#mobile legends funny escape

[azuresins]

For some reason I can't open or view your updated Finnian Name Theory on mobile, maybe because my phone is too old or maybe the post is so long. I am SO CURIOUS about these comparisons you found between the warrior in the myth and Our!Ciel can you post it separately? 😣🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I'm sorry if this is asking a lot!

Sure. This post is also going to be bit lengthy though so hopefully you can still see it... I'll add an extra parallel, and some additional images juuust for you.

Parallels between Fionn (the warrior in the Fenian Cycle) and Our!Ciel

🍀The Salmon of Knowledge and Fionn’s Magic thumb  Abridged version: Fionn eats a magic salmon, he burnt his thumb on fat/juice that escaped from the salmon while it was cooking. Whenever the warrior brings his thumb to his mouth, he’s granted forbidden knowledge. 

Our!Ciel always, always, ALWAYS wears the Phantomhive Ring on his thumb. It’s never on any other finger, never worn in any other fashion. One might think he could easily wear it around his neck on a chain, or have it pinned into place, or temporarily fashioned into a broach: But it is ALWAYS on his thumb, even when Sebastian had the perfect opportunity to resize it after the band was shattered. He purposefully places the ring on his thumb, and it consistently remains there.

There's also been some interesting artwork depicting our!Ciel holding his thumb close to his mouth drawn very recently... and even an early image of him licking it, made almost a decade ago. So this has been "a thing" for a while, now.

You’re probably wondering, Okay, but what about the salmon? This is the first meal we ever see in Kuroshitsuji. A meal Sebastian serves his Master. Page one of the manga:

And if you’re thinking “It can’t be THAT important” you’re wrong: because as many might remember, The first season of the anime, did not follow manga canon (although the first meal was still poached salmon and mint salad).  As a result (and sort of a “refresher”) Episode One of Book of Circus is meant to be a “redo” or “recap” of the first chapter. Guess what he’s served, again just to remind us?

Poached salmon!

🍀Revenge parallel, and similar childhood goals

They both ride a black horse

🍀Bran and Sceólang (“raven” and “survivor”) / The dog parallel

Fionn was famously said to have magic hounds, that were once his biological cousins that were trapped in hound form. They were loyal to him and loved him, one might argue, to a fault. He was considered a “master of hounds” and could get his hounds and near any dog, to do what he said.  ...Then, there’s our!Ciel– Clearly, he didn’t feel like he was living up to his namesake. 

Until...of course. He gets a new "dog" of his own.

🍀Fionn’s arch nemesis Fear Dorocha / Sebastian the ‘Black Butler’ Parallel 

(Keep in mind by ‘Fairy Queen’ They mean the Morrigan. Otherwise known as, the "great queen” or “phantom queen” and a powerful Celtic goddess of what one might consider, The Celtic underworld.) 

I elaborated more on this story here in this ask if you want to follow this link.

Kind of weird both both of them had otherworldly evil Butlers to deal with, isn't it?

🍀Bonus 🍀 Fionn is infamously known as "the sleeping warrior." According to legend he's not actually dead...but asleep. And he'll wake up in Irelands most dire hour of need. This 'wake up, Finn!' has long become a part of Irish folklore, and enmeshed in the culture in many sayings, folk songs and such. A message that for obvious reasons was aligned with "if you want this warrior to wake up it means you hate the Queen of England" so it's sort of... an inside joke. Many believe it's even been hidden in more popular Irish songs as well. The best example I have of this, is probably " Finnigans wake " which of course, has nothing to do with the warrior itself. It's meant to be a lighthearted, very funny and upbeat song about miserable drunk old man literally coming back to life because he's mistaken for dead. But the title choice is a play-on words. It sounds like "Finn, again, is 'wake."

Our!Ciel has a tendency to be a very sleepy boy, but I find it incredibly interesting that Sebastian waking him up is such a stark, piece of imagery in the series as a collective whole. (There's another layer of suspicion if you're of the belief the twins were switched at birth). But this is also on the first page of the manga, the first time ANYONE speaks, is Sebastian. And he says this.

#Kuroshitsuji #Black butler #Our!Ciel #Finnian name theory #Fenian name theory #parallels #Really it's not any trouble whenever anyone asks about this and is nice to me it means a lot ... more than you probably know

[mayashesfly]

Being an Angela main in Mobile Legends and then becoming a Lucio main in Overwatch 2 is so funny to me.

I really can't escape my niche of providing healing and sustain to my teammates while also doing damage and harrassing my enemies for funsies.

And also pushing my enemies away from me and my teammates or into my teammates since I use Flameshot for Angela.

(Currently much more successful in that regard as Angela though than with Lucio. The amount of times I booped my enemies into my retreating teammates or booped an enemy away from a close-range ally is embarrassing. Then again I'm new to OW2 and I played ML alot)

Both of their Ultimates also give shield to their allies. But Lucio's is multiple allies while Angela's is a single ally.

I definitely like Lucio's Ult better than Angela's, mostly because noone is constantly nagging me to Ult them as if they want me to be their clingy girlfriend even though Lucio's Ult does decay and doesn't last as long as Angela and takes longer to charge.

The two are pretty different in their kits with Lucio being more mobility based and faster while Angela can immobilize opponent and ismore slower (especially with the nerf to her movement speed) But they have the main things I like to do in game and I love playing them <3

#may asher rambles #mobile legends #mobile legends angela #overwatch 2 #lucio correia dos santos #It is nearing 2AM as I write this #the gamer rot is real #I miss playing Angela tbh but a meanie in Rank really soured ML for me for now #In the meanwhile I can weave and fuck up enemies and retreat and heal my allies #AND also get boop kills #Boop kills are great #Greater than Flameshot will ever be

[angelatmidnight1]

How about some Crypto Lee and ler headcanons? I love you're writing and I hope you're well ^3^ <3

Crypto Tickle Headcanons

Lee

Crypto’s a man of many secrets, and being ticklish is one of the most guarded ones.

Only one other person knows, and they’re sworn to secrecy too. 

Tae Joon has an excellent poker face, so poking him won’t yield the results his ‘ler is looking for. He tenses up and snaps at them for touching him. 

He doesn’t want to draw any attention to himself for something as silly as tickling. 

He’d have to be somewhat close to his ‘ler to not chew their head off. But even still, he’ll push their hands away and grumble. 

He tries really hard not to laugh. He’ll bite his cheek and purse his lips, but it doesn’t work. He’s pretty sensitive and will crack a smile if his ‘ler keeps at it.

It’s amusing to watch him crumble; threats riddled with giggles, a panicked look in his eyes. He bounces between fight or flight, until it’s time to run for the hills. 

Crypto’s a lee who needs to be pinned down in order to be tickled, because he’s nothing if not a good escape artist. 

On a scale of 1-10, Crypto’s pushing an 8 for his less ticklish spots, and a 10 for his worst spots. 

Gentle tickling will have him giggling. Tickles that are a little rougher will have him laughing loudly. 

Teasing makes his face instantly turn red. 

His worst spot is his stomach and his ler really has to make sure he’s pinned because tickling there will have him squirming like crazy. 

All decorum goes out the window, and Tae Joon becomes a laughing mess. He’d still be hellbent on getting away but if he can’t, he’ll laugh and beg until his ‘ler finally stops. 

He’ll tear up if he’s laughing hard enough, and it’s pretty easy to get him there.

Also, before Hack's mobility upgrade, sudden tickle attacks also did him in.

Tae Joon will avoid his ‘ler for quite a while, sulking. He’d be so embarrassed until his ler gently nudges him and lets him know that they were just messing around. 

If his ‘ler tells him that it was nice to see him smile, or that he should laugh more, he’ll shrug them off. Truth is, Mila used to tell him the same thing, and hearing it again tugs at his heart strings. 

In the future, it would be a lot harder to surprise him with a tickle attack. If he didn’t have eyes on everyone before, he definitely would now.

Ler

Of course Crypto knows which Legends are ticklish. He always has an eye in the sky. 

He’s sent Hack around the ship to break up tickle fights. He tells them to pipe down because he can hear the laughter from the other side of the ship.

He’s another ‘ler who doesn’t get involved in tickling unless provoked. 

Taking his computers, messing with Hack, or just being a pain in the butt are all reasons that Tae Joon would tickle someone. 

He’d warn his ‘lee to knock it off or to leave him alone multiple times. Eventually, he’d pounce. 

“You think that’s funny? Because I know something that you’d find even funnier.”

Tickling others isn’t something he’d have a lot of experience in. So, at first, the tickle attacks would be brief, and a little awkward. 

He’d improve over time as he breaks up more fights, and gains more intel. 

He finds tickle spots that even his ‘lee didn’t know about. 

When he tickles someone, he is precise. His hands hone in on the exact spot he’s after, and they stay put. 

Tae Joon isn’t really a ' ‘teasy’ ‘ler in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, he’s more matter-of-fact, and makes fun of how sensitive his ‘lee is. 

“조심해 (Careful), not so loud. You wouldn’t want someone else to find out how ticklish you are, would you?”

“I’ve always said it’s safer off the grid. But given how…ticklish you are, I wouldn’t think anywhere’s safe for you.”

Tae Joon’s tickle attacks are still short unless someone’s been annoying him, like Mirage. Then, he stops after he’s received a genuine apology. And, Crypto’s a stickler for the genuineness of apologies.

If Tae Joon is feeling particularly mean, he’ll say that he’ll stop tickling when his ‘lee stops laughing.

The next time he or Hack comes across a tickle fight, he may have info to share, depending on who it is. 

“No, aim higher. Along the ribs…yes, just like that. You’re welcome.”

#crypto apex legends #tae joon park #lee!crypto #ler!crypto #ticklish!crypto #crypto apex #apex legends tickle head canons #apex legends

[ilikepiner]

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[chakytron]

Top 40 Most INSANE OUTPLAYS In Mobile Legends 2021 ✅

Top 40 Most INSANE OUTPLAYS In Mobile Legends 2021 ✅

Top 40 Most INSANE OUTPLAYS In Mobile Legends 2021 ✅ Category Main Description: Top 40 Most INSANE OUTPLAYS In Mobile Legends 2021 ∣ PERFECT OUTPLAYS MOMENTS (MOBILE LEGENDS) Submit your clip: … TopTrengingTV Hunting the most trend video of the moment, every hour every day 24/7. Youtube Video Data Published At: 2021-01-27T10:34:47Z   Tags:  [‘toptrendingtv’, ‘trend video’, ‘trend hunter’,…

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[dailytomlinson]

2020 is finally coming to an end, and we can’t say we’re disappointed about it. It sure has been a long way for everyone, yet some artists had a lot on their plate. Take a look at Louis Tomlinson’s year. As complicated as 2020 has been for him, he still unlocked achievements and outdid himself in the best way. So let’s take a look at how Louis Tomlinson made 2020 his year, let’s go!

Louis Tomlinson Released His Debut Solo Album Walls

After four years of anticipation, and a good two years of teasing, Louis released his debut album, Walls, on January 31st. The record received positive critics and fantastic feedback from his loyal Louies. From the party anthem ‘Kill My Mind’ to the emotional ‘Two Of Us’, with a few sweet escapes such as ‘Too Young’, not to mention the punchy ‘Always You’, the album brought the fans everything they had hoped for. In addition to that, Louis stole our hearts with heartfelt and sincere lyrics that only he has the secret of. Magic.

Louis Started His Worldwide Tour And Gave His First Solo Show

Louis started his worldwide tour in March before it got interrupted. Touring was what he had always been looking forward to, ever since he’d decided to start a solo career. Louis had expressed the exciting feeling and positive stress that he feels right before going on stage. Luckily enough, he had the time to perform twice in Spain at the beginning of March. His first whole solo show took place at Razzmatazz, in Barcelona, and reunited around 2000 fans (sold out). An hour and a half of musical bliss, a performer who shares a lot with his fans, and an incredibly talented band. What else?

Walls Went Number #1 In 53 Countries And Worldwide Upon Release

Louis Tomlinson made 2020 his year in the charts too. He always had a dedicated fandom, and that’s no surprise. However, he seemingly wasn’t expecting the global success of his debut album Walls. Indeed, it went number #1 on iTunes in 53 countries upon its release on January 31st, including the United Kingdom and the major part of South America. Not only that, but the album also climbed the iTunes Worldwide Chart to reach #1 in a matter of hours. Legends only.

Louis Released The Music Video for ‘Walls’, And It’s A Masterpiece

January 16th revealed the final single off Walls, the album, which was none other than the title track itself. Louis described it then as his proudest song on the album, with strong influences of Oasis. A few days later, on the 21st, Louis blessed us with the music video, shot in Morocco by Charlie Ligthening. The camera follows Louis through the Sahara desert and traces his path through a ballroom and dancing crowds. Some other scenes show him surrounded by masked people, or behind four silhouettes that he identified as his four former bandmates. The Easter eggs, the quality of the video, and the suit (yes, the suit, don’t you lie) made it a fans’ favorite, for it now counts more than 12 Million views.

Louis Reached 1.4 Billion Streams on Spotify

It looks like the fans’ streaming parties paid off this year. With only one album, four other songs, and remixes or edits, Louis reached the milestone of 1.4 Billion streams on Spotify this year. Additionally, he also made it to 4 Million followers on the platform. The numbers speak for themselves, and the achievement is huge for an artist who only received little promotion for a debut album, stopped on its way due to the pandemic. Here’s to his first billion, and some more soon! Overall, Louis knows he can count on his devoted Louies to increase the number of streams significantly with new challenges, the way they did it in December with #12DaysOfWalls. (Original idea by @miss_always_you).

He Launched Only The Poets Internationally

If you’re a Louie, there are big chances that this name rings a bell. Only The Poets, a band coming from Reading in the UK, literally skyrocketed this year. After their first performance as Louis’ first act on stage at Scala in February 2020, their popularity started increasing. And Louis confirming them as his first European act only made it better for them. They continued their year with live-streams, private Zoom calls, and pre-listening sessions of their singles with fans. They ended it with a social distanced show in Banbury and a Zoom Tour in a few European countries and South America. And the mutual support Louis and these lads give each other is heartwarming.

Louis Decided To Part Ways With Syco

This one is for the fans. After ten years of collaboration with Sony’s label, Syco, Louis decided to part ways with them for a new adventure. He officially announced his decision with a tweet on July 11th that took no time to break the Internet. Soon enough, hashtags related to the news trended around Twitter, other artists, and radios congratulated him on his decision. Louies celebrated with funny memes and GIFs but made sure to surround Louis with love and support through it all. Now we wait (for the new label announcement).

Louis Didn’t Only Postpone His Tour, He Made It Bigger

Another proof that Louis Tomlinson made 2020 better. Not only did Louis pursue his dream and goal to tour, but he also grew it out. After postponing the tour three times, the newly announced European dates include a few more stops, including Reykjavik (Iceland), Warsaw (Poland), Prag (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), Zurich (Switzerland), and an additional date in Paris (France)! The shows sold out in less than 40 minutes, making it more than 15,000 tickets purchased. Due to the high demand in Zurich, the venue changed and 500 more tickets went on sale! In Argentina, a wild mobilization of fans on Twitter led him to open the whole Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires. Some additional tickets went on sale for the Chilean show as well. And guess what? They all sold out.

Louis Was Crowned Artist Of The Summer With 13 Million Votes

Still, doubting that Louis Tomlinson made 2020 his year? A radio station from Philadelphia, @965TDY, launched a Twitter award ceremony last summer to crown an artist ‘Artist Of The Summer’. Many polls, 13 Million votes, and 26 Billion points later, Louis was elected and was all over Twitter thanking his fans for their dedication. Louies had acquired the absolute record of 26 Billion points thanks to their votes on the radio station’s website, and thanks to their mass voting parties. Another proof that Louis and his fans are unstoppable altogether. The support is always undeniably strong, and so is the bond between the artist and the fans. Happy days.

Walls Magically Rises On The Itunes Charts In October

Indeed, nine months after its release, a new wave of fans bought the album on iTunes and made it rise in the charts. The magic truly happened after @UpdateHLD (a Twitter update account), reminded new fans to purchase the album if they had not already. Considering Louis gained a certain amount of fans during the global lockdown, the initiative went successful, and soon enough, Walls was climbing the charts just like it did on January 31st. As incredible as it seems, it even received its first #1 on the USA iTunes chart. Louis didn’t miss on thanking his fans for their continuous support, expressing how amazed he was by the chart climb.

Louis Offered An Online Live-Stream Show, #LTLivestream

Early December, Louis announced his first live-stream show from London for December 12th, entitled #LTLivestream. He promised a very special show, hosted by the platform Veeps, and didn’t lie. The general sale for the tickets (of course) crashed the website, making everyone panic. Louis then confirmed that the tickets were unlimited. The show was as incredible as originally announced, with an orchestra, fans participating through a digital wall, and a new haircut that conquered the fans. The numbers later revealed that Louis had sold over 160,000 tickets. #LTLivestream is the most sold live-stream for a male solo artist in 2020. Being the generous philanthropist that Louis is, he has given the $2.8 Million raised to many charities and his touring crew. The charities benefitting from the funds are FareShare UK, StageHand, Crew Nation, and Bluebell Wood. And they wonder why we love him.

Louis Surprised His Fans With A New Song Called ‘Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy’

Last but not least, after spending a year on a rollercoaster, Louis revealed a brand new song during #LTLivestream. He had been hinting at it through a teaser for the live-stream and via a cryptic tweet that made everyone think he was referring to ‘Copy Of A’ by Nine Inch Nails. However, he proved everyone wrong during the show with a brand new song. ‘Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy’ reminds us of the general sound of ‘Walls’ (the single), and stole everyone’s heart and soul once again. Immediately after the show, the fans asked Louis when the single would be out, to which he replied that he wasn’t sure about it being one. The disappointment faded away when he said it remained an option and would put it on the second album. We’ll take that.

And that, folks, is how Louis Tomlinson made 2020 his year for us! We have so many memories of Louis this year and can’t pick a favorite! What would be yours? And what do you think is yet to come from Louis next year? 

#the honey pop #long post #press #2020 #louis tomlinson #291220

[artificialashley]

Top Five taywhora fics 👀❤

Okay so I managed to return to Uni after Easter without my laptop charger and we all know what tumblr mobile is like so sorry this answer is so late!! This is such a fun ask and I wish Id been able to answer it on my night home alone (ps im still third wheeling a week later someone help me)

(also the degree part of getting a degree is actually feeling real rn so i honestly havent read that many taywhora fics?? im such a bad fan but ive honestly been busy so if youre an author seeing this and i havent said you i probs havent read it yet or if i have said you and havent left you a comment then sorry...if anyone has recs send them in xoxo)

- Me and You Together and I Don’t Know How I Know (But I Know) by Ortega // part of me wants to say ‘well you see the author, this doesnt need any explaining’ because we all know that ortega is such a legend but i want to stress that every single thing she churns out is perfect in its own way and these fics are no different. me and you together is incredibly relatable, just a joy to read and i LOVE how it plays with chronology?? its so clever. and the teachers au was so sweet and soft and made me feel really happy when i read it so thats on this list too - i will be going back to it whenever im sad.

- Down with the Recipe, Bake from the Heart by Juno // the way i grinned from ear to ear reading every single line of this fic and its only 4 chapters in (well 5 now but i havent read the latest one yet)??? i need to go back through and leave some detailed comments because the whole thing is golden. im obsessed with all the niche british references and also the way that little snippets of canon and speech are entwined perfectly into the au. despite being the same each chapter, the format never seems repetitive or boring and each chapter i was so excited to see how tayce and awhora would interact. its amazing

(honourable mention for Juno’s other fic Chase the Shadows Away too as it was also super cute and although i dont normally want my escape from the awful things going on in the world to relate to said awful things, I gave it a read because of how much i loved bake off and im so glad i did!! it made me feel nice and warm and reminded me that we can still fall in love despite the pandini!!)

- Something More by pureCAMP // again i havent had time to leave a comment about this but i loved it sooooo much. as a girl group fan (and someone whos tiktok has decided to show them band memeber dating conspiracy theories every day for some unknown reason) this fic was right up my alley and it delivered. one minute I was laughing at lawrence roasting the government and the next i was in awe at awhora wanting to wipe tayce’s smile off her face with her lips. plus the background Diamond Chaney was super cute!

-  Don’t Just Stand There Staring Honey (Try to Move Your Feet) by Pinkgrapefruit // again this is another fic that plays with chronology/flashbacks which is something I love and it did it so perfectly, blending them into modern day so that i really got to know tayce and awhora. theres singing in the car to taylor swift (ps grapefruit if you see this i will read folklore eventually), playstation and slow dancing - what more could you want from a pair of not totally useless lesbians???

Honourable mentions to Just Below the Surface by Phryne which is super cute and funny and i think you should know (im thinking of you) by zyan which lives in my head rent free to the point where i asked someone to write it ahhaha. its 2am and im tired but just know i have love for these too! and everyone whose ever wrote taywhora even if i havent read it...

ask me my top 5 anything!!

#fic recs #ask game #ashley chats shite #sorry to the discord gang if your fics arent on here #its not personal lol blame the law degree #top 5 #fic rec #big fat fic rec

[texanredrose]

War (What Is It Good For?)

Blake watched as the rain fell, another dreary day in a dreary city. Time had lost all meaning about three millennia ago but the monotony never stopped weighing on her soul. She’d grown so… tired.

“You just gonna stand there and brood all night?”

With a small frown, she looked back at the woman who’d offered a bit of a distraction from the repetition- though, not in a good way. Wild blonde hair, lilac eyes that flashed with annoyance, and the build of a fighter, Yang Xiao Long was a human caught up in a chess match as old as time itself.

Barely a pawn, yet worth coming out of the shadows to find.

“I don’t have much else to do,” she replied with a drawl, arms crossed over her chest. “If we’re lucky, the sun will rise before the vampires find us.”

“And then what?”

“Then, we take you to Raven.”

“Who’s Raven?” 

Blake sighed, her teeth turning to fangs for a moment as her agitation grew. “She’s the last true immortal… and your mother.”

“Oh, fuck you.” Yang rolled her eyes. “My mom died years ago.”

“No, the woman who raised you died years ago.” Her expression pinched together briefly as she tried to recall the name. “I think it was… Summer, right? Summer Rose?”

To her surprise, the human didn’t seem swayed. “You hunted me down and kidnapped me, so if you’re expecting me to be surprised you know my mom’s name, tough luck.”

“Whether or not you believe me isn’t my problem,” Blake said, taking two strides to the chair where the woman sat and grabbing her shoulder roughly.

“Hey, watch it!” Yang tried to flinch away but didn’t have much room to go, bound to the chair as she was. “I got shot there, ya know!”

“Did you?” With her other hand, she pulled at the woman’s jacket and shirt, ignoring the blood soaked garments to reveal the skin that should be sporting a still oozing gunshot wound. However, aside from the blood, no evidence of such remained. “Where’s the proof?”

“I… well…”

“You’ve always had this ability- you heal faster than normal, you walk away from things that should’ve killed you, and perhaps most damning of all, you can’t explain why.” She took a step back, once again crossing her arms over her white jacket. “But you’ve always known there was something different about you. And, there is. You’re the latest descendant of the last true immortal.”

“So what’s that make us? Cousins?”

Blake had to hand it to the woman; her defiance, although arrogant, never wavered. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

“Well, it’s not like we’re going anywhere until dawn anyway.” With what limited mobility Yang had, she turned her hands. “Enlighten me.”

She had half a mind to ignore the request but, honestly, the woman would likely just continue asking until her patience eroded anyway. “The story changes depending on who does the telling. Long story short, there have always been five races on Remnant: humans, faunus, vampires, zoans, and the immortals. The immortals ruled us all for millennia, with humans and faunus as their servants and vampires and zoans as their armies. They used those beneath them until the vampires managed to find a way to destroy the immortals.”

Yang’s expression pinched. “Sounds like a faulty immortality to me.”

“Immortality just means that you don’t die through natural means, not that you can’t be destroyed outright. Vampires were the first to figure that out.” Blake went back to the window, her eyes unfocusing as she began to relive a memory she’d tried hard to forget. “When they’d destroyed almost all the immortals, the vampires instituted themselves as the overseers. Zoans like myself became their guardians… and their slaves.”

“Then what happened?”

“We rose up,” she replied, and in her mind’s eye, she went back to that day. The fighting, the shouting, the sound of claws on stone and wings beating and the overwhelming need to get away now that propelled her forward- and her last look back. “Then, the war started. Thousands lost on either side, until vampires and zoans were so few, we became myths and legends. That’s when humans and faunus inherited Remnant and we continued our war in secret.”

“Why in secret?”

“Because the truth had already come out; not even the immortals could escape death entirely, and though vampires and zoans can heal the same as you, we still have glaring weaknesses.”

“Like sunlight and silver?”

“Exactly.” She blinked, refocusing on the view outside the window. “We never inherited the immortals’ full secrets. We don’t age and die like humans and faunus but neither are we entirely immortal.”

“Maybe the immortals weren’t either; they just suckered everyone into serving them.”

“That’s possible, too.”

“Then why are you turning me over to one?”

“To gain the edge we need to win the war for good.” Blake turned her head, regarding the human. “You’re not a full immortal yourself but you have healing abilities on par with mine and you earlier fought a vampire to a standstill. You had a fraction of the immortals’ power within you by virtue of being half blood. What Raven offers is her own blood to whoever can find you.”

“Maybe I’m missing somethin’, but if this whole thing started because the immortals were killed off, I kinda don’t see how getting her blood’s going to help.” Yang shrugged- well, as much as she could, all things considered. “Sounds like a hustle to me.”

“The immortals never grew their numbers.” She stepped away from the window again, having briefly seen a flash of movement on the street below. “They bred their servants and their armies but rarely themselves; they would live forever and had no reason to propagate. They waged their wars to secure more resources for their minions, to increase the amount of lives they could throw away. When the fight began, the vampires knew how to replenish their numbers; the immortals did not.” Then, she winced. “Not for lack of trying, from what I’ve been told. For all the years that Raven’s tried, you’re the first of her offspring to survive into adulthood.”

“Guess immortality’s not for everyone,” Yang glibly replied, heaving a heavy sigh. “So, I’m just a bargaining chip. Great. Gotta say, kinda hurts my feeling’s a little bit.” Then she paused, looking over at Blake with something lurking in lilac eyes. “You still up for story time? ‘Cause, there’s something that’s been nagging at me.”

Rolling her eyes, she glanced out the window again. “And what’s that?”

“What’s the deal between you and the vampire chick? The short one with the scar?”

Her expression tightened. “Nothing. Not anymore.”

“Liar.”

Before she could respond to that accusation, she heard sound of a great amount of force smashing into the ceiling above them, amber eyes flicking up to see how the fluorescent lights shook and dimmed while the tiles bowed slightly. A second blow caused the ceiling tiles to crack and split and a third produced a hole and a hail of fiberglass, plastic, and insulation.

Then a figure dropped down, draped in black leather- as ever, a taunt.

“Blake,” she said, voice cold as ice.

“Weiss,” she replied, preparing for a fight. They’d done this song and dance so many times, it had become part of the monotony. A struggle neither could win, a fight neither could end… or didn’t want to… she honestly wasn’t sure which anymore. “Walk away.”

“Funny.” Blue eyes narrowed, the scar across her left eye never fading no matter how many centuries passed. “I was going to suggest the same thing.” At her hip sat a sword, the same one Blake had forged for her ages ago- silver, with intricate designs, the last vestiges of their old world. “There’s no reason for you to die today.”

For a moment, she considered it- walking away. Leaving the war behind, running as far as she could. She’d tried that before.

It didn’t work.

“Wish I could say the same,” she replied before moving forward, using her speed to close the distance quickly. 

Blake could’ve pulled her pistol from its holster; the special ultra-violet rounds designed to specifically kill vampires would make short work of Weiss. But, just as the vampire didn’t draw her silver sword, neither did the zoan pull her gun. 

This battle, they fought honorably, hand-to-hand.

Or, maybe, they were both cowards, unable to make the killing blow. Instead, Blake simply threw her weight into a tackle, launching herself into Weiss’ chest and sending them both crashing into the far side of the room. Thankfully, this particular safe house was in an abandoned office building, so no one would hear their fight. Unfortunately, that also meant no one could intervene. 

This time, only one of them could walk away.

They both rolled to their feet and Blake partially shifted, her fangs and claws coming to bear as her ears became more feline. As a werepanther, she had a good deal more strength available to her the closer she was to her fully shifted form, but would reserve that for later. In response, Weiss hissed at her, revealing her fangs as her eyes began to shine.

Neither at full strength but making a show of it for the sake of ghosts.

The monotony of it killed her as much as it broke her heart.

Then, she had to set aside her feelings, dodging swipes and kicks from the vampire while trying to land blows of her own. Movements too fast for the eye of a human or faunus but it always felt like running underwater to Blake, as if she couldn’t truly put her whole heart into attacking Weiss. Some part of her still remembered when they were small, both born into chains. Then later, when vampires took control, how Weiss became her ‘master’ in name only. Then, later…

She ducked beneath a swipe of Weiss’ claws and took the opportunity for an uppercut that quite nearly clipped the vampire’s jaw. 

There was a time when she foolishly loved Weiss. A time when she foolishly thought Weiss loved her. A time when she thought… that things would change, and they wouldn’t have to keep their love a secret. She believed it, once, and though she’d since learned the truth, some small, stubborn part of her still loved the vampire even after all these years.

After taking a few punches to her gut, Weiss dropped down and swept her legs from under her, sending Blake crashing to the ground, and a kick while she was down sent her skittering across the floor until she fetched up against the wall. Blake thought about getting up. She did. But she was tired of doing this. The fighting never stopped and, if the zoans succeeded in securing Raven’s favor, they’d just do the same thing the vampires did before them, and the immortals before them. There would always be a hierarchy, and injustice, and fighting, and she just… couldn’t do it anymore.

Amber eyes watched as Weiss seemed to realize she wouldn’t be getting up this time. That their battle had finally come to an end the same way it began.

Blake remembered when the uprising started, how the vampire looked at her even as she was ordered to ‘put that beast down’. How she drew her silver sword. How her eyes were cold and distant.

Just like now, the silver sword flashing in the dim light as she drew it from her hip.

After so many years upon years, she gave up and closed her eyes, allowing her end to come.

However, her eyes snapped open when she heard the crashing and metal twang, watching as Yang broke the chair she’d been sitting in over Weiss’ head and the vampire crumpled to the ground.

“No!” Shifting fully, Blake launched forward, skin replaced by thick black fur, but the human seemed to anticipate this. Her hand shot out, catching Blake’s throat, and she didn’t even have to reset her feet even as the werepanther’s superior weight slammed into her, jaws kept safely away from tearing into flesh. Yang didn’t even seem taxed, hardly wincing whenever Blake’s claws tore at her skin, the wounds healing almost the moment they were caused.

Then, her attacks became more like futile flailing as the hand around her throat began to squeeze. Although their longevity could qualify them as immortal, zoans needed air just like humans and faunus; they weren’t like the living dead vampires in that regard. Quickly, Blake turned back to her bipedal form in the hopes that changing sizes would dislodge the woman’s grip, but she was wrong.

With her dwindling consciousness, she registered Weiss’ scream of rage as she charged, impaling Yang with her sword. Unfortunately, the attack didn’t even seem to faze the woman as she threw Blake to the ground and grabbed the vampire by the throat, lifting her clear off her feet. The zoan tried to get up but found a boot stomping on her chest, keeping her pinned to the ground.

“Would both of you stop freaking out for one second?” Yang groused, using her free hand to pull the sword from her stomach, giving it a once over before tossing it aside. “Nice aim; pretty sure that got my liver. Plus a few other things. Ah well, no harm, no foul, am I right?”

“How- are- you-“

“Yeah, quick aside: I fought both of you to a standstill and she only managed to tie me to a chair because I sleep like a rock and just came off a forty-eight hour shift.” The woman nodded towards Blake. “The fact either of you thought handcuffs and rope would work is a joke.” In hindsight, Yang had a point. “So, here’s the deal. I have a bone to pick with this Raven. I only need one of you alive to lead me to her. First one to volunteer lives.”

At that, Weiss became even more agitated, struggling violently to free herself while shouting. “If you harm her, I swear, I will destroy you!”

“Okay, so there is something more going on here.” Lilac eyes flicked down to the zoan for a moment before focusing on the vampire. “Why the soft spot for this one?”

Weiss glared. “Because I love her, if you must know! Now, leave her out of this!”

“Hmmm. Wow, that’s gotta suck. Unrequited love for that long-“

“You almost killed me!” The words burst from her mouth before she could stop them, annoyed at herself for sounding so genuinely hurt. “When your father told you to put me down, you drew your sword and- and-“

“And I missed, you fool, it was the only way to cut your chains!”

That stopped her cold. “You… you were trying to free me?”

“Of course!” And, for the first time since that day, she saw the blood gathering in blue eyes- the only tears a vampire could cry. “I- I can’t kill you, Blake. I never could.”

“Hookay, so, it sounds like you two have some things to work out.” Yang removed the boot from Blake’s chest and set Weiss down on her feet, taking a step back from both of them. “Listen, for what it’s worth, I could definitely tell neither of you were really happy about fighting each other earlier, so it’s pretty obvious there’s some baggage there to unpack. You two should do that now, before any more of your friends show up.” Then she turned around, adjusting her jacket slightly. “Once you two have figured out the whole ‘will we or won’t we’ thing, I’ll be over there, trying to salvage what remains of my jacket. I can’t believe you put another hole in the damn thing. I get it, you two seem to only have leather in your wardrobes, but I kinda try to diversify mine, and I really loved this jacket.”

Blake blinked, slowly getting to her feet. She looked over at Weiss, who seemed equally confused but more concerned with… her.

“Are… you alright?”

“Yeah,” she replied, rubbing at her throat. “And… you?”

“I’m fine.” She quickly wiped away her tears, though blood was always harder to erase. “I’m… I apologize, that you ever thought I was trying to harm you- I never wanted to-“

“No, I… I’m the one who never let you explain…” Her shoulders fell, centuries upon centuries of regrets piling up on her in that moment. “It’s been… so hard, fighting against you all these years.” Tentatively, she reached out, cupping Weiss’ jaw. “I never wanted this.”

“Neither did I… but I couldn’t stop.” Weiss lifted her hand, settling it over Blake’s, and her skin felt as cold as it always did; even after millennia, the zoan never forgot how it felt. “If it was anyone else, they… you could’ve gotten hurt. So, I had to be the one who kept hunting you.”

In that moment, she made a decision, stepping forward and pressing her lips to the vampire’s. Again, her memories proved true, and kissing Weiss hadn’t changed despite how much the rest of the world had. 

How they felt… didn’t change.

“Hey, hate to break the moment, but I gotta ask some pertinent questions.” They broke apart to look over at Yang, who’d taken off her jacket in an attempt to mend the hole in the back of it. However, it also revealed the one wound that had yet to heal- the gashes deep into her left forearm that still trickled blood looking very much like a torn bite mark. “How does a human or faunus get turned into a vampire?”

“They have to be bitten and then drink the blood of the vampire who bit them,” Weiss said, eyeing the wound with suspicion.

“And a zoan?”

“Be bitten and don’t die before the next full moon.” Blake supplied.

���Great!” The woman genuinely smiled. “Well, I won’t hold you two up. If you point me in the right direction, I’ll go settle the score with Raven and I’ll just tell anyone who asks that I killed both of you. Go, run off to the woods somewhere and forget all this war nonsense.”

Although the zoan heavily considered doing just that- after all, running away with Weiss would bound to be different than just hiding herself away- the vampire obviously didn’t like the plan. “And just abandon you?”

“Hey, listen, I’ll be fine.” She nodded towards her arm. “I’m sure the bigger one of you will track me down soon enough; I can probably get some of her blood and the full moon is in two days.”

“Wait.” Blake tilted her head. “Are you trying to become both zoan and vampire?”

“Uh, duh. C’mon, think about it.” She gestured between the three of us. “You said yourself that none of Raven’s kids live very long and there were five races. Why would Raven be interested in me surviving if it wasn’t to see if the races can be combined? Humans and faunus can reproduce, so I figure she’s trying to find a way to breed a new army: half immortal, part zoan, and part vampire. That would give her the edge, right?”

“I mean… I… guess?” She looked to Weiss, who seemed equally stunned by the explanation. “How did you-“

“I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I know how conniving minds work.” Yang shrugged, turning away. “Either way, I’m going to give Raven a piece of my mind when I meet her, so if either of you know how to kill an immortal, that’d be a sweet going away present.”

Blake again looked to the vampire, who seemed to be thinking hard on something.

Then, she spoke. “Do you think there’s others like us?”

“I like to believe so,” the zoan replied, feeling Weiss’ hand slip into hers, their fingers threading together.

“Then, we can’t walk away from this.” Her expression turned serious. “We have to find a way to end the suffering without sacrificing everyone in the process.”

Blake nodded. “Okay. Then, let’s end this.” --- Is there a shit ton of irony in me doing an actual Underworld AU? Yes, yes there is. Is that going to stop me? Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnope.

#Monochrome #monochromeweek2020 #monosweek2020 #Monochrome Underworld AU

[365daysoftododeku]

26th December 2019

Author: Karma

________________________________________________________________

Under a sea of lanterns and firework jellies (I see your dragonfly heart take flight, ignite)

“Have fun! Be safe! LINE me when you get home.” Izuku sighs as his friends disappear into the crowds.

Ochako had promised Tsuyu some goldfish, and Kaminari and Iida had a whole date itinerary planned out. The Kendo-Pony-Momo-and-Kyouka quartet were already off on their own double date.

Leaving Izuku as the lonely, singular wheel wobbling down the road. It’s a better existence than the unnecessary third or fifth or even ninth wheel, but being extra always stings at gatherings like this.

Izuku would go home, but there are fireworks to be had, and a surplus of sparklers to light and watch die out.

Heaving the bucket with him, Izuku walks for a long while, until he reaches the old Hachiman shrine that’s leagues away from all the festivities. The worn, faded white torii is settle atop one of the scarce hills in the middle of town, and as such it is always Izuku’s preferred firework viewing spot. He climbs up the grassy incline, clutching his yukata and sparklers close, and slips only once on the wet grass as he goes; he thanks the god of the shrine for the green color of his festival-wear. Finally, Izuku settles well above the line of most buildings, and the world with its busy routines and individual stories passes him by makes him feel small and invisible in the best of ways. His spot, being as far away as it is from the festivities, is completely unoccupied except for himself, and he relishes in, at least, the solitude that the area grants him.

If Izuku weren’t feeling so damn lonely and miserable, he might even feel giddy over the fact that he gets this view to himself.

As it stands, he’s just counting down the minutes until the light show starts.

Start it does, with a few test shots to draw Izuku out of his own head.

The light show is fantastic, as it is every year. Fireworks launch to musical numbers and themes, and two shows even do the same song, a Halloween classic if his American friends are to be believed.

The one that steals his breath, however, is the one set to delicate piano music. Fireworks pop in place, then another, and the effect almost looks like a dragon chasing something in between and around the stars. Firework shells hover and float gently across the night sky, and at one point there are so many of these shells in the air that it seems like a group of fireflies have been unleashed, or like the stars are being brought unto the earth itself. It’s magnificent, it’s mesmerizing, the way the wind blows and curls the smoke around him makes his world feel small and foreign, exotic and the flickers of colored smoke that drift down from the fireworks only add to the mystique of the show’s magic.

Eventually, however, that show ends, and Izuku is left half-listening to the introduction of sponsors and themes for the next group.

Something soft tickles his nose; it seems like one of the parachutes that held the fireworks aloft had come to say hi.

It’s kinda cute, Izuku thinks, it almost looks like a jellyfish. A few bob on the wind in front of him, and he tells them, “A firework jellyfish! That’s what you are!”

As the wind picks up, more of these so-called firework jellies drift downwards toward him, and soon it feels like he’s ended up in some sort of jellyfish field. Some of them still carrying glowing embers and ashes, and the way the small lights from the mirage echo throughout the thin paper makes Izuku feel like he’s opened his eyes to a world underwater in the middle of the day. Lights dance and flicker like candlelight or sunbeams over the thin caps of the firework jellies, and each jelly picks up the light from the next, so that light is everywhere with no definitive source.

It’s only when the sounds of the festival change that he starts trying to escape from the sudden swarm. There’s a snarling nearby that makes Izuku think of the frequent warnings that have been coming about bear sightings, and for one second he’s terrified that one of the beasts has made it into the heart of town.

But as his sight clears and the swarm of jellyfish depart, he sees that the snarling thing is no bear at all. It looks like a flying worm, with a mane of furious red and white hair down its body and teal scales sprinkled in amongst the silver.

It looks almost like one of the dragons of legend.

Izuku hadn’t been aware that a dragon kite had been part of the parade. Or that they had been made so flexible and mobile in the past year.

Something splatters on his cheek, and pieces of paper whap him in the face as the dragon passes over head.

The liquid turns out to be blood, when he drags his fingers through the wetness to examine it, and the papers? Little people cut out of rice paper that take off into the air when he peels them off of him. One of them flutters angrily at him when he pinches its tail to take a closer look. He lets it go in fright, and it immediately soars off after its fellows.

“Ah! Sorry!” He calls after it, but it is impossible to see against the shroud of night.

Izuku peers once more at the blood, and frowns. Was the dragon real? Was it hurt?

Izuku decides, in the small part of his brain not currently occupied with screaming about the existence of dragons, that yes, it must be real, and yes, it must be hurt. That small piece of brain also concludes that it might be the fault of those paper men, and so Izuku hurries to grab his sparklers and lighter.

He sets a handful of them in a fan pattern, and yells for the dragon. “Mr. Dragon! Down here!”

By some miracle or breath of wind, his words are carried up to the dragon, and it arcs into the sky before nosediving at him. Izuku ignites his sparklers and holds them in the sea of papers that trail the dragons, and soon enough, the whole flock is aflame. The dragon hovers behind him and admires his handiwork.

When the sparklers have run their course and the little monsters not but soot and ash in the breeze, Izuku drops the spent impromptu weapons into the water bucket. He stiffens when he realizes that the dragon’s snout is now right behind him, and he can feel breath both searing and freezing through the back of his thin, sweaty summer yukata. His hair stands on end, but after a moment’s stillness, during which the dragon chooses kindly not to eat him, Izuku slowly turns to look into its eyes.

“Wow, even your eyes are two-toned…” Izuku mutters in awe. Because it’s true. Where the dragon’s mane is red and white, where its scales are silver and teal, the dragon’s eyes are brown and blue and striking. All fear is forgotten, even though teeth as big as Izuku’s forearm are hovering near his heart, and instead Izuku chooses to gawk awkwardly at the magnificent creature before him. Even when it opens its maw, the fear does not return, though Izuku isn’t sure if he’s been bewitched or is simply shocked stupid.

“Human.” Comes a soothing voice.

“Uh, ah, yes?”

“You have saved me.”

Izuku scrubs his head, and his hand comes away sooty. “Not really? I just, felt kind of bad that you were being attacked?” A huff of that hot-cold breath has him opening his mouth before he can think his words through. “You’re a dragon, and you can breathe fire, right? Why didn’t you use that to defend yourself?”

The mismatched eyes blink at him. “Because that is exactly what those infernal things were designed to do. I refuse to breathe the fire I inherited from my sire.”

Izuku quickly translates that into normal human speak. “But, but, your father isn’t the one breathing fire for protection here, you are?”

The dragon snorts, and gradually raises its massive head into the night sky, graceful and slow as any swan. “I wouldn’t expect a human like you to understand.” He coils like he’s preparing to launch into the dark shroud around them.

“Wait!” Izuku calls. The teal eye peers down on him. “You’re still hurt. Can I see? I may not know how to treat dragon wounds, but I’m still first aid certified, and I wouldn’t feel right letting you leave without having at least checked out your injuries, and I may not be able to help, but at least you’d know-“

The dragon cuts him off. “Very well.”

Izuku blinks. “Really? I mean, okay. Can you come back down here so I can get a closer look?”

The dragon swoops down once more, obligingly. “You’re a funny little thing, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know, I mean, uh, maybe?” Izuku busies himself with looking at the scrapes and paper burs on the dragon’s snout and behind his head. Some of the redness in his mane is from blood, and with a careful hand, Izuku scoops a small handful of water from his bucket and pours it carefully over the non-wounded but bloody parts. Eventually, the ruff of fur runs clean, and Izuku steps back. “All good, sir.”

“…Shouto.” His voice resonates deep like thunder, and comes out of nowhere.

Izuku jumps a little; they’d been silent for so long he hadn’t been expecting a response. He’d figured the dragon would just leave once he gave the all clear. “Shouto, sir.”

The dragon’s form… gurgles? It bubbles and rolls, and soon the dragon explodes into a thousand paper petals. What’s left is a man about Izuku’s age, with striking red and white hair, and eyes that are equally as mismatched. He stands primly in a kagirinu, and he stares in Izuku in way that can only be described as mystified. His voice, when Shouto speaks, is far less thunderous, but no less soothing and mellow. “How did you come to the spirit layer, Izuku?”

Izuku can’t recall having ever given the dragon his name. “I… don’t know? There were firework jellies and then…”

“Firework jellies?” Izuku sees Shouto’s lips and nose twitch.

‘Yeah? The little caplet things that float down after a firework has gone off.” Izuku feels kind of silly for naming them, now.

“No, no, I understand.” Shouto sighs, looks around, and holds out his arm to Izuku. “Would you… like to be shown around? I can give you a tour before you return to the human realm.”

Izuku looks around for the first time, and takes in the world. It is night here too, and a blood red, full moon hovers overhead, low and heavy and dripping into the shimmering black waters below it. The world is aglow in flickers of candlelight and red festival lanterns, and Izuku can feel the beat of drums and whistles of the flute inside his chest just as much as he can hear them. “Yes, please!”

Shouto holds out an arm. “Then, allow me.”

Izuku takes it delicately, and is immediately swept down into the heart of the town. The crowds milling here feel the same in energy, but appearance-wise differ so much that Izuku would have to be blind and dumb to miss it. If the dragon-human standing beside him wasn’t proof enough that he was in a different world, then the sight of these bird-headed, many armed, and multicolored peoples would certainly be proof. Several greet Shouto, and gaze curiously at Izuku, but they hardly stop to talk.

“You mustn’t stay longer than the dawn, but there’s much to be seen at this time of year.” Shouto whispers into his ear. They’re moving towards the water, Izuku can tell by the way the moon looms closer in all its red glory.

“That’s okay! I have to go back at some anyways, my friends will worry!” They settle onto some pavement with a view of the lake, or maybe it’s an ocean?

“Mm.”

More of the strange people flutter around, in the stalls and streets behind them, on the shore below, across the water. “Shouto, do you know why I’m here?”

The dragon huffs, and doesn’t look him in the eye. “No.”

“Are you sure?” Izuku leans forward to catch his gaze, to no avail.

“No.” The dragon nods to a feathered man who approaches them, who immediately backs away. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“The show is starting.” Drums start pounding in unison rhythm, and they steal the breath from Izuku’s chest before he can continue with his line of questioning. It’s difficult to talk and even think, when the world trembles so under the weight of the percussion. Screaming whistles accompany shrieking burst of wind, and light filters slowly onto the water. Izuku is so mesmerized by the way the warm firelight interacts with the red light of the moon that it’s only when Shouto places a clawed hand under his chin and guides his gaze upwards that he notices where the secondary lights are coming from.

Ships sail across the water, shallow boats with large masts, but instead of being buffeted across the water by sheet sails, lanterns fill the spaces instead. An unmanned fleet of these pour into view, and they swirl once within the waters before heading to shore. As the boats reach the shallows and the ‘sails’ loom overhead, the wood flats morph into animated stick-like men, who pass the masts to waiting people before shambling back into the water.

The men carry their new acquisitions through barely-there paths in the crowds, and as Izuku watches them bounce along the road, embers spark and fly into the night sky.

<img class="mobileimage" src="https://ohmatsuri.com/assets/uploads/reports/003_reh_AkitaKantoTop.jpg" width="60%" height="60%" />

“Come on.” Shouto tugs him to his feet, and they join the ensemble of people who follow the impromptu parade down the road. As they move, music joins the layers of drums and flutes, and soon the lantern sails start swaying in time. The crowd’s moving gains a cadence, and soon the dancing begins. Izuku is dazzled by the swirling colors, but a hand on his elbow draws his focus back to his companion.

“May I?” Shouto murmurs, chin tucked into his chest.

Izuku feels the swaying at his back, and wants nothing more than to join the dance. “Please.”

Shouto takes Izuku’s hand in his, puts the other on his waist, and twirls them into the flow of parade, and Izuku decides to rely on the dragon to guide him and his steps.

Fireworks, small and intimate, launch into the air just overhead of the crowd, and when the cinders float down they don’t burn at all. The contrast of the dark ash and the glowing flickers in Shouto’s hair, with his multitude of colors, only heightens the brightness of his appearance, and the entrancing vision has him stumbling over his feet.

Shouto, thankfully, has quick reflexes, because he pulls the two of them immediately from the crowd and into a side alley, allowing the milling dancers to move past them seamlessly. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, you’re fine. I mean, I’m pretty. Wait, no, you’re pretty fine- Gah!” Izuku’s tongue trips, and he sinks to the ground in mortification.

Thankfully, the dragon doesn’t appear to be offended, because he joins Izuku on the ground, his lips twitching.

“You’re laughing at me.” Izuku moans.

“Perhaps a bit.” The dragon’s eyes crinkle. “You think I’m pretty, huh?”

Izuku groans, and curls into himself further. “You’re a bully.”

“I’m not hearing a no.” He rises to his feet. “Come on, there’s still a bit of time before you have to head back.”

Izuku peeks out of the shelter of his arms, to see a hand stretched out to him; his face lights up even as a grin splits his face. “Ugh, fine.” He remains hidden until he can school the grin off of his face, but the redness won’t go away.

The hand tugs him to his feet when he grasps it, and then the two of them move back into the crowd. The sails have long since moved on, but their light bounces back across every surface, so that the world remains aglow in fire. The dance has shifted, to something light of foot, and now there’s a layer of people dance through the sky above the ground. It makes for quite a sight, and also for a less crowded street.

Shouto must follow his gaze, or at least see the way Izuku can’t look away from the partiers above them, because he asks, “Do you want to go up there?”

Izuku feels his breath catch. “Could we?”

Shouto nods. “Give me a moment.”

Wind tugs at Izuku’s curls, gentle at first, then fiercer and fiercer, until the two of them stand in the midst of a gale. It steals the gravity from them, and weightless Izuku is carried into the sky. Some of the revelers around them shout in outrage, but others seem to enjoy the sudden onslaught of wind. The music swirls in the air around them, just as audible as ever, and Izuku wonders if there’s magic even in the sound here.

“Once more?” Shouto says. Izuku turns back to him, and his silly, hopeful eyes. Like Izuku can answer any other way.

“Of course.”

They dance their way across the night sky, above everyone else, the music and the sparks and the lights chasing their footsteps through the stars. But all too soon, the wind is letting them down towards the earth, and Izuku realizes that they’ve returned to the spot where Izuku first met Shouto.

Looking around, he can see that the eastern sky is indeed gaining some pink light, so distinct from the festive glow of the earth below them.

They delicately alight on the hill, Shouto still supporting him from their dance. They separate, and Shouto slowly, physically turns him, so that Izuku’s back is facing him. “Turn around, face the sun. Put your back to this world.”

Izuku does as he’s bidden, but he can’t just let the night end like this. “Will I ever get to see you again?”

A heavy breath whooshes over his hair, though it’s not enough to hint at a fully sized dragon. Which means that Shouto really is just that close. “I wished that someone would come. That they’d look at this droll, boring world of mine with new eyes and see as something other than my prison. Thank you, Izuku.” Something soft presses into his hair, and Izuku can hardly dare to hope. “Stand on this hill, the night of the full moon, face the west, and we may meet again. Now, close your eyes.”

Izuku does so, thankful that this isn’t a goodbye. That there’s more to come.

The sound of rustling paper returns, and when next Izuku opens his eyes, he’s back in his own world, facing the quiet of sunrise.

The kiss in his head burns and freezes, and Izuku knows it will follow him around until he next sees Shouto.

He can hardly wait.

#Story #altered-karma #TodoDeku #365DaysofTodoDeku #TodoDeku365 #365 Days of TodoDeku #tddk #Shouto Todoroki #Todoroki Shouto #Izuku Midoriya #Midoriya Izuku #Boku no Hero Academia #BNHA #My Hero Academia #MHA #Todoroki x Midoriya #Shouto x Izuku #TodoIzu

[teddystrap]

Drama CD: [幽幻ロマンチカ・真骨頂] ≁Bakeneko Arahagi・Inugami Toneri≁

No audio track this time sorry! But anyway, I’ve made sizeable progress on the Yuuroma series: Hifumi + Utashiro’s Hatenkou, Zakuro, Toneri, and a bunch of tokuten for everybody (/*^-^)/. I’ll do the 2nd Shinkocchou first, for continuity.

And I haven’t listened to the two individual discs before this, so I had no idea who they are... or that their names are actually Arahagi (cat demon; cv. Kaji Yuuki) and Toneri (dog deity; cv, Hirakawa Daisuke) until about 3/4 into the story, since they kept calling each other ‘Stupid Cat’ and ‘Stupid Dog’. Orz

Obvsly this time there is no bromance like in the 1st disc and they fight like... err... cats and dogs (for lack of a better description XD).

As before, hidden messages from the both of them:

１．壱、都市伝説『二次元カレシ』 ２．弐、手が<か>りはどこ？ ３．参、そこは見せか<け>の幸福世界 ４．四、ここにず<っ>といよう ５．伍、意地でも負<け>られない ６．六、この世界が壊れ<る>としても ７．七、 都市伝説『二次元カレシ』看破 ８．キャストトーク

Arahagi: bold⋆ spells 「どこにでも」 (‘No matter where [you are]...’)

Toneri: <⋆> spells 「かけつける」 (‘...I will rush to your side’)

...うれしいィィ！！ありがとね、二人とも～^^

*

[The Second Rumour: Urban Legend ‘2D Boyfriend’]

All the girls at your school are addicted to a mobile otome game app. Rumour has it that players can end up getting trapped in the game world, and their bodies are found in sleeping position holding their phones in one hand.

Toilet Guy has again asked Arahagi and Toneri to investigate. This time your team name is: the Pitch-Black Executors ~DARK (K)NIGHT MESSIAH~. Σ_(꒪ཀ꒪」∠)_. And both your animal manservants have the good sense to hate this abomination of a name. But it will come in handy later on...

So. First order of business is to throw *you* into the virtual world. It’s been rumoured that collecting a full set of accessories from one game character can accomplish this, so your animal bfs possess your body and go shopping.

They push a bunch of bling on you (Toneri makes you wear a choker that reminds him of a dog collar XD), and eventually you can’t take it anymore and run out of the store because you don’t wanna turn into the lovechild of Katy Perry and Flavor Flav. And anyway it didn’t work. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ RIP Operation BringTheBling1.

Plan #2: There is another rumour that players get sucked in when they access the app at midnight. So Catboy and Dogman (henceforth ‘CatDog’) camp over in your bed, and sure enough, when the clock strikes 12, you fall into a deep sleep and enter the game world.

The game is set in a high school that’s an *exact* replica of Nanagiri, with two characters who sound (and look) exactly like your Cat and Dog bfs. [Hirarin is the senpai and Kaji is the kouhai, ofc.] You are shocked by this unfolding of events, and the two of them think you have a cold and need to go to the nurse’s office to rest.

You take this as an opportunity to escape, and as you are running you hear Arahagi and Toneri’s voices from the other side. They successfully possess your sleeping body and enter the virtual world as well.

Senpai and Kouhai can see the demons possessing you. They forcibly exorcise the duo and drag you away. As the exorcised duo come to, they find themselves turned into their chibi forms XDD. Meanwhile, Senpai and Kouhai have taken you to the nurse’s office. As they are trying to approach you, you spray the fire extinguisher at them and make your escape. Niceee.

You manage to find Arahagi and Toneri hiding in the courtyard. They repossess your body to regain their powers and apologise for not being able to protect you. But you have come up with a battle plan: Operation LoveLetter1. Dun dun DUNNN.

The plan is to put a love letter in their shoe locker asking Senpai and Kouhai to meet with you next evening. Being in an otome game, they can only do as they are told to unlock the love event. (Also what is with this 3P-harem setting where you can confess and unlock event for two characters at once?? I need to get in on dis yo. ¬‿¬)

You and CatDog stay up all night to discuss the battle plan, and Arahagi thinks this whole game reeks of the work of a human being. He figures out that they can rob the game characters of their powers by stealing their phones. (Why do even the characters have phones inside the game??) And to power-up themselves, CatDog trade hugs and kisses with each other (I WISH!!) you to feed off of your human energy.

Next day, Senpai and Kouhai show up at the arranged meeting time, and CatDog appear to start a riot. They throw out your team name Pitch-Black Executors ~DARK (K)NIGHT MESSIAH~, which confuses their opponents and gives them the perfect opportunity to steal the opponents’ phones.

Toneri ties the two characters up with chains and Arahagi drops a bunch of machinery and shit on top of them, but dis ain’t ovah ya’ll. The two of them go into *dark mode*. They change the backdrop and damage the data of Arahagi and Toneri’s bodies. As they bury CatDog alive and take you away, you tell them that you believe in CatDog, which gives them the power they need to free themselves from entombment and destroy the game characters.

...When the smoke clears, they see a student that was sucked into the game world. Strangely enough, *it’s a boy*, and they figure that he must be the human that the game monster is possessing and feeding off of.

It turns out that the boy offered himself as a human sacrifice to the urban legend and created this game world to shield his younger sister from the harsh reality. The game world begins to disintegrate, and Toneri tells the boy to face his sister properly instead of doing this stupid shit in the name of ‘protection’. To Toneri and Arahagi, who come into this world all alone, every little detail of the familial bonds and ties between humans seems magical and deserves to be treasured.

The three of you wake up in your bed, and CatDog wonder if the boy’s little sister is going to be alright. You devise a plan... for the two of them to appear to her in a dream pretending to be the two game characters. Toneri flubs his lines and gets beaten up by Arahagi XD. They tell the girl they are relieved that she has finally awoken from her slumber, and invite her to play the game again whenever she is feeling down.

Now a new urban legend has arisen: that whenever a girl gets sucked into the game world, her 2D boyfriend tells her to get out or else she won’t make it to her own wedding in the future. (#meirl XDD.) What’s more, CatDog have erased the oniisan’s memories of the whole incident, and both he and his sister have returned to school as usual.

*Meanwhile*, YOU have become addicted to this game app XD. After unsuccessfully trying to snatch your phone out of your hands, CatDog tease you with kisses and promise to make your real life more exciting than any game ever... yes please Hirarin and Kaji the two of you can come and possess me any time I don’t mind fufufufu~~~ (´┓`*)

*

[Thoughts] ⋆敬称略⋆

Ok so this was my first introduction to both characters (Arahagi/Toneri). I kept thinking as I was listening to it: wouldn’t it be great if Kaji and Hirarin switched roles? Doesn’t it feel like Kaji has more of an excitable puppy-like personality (or quality to his voice, rather), and Hirarin has more of a slow, cat-like temperament??

In fact in the Free Talk when Hirarin said that he is 100% a Cat Person and he thinks Arahagi is really cute, I was all ready to jump out of my chair all like, ‘I KNEW IT!!!’ #notoverreactingatall._(:3」∠)_. ...I guess Rejet wanted to switch it up a little? Or maybe Kimura Ryouhei was busy, because Toneri [yandere + dog ears] sounds like the job for him. Also I can’t help but wonder how perfect Hirarin would be as Utashiro lulling me to sleep with his soothing voice...

(*ฅ́˘ฅ̀*)♡

But all this fantasy casting aside, every time I hear Toneri’s adorable grumpy/growling noises that he makes when he’s dissatisfied, I feel like they made the right casting choice after all. #omgWANT ლ(⁰⊖⁰ლ)

What else, what else... HmMMmMmm, the story and characters/pair dynamics this time round is a bit more childish and less ‘tight’ than before. So idk, I didn’t feel as much of *Deh Romantic Feelz* towards Arahagi/Toneri like I did for Hifumi/Utashiro. Although I still enjoyed it because I am immature.

The doppelganger bit was pretty kewl though. Although the battle scene kind of got resolved in a very #WTF kind of way and left me wanting more. Also the overprotective older brother story would’ve benefited from a better explanation/backstory of why he did what he did, no? Overall just kind of #わけわかんない, and not a very tight story, like I said.

The otome game theme was kind of relevant and interesting, esp the senpai character in the game who kept emphasising the use of this kind of romance fantasies as a form of escapism. ...Which got a bit philosophical/personal in a way, although I’m not sure if Toneri was the best person to expound on this because he’s so... erm... simple-minded XD.

Nonetheless, the overall message was clear: that it’s always better to face things head-on, and you have limitless potential as a human being. +++

But *then again* this series isn’t meant to be analysed very deeply. It’s more just for ya’ll to enjoy the cute huggable chibi things and the powerful demons protecting the fuck out of you. Yeah? Yeahh.

Although!! From the cast commentaries it seems like the seiyuu themselves can’t/won’t actually protect you from anything in the event of an actual urban legend/haunting. It’s funny how they voice all these powerful/scary demon and spirit characters, but when they see an actual horror programme or whatever on TV they quickly look away and change the channel!! (-_-|||) SENSEI I AM DISAPPOINT. 

The only exception so far is Sakurai Takahiro, who spouted off a bunch of kaidan-banashi from his old high school enthusiastically when asked. Like, everyone else is a wimp and he is the One True Hero. He even has ‘he[/i]ro’ in his name!!

#otome #drama cd #yuugen romantica #shinkocchou #yuroma #rejet #arahagi #toneri #seiyuu #kaji yuki #hirakawa daisuke #supernatural #youkai #kaidan #mystery #otome game

[cosplayinamerica]

There was a moment where a young child looked at the Guardian and, not knowing what the prop was or where it came from, asked, “what is that thing? I must know! I must!” out loud! There was also a wonderful moment where a fellow con goer and dear friend witnessed the Guardian for the first time without having known that we spent the last month and a half making it. She was so happy, so overjoyed at the sight of the prop that she practically jumped up and down and professed how much she felt like a proud mother. It’s during little moments like this that we realize what makes cosplay such a glorious hobby and what makes going to cons such as Otakon such a unique experience: the excited looks of others as they see something from a beloved work come to life.

The origin of the Guardian’s creation is a rather funny story. On some weekend night earlier this summer, the two of us talked in-depth about the lore of The Legend of Zelda over some drinks. The discussion turned towards the subject of the guardians, robotic creatures which we quickly decided must be showcased to the cosplay world in order to instill that all-too-familiar sense of adventure and horror that comes with looking at it.

It all started as a joke, really, with the idea that I (the Zelda cosplayer) would walk around the con with a Guardian, operated by Link. We had this notion of installing lights and sound in such a way where the Guardian would have blue lights on with Zelda nearby, only to have them turn red and have the Guardian theme play in the background as others approached.

After the Guardian cosplay joke/idea was posed to our older brother, he was all in favor of the idea of genuinely creating this prop and maneuvering it around the con with us as the accompanying Link and Zelda. From there, the creation of the prop took off and the rest is history.

At first, we drew drafts, specifically with the skeleton of the Guardian being made of PVC pipes. While we had the skeleton, we had to account for the question of how to successfully get the prop into and through the con. We initially decided to have it split into four separate pieces, but later favored the idea of creating three connecting pieces of the Guardian so that it could be assembled and disassembled as needed. The next piece was the creation of the Guardian’s actual form, using EVA puzzle foam boards. Once we got that down, we used expanding foam to do the lighter detailing that wraps around the Guardian. It took a dozen cans of the foam to create the Guardian’s unique, serpentine details.

Afterward, we smoothed that foam down to minimize how messy the expanding foam was to work with, but we made sure to keep some grittiness to it to stay true to the Ancient Sheikah aesthetic of these complex robots. Once that was done, we cut into the puzzle foam in order to divide the Guardian’s body into the three desired pieces. Final details included painting the guardian with home decor paint (paint that you use on walls), then creating the legs with six pool noodles. At the bottom, there were PVC pipes that connected the leg pieces to the central body. The eye was then made with clear plastic which was heated up to form a bowl shape for the eye. To achieve the color of the eye, we overlapped it with a layer of blue plastic wrap (the name escapes me but it’s the kind you can find in party supply stores for gift wrapping).

Afterward, we returned to the legs, working on the sections of craft foam that are layered on top of one another. To keep it from falling on the ground, fishing wire was used to discretely tie the legs up to the body of the Guardian. The LED lights were the next order of business. Cables were looped front the inside of the Guardian to the outside, with all of the controls being contained inside. Handles and wheels were installed in order to allow for easier mobility. A USB fan was likewise installed in order to provide cooling for our brother. The lights and fan were powered by two portable chargers. As if this weren’t enough, a speaker was put in so that the iconic Guardian music could be played as we moved around the con. With all that, the Guardian was ready to go!

Ultimately, we would say that this cosplay experience has inspired us to create more cosplays and props that have been virtually unseen. People often say to be the change that you want to see in the world. Knowing that the Guardian was a complicated prop to construct and move around the con, I would still say that it was worth the effort in part due to the reactions of others upon witnessing this one-of-a-kind piece. We want to create more unique cosplays and props and to carry our immense passion for the hobby into the future.

---- https://www.instagram.com/astronaut_nahlo/

#Legend of Zelda #Guardians #cosplay

[puncromancer]

January 6th 2020 - AI: The Somnium Files

I clocked a solid 35 hours in this game, this is the newest game by spike chunsoft - the legend behind the Zero Escape (999) series. In typical fashion, there’s winding timelines and multiple dimensions where you use knowledge from different routes in later ones to progress the overall story. Also in typical fashion, the story gets very convoluted the further in you go- but in a fun way not in a jrpg way. The story does not take itself too seriously.

You play as Kaname Date, a Japanese detective in a top secret division called ABIS- who specializes in delving in subjects dreams to uncover secrets buried either consciously or subsconsiously. The dreamworld sequences (somniums) are appropriately trippy and ludicrous as rules in dreams should. You have to unlock various mental locks in the subjects somnium in order to psync with them successfully and uncover some information you’re after.

Date is after a serial killer who removes their victims left eyes, and the first victim is someone he knows. Date is missing his own left eye, and has an artificial intelligence named Aiba that inhabits his prosthesis. Date also has no memories older than 6 years ago, so he’s shrouded in mystery as well.

The dialogue is very entertaining, although Date is quite pervy at times but its played off as a joke instead of being creepy. The gameplay is mostly a visual novel- you get told to investigate x number of places you go there investigate all available spots from a fixed location and talk to anyone in the vicinity to gather clues- much like a phoenix wright game.

The most challenging part of the game are investigating the somniums- you’re given free reign to run around and interact with fun objects in the dream. Even if you’re dead wrong about how to advance past the mental lock the options are usually funny so its not too much of a downer when you waste an action. In the dream world you only have 300 seconds (six minutes) to psync with the subject. Time creeps to a near standstill while you stand still but advances in real time while you’re moving. Interacting with objects in the dream all cost various amounts of time. So choose wrong too many times and you’ll run out of time. You’re given three retries per somnium attempt and can go back to each mental lock checkpoint by spending one per lock. Even if you run out of retries and time its not too punishing as the objects you’ve found that are needed to unlock each mental lock will have a checkmark icon next to their name allowing you to hurry back to where you got stuck before with more time.

Certain somniums will have branching timelines where you can solve the puzzles in a different way. So once you reach a bad ending you can use the flowchart to jump right back into a branching somnium to go a different route and unlock more of the story and see how that change affects the characters.

The story is very moving at times, even I found myself crying towards the end. I started playing with my gf in the room and she got invested in the characters very quickly even jumping in halfway through. She begged me to tell her what happens in the end because she was dying to know how it played out.

I played it on the switch because that’s the most convenient platform for me, but I saw that its on PS4 as well, and I’d bet probably on steam as well since some of the zero escape titles were put on steam a few years ago. 

There’s also a couple of nice features, it has an auto progression text feature so you can have it read the dialogue to you while you eat dinner or play a mobile app or something. It also has a log feature so if you hear something that makes you go what the fuck you can pull up the log and read whatever you missed. There’s also a fast forward feature so if you jump back to a branching somnium and don’t wanna listen to the exposition again you can just race through it.

Overall I would highly recommend this game, and if you do pick it up and enjoy it I would highly recommend the Zero Escape series as well :)

5/5 stars.

#ai: the somnium files #somnium files #2020 media log #long post

[mirage-babey]

For scientific reasons, which trainers would be best buddies? Which ones would be rivals? What kind of lives would they live? What regions would they live in? I’m sorry for all the questions, but I’d like your opinion

okay, here we go! the current guide to the Apex Legends Pokemon Trainer AU!

Bangalore

Typhlosion (Partner), Braviary

From Kanto

Her family was originally military, but she and one of her brothers ended up running a fire-type gym after an incident

When Natalie and Octavio came along to challenge the gym, after talking with them she realised they all had parents that had placed very specific expectations on them and decided to tag along on their journey to broaden her horizons

She and Octavio, both challenging gyms, have a friendly rivalry going on

Bloodhound

Gallade (Partner), Corviknight, Luxray

From Johto

A very mysterious character with a preference for honourable pokemon

Gibraltar and Ajay have no idea of this trainer’s background, but they’re always grateful for the assistance Bloodhound lends

They and their pokemon make a team of talented trackers, and it makes Gibraltar and Ajay’s jobs of finding and helping pokemon and people stuck in natural disasters much easier

Still, they are dedicated to Arceus above all else

Crypto

Rotom (Partner), Dedenne

From Sinnoh

idk i’ll decide on his story when he gets released in game

Caustic

Wheezing (Partner), Vileplum, Dustox

From Galar

He’s a scientist that wanted to develop the use of poison types but his work was deemed unethical and thus he was fired

however he found that a number of shady organisations were very interested in his work, and so he continued his research

His Wheezing is not a Galarian form despite Alexander being from Galar - it didn’t mesh with his evil scientist aesthetic

Gibraltar

Hariyama (Partner), Aegislash, Aggron

From Alola

His parents were Pokemon Rangers, and he grew up to follow in their footsteps - usually a ranger has just the one partner pokemon, but Aegislash and Aggron just never really left his side

He met his partner pokemon the same day he decided to become a pokemon Ranger; he and his boyfriend got caught in a mudslide, and when his parents came to the rescue, a Makuhita - a pokemon known for it’s tenacity - decided it would try to help

Lifeline

Absol (Partner), Togetic, Chansey

From Unova

When she found out her parents were making some deals with some dodgy organisations, she left the life of wealth she lead in urban Unova in favour of doing humanitarian work with pokemon around the world

Her team consists of pokemon that’d help in rescue situations (Absol can predict natural disasters, Togetic is said to bring good fortune and happiness, Chansey shares its eggs with those who are injured)

Was close friends with Octavio as children, but they grew apart as their paths diverged in adulthood. She still supports his pursuits, though, and he regularly donates to the charities she works with

Gets on well with Gibraltar, they’ve worked together on a number of occasions - Makoa specialises in dealing with the overarching issue, while Ajay helps any injured people or pokemon.

Mirage

Zoroark (partner), Vulpix, Mime Jr, Mawile

From Hoenn

His older brothers all left to go on their pokemon journeys years before he did. Elliott and his mother worked together on holographic tech for entertainment purposes, taking inspiration from the various pokemon that used illusions

He wanted to go on his own journey, but didn’t want to leave his mother alone. His mother’s Zoroark had an egg though, and she gave it to Elliott. The Zorua that hatched from it became his partner.

Most of his pokemon come from the fact that he’s a big softie at heart. Vulpix are known to feign injury to fool enemies and escape, which he thought was really cool. Mime Jr was practising its mimicking skills, Elliott complimented it, and it just completely forgot what it was doing it was so happy and so Elliott immediately took it under his wing. Mawile looks cute but it’s also terrifying and will kick your ass and Elliott just had to have it

He generally takes the route of a battle trainer, but he entered a pokemon contest once on a whim and completely dominated, much to Zoroark’s glee

One day while travelling through Johto he ran into an Espurr - a pokemon with a creept stare that wasn’t native to the region - that scared the shit out of him. He’d never admit it, but the fact that its trainer saw so easily through his pokemon’s illusions also kinda intimidated him

In Unova, he came across the same Espurr, except now it had evolved into a Meowstic. Similarly, his Zorua had now evolved into a Zoroark. He challenged the trainer to a battle and found her psychic type pokemon were at interesting match against his pokemon that specialised in trickery.

The match was observed by some really tall, lanky, excitable guy with an Ambipom and a Cubone. The three trainers coincidentally spent the night at the same pokecentre, and they just didn’t really part ways in the morning.

Also one time when he was drunk, Elliott was flirting with someone and that trainer’s Gourgeist attacked him. It was funny, and the trainer apologised, but he’s also lowkey been afraid of the entire evolutionary line ever since (Wraith and Pathfinder found out when one day, while they were at a pokecentre, Elliott turned around, saw a Pumpkaboo, and screamed)

Octane

Linoone (Partner), Zebstrika

From Unova

He grew up as a rich kid in urban Unova, but with busy CEOs for parents, he often found himself bored

As a kid, a Zigzagoon caught his attention while on a business trip with his family, and he ended up catching it

He and the pokemon got along famously, and when it evolved into a Linoone - the rushing pokemon - he found his taste for adrenaline evolving alongside it

He began to grow distant from his childhood friend Ajay at this time, but he still recognised how important her work was so he supports her whenever he can

Now he partakes in gym battles, the occasional contest (usually due to a friendly rivalry between him and one Elliott Witt), and regular death defying stunts with his high speed pokemon team

He lost his legs in an accident involving a race and a misuse of pokemon moves

He’s got a good few fans as a result of the videos he makes, but he can always count on Ajay, Natalie, and Anita to keep him grounded

He’s got a knack for convincing people to take a risk - it’s how he got Natalie and Anita to go on their own journeys to find what they want from life

Pathfinder

Ambipom (Partner), Cubone

From Unova

He was an orphan with a desire to see the world (and maybe find out the story behind his birth parents along the way)

His first pokemon was an Aipom whose mobility he admired greatly. He has a Cubone because he found it crying and, as an orphan himself, he cared deeply for its loss

He isn’t quite sure what he wants from life, but being a pokemon professor and learning about the world sounds pretty good to him

Near the start of his journey, he was staying in a pokecentre and ended up being the referee for a pokemon battle

When morning came, those two same trainers looked a little lost (though they’d never admit it), and as he himself was brilliant with directions, he ended up offering to show them around the region

But they ended up sticking together long after that

Wattson

Morpeko (Partner), Plusle, Minun, Luxio

From Kalos

Worked closely with her father researching ways in which electric types and people can work together and how those relations could be utilised

She and her father raised an unruly Shinx that was very uncooperative, but one day it accidentally electrocuted her (causing the scar on her face), and it was the guilt it felt that caused it to finally clean up its act

When he passed away, she inherited her father’s Electabuzz. At first, she wouldn’t necessarily consider the pokemon a part of her team, but more of a family member that still assists in her work, though this changed when she started her journey

(shoutout to @gayneflynt @wraithofthevoid for their ideas)

Met Octavio when he was participating in a competition at an arena she had previously done work on. Her father had just passed, and Octavio convinced her that she should give going on a pokemon journey a go to try and fill the void that had been left behind

She met Anita when Octavio was challenging a gym. Anita, sister of the gym leader, got to talking with the pair, and decided to tag along on their journey

Wraith

Gothitelle (Partner), Meowstic, Abra

From Johto

She has amnesia, and woke with nothing but a psychic type pokemon leaning over her in an abandoned lab

Gothitelle is particularly protective of her, as a pokemon that can predict the future and can become aware of their trainer’s lifespan. This was the pokemon fawning over her when she awoke with no memory

Abra can read minds and sense danger, teleporting away when it feels threatened. Sometimes Wraith wishes she had the same ability - the two felt a kinship and it joined her team. She caught Espurr because it’s the restraint pokemon - she personally felt restrained by her lack of memories - and she was kinda fond of how weird and creepy it sorta was

The Espurr scared the shit outta one trainer she met while she was still in Johto - to be fair, it was staring at him weirdly

She ran into him again in Unova. Her Abra - despite being terrified of everyone they met - never once tried to teleport away from him, so in the morning when he invited her to join him and some makeshift tour-guide, on a whim she said yes

All of her pokemon seemed happy with the decision, so she decided that maybe she should stick around in this trio

#u can really tell im biased when it comes to some characters huh #i didnt intend for mirage’s to be that long but i guess here we are #apex legends #my post #mirage #wraith #lifeline #bloodhound #octane #pathfinder #caustic #gibraltar #bangalore #wattson #crypto #apex pokemon!au #ask

[wackomcgoose]

"The Not-So-Haunted Factory" - Written for Arachnida (@blood-brainbarrier​) for HWD Secret Spectres @hwdevents​

Human AU, Highschool AU, platonic RusAme

Major shout-out to @littlekroshkakartoshka​ for beta-reading and for letting me use her Yugoslavian headcanons!

[Mood music: Code Lyoko - Kadic Mornings]

It is a blustery fall day. Alfred walks out of the school as the final bell of the day rings. Once out of the way, he pulls out his phone and begins texting someone...

-- heroicBurgers began pestering vodkaMagician --

[heroicBurgers] hey

[heroicBurgers] hey dude

[heroicBurgers] got any plans for this weekend?

[vodkaMagician] Нет, Фредка.

[heroicBurgers] ...dude, i told you i can't read vodka runes

[vodkaMagician] I said nyet. I do not have plan, Fredka.

[heroicBurgers] well then now you've got one

[heroicBurgers] i heard a group of kids talking about exploring that old factory this weekend

[heroicBurgers] you know, the car factory they say is haunted?

[vodkaMagician] Da... Your point is?

[heroicBurgers] my point is, let's go prank some freshman, dude!

[heroicBurgers] we'll make them think it really is haunted!

[vodkaMagician] ...

[vodkaMagician] Fine.

[vodkaMagician] Why you are like to prank freshman, I do not understand, but I will come with you.

[heroicBurgers] it's gonna be fun, ivan, get in the spirit already!

[heroicBurgers] see you there!

-- heroicBurgers ceased pestering vodkaMagician --

With that sorted, Alfred walks off to gather supplies and intel for the prank. This is gonna be great!

[Mood music: Code Lyoko - Sneaking Around]

That Saturday, Ivan makes his way to the supposedly-haunted factory, once again questioning the reasoning of his American-born friend. He arrives, carrying the few requested items: a gallon of glow-in-the-dark slime, an old construction worker's outfit, a spool of twine, and a crowbar.

"Dude, finally! I've been here for hours working on this already!" Alfred's voice can be heard from behind a pillar. Ivan walks over, discovering a rather elaborate device already being built. "Did you get the slime and outfit?"

"Da, I did, though I do not know why. Nor why you did not buy slime yourself, since you are living closer to craft store than me..." Ivan mutters as he hands the stuff over. "What is device?"

"You know those 'audio animatronic' things Disneyland's got? Same concept, but mobile. We're gonna have a 'ghost' ride up to the group, dripping ectoplasm, and scare the pants off them!" Alfred grins, beginning to put the clothes on the dummy. It appears to be one of those poseable store mannequins, attached to a large RC car, with pulleys on various joints.

Ivan mutters to himself in Russian, making Alfred pause. "Fredka, that is not how you scare person. This is how you scare person." He pulls out of his jacket, a piece of rusty-looking lead pipe, with what appears to be a hell of a lot of blood on it. Alfred turns white as a ghost. "...Relax, is fake blood! I scare you muchly, da?"

"N-Not f-funny, dude, we're supposed to be on the same side here." Alfred finishes 'clothing' the device, and picks up an RC controller. "Besides, we can't let them see us, or they'll recognize us immediately and the prank is ruined. What else you got?"

"Hmm... Maybe if they are see us, is problem. But... what if they are only hear us?" The Russian exchange student unpockets a pair of walkie talkies and a few small speakers. "Is from electronics store. Voice changer and different channel select, can hide speaker in different place and make spooky sound."

Alfred's face lights up. "Now you're thinking what I'm thinking! I was gonna buy something like that, but the store was out. High five!" He holds up his hand. Ivan slaps it hard enough to make Alfred wince in pain. "G... good arm you got there... let's try and find places for these... then I got some other stuff..."

The dynamic duo proceed to spend the next few hours setting up various spooks, traps, and jumpscares throughout the facility. The whole time, there is a bit of an evil look in Ivan's eyes, as though it's more than a prank to him. Alfred tries to look away, but he swears he saw Ivan's eyes flicker with a purple aura once or twice...

[Mood music: Wallace and Gromit in Project Zoo - Warehouse (Exploration)]

"This is gonna be great, guys! We're totally gonna debunk a legend, bre!" The Serbian girl walks into the factory, leading her three companions inside.

"...Eh? Is this why you dragged us out here at midnight, Brenka?" Looking around, the Croatian boy rolls his eyes, while the young Bosnian hides behind the Montenegrin. "Calm down, Izet, there's nothing to be afraid of here 'cept Brenka's imagination. And stop hiding behind Jevrem."

"D-Do you m-mean the f-factory o-owner who d-d-died here?" Izet says from his hiding place.

Jevrem yawns. "Can we go back yet? I got sleep to catch up on and a paper to not do."

Brenka stops in the middle of the entry hall. "That 'paper' is why we're here, actually! We have to write about local legends, and I thought why not debunk one of the most popular, the Lithuanian car factory owner that got--" She pauses, staring at the trembling Izet. "Why did you come along, anyway?"

"I-I was d-dragged here..."

"Oh no you weren't, get over it already," retorts the Croat.

"Yeah Izet, get over it and help me look for clues!" Brenka rolls her eyes.

"W-who put y-you in c-charge?" Izet still won't come out from behind Jevrem.

"That's very easy, bre! You see..."

Meanwhile, Alfred listens to all of this over a hidden microphone. "Heh heh... They're so distracted, it's the perfect time to scare them! Ready, dude?"

Ivan grumbles, wearing a ratty factory-worker outfit. "I still do not like idea, Fredka."

"The worker-bot can't go up stairs, I need a real man out there to chase them! Now hurry up and get into position down there..." Alfred looks to the factory intercom system, wired into the voice-changer Ivan brought.

[Mood music: Code Lyoko - Emergency]

"And that is why Srbija is best nation. Any questions?" Brenka beams, having just finished a fifteen-minute 'lecture' on why her home country is the best.

"WHO DISTURBS MY SLUMBER?!" A voice booms out, filling the room.

Izet practically jumps out of his skin, Jevrem's eyes snap open from their half-closed state, Andrej rolls his eyes, and Brenka grins. "Hah! I knew someone was gonna set us up, bre! Show yourself!"

"IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE NEW WORKERS HAVE SHOWN UP..." The creepy voice echoes throughout the facility. "YOU FOUR SHALL DO NICELY."

"You wanna fight this?" Andrej puts up his fists. "I'll knock you into the post-afterlife, chump!"

A pair of 'factory workers' shamble into the room, one wielding a rusty pipe. Izet runs off before anyone else can stop him, Jevrem in pursuit shortly after.

"It's fake, guys! Come on, stop being chickens, bre!" Brenka calls after the others, before turning and noticing the one worker walking up to her, pipe raised over his head.

"...Escape first, debunk later, Srbija!"

"I told you not to call me th--" Brenka objects before Andrej grabs her hand and starts running.

Alfred taps the mute button on the intercom, doubled over with laughter. "This is going better than I thought!" Watching the two pairs of kids run away on the monitors, he pulls out his walkie-talkie and radios Ivan.

"Dude, keep following the talkative Serbian and the other guy. I got the sleepwalker and the scaredy-cat." He picks up the RC controller as he resumes piloting the robot. "Best. Halloween. Ever."

[Mood music: Wallace and Gromit in Project Zoo - Diamond-O-Matic (Fight)]

Izet runs through the halls of the factory, Jevrem in pursuit. Shortly behind the two, the robo-worker swings a shovel.

"N-not d-dying t-today, n-not d-dying t-today..." Izet mutters to himself as he continues to flee.

"C-come on, Izet, I can't keep up with you like this!" Jevrem wheezes as he struggles to keep up with the fleet-footed Bosnian...

"In here!" Andrej drags Brenka into a side room, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell, Andrej! It's just a guy in a costume, it's gotta be!" She manages to wheeze out, trying to catch her breath.

"Fake or not, whatever it is wants to kill us..."

The man shambles up, pipe in hand... but is stopped as Andrej slams the door in his face, sending him reeling!

"..." Brenka is stunned at what she just witnessed, before Andrej continues pulling her along.

"We have to keep moving... Where's the others?"

Jevrem finally manages to catch up to Izet, as the two reach a stairwell. Shortly behind, the robo-worker approaches.

"C-come on... T-there has to b-be a w-way out!" Izet stutters.

"Yeah... upstairs." Jevrem grabs Izet's arm, and begins to pull him upward.

"W-why? W-we'll be t-trapped!" The robo-worker approaches... and bonks right into the bottom stair! It stares up at them neutrally.

"...Very interesting..." Jevrem notices this, staring suspiciously at the stuck pursuer.

"M-maybe z-zombies c-cannot c-climb s-stairs?" Izet offers.

"Ne... I think there is something else going on here." Contemplatively, the two kids run up the stairs.

Alfred groans, staring at the camera feed from the robo-worker's 'eyes'. "Drat. They figured out its weakness already. Well, maybe Ivan's onto something with the two loudmouths..."

He flips through the camera feeds in the control room, noticing Brenka and Andrej approaching a blast door, Ivan in pursuit. "Heh... perfect." Planning to trap them, he hits the button to close the door.

Up ahead of Brenka and Andrej, klaxons begin to blare as the door lowers in front of their escape route.

"Not good, bre! Who is doing this?!" The angry Serb looks around the room.

"Figure it out later!" Andrej runs under the door. Brenka slides under, but her šajkača is knocked off her head in the process!

"Oh ne!" She looks back, seeing the special hat under the closing door. With impressive reflexes, she reaches back, grabbing the hat right as the door slams shut! A thump can be heard as their pursuer faceplants into it.

"You... went back for a hat." Andrej raises an eyebrow, watching Brenka put the hat back on.

"...Do not disrespect my šajkača, Croatian." She gives him an angry glare that could weld a door shut. "Now come, bre. I see stairs ahead."

Andrej giggles at her, as he gets up and follows her toward the stairwell. "Heh heh, you said 'come'."

"Darn it..." Alfred mutters as he realizes his 'trap', actually trapped his partner in crime instead. He looks at the cameras, not realizing which stairwell the kids are walking up...

"And just what do you think you are doing, bre!"

"W-Who are y-you?"

"Guys, I think we found the mastermind..."

"What was your first clue, eh Jevrem?"

Alfred's face goes white as he turns around, seeing all four of the kids standing in the doorway, staring at him. "Well, shit."

"So. What was the meaning of all this?" Brenka says, pacing back and forth in front of Alfred and Ivan. The two pranksters are sitting in the middle of the control room, surrounded by the other kids.

"Do not blame me, was all Fredka's idea." Ivan points out.

"Duude..." Alfred whines, "I didn't /force/ you to come, you /wanted/ to be here!"

"W-what should w-we do?" Izet stutters out.

"You think we should dress them in something embarassing? Heh heh heh..." Andrej imagines what kind of stuff they could make the duo wear.

"...Actually, I think I have a plan." Brenka pulls out her phone, showing off a picture. "They are called opanci. Very weird shoes from my homeland. We will make you wear them to school for a month, bre!"

Ivan flinches at the sight of the ridiculous shoes, while Alfred laughs. "Hah, do your worst! I lost my dignity years ago when my older brother made me wear a tea bag costume!"

Andrej laughs, while Ivan mutters, "...phrasing."

"Not scared, huh? I can think of far worse..." The Serbian woman begins to think... her face plastered with an evil grin. "I might have some /women's clothing/ that may fit you two."

"Serby, that's dirty..." Jevrem whines.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that! I am not Srbija, bre!"

Meanwhile, Ivan's face freezes, looking over the shoulders of the Yugoslavian kids...

"You... do not belong here..."

"Whoa, dude!" Alfred laughs. "Nice work on the second ghost!"

"...Is not me, Fredka..."

Brenka and the others turn around, looking at the mysterious voice. It's coming from a man, dressed in construction gear, with a distinct translucency to him.

"Hah! This one's fake too, bre! Watch!" Brenka walks up, intending to slap the 'fake' ghost... and watches in horror as her hand passes right through, turning frosty in the process.

"Leave... now..."

"...Ohhhh ne." Brenka manages to gasp out, before the kids run away. In the process, Alfred knocks over a CD player he had set up for an earlier part of the prank. It begins to play a song, having landed on the factory intercom button...

[Essential mood music: Mystery Skulls - Ghost (MysteryBen27 Animated Version)]

"Dudes, where do we go?!" Alfred looks around.

"L-let's s-split u-up..." Izet stutters out. "I-it c-can't c-chase us a-all..."

Hearing the ghost behind them, they all bolt in different directions.

'Cause the world might do me in

Izet runs down a paper-strewn hallway, Jevrem following him.

It's alright 'cause I'm with friends

Alfred runs down the stairwell.

Guess I'm giving up again

Ivan heads down a different hallway, the ghost in hot pursuit.

It doesn't matter (Ooh ooh ooh)

Brenka and Andrej carefully make their way across a catwalk.

Had me feeling like a ghost

Alfred kicks down a door... revealing a broom closet.

And that's what I hate the most

Jevrem trips over a cardboard box, Izet helping him up as they continue.

Guess I'm giving up again

Seeing no ghost behind them, Brenka and Andrej take their time with the second catwalk, picking up speed once they're on solid flooring again.

This time, this time, this time...

Ivan finds a rusty pipe, the same one he had earlier...

This time I might just disappear

"Давай, дебил!" Ivan taunts the ghost as it approaches.

Ah yeah (Woah ooh oh oh)

The ghost leaps at Ivan, who swings the pipe. It ducks, and Ivan feels a chill through him as the ghost passes through his torso.

This time I might just dis--

Coughing, Ivan stumbles to his feet and resumes running. The ghost continues, in pursuit of someone else.

(Mo mo mo mo moah~, mo mo mo mo moah~) AH YEAH

Brenka and Andrej round a corner... right into the ghost's path! It roars at them, and they run the other way.

(Mo mo mo mo moah, oooh~) This time I might just disappear

Izet grabs onto a rope and slides down to the ground floor. Jevrem continues to run, unaware of his companion's separation.

(Woah ooh oh oh)

Alfred tries to kick another door, only for it to recoil and knock him over.

This time I might just dis--

Brenka trips over the fallen American, sliding down the hall. Andrej holds out his hand for Alfred to get up, and they follow the sliding Serb.

(Mo mo mo mo moah~, mo mo mo mo moah~) AH YEAH

Jevrem finds a hallway with portraits of the workers of the old factory. He is vaguely unsettled by this.

(Mo mo mo mo moah, oooh~)

Ivan manages to run into Izet. "Come, friend, we must continue!" He picks up the scared Bosnian, and carries him toward the central hall.

Alfred, Brenka, and Andrej reach Ivan and Izet.

"Dudes, there's no exit!"

"I am not getting killed by a ghost that doesn't exist, bre!"

"W-we m-must e-escape..."

"We WILL find way out. Come, da?"

"Hehe..." Andrej snickers.

"Not the time, dude."

A yell echoes from one hallway, while the ghost approaches from the other. The group resumes running.

Try and hear me, then I'm done

Jevrem is caught in a tangle of cables he ran into.

'Cause I might just say this once

Andrej finds him first, and pulls him out. "Did you find something, eh?"

Seen this play out in my dream

"The ghost... it doesn't match any of the pictures on the wall..."

It doesn't matter (Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm)

Their train of thought is interrupted as the ghost shows up.

Tired of giving up the ghost

The other four enter the hallway, grabbing Jevrem and Andrej and running.

Fuck, it's YOU I hate the most

The ghost points a spectral finger at the group, yelling something in an odd language as it resumes pursuit.

Maybe there's no guarantee

"...Литовский?" Ivan mutters, before Alfred gets his attention again to keep running.

It doesn't matter

The group rounds a turn, running into a hallway filled with doors.

"Dudes, no..." Alfred groans. "I hate the bit with the doors..."

A very close-by roar makes him reconsider.

(Uuh) This time I might just disappear

All six of them run into one door, closing it behind them. The ghost opens the door and follows.

Ah yeah (Woah ooh oh oh)

Ivan and Brenka run out of the opposite door, Izet and Jevrem out of another, Alfred and Andrej out of a fourth, and the ghost comes out of the first door.

This time I might just dis--

The pairs swap room sides, the ghost phasing through Andrej to chase Izet.

(Mo mo mo mo moah~, mo mo mo mo moah~) AH YEAH

More door-shuffling occurs. A comment from Ivan about "dumb amerikanski cartoon reference" is lost in the chaos.

(Mo mo mo mo moah, oooh~) This time I might just disappear

The ghost exits a door, being chased by the four Yugoslavians. Alfred and Ivan are somehow chasing copies of themselves.

(Woah ooh oh oh)

A penguin wearing a red rubber glove on its head waddles out of a door, tripping the ghost in the process. The six kids regroup in the middle of the hall.

"...This chicken looks familiar..." Alfred mutters, only to be interrupted by the ghost standing up. The kids run back the way they came, Jevrem pointing out a 'fire exit' sign on the wall.

This time I might just dis--

"We're almost out, dudes!"

"Now are you believe in haunted factory, Serbian?"

"Okay, bre, I guess it was real!"

"T-the e-exit! C-come o-on!"

"Hehe..."

"NOT THE TIME, ANDREJ!" comes a yell from all five of the others.

(Mo mo mo mo moah~, mo mo mo mo moah~) AH YEAH

Jevrem leads them through a stairwell, going right through the control room.

(Mo mo mo mo moah, oooh~)

"Are you KIDDING ME, bre?!"

"Dude, there's my CD player!" Alfred runs over and turns it off, the music promtly halting.

"Fredka, leave it and run!" Ivan points out the ghost behind him.

"Well, crud."

All six kids roll out the fire exit, and run into the woods back into town. The ghost stops at the threshold, watching them escape, before floating back inside.

"Next year, we are go trick or treat instead, da?"

"Da."

"D-da."

"Da, yeah."

"Da, bre."

"Sure, dude."

The ghost floats back to the central hall of the factory... before reaching up, and taking its mask off. Underneath, an elderly Lithuanian man can be seen.

"Heh heh heh... Every year, it just gets more fun to do that." He begins to walk out... before stopping at a certain hallway. Curiously, he opens a door, and sticks a hand through... before staring, confused, at that same hand sticking out of a door at the other end of the hall. "What in the...?"

Deciding not to question it, he goes back and heads out the factory exit door, chuckling to himself. "Keep this up, Toris, and you'll have a haunting legacy for life..."

#secretspectres #hwdevents #blood-brainbarrier #rusame #mystery skulls

[chakytron]

When Your Marksman Showed The Amazing Savages / Dodge / Outplay Moments ✅

When Your Marksman Showed The Amazing Savages / Dodge / Outplay Moments ✅

When Your Marksman Showed The Amazing Savages / Dodge / Outplay Moments ✅ Category Gaming Description: When Your Marksman Showed The Amazing Savages / Dodge / Outplay Moments ∣ PERFECT MARKSMAN MOMENTS (MOBILE LEGENDS) Submit your … TopTrengingTV Hunting the most trend video of the moment, every hour every day 24/7. Youtube Video Data Published At: 2021-01-28T11:48:37Z   Tags: …

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#Amazing Savages #fooder #funny mobile legend #funny mobile legends #funny moment mobile legend #gaming #i fooder #marksman #marksman ml paling sakit #marksman mlbb #marksman savage mobile legend #marksman savage moments #MLBB #mlbb moments #mobile legend #mobile legend funny #mobile legend funny moment #mobile legends #mobile legends best savage #mobile legends escape #mobile legends funny #mobile legends funny escape #mobile legends savage #mobile legends skin #toptrendingtv #trend hunter #trend video #trending youtube videos #VIDEOS #When Your Marksman Showed The Amazing Savages / Dodge / Outplay Moments ✅

[mst3kproject]

Nightbeast 

Nightbeast is connected to MST3K in a rather roundabout fashion.  It was made by Baltimore-born director Don Dohler, who also brought us The Galaxy Invader, that movie we saw clips of over the credits of Pod People.  Like Legend of the Dinosaurs it steals plot points from Jaws and then never uses them, but the main reason it makes me think of MST3K is because it has a similar feel to Teenage Strangler, in that we seem to be watching something created by a small town who thought making a movie would be great fun.  Also, I get to embarrass somebody famous again!  Remember when I told you guys that the English script of The Magic Voyage of Sinbad was by Francis Ford Coppola? The soundtrack of Nightbeast was put together by J. J. Abrams.  We all gotta start somewhere.

A little spaceship is touring the solar system when it gets hit by a meteor and crashes on Earth.  The pilot escapes moments before its ship explodes, taking a nearby house with it.  While local law enforcement mobilizes to investigate the fireball, a group of curious campers simply cannot wait, and are fabulously disintegrated.  The next few victims are bloodily disemboweled instead, I guess while the alien waits for its ray gun to recharge, and then the cops show up, leading to an over-long firefight in which only Sheriff Jack Cinder, Deputy Lisa Kent, and one other dude in plaid survive.  It’s up to them to save the town from the extraterrestrial menace!

That’s it, really.  The alien wanders around killing people, Cinder and Kent have some very un-sexy sex, and the lines “be careful!” and “what the hell was that!?” are repeated over and over.  That’s the whole movie.

Nightbeast is terrible on every imaginable level, and because of it, often funny as hell. Its monster is a guy in a silly and immobile alien mask, and despite the title most of the action takes place in broad daylight, giving us a very good look at it.  No motivation is ever suggested for the creature, but based on its silver lame leisure suit and the fact that its ray gun makes people vanish in a variety of effects that look like they were rejected by Xanadu, I like to assume it came to Earth looking for Disco and was pissed to learn it had arrived too late.  The actors are bad, action scenes are confusing and go on way too long, Dohler is fond of inappropriate close-ups, there are random titties just for the sake of having titties in the movie, and the music is… let’s just say there’s a reason J. J. Abrams became famous as a director instead of a composer. There’s a bit where I’m absolutely sure they just stole the Tedddddd… NELSON! theme from The Incredible Melting Man.

In the midst of all this, however, there are a couple of isolated but shining moments of competence.  A sequence in which characters run to take cover behind a stone wall is actually surprisingly tense. The scene of local thug Drago murdering his girlfriend is truly upsetting, as much because of what the movie doesn’t show us as what it does.  The opening ‘space’ sequence is pretty good for the era and budget in which it was created, and there are some gore effects that aren’t bad, either.  You can definitely tell where the production spent its money, and being buried in shit makes these little diamonds sparkle all the brighter.

They still cannot save the movie from its biggest problem, however – which is that there is no plot whatsoever.  Rather than having anything that could be described as a story arc, Nightbeast is just a sequence of events that go nowhere.

Take, for example, a plot point involving Mayor Bert, who’s throwing a party for the Governor and refuses to cancel it despite the murderous alien on the loose.  Oh, boy, this is gonna go badly, isn’t it?  The alien is gonna show up at the party and disintegrate some asses!  No, actually, Plaid Man breaks up the party by announcing that poison gas is seeping out of the mines and everybody needs to leave, which does effectively clear out the town but is definitely not the space monster massacre we were waiting for.  The mayor and his secretary get their extraterrestrial comeuppance later, in a less public and very much less satisfying fashion.

How about the local hunter Cinder calls in to try to disarm the alien?  His son is disintegrated in front of his eyes, prompting him to shoot the ray gun right out of the creature’s hand and then sit down and weep!  Surely this will spur him on to be instrumental in destroying the alien later on.  Surely he’ll be grieving and out for revenge.  Nope, we never see him again.

The nearest things to proper arcs going on in all this are the love story between Cinder and Kent and the grudge between Plaid Man and Drago over how the latter treats his girlfriend Suzie.  These are fairly complete little stories such as they are, I guess, but neither of them has anything to do with the overall plot about the alien killing people.  We get the impression that both sets of events probably would have happened eventually anyway.

A lot of the stuff that’s in the movie, I think is there because somebody on the crew had it lying around and figured they might as well use it.  The ‘party’ sequence happens because they knew a guy with a swimming pool.  They had a ‘severed arm’ prop so they have a bit in which the alien slaps a guy in the shoulder and his arm falls off (watch the movie – there is definitely no tearing happening in that scene).  Somebody knew how to ride a motorcycle so we have both Drago the unconvincing biker and the scene in which Plaid Man (I think his name was Jamie?) rides a bike to the aid of local coroner Ruth, whose house is under siege by the alien.

The overall effect is that the movie feels weirdly incomplete.  The viewer is left with the impression that it was made by people who wanted to make A Movie, and who knew all the parts that movies are supposed to have – a monster, victims, a love story, human villains who get what’s coming to them, etc – and yet were unable to put those parts together into a recognizable whole. The ‘story’ is just a list of vaguely related things that happen, without any sense of direction or a reason why they’re happening in this order and to these people.

This is not the effect the film-makers were going for, because the climax of the movie really does try to bring everything together.  We’re told that the reason the monster hung around the coroner’s house was because it was eating the corpses (this also explains why even before it lost its ray gun, it sometimes just tore people apart instead of disintegrating them), and that a scene in which her assistant escapes using electricity was setting up the alien’s weakness.  The problem here is that these scenes, which were giving us important information, were interspersed with so many that were not important, we saw no reason to pay attention.

There’s not much in the movie that really qualifies as interesting but one thing I did manage to tease out is the types of violence it shows and who are the recipients of that violence. The alien kills men, women, and children indiscriminately, but its most graphic attacks are reserved for the men – there’s the guy on the porch who has his intestines ripped out, the dude in the basement who has his head squeezed off like a grape, and even the man whose arm is lightly slapped off his body.  When the alien kills women, we don’t get to watch – the first female victim we only see blood run down her legs, and although we get the aftermath of the attack on the mayor’s secretary, while it’s going on we only hear the screams.

When women are the subject of overt violence in Nightbeast, their attackers are human.  This is true of the murdered Suzie – while we only see Drago’s face as she is strangled, we do get to watch her be beaten beforehand.  Later, Drago attacks Deputy Kent (I think this is supposed to be revenge for Plaid Man beating Drago up) and we see her both beaten and strangled in some detail, although she survives.  I’ve tried to figure out what this might mean… why do we watch men brutalize women, but not the monster?  The only thing I can come up with is that perhaps it’s to emphasize the difference in the motivation behind the attacks.  The alien kills humans without caring about gender, whereas the men beat women because they are women.  Is this a comment on our own violent proclivities, whereas the alien is killing for food?  I doubt Dohler thought about it that hard.  The rest of the movie is too much of a mess.

Nightbeast is far longer than it should have been and would have been easy to cut down. The shootout sequences would have been way more interesting at half their length, and all of the sunburned 70s titties could go without losing anything of note.  As long as you hang on to your remote to fast forward through the slow bits, then there's lots to enjoy in the amusingly funky alien, the repeated lines and the poor deliveries.  An MST3K version, with the unnecessary bits cut out and commentary from the Satellite of Love, would have been brilliant.

#mst3k #reviews #episodes that never were #nightbeast #tw: abuse #80s