybe? That it was even allowed, in fact, to discuss these things with each other and be taken seriously. Even more incredibly, it was possible to write stories about it. What would happen to Draco next? What if Hermione got hold of a Time-Turner again? And what about the Marauders and the Seventies - is it possible to change the future by changing the past?

Yes, this is the first reason why I love fanfiction, and why I’m grateful to those invisible writers whose names I never knew - adults and teens and office workers and teachers and stay-at-home mums, all living their (to me) invisible lives, and yet speaking, somehow, directly to my heart and soul. Because they made me feel like it was okay to be like this - to love this so very much.

Something else I’m grateful to fanfiction for, though, is its gentle sneakiness; its joyous underhandedness. It draws you in, doesn’t it, because it seems safe and easy. This is why people sneer at it, after all - because you’re not creating anything. Allegedly. And, well, it is a kind of safety net, isn’t it? I’m just playing with these characters, we used to say; I’m putting them back when I’m done.

(As if we could. As if writing about someone doesn’t make them real to you. As if we didn’t know the truth of it - that you can’t write about people and then put them back, because now you’ve bled all over them, and they are, in a way, yours forever; the good and the bad.)

The reality of it is rather different.

Sure, you do start with a story already written; with fully-fledged characters.

But you don’t know everything, do you? We haven’t seen Dean Winchester’s first day of school. We don’t know what Ron Weasley thought when he walked into a Tesco for the very first time (did he? he must have, at some point). We don’t know if Neal and Peter ever saw each other again. What Mary (Watson) was like as a child.

And yet - yet we are bound by everything else we do know. If we want to write canon fanfiction, which, for many of us, is the goal, we have to be mindful of this.

(We look at how they move - Mary’s secret smile, Dean’s slightly uneven gait. We know what they are like when they’re alone - Neal: dissatisfied, Peter: warily content. We try and mimic the way they do their homework - Ron’s careless spelling; his glib, hasty essays.)

And it is difficult and painful and frustrating, but it is also - I think - the best thing that can happen to you as a writer, because I am starting to realize that a story always has invisible walls (stuff that just can’t happen, no matter how much you wish for it to). It’s these walls, and not the rooms inbetween them, which make a story great. The things you can’t write about. The dialogues that will never happen. The characters who’ll never meet. Your story is right there: in the silences. It stretches into the distance, unseeable, undefined, like that strip of land which is not beach and not sea. A puzzle and a challenge.

(Why is this interesting? Why do we care so much?)

It is not easy to see these walls when you’re writing your own story (not fanfiction, that is: fiction), and it’s very tempting, when you do see them, to just tear them down.

(It's your story, after all.)

Fanfiction teaches you not to.

(Sure, we have the extreme AUs and the There I fixed it things, but, personally, it’s the other things I like. The ones where nobody says anything and yet everybody understands. Cas putting a hand on Dean’s shoulder. John looking at Sherlock, then away. The Always. things.)

When you’re writing codas, you can’t ignore what happened in the episode, no matter how painful. When you’re filling a fanfiction gap, you must be mindful of what comes next.

And the walls (these walls you hate and push against until your nails are bloody and your head aches) do make the story more interesting. What Maisie Knew would be a rather dull novel if it were written from the point of view of Maisie’s father. So would To Kill a Mockingbird. And what about Of Mice and Men? A Clockwork Orange? Good novels are built on ordinary stories which are made extraordinary because of the way they are written - just like we are, all of us, living ordinary lives which have been lived a thousand times before, and it is our own hearts and souls and our vision of the world around us which make them extraordinary and new and worth living again. Most novels would simply collapse without this gift writers have - to see the beauty and magic (the heartbreak and the tragedy) in things which are completely, utterly normal.

And writers see other things, as well.

Because, well, I’d thought I wanted a meaningful conversation between Snape and Harry - a lengthy and detailed explanation of everything that had been going on between them. I’d thought I deserved it, after everything. That I had a right to it, even.

What I got were three words (Look...at...me.) - a shared look and a whisper - and God, I’d been so wrong. I’d thought I’d known everything - I knew nothing. Fairness was not the issue - life's not fair - this was sheer poetry, right there. It was, in a remarkably I can’t breathe right now kind of way, everything I’d ever wanted, and more. I hadn’t known I wanted it like that, but JK Rowling had known. She’d known my heart better than I knew it myself, and that is the mark of true writer.

(And there are true writers both in fiction and in fanfiction.)

But, some people may object, what about the porn?

What about it?

Well, it must be said out loud. If normal people (not us; no longer, and not perhaps, ever) have heard of fanfiction at all, they tend to dismiss it as porn, and, indeed, Rule 34 blooms and thrives in our archives as well.

On the other hand, why should this be a bad thing? Who decided (well: we know who; and we also know why) that sex should be shameful? That sexual desire should be secret, and sexual preferences undisclosed and undiscussed? Why is the relationship between a man and a woman, even a relationship which is unloving or abusive or downright unreal, something we’re allowed to have access to, while an MPreg between the Giant Squid and the Archangel Gabriel is not?

(Why is the first one a right of passage and a standard for our real life relationships and something which generates billions of dollars of profit and the second one not normal and never bookmarked and tagged as Seriously, This is Filth, You’ve Been Warned, I Need Jesus?)

Greek mythology is built upon such things, after all, and it blossomed into one of the most astounding periods of human history - fifth-century Athens - a place where, in the space of few short years, Plato and Aristotle and Euripides and Alcibiades worked and lived side by side. A perfect storm of culture and art and beautifully orchestrated politics which still defines most of what we are today.

And yet, look at Theseus’ love life.

(This most great Athenian hero, lord of the sea, destroyer of monsters.)

Theseus/Helen (M/F, Mature, Underage, Non-Con, Kidnapping, Heavy Petting, Fingering, This Is So Sick, I Can’t Believe I’m Writing This); Theseus/Ariadne (M/F, Mature, Dubcon, Kidnapping, First Kiss, First Time, Happy Ending, Sort Of); Theseus/Hippolyta (M/F, Explicit, Enemies-to-Lovers, Dom/Sub, Murder, Major Character Death); Theseus/Phaedra, Phaedra/Hippolytus (M/F, Explicit, Slightly Underage, Major Character Death, Non-Con, Dubcon, Incest If You Squint, Murder By Proxy, Suicide, They’re All Kind Of Assholes, And It’s Great, No Happy Ending, Seriously Don’t Read This If You Like Happy Endings).

Look at Achilles’.

(Oh, Achilles. I have loved you so very much, and I do love you still.)

Achilles/Patroclus (M/M, Teen And Up, Angst And Feels, Topping From The Bottom, Established Relationship, SO MUCH PAIN); Achilles/Penthesilea (M/F, Explicit, Major Character Death, Dubcon, First Kiss, Enemies-to-Lovers, Necrophilia, Blood-Soaked Pagan Manpain, Can You Spoil The End Of A Series That’s Been Finished For Two Decades?).

And, of course, we have to mention the gods.

Zeus, for instance.

Zeus/Leda (M/F, Explicit, Zoophilia, Non-Con, I Actually Watched Videos Of Swans Mating For This, Author Is Sleep-Deprived); Zeus/Alcmene (M/F/M, Sort Of, Explicit, Dubcon, Issues Of Consent, Theological Stuff, T Is For Trash, Frustratingly Vague Magical Realism); Zeus/Ganymede (M/M, M/F, Mature, Underage, Dubcon, Zeus Is An Eagle But They Have Sex As Humans, Mentions Of Slavery, Light Dom/Sub Play); Zeus/Semele (M/F, Mature, Canon-Typical Violence, Major Character Death, MPreg, Loads of Angst, Like Wow); Zeus/Other (I’m So Sorry He’s Gonna Fuck Everyone At Some Point).

(Those were actual AO3 tags, by the way, and also perfectly adequate summaries for most of the classical literature we know. I mean, don’t get me started on Apuleius’ Metamorphoses.)

If people want to write PWP because they want to, er, have fun and, er, make other people happy, I say let them. They’re not hurting anyone. They’re also taking back control from more traditional sources of, er, joy.

(Things whose goal is to generate money; things which tend to perpetuate the status quo and enforce it, and which are not, therefore, art. Things we need to take control back from, because we’ll never be rid of them and everybody masturbates and it’s a joyous and relaxing activity and it’s time we talked about it.)

But from what I see in the community - sure, the PWP is appreciated after a long day at the office, and it’s fun (and oh so challenging) to write (those published authors who keep getting Bad Sex awards should have a look at AO3 and see how it’s done), but what keeps people coming back is what will always keep people coming back: everything else.

The painful, heartwrenching, slow-burn stories.

The case stories; the adventure stories.

The what if AUs.

The My life is so unbearable right now, please give me something else to think about stories.

The idea that books can save your life is not new - I loved Arabian Nights, but it was another novel, Fred Uhlman’s Beneath the Lightning and the Moon, which really did it for me - the idea, brought forward by this German Jew writer who’d witnessed three wars, that (when all’s said and done) everything we are is just that - stories. That’s what keeps us from going mad - the stories we tell each other. The stories we tell ourselves.

And this is what will be remembered after we pass away.

We’re all stories, in the end.

(Just make it a good one, eh?)

And the other reason I am grateful to fanfiction and I love fanfiction and I will defend it to the death - well, that’s way more political.

In the years since that day in the mountains, I’ve kept reading and writing and studying. I am now a fanfiction writer myself. I’ve also been strongly encouraged - even ordered, one would say - to keep up with the news obsessively, because of my job (I am an interpreter). Which I do. For the same reason, I listen to a variety of things - political debates, scientific conferences, TED talks, podcasts about anything and everything. And, well, what is happening in the world isn’t - mostly - very encouraging. More people fleeing their homes. More people fighting. More people burning down trees and keeping employees into unhealthy factories and forcing livestock into pitiful conditions so the rest of us can thrive in gilded abundance.

One thing, though, gives me hope; one thing I’m awed by.

Three in four people can now read and write. Two in four are connected to the internet. Two in five speak English (which, I should specify, isn’t per se a sign of advancing civilization, but still means we have an eye-watering widespread lingua franca).

Which means that for the first time in the whole of human history, we can communicate with each other, and we can do it instantly. We can share opinions and photos and feelings. Everywhere, anytime, with anyone.

(Almost.)

And we are (perhaps too slowly; perhaps not enough) taking control of how information is spread. Of which information is spread.

People were wary of online content in the beginning (I remember this well; I was one of them); they (we) feared that anyone could say anything. That it would become more difficult to tell apart fact from fiction.

(We scoffed at the idea of an open source, user-generated encyclopedia; and look at us now.)

And, yes, it’s not perfect. There are quack bloggers and fake things all over the internet; propaganda and paranoia and scams. Then again, it was never perfect. Humans are peculiar creatures. We feed on wishful thinking and lies. This will never, I think, change. The internet has little to do with it.

But, on the other hand, the internet is also exposing lies. It’s making it more difficult for governments to hide things, and for a handful of media (of rich people) to control what we know about an event - because there’s always someone else there. There will always be at least one other person there - on the site of an explosion, in the middle of a political rally, in a city under siege - someone who will tweet or facebook share what is actually going on. What blew me away, for instance, is what happened recently at the COP21 in Paris: there was one very important meeting the press hadn’t been given permission to attend, and two random students from New Zealand - who were there as representatives of some youth movement - live-blogged the entire thing, including personal comments, memes and reactions gifs, through a Google document.

Hashtag Imagine Yalta, one could say.

And, well, I think fanfiction plays a role in all this.

Now, I’m not a fanfiction expert of any description, and I’m not a researcher - I’ve only seen this happening because I got obsessed with Supernatural and I started poking here and there on the internet - I write stories about the show, and the occasional meta, but I also love to read other people’s analyses, which means I lurk around on tumblr - and I have the feeling something special is unfolding. We are slowly learning to reject a system based on privilege and competition and I paid for my knowledge, go get your own to embrace a more egalitarian, inspiring model; a Here is what I know, because this my area of expertise, please enjoy and leave a comment and tell me something I don’t know in exchange. I read metas about the use of colours and props and lighting. I read an AU Destiel story where they are both actors which had footnotes - footnotes - explaining how the job works. I learned about botany and the American school system and classical music. I stumbled upon a blog for writers where you could just ask, One of my characters is an African-American girl who grew up in Detroit in the 1990s. Anyone here knows what that was like? - and someone would answer, share tiny details of their own life so someone else’s words would ring more true.

What’s happening is, we’re taking back our content. We’re saying, creating stories isn’t the prerogative of big corporations. It’s about people sitting in a circle and weaving magic for each other. For free. Because it gives us joy and sorrow, and we need them both (so much).

And, perhaps even more importantly, by analysing books and movies and shows and animes and mangas so very carefully, by writing (and reading) stories about them, I feel we are learning to think more clearly. We are seeing what works and what doesn’t in a story. We are training each other to read and understand subtext. Those of us who were lucky enough to have great teachers - people who taught us how to see the box, and how to think outside it - are encouraging others to go beyond the standard I liked it, I hate it, I meh. To ask why. And - even - to ask cui bono.

Because this is, the way I see it, the beating heart of everything. Our societies are built and maintained by stories. The best storytellers control it all. It’s that simple.

Money is, perhaps, the most successful of those stories - the idea that paper money, or even coins, are worth anything at all, is the pinnacle of human storytelling. A miracle of fiction.

And also politics, of course. Now, there are other factors which come into play here - most notably, this indefinable like/dislike thing we have around people, that feeling we all have instinctively (which has to do, perhaps, with smell or symmetry or some hormonal madness); this thing perhaps best expressed by the Would you buy a used car from this man? phenomenon. It’s messy and complicated and very often a gut feeling we should or shouldn’t trust.

I’m not saying that words are everything.

On the other hand, there is more to words than we know. Recent research has shown, for instance, a clear link between hexameters and an area of the brain which usually lights up around addictive foods and drugs. As far as I understand it, what they did was read epic poetry to people - the language didn’t even matter - they read Homer, in Greek, to people who’d never heard the language before - and this thing, the simple alternation between long and short syllable in a precise, well-structured way - our brains react to that. Our brains say, Like. Our brains say, More.

Good writers, and good politicians, never needed the study to be carried out. They knew about it already. If you analyse advertisements and novels and political propaganda and speeches, you’ll find plenty of hexameters.

But the idea that not only they sound nice, but that they actually prey on your brain - they touch you in a way you are not aware of being touched - that’s powerful stuff.

Language is powerful stuff.

(It runs the world.)

And, in my opinion, reading and writing is the best way to make it ours; to understand it better, so it cannot be used against us.

This is why places like AO3 are not only entertaining - they are revolutionary. They represent a community of tens of thousands of people coming together and changing the world in the only way we truly can change the world: by changing ourselves first. By making ourselves better, smarter, more aware.

So hold your heads up. Keep caring about stories, keep writing and reading them all (even the coffeeshop AUs; even the tentacle porn). Be bold. Be joyous. Be free.

And thank you, for everything.

[If you’re curious about my fics, here is my AO3 page. Hi!]

#fanfiction #spn fanfiction #hp #hp fanfiction #fanfic #international fanworks day #fiction matters #long post #if you like this post #please reblog it :)

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firenationskydominion · 6 years

Text

Chapter 7: The Dawn of Ozai

After Azula had been briefed and left with her pod and soldiers, I left to pick up Ozai. He was meditating when I knocked. But he got up and bowed in front of me.

M: What is that for?

O: My anger and lust blinded me. I haven‘t thanked you yet for saving me and Azula. Your plan was brilliant, but when did you decide to replace me with a ....

M: SIM, we call them SIM. When Zuko said that he‘ll take you back, I alerted Amon to activate plan B. I took you all to the observation deck where you got the Asteroid presentation in full darkness. A lot of soldiers were walking about. A good disguise to replace you. Amons men took you to the command control to brief you how to voice control your SIM.

O: I am not easily scared, but seeing myself coming in from the door while a soldier led me out on the other side was eerie. I always considered myself unique.

M: You‘ll get used to these things.

O: Why can’t you send a SIM who’ll sit in prison for me?

M: SIMs need a energy source to transmit them, like our ship or a pod. This is why you vanished when the pod came up again. We need to go now. We‘ll descend on an ice planet to train firebending in space. Azula has already left with team one.

O: Oh, I had hoped that we could...carry on where we stopped last time... I love to feel the real you. Did we make love for the first time today?

M: I was real until that day when you retreated, the day before you violated me. I knew that you were in turmoil. Amon feared for my life and convinced me. So I sent my SIM instead.

O: I am so sorry. It felt so real...

M: I wore a bodysuit and the SIM materialises itself. I felt everything, good and bad.

O: I am sorry.

M: We can move on...ok?

I took off my uniform one by one. His fingers moved over my body.

O: Your SIM was not as warm as you and you smell so good. Like milk and honey.

M: Your tongue is always very welcome to taste me...

** explicit scene deleted**

M: My love, I could make love to you all day, but we got to go. A whole tact team is waiting up on us...

O: You‘re the commander. They can wait all day.

M: But your daughter can‘t.

O: Sex interruptions by kids, does this never end?

M: We can carry on in the pod. Promised.

O: And the soldiers?

M: Someone has to navigate...

Ozai put on his black officers uniform reluctantly. We then left for the pod.

The soldiers navigated the pod out of the Eternity and into open space. The Eternity had already approached the ice planet Turing 478 and our pod moved into a trajectory to land on the ice planet. I excused myself and Ozai from the crew to show him the handling of the space suits and how to bend fire with them. We had developed a suit with particle filter gloves which allowed a benders fire to exit from the gloves without exposing the hands to the harsh climate of the ice planet. Today on a peak summer day the temperature outside was around -20C. The oxygen was also secured in a fire resistant way.

Ozai undressed to put on his space suit, but I reminded him of my promise and we had a hot little quickie behind the spacesuit lockers. We had to be silent and quick before any of the soldiers decided to check on us.

We descended on the ice planet. The pod of team one had landed. But the crew had already left.

O: Where is Azula?

M: Given the choice between angry Ozai and gigantic angry iceworms she chose the latter.

O: ... iceworms?

M: Let‘s hope we can steer clear of them today. Though it‘s kind of fun to fight them.

We went out into the chilling cold. Our spacesuits were warm, but the chill was coming through the particle gloves. Ozai produced tiny flames to warm his hands.

O: There is too little sunlight on this planet. My bending powers are limited here. And I‘m freezing.

M: The sun will rise in a few minutes. Let‘s see how things work out then.

They walked further afield near a crevice where another tact team had prepared a dozen gigantic ice blocks, thirty feet in diameter. There was a wooden three dimensional star within each ice block. The quest was to melt everything away without burning the wooden star. The molten water would flow into the crevice. They had dug little canals to the crevice for that. Azula was already on top of her ice block. Trying to melt anything, but her flames were tiny. The sun wasn‘t up yet and there was no moon redirecting sunlight either.

O: How do I get up there?

M: We climb, like mountaineers, with ropes.

I showed Ozai the ropes. How to fasten, secure and how to climb with an ice pick and attachable spiked climbing soles. Finally we were each up on a ice block. A few moments later the sun rose on the horizon. The ground on the ice block got slippery. We were glad to wear spikes! Ozai tried to bend fire, but the flame was lame. Azula‘s flame was spectacular, but she slipped and almost burnt herself. Finally the sun warmed Ozai enough for him to relax and let out a strong flame.

O: Try to keep the flame small, start from the edges.

A: It‘s too slippery!

Suddenly we heard a strange hissing noise.

M: Iceworms! To the weapons!

An iceworm is about twenty feet long and lives in the crevices. It has sharp teeth and jumps out from the crevice to catch its favourite prey: icecrabs.

Ozai was terrified. He had never seen anything this hideous. He tried to produce lightning, but then he remembered that his bending powers were blocked for harming other creatures. But saving others might work.

He targeted an ice worm which was threatening me and his lightning came and struck it down. Azula sent hers to save her father. The worms jolted up and we tried to fight them with our laser guns. One of them caught the leg of a tact team soldier and pulled him into the abyss. We used fast fire laser launchers to cut them in half. Finally the worms retreated. Our cubes were smoking, one man was down, one wooden star was burnt... we had failed.

Then suddenly Azulas half molten cube started to slide towards the crevice. Everything happened very quickly. The cube slid into the crevice and we heard Azula cry out. Ozai jumped from his cube down to the edge. The cube was jammed in the crevice and sliding down slowly. Azula was stuck between the cube and the crevice. This is when Amons pod landed and he ran out to help.

O: The ice will crush her!

Am: We need to go down there on ropes and melt her out.

A: My leg is broken. Get me out!

The soldiers fixed ropes on which Amon and Ozai climbed down. They secured Azula with a rope. She was in pain, but didn‘t seem severely injured except for a broken leg.

Amon worked side by side with Ozai to remove the ice. Finally, the cube fell into the crevice, but Azula was safely on the rope and pulled out. Amon took her in the pod and left.

We also wrapped things up.

Back on Vega Eternity we went to see Azula. Ozai felt very awkward and the silence between us all in the room became unbearable.

M: Doctor, how long will it take for her to heal?

Doctor: About two weeks.

A: Great! How will I train to melt now?

M: We’ll find a way to use your skills, don’t worry. We have to go back to the drawing board. We need to find a way to stabilize ourselves midair and bend without having to stand on the slippery ground.

I saw that Ozai was not that angry anymore - or good at hiding it. Hence I left for the prep for a tact meeting.

Ozai and Amon watched Azula, who had been sedated as the doctor was recalibrating her metal healing sleeve which straightened her broken shin.

O: I know that you enjoyed yourself with my daughter.

Am: I have caused you great distress, I apologize. Your daughter is just wonderful.

O: Spare me your sweet talk you child molester. She‘s just barely 18.

Am: You my dear friend Ozai, are happily fucking my wife of 700 years.

O: .... Mya is your WIFE?

Am: We separated after a good 100 years and remained friends. She remarried, I did too. We still hang around with eachother because we are both very rare and old beings and after your partner dies, you need a trusted shoulder to cry on.

O: So I‘ll age and die, she‘ll remain young? And you‘ll console her?

Am: Sorry, friend. She really loves you.

O: She is really a thousand years old...

Am: So am I.

Ozai was sad on many levels. A sense of loss burdened his heart and Amon would have hugged him had he not feared a painful punch or a fireball.

Silence.

O: So once we have broken the asteroid... what will happen to us?

Am: I sincerely don‘t know.

O: Mya and you will leave to another time and space and we will be back in jail to die, we puny mortals.

Am: No. Mya is prepared to stay. I have spent seven hundred years by her side and she tosses everything we built - for you. She has asked me to end her life when you die.

O: She can‘t do that. She has a responsibility for her crew. She can‘t be serious about that.

Am: She is...

O: I will not allow her to do something so reckless for me. I love her, enough to let her go. She gave me enough wonderful memories for a lifetime and a peaceful death. I can’t believe we’re even discussing this.

Am: There might be another way... Be assured that I will do everything I can to find a beneficial solution for all of us.

Amon put his hand on Ozais shoulder. Ozai felt a sting in his heart, Amon was in his mind, like a earthworm wiggling through the soil. Ozai felt at peace and felt a deep feeling of belonging and friendship. Amon nodded and left.

When I returned from my meeting Ozai was in his chamber, deep in meditation or sleeping. I did not want to disturb and was prepared to leave when he bid me to stay. I sat down on the floor facing him.

O: Come, sit with me. Let‘s drink tea together, like when we met, my love.

M: Which tea, how do you feel?

O: The tea of life, the one you brought me the first time. When I fell in love with the way you pour the tea. Careful, respectful and slightly hesitant as if you were touching a fragile snowflake midair.

M: I have it here. I wish we could be in the house again, forever, drinking tea...

O: ... and making love. And some firebending. But mostly love.

M: Ozai, my love, this house is real. It is my summer home on an island called Ibiza. The weather is always pleasant, the pool is warm and you can see the Milky way from the rooftop at night. You see the sea and big ships passing by and dolphins jumping out of the water. Once we‘re done here I want to go home, with you.

O: Amon told me that you both were married...

M: Yes, several centuries ago. It did not work out. After hundred years we had become estranged.

O: And yet you are still sharing house and hearth... why didn‘t you tell me? It‘s an odd secret to keep...

M: I was afraid, you‘d toss me aside like a vial of poison. You had been burnt once by the ghost of an Ex-Lover. You would have left me.

O: What makes you think that I would leave you? But you omitted to tell me the truth.

M: Ozai, you’re the one I love. I know I cannot make you believe me, but it’s the truth. Imagine I die, your children die, your grandchildren die, your house crumbles, your society collapses, all you loved and knew is gone. Even the landscape has changed and is unrecognizeable. And there is just one person you know who shares your experience, would you let him or her go? And be utterly alone in spacetime again, only to see your children and your loved ones die over and over and over again?

O: How many children did you have?

M: With Amon? A son and a daughter, but I saw their grandchildren die, their greatgrandchildren until the bloodline was watered down and they became strangers. And I was alone again. When my first husband died I looked for his reincarnation for a hundred years. I had gone crazy when I met Amon. He straightened me up again and explained to me what was going on. Then we fell in love, married and a hundred years later we were so bored by eachother that we happily divorced. When his second wife died we decided to travel together. We then built the Eternity and since then work side by side.

O: I am sorry... I was jealous about Amon but now I just pity both of you.

I looked at Ozai. Was there pity or disgust in his eyes. I did not know. We rose and I was ready to leave. My heart was broken and I feared that all had been lost for me. I just let him stand in the room and left, but he followed me and embraced me.

O: Tell me that you‘re mine alone.

M: I am yours alone.

O: We might both die in this mission. I have neither wealth, nor land, nor title, nor wreath. Not even a ring but will you marry me?

M: Yes, Ozai.

We went to the chapel of Eternity and called in two of the bypassing soldiers as witnesses. We stood in line with all other soldiers who had decided to tie the knot before the big battle. We said our vows, kissed.

An hour later we were all summoned to a tactical meeting. Ozai and Azula were also present. Amon looked worried.

Am: The Asteroid is bigger than we anticipated, its shadow was hiding a lot of mass. It has several huge cores of iron ore, around it different types of stone and finally a crust of fourhundred meter thick ice which keeps the whole thing together.

M: We learnt in our first melting mission on the ice planet that we need to be able to float freely in space to tackle the ice.

O: We can‘t melt it with firebending alone. We need earth benders to move the soil and waterbenders to remove the water...

M: No one will help us without seeing the comet. We need to be ready, and in three weeks, if all does well, we will get support from the waterbenders and from the earthbenders.

Once the meeting was over Amon took Azula to her quarters.

O: Mya, can we go to the simulation bay? I need to firebend. I need to think.

M: Do you want to go by yourself or do you want me to come along?

O: Please, come with me. I will continue to teach you forms.

We went to simulation bay and restarted the simulation of the house. As soon as we had arrived Ozai kissed me and pulled me to his room. His jealousy fueled his passion and he was very stormy.

O: I want you to be mine alone, forever. Or at least as long as I live.

M: I will find a way so that we can stay together.

I feared to have promised too much.

#Ozai #Fire Lord Ozai #Azula #Atla #fanfic #avatar the last airbender #Avatar

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