#normal leon has nothing against the cat | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

emiefaunwrites · 3 years

Note

You mentioned Taka being scared of going to the dentist, and I 100% agree!!! May I propose the idea of Leon being afraid of the doctor, or even heights? He just seems like the kinda guy to be scared of those things

Hello!

Yes lets discuss Leon's fears. Not sure on doctors (just feel like he's pretty chill about those things). But I can get behind heights. I can REALLYBget behind heights..

Yep. Sold. Here you go! Scaredy cat Leon coming right up! Fun fact - Youtubed a video of the location I'm describing. I'm also scared of heights and my stomach turned at the video. Poor Leon being there in person...

Thanks for the ask! Hope you enjoy!!

***********************

• Leon's kinda a coward.

• I mean it's obvious with scary films. The boy LOVES being frightened like that.

• But he's a little bit of a coward when it comes to other things too.

• He isn't great with wasps, moths freak him out, and don't get him STARTED on cows. Freaky ass cows...

• But there are many things he isn't scared of.

• He isn't scared of needles, nor thunder storms, blood doesn't make him queasy, and he's not claustrophobic or anything like that.

• But there is one thing. One fear that gets him above all else.

• And everyone in class 78 discover it on the same day.

• It's a field trip to Tokyo for a few days to get a feel of historical landmarks and things.

• They go to visit a whole range of things - the Imperial Palace, the Sensoji Temple, Shinjuku Gyoen.

• And last on the list is the Tokyo Tower.

• Everyone gathers around and takes a bunch of pictures - Leon being the main instigator of them.

• And then teacher tells them they're going up.

• Everyone is super excited - even Taka since he's never been to Tokyo before - and are all chatterinh loudly in the queue.

• 'Yeah, Imma pass.'

• Everyone turns to see Leon looking really casual, leaning against a wall.

• 'The fuck? Why?'

• 'Ah, you know. I've been here before. Seen it. Done it. Not really that big of a deal. I'd rather go get an icecream and chill.'

• He's a great actor so no one knows the REAL reason he doesn't want to go up. So of course, Taka is quite upset.

• 'Wouldn't it be nice to go up there together though? I've never been and I'd love it if we could go together...'

• Oh shit. Taka's eyes are watering and Leon can feel his resolve crumbling, but he REALLY doesn't want to go but OH GOD THAT TREMBLING LIP...

• 'Okay.'

• Ah fuck fuck fuck what has he done?!

• Taka's smile is blinding but nothing cuts through the anxiety Leon feels as he looks up at the tower above him.

• The teacher gets their tickets and they all shuffle into the lift.

• Everyone's talking amongst themselves so don't notice the way that Leon refuses to look anywhere but the ceiling.

• They arrive at the middle deck and everyone launches out, oohing and ahhhing at the sights while Leon finds a comfy seat as far into the centre as he can.

• Taka keeps beckoning him over but he plays it cool, saying he's seen it all before with his signature grin.

• And then the nightmare begins.

• 'Shall we go to the top deck, class?'

• Oh no no no.

• There's cheers of YES and hoots of joy and there's no one willing to stay behind...

• And Leon is about to say no, tell the teacher to save his money, when Taka is bouncing over to him in delight.

• 'Let's go together!'

• Oh there's cold sweat trickling down Leon's neck now - unable to say no to the beautiful boy in front of him.

• And as they shuffle once more into a lift that's taking them higher, Leon's cool persona REALLY starts to drop.

• 'You alright, Leon?'

• 'Yup.'

• 'You sure?'

• 'Mmhmm.'

• Taka is about to question him some more but the lift doors open and he's so caught up in the excitement that he barrells towards the windows with glee.

• Leon, on the other hand, is dying inside.

• He's pressed himself right up against the walls, refusing to look anywhere but up as he tries to will his legs to stop shaking.

• 'Leon come look!'

• 'N-no thanks...'

• 'You can see EVERYTHING from here!'

• 'R-really...I'm fine here...'

• 'Just have a quick look!'

• Oh god oh god he REALLY doesn't want to but he doesn't think he has a choice.

• With a dry swallow he slowly drops his eyes from the ceiling...

• And his legs give out.

• 'Leon!'

• Taka's over to him in a flash, taking hold of his sweaty palms and feeling his heartrate triple the speed of what it normally is and he's hyperventilating.

• 'I need to go please can we go...'

• 'Yes of course, we'll go to the lower deck...'

• 'NO I NEED THE GROUND I NEED TO GET OFF PLEASE LET ME DOWN TAKA PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I CAN'T...'

• 'Okay, okay, just breathe, just breathe.'

• Leon doesn't notice how quiet everyone has become as Taka ushers him in into the lift.

• All he cares about is how strong Taka feels as he's huddled against him, legs still feeling like jelly as his boyfriend's hands soothe his back.

• And when they're back on the ground Taka takes him to get some water and to sit in a quiet area.

• 'Why didn't you tell us you were scared of heights?'

• 'I just wanted everyone to think I was cool. But now they think I'm an idiot.'

• 'Being scared of something is nothing to be ashamed of.'

• Leon doesn't feel any better about it all, dreading the moment that the class comes back.

• But to his amazement everyone, even Togami, is kind about it.

• And Taka lets him sleep on his shoulder on the bus journey back to the hotel.

#kiyotaka ishimaru #leon kuwata #ishileon #ask request #conicalcrowd

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lover-of-midnight · 3 years

Text

It hurts

Rating:

Mature

Archive Warning

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category:

Gen

Fandom:

Merlin (TV)

Relationship:

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Characters:

Merlin (Merlin)

Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Leon (Merlin)

Gwaine (Merlin)

Gaius (Merlin)

Additional Tags:

Hurt Merlin (Merlin)

Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Protective Knights (Merlin)

Aftermath of Violence

Threats of Violence

Whump

One-Shot

Wordcount: 1.000-3.000

FebuWhump2021

febuwhumpday8

Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin)

Hurt/Comfort

Angst

Language:English

Series: ← Previous Work Part 8 of the Febuwhump 2021 series Next Work →

Collections: febuwhump 2021

@febuwhump

The night air was cold, the knights were slowly falling asleep. It was just another day’s ride then they would be back in Camelot.

Arthur was sitting on a rock looking into the darkness, he could hear the men’s breathing evening out.

His eyes strayed to his friend who was slightly outside the ring of knights, Merlin’s mob of hair was even messier than normal.

He could feel the fatigued clawing at him, wanting to drag him under, he couldn’t imagen how his men must be feeling. It was a battle worthy of the history books.

But at the moment, he just wanted them to rest. The patrols were getting more and more with the sorcerers attacks picking up. The people were scared but there wasn’t much more that they could do to keep everyone safe.

Arthur's eyes moved around the trees to see if he could see anything, the woods were silent except for insects making noise.

The animals of the wood were used to the man walking through the clearing, his magic crackling around him.

When he first started to live here, they would fall silent every time he would move, he was a danger to them, but he never attacks them, he doesn’t hurt them, and when they got injured the man would heal them if he found them.

So they continued with their songs of the evening, it didn’t bother them that his magic was more violent than normal.

Arthur could feel his hair standing up like a pissed of cat. He grabbed his sword. He kept his eyes trained on the woods but there was no movement and the wood was still alive with insects.

He knows that a good indication if something is going to happen, is through listing to the wood, but at the moment, nothing was giving him an indication for having a bad feeling.

The man’s green eyes flashed gold and smoke started to drift into the camp, he could see the prince was aware that there was something in the woods that was out for them.

In less than five minutes since the spell was uttered Arthur fell over, his mind felt like it was trapped. And there was simply no way out. Arthur tried to push himself up, but his body felt like it was made of lead.

He could only watch in horror as the man picked Merlin up. He felt himself getting nauseous when the man slapped on demetricuffs around his arms.

For a moment it felt like his mind was going to split in half, he wasn’t sure what he felt. On one hand, Merlin is a bloody sorcerer and on the other hand horror because his friend was taken and he had no idea where he was being taken.

The man and Merlin disappeared into the woods. Arthur tried again to get himself up, but it was impossible, his muscles were locked.

When the sun started to rise Arthur finally managed to get himself upright. He felt like hell, but he wanted to get Merlin back.

He had a long time to think of what it would mean the fact that Merlin is a sorcerer and how it made him feel. He was angry about it. But at the same time, Merlin never gave him any reason to believe that he is against Arthur.

Arthur bit the inside of his lip. They will just have to talk about it when they find Merlin.

“Wake up! This isn’t the time for sleep anymore” His voice echoed around the clearing, he could see that his men struggled to push themselves up. Their eyes were slightly clouded, but it looked like everyone was okay.

“What happened?” Gwaine’s voice was hoarse, and he stretched out trying to work the weird stiffness from his body.

Everyone’s eyes landed on Arthur and a singular question went through everyone's mind. Why didn’t he woke them up for there turn for guard looked out?

“Something happened last night, I am not properly sure what happened because one minute I was still fine and the next I couldn’t move. But that is not the problem, the problem is that the man that caused it took Merlin.” Arthur could feel the anger boiling under his skin. And the worst part is that he wasn’t sure what he was angrier about.

The fact that Merlin was kidnapped or the fact that he had magic.

Arthur was silent as he looked at the knights, he knows that most of them think of Merlin as a little brother to them.

“Why would they take Merlin?” Leon looked firmly at Arthur.

Arthur was silent for a while, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to blab Merlin’s secret to them, but at the same time, he knows they wouldn’t just up and abandon him.

“He has magic,” Arthur’s voice was low, none of the anger he had felt through the night was there, now he was just scared and hoped that he would be able to get to Merlin soon.

There was a silence around the camp and for a moment Arthur thought he had misread how the knights felt about Merlin.

“So what are we waiting for, let's go get him back.” Gwaine glared at the rest slightly. Sometimes they need a kicked under the arse to get it moving.

The rest of the knights threw a shout into the air. Soon everyone was packed.

They walked through the woods which were spent in silence as they tried to find a trace of the man’s footsteps.

Just after the mid sun had started to pass, they stopped to eat something. How bloody far had the man gone?

The man stared at the boy in front of him. This is supposed to be the all-powerful Emerys? He almost scoffed. He couldn’t help but think that Merlin was nothing more than a runt. But in either way, it doesn’t matter what he thought.

They were sure that he was the one destiny had a prophecy about all those years ago.

“Wake up! This isn’t the time to sleep.” The man’s voice was hard.

Merlin woke with a start. His eyes were wide as he tried to figure out where he was. A small whimper escaped his lip when he saw the man.

His heart rate skyrocketed and he tried to pull into himself.

The man just looked at Merlin, he could see the fear clearly in the blue eyes and for a moment he was filled with joy. He so loved the terror he could create.

“Now, now none of that.” The man’s voice was lower but the darkness in it almost made Merlin close his eyes.

When a thumb traced over Merlin’s cheek, he froze up, he could feel his magic fighting to get out, but something was stopping it.

Pain washed over him when he tried to use it. Merlin could feel himself freezing up complete. He could feel the panic trying to smother him and for a moment it felt like it was.

The man only laughed before he calmed himself.

“So you see there are a few people that are pissed that you are helping the prince, betraying your people so that he could sit on the throne one day.” The man was talking as if he was giving information about the weather.

Merlin just stared at the floor. He admits to himself that he hates himself about that. He never wanted to hurt another person, but there was sometimes no choice. He needs to keep Arthur safe at all cost.

“They want information, and you are going to give me that information.” The man continued.

Merlin knows that he wouldn’t talk no matter what. There was simply too much at stake.

When silence was the only answer, the man turned around pulling a tray closer.

“We can start with something easy. A nail, the longer you don’t give me what I want, I will pull a nail out. And we can move on from there, to break your fingers. And we will continue to go through your body and restart if necessary until I have the information I want.” The man informed Merlin.

The knights were just back on their horses when a scream echo to them. They froze for a second before they started to follow from where the sound had come from.

It took them another hour of walking and a constant screams that had to follow before they found a small house.

They could hear someone talking inside the house, but they couldn’t make out what the person was saying. With a nod from Arthur, they pulled their swords and crept closer.

A kicked against the door and they spilled into the house, the man turned to face the knights. He was covered in blood.

With a wave from his hand, he sends the knights backwards, but there wasn’t enough thought in the movement and Arthur manage to jump out of the way.

The man didn’t bother to say a word or look back but simply disappeared from a door.

Leon and Gwaine rushed to try and catch up but when they opened the door, no one was there.

A silent curse was all that left their lips before they turned to Merlin. They were ready to step in when they saw that Arthur was busy to take off the cuffs.

His eyes had softened when he saw Merlin.

Merlin was pale and broken sobs left his lips, both his hands where cradled to his chest. Leon stood closer with a medic kit Gaius had sent with them.

The flinch made everyone feel like shit, this was their friend, they should have helped him more. But they couldn’t.

Arthur crouched down next to Merlin, he could see that Merlin’s right-hand was broken and it looked like some on the left.

“Merlin, can we see your hand please?” Arthur’s voice was low as he looked at Merlin.

It was clear to see that Merlin didn’t want to offer his hands up.

Merlin pulled his hands closer to his chest. He was surprised that the knights were able to get so soon to them.

A sob left his chest and he curls into himself. Arthur gave a worried look to Leon.

“Merlin, can you please settle against Arthur?” Leon gave Arthur a stern look but at the same time was his voice low and soothing.

Merlin gave an unsure look to Arthur, before he was pulled against Arthur’s chest, a warm hand settled against Merlin’s head.

The warmth and comfort Arthur offered calmed Merlin down slightly.

“Can I see your hand, Merlin?” Leon kept his voice in a soothing tone, the same he would use when he needs to help frightened villagers.

A frantic head shakes from Merlin only happened. He couldn’t bring himself to allow anyone near his hands.

Arthur forced himself to take a deep breath. His hand ran gently through Merlin’s hair.

“Merls, give your hand to Leon, he needs to set it so that Gaius can look after it. If it sets wrong you won’t be able to use your hands.” Arthur kept his voice low, but he knows that Merlin would want to keep the use of his hand, even if it was limited.

Merlin gave Arthur a pleading look, everything in him screamed to keep his hands against his chest.

Leon just sighed. “Merlin please, we need to keep it cool and make a sling that you can keep your hands still.”

They could see the fear in Merlin’s eyes.

Arthur gently ran his hand through the sweaty hair of Merlin. He could feel the shiver running through Merlin’s body.

Merlin’s arm was stiff as he handed to Leon, his body was even tenser than a few minutes before. A pain shot through his arm when Leon started to exam the hand.

“St-stop, please.” The pleading broke Arthur’s heart.

Merlin wanted to pull his hand back but he didn’t want to hurt himself even more if he pulled away.

“Calm down, Merlin.” Arthur’s voice was soft but there was a firmness in his voice that made Merlin listen to him.

Merlin forced himself to breath as Leon wrapped a cooling salve on his arm, he knows that it will help with the swelling that was already happing.

But it didn’t stop the fact that it was painful.

When a bandage was put around Merlin whimpered, but it looked like he was starting to calm down.

With the sling finished, Merlin sat back and rest against Arthur. Now only the fingers that were broken need to be splinted.

When everything was finished, Arthur picked Merlin up. He easily helped Merlin onto his mare, before he slipped up behind him.

Merlin was heavy against Arthur. Arthur tried to over as much as support as he could as they rode to Camelot.

Arthur could feel Merlin’s body slowly going heavier as the fatigued dragged him down.

The ride was spent in silence as they rode on to Camelot.

“Merls, it is time that you wake up.” Arthur couldn’t help but ran his hand against Merlin’s cheek.

Arthur could feel the tension returning to Merlin’s body. With some manoeuvring, Arthur managed to get Merlin down from the horse.

The trip to Gaius chambers was long, and Arthur was kicked out as soon as Gaius had learned what had happened.

Dusk was just falling when there was a knock against Gaius door. The physician answered it, he only nodded at Arthur and allowed Arthur into the room.

Merlin was sitting upright, his hand in a bandage. He kept his eyes on the floor.

“I will leave you too it, don’t upset him, Arthur.” Gaius's voice was a warning.

Arthur only nodded and waited until the door closed behind them. Arthur crouched down in front of Merlin.

“How are you feeling?” Arthur’s voice was soft, he wanted to reach out and take the pain away.

“Alright.” Merlin’s voice was soft and childlike.

“I’m not mad Merls.” Arthur's voice was gentle.

Merlin's eyes widen slightly as he looked at Arthur.

“B-But…” Merlin trailed off.

“But nothing, you are the same dollop head that started work for me, if you wanted to hurt me, you had plenty of change, but you never did.” Arthur gently ran his hand through Merlin’s hair.

Merlin gave a broken laugh.

“We will figure this out Merls.” Arthur hopes the smile he gave Merlin was giving him some hope.

Merlin could only sag forward, Arthur easily caught him. Just holding him close to his chest.

7 notes · View notes

rosedavid · 4 years

Note

Merther prompt: Arthur ask Merlin who his ideal partner is. Merlin in an effort to hide his growing feelings from Arthur describes someone completely opposite Arthur. Shortly after someone arrives in Camelot hoping to become a Knight in Arthur's roundtable. This person is exactly as Merlin described and has immediately seem to set his cap at Merlin. Merlin doesn't know what to do especially when Arthur starts to act funny and won't explain why. Though everyone else seems to know the answer.

thank you so much for the prompt!! it ended up a little bit different, but I hope you still enjoy it!! :)

If you want to read it on ao3, here’s the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23541073

…

Laughter echoes from around the campfire. The sun has long set, but nobody has any intent to fall asleep quite yet. Merlin relishes nights like these; nights free of bandits, evil sorcerers, or something other disaster that Merlin has to solve. Nights like these are few and far between, but when they do come, Merlin appreciates them. He appreciates joking with the knights as if he’s one of them. Around the campfire, after all the chores for the day are finished, he can just relax.

“No way,” Percival shakes his head. “That is not what happened!”

“As if you’d remember! You were as drunk as a skunk! As if you’d remember. Unlike you, I can hold my mead,” Gwaine retorts, puffing out his chest.

“I would never jump on a table and sing!”

“—And it broke, don’t forget the best part!”

Percival smirks, “But if this happened, then why didn’t the tavern workers make me pay my debts for the table?”

“Have you seen yourself?” Gwaine gestures with a wink. “Not only are you a stud, but you’re a big, intimidating stud. Plus, I think Mary has a crush on ya!”

At this, Arthur snorts, “Please, Mary has a crush on everyone. She even complimented Merlin of all people!”

“He’s just jealous because he thought Mary was complimenting him at first,” Merlin pipes up, earning a glare from Arthur as well as hearty laughs from the other knights.

“Ah, crushes are fickle things, my friends,” Gwaine grins, raising a flask he seemed to procure from thin air.

“I can attest to that,” Elyan agrees.

“Oh, do you have someone you fancy, Elyan?” Percival teases, punching his shoulder jokingly.

Elyan rolls his eyes, punching Percival back. “As a boy, I did. I thought she was the love of my life. But we just grew apart. What about you then, Percy?”

A deep blush spreads across Percival’s cheeks, shone only brighter by the light of the campfire. Everyone laughs. Gwaine and Leon push at him from either side, urging him to tell. He raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, fine. I might have a certain girl that I like…”

“Who is it, Perce?! Come on, you have to tell us now,” Gwaine begs, tugging his sleeve.

“No way!”

“At least describe her for us, mate!”

Percival gives in at that. “Okay fine! She has dark, thick hair that curls down to her shoulders. A soft smile. Deep brown eyes that you can get lost in. She’s funny, too, and shy.”

“It sounds to me like Percy is in love,” Lancelot grins. Percival blushes, but doesn’t deny it.

“How about the rest of you, then? Who do you like, Lance?”

“No one at the moment,” he says, honestly.

“Me either,” Leon admits. “My only lady is Camelot.”

“And what does Camelot look like, Leon?” Elyan teases.

“I mean, I’m not at all picky. Though I do like a girl who is kind-hearted and loyal.”

“Boo! Boring,” Gwaine sighs. Merlin, who sits between Gwaine and Arthur, suddenly gets squished into Gwaine’s side, Gwaine’s arm wrapped possessively around his shoulder.

“I like serving girls,” Gwaine proclaims boisterously. “Who have dark, beautiful hair and sparkling eyes, and are clumsy—”

“Gwaine!” Merlin groans, attempting to get out of his tight grasp. All the knights are laughing and cat calling.

“Okay, okay,” Gwaine yields, finally letting Merlin go. When Merlin finally has use of his limbs back, his eyes immediately go to Arthur for some reason. Although Arthur is smiling along with everyone else, his posture is tense, and his smile is tight. Before Merlin can think about it anymore, though, Gwaine directs his attention back to Merlin.

“Well? Don’t keep us hanging!” Gwaine says.

Oh. Merlin is expected to take his turn. This is a problem. He risks a quick glance at Arthur again, knowing that the heat forming from his cheeks isn’t due to the fire. The thing is, Merlin does have a crush, an extremely inconvenient crush. He hates how Arthur’s smile sends butterflies swarming through his stomach, how when Arthur touches him his heart rate speeds up. Over time, Merlin has gotten used to it. After all, nothing would ever come of it. Arthur would never fall someone like him, even if Merlin was noble.

Across the campfire, Lancelot sends him an apologetic look. For some reason, Lancelot ended up knowing not one, but both of Merlin’s biggest secrets. Although Merlin appreciates someone to rant to, he also can’t stand the looks of pity that Lancelot sends him. It’s embarrassing, mostly; Merlin feels ridiculous for even having a crush on Arthur in the first place, let alone someone else knowing. Still, Lancelot raves about his crush on Gwen in return, convinced that she’ll never reciprocate his feelings because her and Arthur are in love. Merlin has a feeling that even though Arthur might be in love with Gwen, Gwen doesn’t return his feelings in anything but a platonic manner. She only has eyes for Lancelot these days. Despite the obvious yearning looks between Lancelot and Gwen, Merlin doesn’t mention anything because Lancelot always certainly denies the obvious. Plus, it just makes Merlin feel worse about his situation.

He can’t risk Arthur finding out. This secret is second only to his magic. There’s no doubt that if any of the knights find out, the truth will come out to Arthur eventually, too. Merlin has to steer them off any trail connecting his crush to Arthur.

“Dark hair and eyes,” Merlin says, picturing the opposite of Arthur. “Sensitive, reserved, and always open about their feelings.”

Gwaine slaps him on the back, “You’ll find her someday, Merlin. I can be your wingman!”

Merlin smiles half-heartedly, still thinking of the person he really likes. He looks over toward Arthur again, only to find him standing up, grumbling about getting more firewood. There’s already a pile big enough to last them the rest of the night.

“Don’t mind him, he’s just a spoilsport,” Gwaine groans. “Princess needs to unwind a bit sometimes.”

“That’s the King you’re speaking of,” Leon reminds him, although there’s no bite behind it.

“I know you all agree!”

The bickering between the knights continue. Merlin smiles and laughs when prompted, saying minimal words the rest of the time. Lancelot notices odd mood, but knows better than to confront Merlin at that moment.

It’s only much later that Arthur finally returns, arms full of wood (it’s the completely wrong kind to keep a fire going, but Merlin doesn’t dare mention that). By that point, the knights are finally calming down. After dumping the sticks near the fire, Arthur turns toward his men.

“I’ll take first watch,” Arthur volunteers stiffly. “Leon, you can take second. We’ll head back to Camelot straight away tomorrow morning.”

Arthur seems different than normal, more stoic. He seems uncomfortable, too, especially when Merlin heads over to his side. Merlin worries that Arthur somehow picked up on his bluff. What if Arthur suspects his crush and is disgusted by it? Merlin really hopes that isn’t the case; he can’t risk jeopardizing the odd friendship they’ve built over the years for one stupid little crush.

“Are you sure you want to take watch? I can do it while you get some rest,” Merlin offers hesitantly.

Arthur purses his lips, silent for a moment before finally responding. “No, Merlin. Just go to sleep.”

No joking or mocking, just a simple statement. Merlin screwed things up so bad. He can only hope that tomorrow will be better. As Arthur stalks off to lean against a tree, Lancelot approaches Merlin. He pats Merlin on the back a few times with a comforting smile.

“Are you okay?” Lancelot asks quietly, as not to alert the others.

Merlin nods slightly. “Yeah, ‘course.” He says this not only to reassure Lancelot but also himself. Who cares if Arthur’s acting grumpy about this all? He’s probably just still caught up with his crush on Gwen and in a bad mood from the long day. Merlin’s not worried at all that his secret has been revealed and Arthur hates him. Things are fine.

…

The next morning proceeds like any other. Arthur orders Merlin around like usual, bickering with him and tossing insults back and forth. And Merlin is relieved. Things seem to be normal once more, and Merlin can deal with normal.

“Mer-lin! Could you be any lazier?! At this rate, we won’t get back to Camelot until nightfall,” Arthur proclaims, waiting with arms crossed as Merlin finishes packing the saddlebags.

“So sorry, my pratness,” Merlin grins. Having a pack thrown at his chest in retaliation has never felt better.

On the journey home, Lancelot trots his horse up beside Merlin, urging them to the back of the pack. “You and Arthur seem normal this morning.”

“I guess he was just in a bad mood last night, after all,” Merlin replies.

“You’re okay with things being normal again?”

“Normal is better than Arthur hating me.”

Lancelot pulls a face. “Merlin, I really don’t think Arthur could ever hate you.”

Merlin doesn’t know what to respond with, but luckily, he’s saved by their approach into Camelot. Arthur, having noticed that his manservant isn’t beside him, calls out for Merlin with annoyance. Merlin offers Lance a small smile for his efforts as a good friend before catching up with the King.

The next fortnight goes by with miraculously no complications. Arthur is busy with his duties as King and ordering Merlin around to do his chores. After coming back from the latest hunt, Merlin decided he would not get hung up with his crush on Arthur. It went well, at first. Merlin pushed out any type of thoughts relating to Arthur’s annoyingly brilliant smile, stupid blue eyes, or joyous laugh. He didn’t feel the tingling sensations when Arthur touched his arm or patted his back. Merlin definitely hasn’t been admiring Arthur’s sleeping body in the morning before he wakes, so soft and relaxed, golden hair tousled along the pillow and skin gleaming under the crack of the sunlight from the curtains.

Damn it. Maybe this isn’t going to work as well as Merlin had hoped. In fact, it seems like Merlin just becomes more infatuated as the days go on!

Unbeknownst to him, there was a big change coming in the form of one Oliver Francis.

…

Recently, word of the Knights of the Roundtable has passed throughout the kingdom and beyond. For the last few months, more and more nobles and non-nobles alike have been traveling the distance to Camelot in order to train for a spot as one of Arthur’s prestigious knights. Many had trained and fought, and very few actually succeeded in becoming a full-fledged knight.

If you asked Merlin, he would say he has no clue what the big fuss about being a knight is. Of course, he believes in Camelot and Arthur and understands the attraction to the prospering kingdom. Never will Merlin understand, though, the fun of constantly sacrificing your life and hitting things with glorified sticks. Not to say he doesn’t appreciate the knights, but he can’t understand it. If Merlin had his choice, he wouldn’t have to use his magic in dangerous situations to constantly save Arthur’s backside. Merlin has no choice in the matter, though, destiny this, future of Albion that, but these prospective knights are willingly putting themselves in that spot. Merlin can’t believe it. And, naturally, Arthur disagrees.

“I don’t expect you to understand the extreme honor that comes with being a Knight of Camelot,” Arthur scoffs after Merlin’s tirade of the new bout of knight training today.

“I’m just saying that there are many other ways to serve Camelot than hitting things with sticks,” Merlin replies, handing Arthur his sword with a smirk.

“Like mucking out the stables?”

“Oh yes sire, mucking out the stables is truly one of the highest honors of Camelot. Perhaps you should have your new trainees do that, instead?”

Arthur laughs sharply. “Then who would protect Camelot? You, who can barely walk without stumbling over his own feet?”

Merlin goes to retort fruitlessly, but happens to trip over a chair leg in that very moment. His face reddens while Arthur grins cheekily. If only Arthur knew exactly how much Merlin does for him.

A knock sounds against Arthur’s chamber doors. “Sire, the trainees are about to arrive,” Leon calls from the other side of the door.

“Yeah, better finish up whatever you and Merlin and doing in there, Princess!” Gwaine says, before muttering “ouch”, probably from getting smacked from one of the other knights.

“I’ll meet you down there right away,” Arthur responds, sending a pointed look at Merlin. Arthur’s cheeks are dusted pink, but Merlin thinks nothing of it.

True to Arthur’s word, they make their way down to the training field a few moments later. The sun burns down hot, causing Merlin to start sweating as soon as he steps outside. He wonders how the practiced knights survive with their heavy chainmail in this kind of heat, let alone a bunch of trainees vying for a spot.

The potential newcomers are already lined up and ready to go in sets of chainmail, swords clutched in their grips. There’s only three of them this time, and as Merlin listens to them speak to Arthur, he ascertains that two of them are of noble blood, while the other was born a peasant. Although Merlin is trained in the art of sword fighting like the King, he’s picked up a few things from watching Arthur train his knights all of these years. He knows enough to tell that they all have potential. Borden, a tall, thick noble, is talented at defense, but not so much at offensive moves. The other noble who goes by Gavin is quick and light on his feet, but his strength leaves much to be desired. Lastly, there’s Oliver. His fighting styles are a bit unconventional, but he knows his stuff. He’s smart in his movements, too, as if every one has an exact purpose to them.

During a quick break from the sweltering heat, the trainees huddle under the shade of the tent and grab a cup of water from Merlin. Oliver is last in line, smiling politely up at Merlin.

“I can’t believe I’m in Camelot,” Oliver says with awe, one hand ruffling through his dark hair. “It seems unreal that I have the chance to be an actual knight.”

Merlin only realizes that Oliver is talking to him after looking around and seeing no one else near them. He then replies, “Camelot is great in many ways. I’m sure that you’ll enjoy your time here.”

“What’s your name, then?”

“Merlin,” he answers. “King Arthur’s manservant.”

“Nice to meet you. How is it working for the King?”

Merlin hums. For some reason, he feels like he shouldn’t be afraid to tell Oliver his real thoughts on the King. After all, Oliver isn’t a noble born. “He’s a prat.”

Oliver gapes for a moment before giggling. Merlin soon joins in, happy that he has a new potential friend. Arthur, having heard them from across the training grounds, eyes them suspiciously before stomping over. His blond hair is stuck to his head with sweat, yet he appears as energetic as ever.

“Please feel free to ignore Merlin,” Arthur says. “He’s an idiot.”

“It’s no problem at all, your highness,” Oliver responds. “Merlin’s company is much enjoyable.”

Arthur narrows his eyes as he inspects Oliver and Merlin. “If you’re certain. But I do have use of my manservant, Oliver, so if you’ll excuse me.”

With that, Arthur yanks at Merlin’s wrist, tugging him to the opposite end of the large tent. Merlin mouths an apology to Oliver before letting himself be pulled along.

“What was that about, clotpole?” Merlin asks.

“I can’t have you distracting my potential knights,” Arthur mutters, wiping his face with a towel. “Besides, I need a fresh towel.” He then throws his dirty towel at Merlin’s chest, making Merlin groan with disgust.

Arthur is about to head back to the training field, but before he does, he stops at Merlin’s side. He reaches up and, with a gentleness Merlin not thought possible, brushes the sweat laced hair strands of his eyes. Merlin’s eyes flutter shut for a moment, relishing in the soft touch. Then, as soon as it comes, it’s gone. Arthur brings his hand away, then says, “Get yourself some water, Merlin. I can’t have you fainting like a girl from dehydration.”

…

Things only continue to get stranger from there. As Arthur continues seeing if these potential knights have what it takes, Merlin notices that Arthur has started acting different than usual. Not only has Arthur been more aloof, but he’s also been especially hard on one of the trainees in particular: Oliver. At first, it wasn’t noticeable; the quick glares, the little bit harder he was ragged on after practice, but then it became apparent. Arthur seemed to only have eyes for making Oliver break under him. Of course, Arthur has never been cruel, but his distaste for Oliver is obvious to everyone, including Oliver himself.

About a week after coming to Camelot, Oliver finds Merlin in the castle halls carrying a large load of Arthur’s laundry to be washed.

“It’s good to see you,” Oliver greets, piling pieces of clothing that have fallen back onto the top of the wobbling basket.

Merlin smiles, “You too, Oliver. Is there something you need?” He guides the basket to the ground, needing a break before his back gives out, anyway.

Oliver sighs, “I suppose I was wondering…well, since you’re so close to King Arthur and all…do you think I have done something to offend him?”

“I have no reason to think that you offended him,” Merlin offers. “Nor do any of the others. We all enjoy your company and skills. Arthur can be difficult, sometimes, but I’m sure that he will get to know you better soon, and you two will become closer.”

Relieved, Oliver clasps a hand around Merlin’s shoulder, mirroring the position that Arthur has held with Merlin many times before. Of course, at that moment, Arthur himself comes rounding the corner to head toward his chambers.

“MERLIN!” Arthur shouts, voice echoing through the walls of the castle. Merlin turns to see Arthur standing just a few foot lengths away, glaring at the pair of them.

“You didn’t have to yell, prat, I’m right here,” Merlin complains. Arthur moves closer toward him, and Merlin prepares himself to be berated or get something thrown at him. Instead, he feels Arthur’s arm wrap around the very spot that Oliver’s was seconds ago, squeezing his shoulder tightly.

“Hello, sire,” Oliver says.

“Oliver,” Arthur acknowledges, nose up. “If you would spend more time training and less time fraternizing with my servant, then maybe you’d have a better chance of becoming a knight.”

Merlin feels just as stunned as Oliver appears. Merlin has never heard Arthur speak so brashly before, and to a knight in training nonetheless. Oliver casts his gaze downward respectfully, hands clasped in front of him like a servant. Suddenly, Merlin has a feeling he knows why Arthur dislikes Oliver so much, and he won’t stand for it.

Arthur leads Merlin back the short distance to Arthur’s chambers, not bothering to respond toward Merlin’s complaints about his laundry still being in the hallway. When they finally arrive, doors closing behind them, Merlin pulls himself away from Arthur’s arm, glaring at him.

“Okay, enough is enough. You’ve been a right prat toward Oliver ever since he arrived, and I know why.”

At this, Arthur pales considerably. “Y-you do?”

“Come on, Arthur, you really thought I wouldn’t figure it out?!”

Arthur purses his lips, feet shuffling. “Merlin—”

“How could you?”

“What do you mean how could I? I can’t help it!” Arthur protests, running his hand through his hair.

“That’s just an excuse, and a terrible one at that!”

“Is it really so wrong?”

Merlin gapes at him. “Yes! I-I though you were a better man than this, Arthur.”

“I—” words die in Arthur’s throat. He almost appears distraught, and Merlin has a sudden urge to comfort him. But Arthur needs to understand that what he did to Oliver was wrong.

“I thought we were friends!” Merlin continues to rant, beginning to pace back and forth. “I thought that after you knighted people like Lancelot who weren’t of noble blood, that you would have no bias toward someone from a non-royal background trying to become a knight, but obviously I was wrong! You’ve been treating Oliver terribly, and just because he’s not nobility.”

“What?” Arthur gasps, peeling off into laughter.

“This isn’t funny,” Merlin says as he grows angrier.

Arthur continues laughing, and Merlin can’t take it anymore. He turns to stomp out of the room. Before he can leave, though, a hand takes his wrist. Arthur’s laughter finally dies down as he wipes at his eyes.

“You’re so dense, Merlin.”

“Me, dense?!”

Arthur rolls his eyes. “Yes, you. I couldn’t care less about Oliver or anybody else’s background. They all deserve an equal chance to become knights.”

Merlin eyebrows scrunch up in confusion. “B-but, then why are you being so rude toward him?”

“God, Merlin, it’s because he’s your dream guy!”

Now, Merlin’s even more confused. “My dream guy?!”

“Yes,” Arthur nods seriously. “That knight in the forest a few weeks back, when we were all talking about our…ahem, crushes, and the type of person that you said you are into is Oliver to a tee.”

Arthur remembers that. Arthur remembers his description. Arthur is talking to him about crushes. Could this day get any worse?

“What does that have to do with any of this?” Merlin wonders, still not getting it.

Arthur groans in frustration, tugging on his hair so hard that Merlin worries he’ll yank it out. He then takes a few deep breaths to calm him down. “None of you ever asked me who my ideal date would be.”

“Wait a minute…” Merlin trails off, “Do you have a crush on Oliver?!”

“What, no!” Arthur groans again. “No, you daft idiot! I have a crush on you!”

Silence falls over the room. Merlin stares at Arthur, as if he’ll wake up from this dream any second. He stammers for words, but nothing comes out of his mouth. Over and over he replays Arthur’s words in his mind. I have a crush on you. I have a crush on you.

Arthur likes me.

“Y-you…you like me?” Merlin gasps. “How can you like me?”

“I wish I knew,” Arthur mutters, “But somehow you’ve managed to get under my skin like no one else. I…I was, a bit unfair—”

“—terribly rude—”

“—Okay, fine, I was rude to Oliver! But I couldn’t help it, Merlin. Every time I saw you two together, laughing and smiling and touching, it made a fire rage in my stomach. I couldn’t stand him looking at you like that.”

“Arthur…” Merlin says, stepping closer to him.

Arthur clears his throat, stepping backward. “But it’s nothing, it’s fine. I mean, I know you must have a crush on Oliver, as he’s exactly the person you described.”

“Now you’re the one being an idiot,” Merlin smiles, stepping toward him once more. This time, Arthur makes no move away. “I’ve been ridiculously in love with you for the longest time, Arthur.”

Arthur’s mouth drops. “But Oliver…”

Merlin blushes profusely. “Well, actually, he’s not really my type. I may have lied a bit at the campfire to conceal my true feelings. The type of person I want to date is actually much different.”

Arthur takes a step closer. “Oh?”

“The type of person I like is kind of a big prat,” Merlin continues. “A big prat with a heart of gold. Who’s brave, caring, and fights for justice. A person who infuriates me daily with his snide remarks but surprises me with his kindness.”

They’re so close now that Merlin can feel Arthurs breath mingling with his own. Merlin’s heart is beating out of his chest, waiting for Arthur to say something, anything. Finally, Arthur is opening his mouth to speak….

“Is it Gwaine?”

Merlin groans in frustration. “You have got to be—”

“I’m joking,” Arthur promises, reaching forward you cup his cheek. “Dollophead.”

“That’s my w—mmph!” Merlin starts, only to be cut off by the sweet press of Arthur’s chapped lips against his own. It tastes like sweat and is filled with desperation. Merlin clumsily fists his hands in Arthur’s shirt, bringing him as close as possible. He’s wanted this for so long that it doesn’t quite feel real.

They only pull apart when they absolutely have to, both panting for air. Even then, Merlin doesn’t let go of Arthur’s shirt. Meanwhile, Arthur’s hand traces it’s way down the side of Merlin’s face, a gentle caress. They drop their foreheads together, unable to hide their matching smiles.

“You’ll be nicer to Oliver now?” Merlin whispers.

Arthur chuckles as he strokes Merlin’s cheek. “I suppose. I do have him to thank for getting us to come to our senses, after all.”

“You mean for you to come to your senses.”

“Do you want to be sent to the stocks?”

“Mmh, you wouldn’t. You’d miss me to much,” Merlin hums, leaning to press a chaste kiss against Arthur’s lips.

Arthur hauls him back in.

“In your dreams.”

#merthur #merthur fanfic #merthur fic #merlin bbc #bbc merlin #merthur fanfiction #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #lancelot #gwaine #leon #elyan #percival #fluff #fanfiction

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tricksteroftheheart · 3 years

Text

Boyfriends Singing for Their Boyfriends (Two Unconnected Oneshots)

Word Count: 836 Summary: He’d do anything to entertain Izuru, honestly. Any additional infomation: No Despair, Band AU, everyone goes to Hope’s Peak, Nagito is very gay, song is Arms Tonite by Mother Mother What was Hajime so worked up about all of a sudden-? He blinked, confused, as the Reserve Course student video-chatted him suddenly, glaring into his pale green eyes. "Nagito, did you break the vending machine?" "Why do you ask?" "Makoto just texted me saying 'hey, the vending machine has a cat stuck inside of it, Gundham and Ryoma are not exactly happy.'" Nagito blinked, confused. "A cat? Why is there a cat?" "I don't know, that's why I'm asking." Hajime glared at him, then sighed and rubbed his head, his heterochromatic eyes locked with Nagito's. "..." He kind of zoned out for a few moments, staring out at nothing for around a minute. Nagito tilted his head, watching as the entire aura around Hajime changed. "...Komaeda." "Izuru! Hello." The luckster smiled at him, looking around the gym. "Izuru, is there practice today?" "No, you had practice yesterday." "Ahh." He hummed as he looked around, sitting down at the piano. He tapped absentmindedly at the keys, trying to play that one song Kaede had been teaching Shuichi earlier. "...Komaeda." "Yes?" He had a different aura to Hajime, which made sense considering he was an alter. Nagito was still kind of getting used to Hajime's DID, but he always put his best foot forward and Hajime appreciated it. "Can you play something?" Nagito blinked, confused, looking around before tilting his head. "You want to hear trash like me play something?" Izuru sighed, leaning his head on his hand. "You're not trash, Komaeda, far from it. And yes, I do. I'd like to hear you sing without Ouma stealing the spotlight." The luckster nodded, looking around before walking away from the phone. He came back a few moments later to izuru fiddling on a fidget cube, clicking a few of the buttons in a steady pattern. "What's a song I can sing alone... Um..." He found one of Ibuki's acoustic guitars, tuning it as he thought. "Ah, well... Okay." He breathed in, then breathed out and started strumming softly. "I fell... In your arms tonight... I fell, hard, in your arms tonight, it was nice..." He could see Izuru relax, smiling softly. "I died, in your arms tonight... I slipped, through, into the afterlife... It was nice." There was a smile on his face as he sang, cheeks tinted pink. "White light... In your arms tonight... I lost sight... In your arms tonight. It was nice..." He looked to the camera, eyes glittering like stars in a dull green sky. "And hey, you! Don't you think it's kinda cute that I, died?" Izuru raised an eyebrow, and he couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "Right inside your arms tonight? That I'm, fine? Even after I have died because it was in your arms I died~" He had to stop the note a bit early because he had to giggle, mostly because he was nervous but also because the look on Izuru's face was adorable. He didn't often show emotions, but the fact his cheeks had dusted to a faint shade of red made his heart do flips in his chest. "I cry, in the afterlife... I cry, hard, because I have died... And you're alive! I, try... To escape afterlife... Well I try! Hard! To get back inside... Your arms, alive..." Izuru seemed to perk up a bit, eyes flicking from Nagito to something else before he relaxed again. The Ultimate Luck didn't pay it any mind, and neither did Izuru, considering he didn't interrupt him to bring it up. "And hey, you, don't you think it's kinda cute? That I, try, to escape the afterlife? That I, try, to get back in your arms alive? That I died in your arms, that... I fell... Hard~ In your... Arms~ I went and died in your arms that night... I fell... In your arms tonight... Suicide~ In your arms~!" He breathed in, then breathed out softly as he started playing, enjoying the time he didn't have to sing. "And hey! You! Don't you think it's kinda cute that I, died? Right inside your arms tonight? That I'm, fine? Even after I have died? That I, try, to escape the afterlife? That I, try, to get back in your arms alive? That I died in your arms, that night~!" He breathed in, then breathed out, not good as so many words so quickly- "I fell... In your arms tonight... I died... In your arms tonight... White light... In your arms tonight... I fell... In your arms tonight..." He sighed and put the guitar down, breathing just a tad bit heavily before- "Nice, Komaeda-kun." He jumped and looked backwards to see Chiaki, idly playing on her handheld. "Fujisaki-san, Iruma-san, Kiibo-san and Souda-san need the gym." "Oh, okay! Thank you, Nanami-san." She nodded and walked off, not even mentioning the fact Nagito was just... In here. Alone. Video chatting his boyfriend. "...I'll talk to you soon, Izuru-san." The boy nodded from the other end of the screen, legs crossed. Entertained. "I'll be waiting." ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ Word Count: 794 Summary: Shuichi isn’t in the best of moods, and Kokichi would do anything to help him. Any additional infomation: No Despair, Band AU, everyone goes to Hope’s Peak, Kokichi is very gay, song is I Don’t Care by Fall Out Boy The violette leaned his phone against the piano, smiling softly at the detective on the other end. He was in bed, as usual this week, but he said he still wanted to hear Kokichi play. Anything for Shumai, of course. The short Leader walked around, grabbing a guitar, a speaker, hooking them up, making sure they were okay for Shuichi and weren't too loud... "This okay?" He strummed a few chords, watching the Detective smile and nod softly. He had Kokichi's bandana wrapped around his neck, and for some reason that detail made his cheeks flush a light shade of pink. "Okay, um..." He looked around for some of his Grape Panta, drinking some of it down before picking the guitar back up. "Say my name, and his in the same breath... I dare you to say they taste the same...." He hummed as he tested the chords, half-mumbling the lyrics. "Let the leaves fall off in the summer, and let December glow in flames, mmm hmm..." He closed his eyes, patting one foot against the floor. "Erase myself and let go, start it over again in Mexico... These friends, they don't love you, they just love the hotel suites, now-" He perked up, knowing this part better than the other part. "I, don't, care what you think, as long as it's about me! The best of us can find happiness, in misery~! I, don't, care what you think, as long as it's about me! The best of us can find happiness, in misery..." He started mumbling again, cheeks flaring up at the fact he didn't know this song as well as he thought he did. Well, it was Leon and Ibuki's cup of tea, anyway. "Oh, take a chance, let your body get a... A... Oh! Tolerance-" Shuichi giggled a bit, watching him play. "I'm not a chance, but a... Mmnnnmmmn... Mmmmmmnnn... I'm the oracle in my chest, let the guitar scream like a fascist!" The parts where he normally sang and the parts where Nagito did were coming in very obviously right now, but Shuichi didn't mind. The humming was part of the charm, honestly. "Sweat it out, shut your mouth, free love on the streets, but in the alley it ain't that cheap! Now I, DON'T, CARE what you think as long as it's abooouutt me! The best of us can find happiness, in misery! I! Don't! Care! What you think, as long as it's aboout me, the best of us can find happiness, in misery..." He kept humming, singing more of the background vocals than the actual lyrics. Shuichi hummed along with him, and it made his heart flutter. "Hmmm, I don't care! Mmm, I don't care! Said I don't care, I don't care! I don't care! Mmm-hmm-mm... I said-a, I! Don't! Care!" He started jamming out, closing his eyes. "I! Don't! Care! What you think, as long as it's abooouut me! The best of us can find happiness, in misery! Mmmm, hmm, mmm-hmm-mm, in misery." He finished strumming the last two chords, looking to Shuichi who was now curled up in his blankets, a blush visible on his face even though the bad video quality. "You really rely on Nagito for that one, huh?" "We're a band, not a single act." "No matter what you would like me to believe, right?" The Detective smirked at the camera, causing the Supreme Leader to stick his tounge out at him. "Boooo! Shumai's trying to use my lying against me!" "Who is what-?" The violette JUMPED at the sudden voice, falling off the stool and clattering to the ground, electric guitar landing safely on his chest. The Ultimate (Un)Lucky Student blinked and looked over him, confused before looking at the phone. "Oh! Hello, Saihara-san. Was Kokichi-san singing something for you?" "Um... Yeah, you can say that-" The blush on his face was back, less enthralled with his lover and more out of sheer embarrassment. Kokichi grumbled as he sat up, rubbing his head. "Thanks for killin' the mood, Nags. Don't you have a boyfriend to bother?" "Ah, no! Izuru said he didn't want me bothering his studies, so I left. Little did I expect some trash like me would have found you, playing a solo! It really is my lucky day." The underclassmen stared up at him, locking eyes, face completely neutral. Purple met pale green with a silent stare. "..." He sighed and shook his head, getting back onto the stool. "We play in a band together, you hear me sing all the time-" "Ah, but not by yourself! Others always play over you, since you sing so quietly during practice-" Shuichi chuckled as he watched the two, a soft feeling encompassing his heart. God, he loved that adorable lying idiot.

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remys-lucky-franc · 4 years

Text

Sick - Queen of Thieves Fic : Nikolai x MC (Daisy)

Pretty fluffy - no bad language or nsfw - no trigger warnings

Shout out to my friends @ispookyloaf and @stopforamoment as this was a product of a silly idea on one of our fun chats 💕

Word Count ~2200 (couldn’t resist the sneezing cat gif 😂)

[[MORE]]

Remy scuttled out of Nikolai’s room with a frown and a worry-line stretching the length of his forehead. He rounded the corner to the kitchen as he ran into Daisy. She stepped back looking surprised as he exclaimed,

“Ma Cherie, you’re back!”

Daisy nodded,

“Yeah, glad to be home, was a long couple of days. Leon’s just bringing the rest of the stuff up from the car. Worth it though, think we have the mark’s movements down to a tee... Remy are you ok?”

Remy raked a hand through his thick hair and sighed dramatically,

“Non. When was the last time you talked to Niko?”

Daisy looked puzzled, concern creeping into her voice,

“We haven’t talked on the phone, but we sent some text messages yesterday... Is he ok? What’s going on?”

Remy shook his head, looking towards the heavens,

“Did he tell you he is... Unwell?”

Daisy’s eyes widened, as she stared towards the closed bedroom door,

“He’s ill?! What?! Since when?!”

Remy sighed again,

“Since yesterday. Daisy, it’s not pretty...”

Daisy raised an eyebrow, starting towards their room,

“Not pretty? What the hell’s happened to him?!”

Remy reached out, catching her arm to stop her,

“He’s in bed, congested, running a temperature! He can’t taste his food, he has a disgusting cough, a sweaty sheen-“

Daisy held up her free hand to stop Remy in his tracks,

“Wait. Remy? Are you trying to tell me that ‘Master of the Impossible’, Nikolai Stirling, has taken to his bed with ‘man flu’??”

Remy covered his face with his hands,

“Go! See for yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you...”

Vivienne breezed past, pursing her lips and commenting,

“Are you heading in there, darling? Good luck! I wouldn’t dare! He’s foul when he’s poorly, the only person who would brave going in there is Remy!”

Remy shrugged, a sad look flitting across his face,

“I take him his favourite soup...”

Daisy noticed his expression, but only barely, as she shook her head at both of them,

“You two are exaggerating! He can’t be that bad - plus he’ll be happy to see me!”

Vivienne waved a dismissive, if perfectly manicured, hand at Daisy,

“If you want some advice? Let him be, darling! He’ll emerge like a beautiful butterfly from his chrysalis in a few days time!”

Daisy tutted as she headed towards the door, Remy and Vivienne exchanged an awkward grimace as she gently knocked, edging it open, with a half-whisper,

“Nikolai?”

He turned to face her and Daisy tried to stop automatic recoil as she caught sight of him: Remy was not exaggerating!

“Solnishko, you’re back.” A faint smile crossed Nikolai’s face as he watched her step inside, his usually sparkling blue eyes heavy and puffy-looking as he pushed his way up into a seated position against the plush cushions, “Things went well?”

Daisy nodded as she made her way across the room, Elizabeth twining around her feet and meowing as she went, eventually Daisy perched on the edge of the bed and pressed a soft kiss to the top of Nikolai’s head,

“I’m more concerned about what’s going on here? When did you start to feel like this?”

Nikolai waved away her concern, voice irritable but somewhat dulled and nasal,

“I’m fine, I had a particularly late night last night, that’s all.”

He tossed the covers back, readying himself to stand, only for Daisy to flip them back across his lap,

“Ohhhh no you don’t. You never sleep? You’re sick.”

Nikolai opened his mouth to protest, starting a second attempt to get out of bed but erupting into a kink of coughing as Daisy grabbed for a box of tissues from the bedside table. She smoothed his dampened hair back from his forehead easing him back into the soft pillows by his shoulders,

“Kotik, you’re sick. You don’t have to prove anything to me, please will you just relax?”

Slumping backwards into the soft bedding as Daisy kept a gentle pressure on his arms, Nikolai let out a frustrated groan,

“I can’t be ‘sick’. This is quite inconvenient, there’s still so much to do for the- ACHHOOOO!! Urgh. For the heist.”

Daisy tucked the duvet around his shivering form, smoothing his hair as she told him firmly but kindly,

“The heist is already ahead of schedule, I know you like to feel indispensable, but there’s literally nothing at this stage that the rest of us can’t do to keep ticking over for a few days until you’re feeling back to normal. Just please, stay there, let me look after you? Please?”

Nikolai didn’t vocalise his answer, he simply closed his eyes and relaxed his aching head against her hand, feeling too poorly to argue any longer.

Daisy murmured, “You’re burning up, just, stay put...” heading into the bathroom and swiftly returning with a cool face cloth, pressing it to his head as Nikolai hummed in appreciation.

“Did you take any medicine?”

“I don’t like to.”

Daisy frowned,

“You’re going to take two paracetamols. They’ll stop all this shivering. You’ll feel better.”

“But-“

“Nikolai.”

Nikolai attempted a sigh, that turned into another bout of coughing as Daisy headed back towards the kitchen, she was sure there was a collection of over-the-counter medicines in one of the drawers. Remy raised an eyebrow from his seat at the breakfast bar as she entered,

“Well, how is he?”

Daisy nodded firmly,

“He’ll survive. He just needs to rest for a couple of days.”

She rummaged around, locating the paracetamol, and pouring a tall glass of iced water, “And I’m going to look after him til he’s back on his feet.”

Remy shrugged his shoulders, smiling at her,

“Of course you will. That’s what you do. You’re his partner now, what’s that expression, ‘in sickness and in health’...”

Daisy swatted at Remy’s arm as she headed back towards Nikolai’s room,

“Firstly, that’s not an expression, it’s a ‘wedding vow’, and secondly, I don’t think when those were written they were intended to cover the common cold, Remy.”

Ducking out of her reach, Remy smirked, calling after her,

“Bonne chance!”

—-

Handing Nikolai the pills and the glass of water, she watched to make sure he actually swallowed them, before heading to the bathroom and returning with a vial of essential oils. Nikolai looked at her curiously as she dripped a few droplets onto his pillow. She took a deep breath in, wafting her hand, encouraging him to do the same,

“It’s menthol. It’ll help you breath.”

“I can’t smell it.”

“You will, eventually. In the meantime, here.” She pushed her iPad into his lap, “We are going to binge on Netflix until you feel better. None of your high-brow stuff, Nik. We’re going to watch something that you don’t even have to concentrate on. Easy watching, total trash. No arguments.”

Nikolai pulled a face as Daisy reiterated while she climbed onto the bed snuggling into his side, “No arguments. I’m in charge of getting you better, ok?” He stroked her cheek offering her a half smile as she pulled up the Menu.

___

Three episodes into Daisy’s TV trash of choice, Nikolai, despite himself had become quite captivated. He could feel his eyelids getting heavier, but was fighting the urge to close them, because he didn’t want to miss the drama unfolding onscreen...

Daisy could see him getting more and more tired,

“How about I switch this off and you doze for a little bit? I won’t let you dream.”

Nikolai forced his eyes wide, blinking,

“I’m fine, put another episode on, I want to see what happens to- Dear god what is happening to me?! Am I delirious?! Maybe I do need to sleep.”

Daisy smiled as she fluffed the pillows around him, dimming the lights, and in a hushed voice, she began,

“Soooft kitty, waaarm kitty, little ball offfff-“

Within seconds Nikolai’s eyes were wide again and staring in confusion,

“What is the meaning of this?”

Daisy shrugged,

“I thought you might like it?”

Nikolai closed his eyes, a perplexed wrinkle appearing in his forehead as he settled back down,

“You’re a very strange woman sometimes.”

Daisy squeezed his fingers,

“I mean, I don’t have to sing to you?”

Nikolai murmured, his eyes still closed, voice with a warmer edge to it than before,

“I don’t think anyone has ever sang me a lullaby before. I suppose it’s not completely terrible.”

Daisy beamed as she snuggled back into her snuffly partner, closing her own eyes and stroking his chest lightly as she hummed the rest of the tune.

—-

Daisy jolted awake, she wasn’t sure quite how much later, but quickly exhaled a sigh of relief when she realised that Nikolai was in a peaceful, even if he was softly snoring, sleep: there were no thrashing movements or strained facial expressions. He must really have needed the time to rest and heal his tired body. She touched his forehead - he felt decidedly less clammy than he had before. Grinning she decided that the paracetamol must have worked. Gently she ran her fingers over his cheek , murmuring his name softly until he started to stir. She’d promised not to let him dream, so she shouldn’t leave him asleep too much longer...

A faint smile crossed Nikolai’s face as he looked up at her,

“May I have my tea?”

Daisy’s jaw dropped, horrified,

“No, Nikolai! You can’t have your tea?! You’re not drinking poison while you’re taking paracetamol?! Absolutely not.”

Nikolai started at her indignantly,

“You’re being ridiculous. Anytime Remy’s looked after me, he’s brought me my tea.”

Daisy scoffed, one brow arched,

“I don’t believe that for a second! How about I call Remy in here and ask him?”

Nikolai opened his mouth to retort, but knowing her was beat he simply muttered about how ridiculous the situation was instead.

Daisy rolled her eyes, trying to change the subject,

“Hey, how about I get some more of the soup you love? I’m sure Remy would have made a whole vat of it. It’s funny, you know? I would have sworn you didn’t like mushrooms?”

Nikolai froze as Daisy looked at him curiously, confused.

He eventually broke the silence,

“Daisy, please don’t tell him, but I don’t. I’ve never had the heart to tell him when he’s been so kind as to make the soup for me. Remy is the only person who’s ever looked after me when I’ve been ill. Even as a child, my mother would ‘shoo’ me if I were poorly. My father would always say it was a sign of weakness and tell me to show some mettle.”

Daisy felt like her heart would break as she looked at him; the expression on his face looked like he was holding himself together, bracing himself against an unkind blow, but at the same time wanting to share something important to him. She reached out squeezing his hand, nodding in encouragement for him to keep talking.

Giving her a tight-lipped smile Nikolai continued,

“Remy has such a good heart. When I was first poorly, he asked me what my mother would make for me, back at home. When I said ‘nothing’ he was appalled. That’s when he started to make me chicken and mushroom soup, because that’s what his grandmother would make for him whenever he was unwell. I don’t like mushrooms, but I always finish the bowl.”

Daisy picked his hand up, kissing his knuckles,

“Even though you don’t like the taste it makes you feel better?”

Nikolai gave her a half-laugh,

“Exactly. Strange isn’t it?”

Daisy shrugged,

“Not so much. It’s not about the food, it’s about the feelings. That’s why they call it comfort food I guess? Do you want me to go get him to bring you some?”

Nikolai’s cheeks flushed as he nodded.

Daisy quickly smoothed his hair as she headed back to the kitchen,

“Remy?“

Remy lifted his head from a glossy magazine,

“How is the patient?”

Daisy, understanding that Remy had been looking after Nikolai for many years before either of them knew she existed, suspected that sharing the soup might warm Remy’s heart as much as being cared about warmed Nikolai’s,

“He’s ok. But I really think he needs another portion of chicken and mushroom?” She watched intently as Remy’s big green eyes lit up, grinning, “Maybe you could even teach me to make it some time?”

Remy enthused about his grandmother’s recipe as he busied around the kitchen of the penthouse heating a bowl for Nikolai, telling her the perfect type of mushrooms, which oil was best, how long to prepare the stock...

Daisy nodded as she repeated instructions and asked about ingredients, finally stopping and sighing,

“You’ve been making this so long, it could take years for mine to be as good as yours-“

Remy cut in, a look in his eye that said he knew exactly what she was doing, but choosing not to call her on it,

“Ma cherie, I’ll be here to help you! We can make it together! Or I can make the soup and you can snuggle with him until he feels better?”

Daisy beamed as she extended her right hand for Remy to shake on it,

“Deal! We’ll take care of him together. ”

Remy ushered Daisy back in the direction of Nikolai’s room as he placed the soup and a spoon on a tray, following closely behind her.

#lovestruck #queen of thieves #nikolai x mc #nikolai stirling #lovestruck fanfic

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truly-morgan · 4 years

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This is (nearly) all my aspec characters

Wanted to do some pride drawing but I feel son drained from working and also my motivation is dying from me never being satisfied of what I make. So here is close to all my Aspec characters (only three missing, but I never designed them before).

I feel like gushing about my characters, so under the cut more about them for those interested.

[from left to right, top to bottom]

> Kyosuke Hamada: Telekinesis artist who’s been stuck in a illegal and underground lab to be studied on since his childhood. Really love sweets and arts, his walls are always full of painting.

> Kadir: A demon who became a bounty hunter after taking example of his three adoptive dad. Pretty short tempered and really powerful, he’s not good at getting along with other people. The only one he could call a friend (more like frenemy) would be Tamir, even though the other demon always tries to piss him off.

> Evan Matsui: A human vessel, he took upon himself the task of carrying a demon so his twin brother doesn’t have to. He’s pretty bad at befriending people and often keep people at a distance to make sure Kuro won’t try something with them. His brother is really precious to him.

> Raph P.: A oc from the movie Osmosis Jones, firstly a white blood cell who then became infected by Thrax but didn’t died. He’s kept by Thrax side mainly as an entertainment, losing parts of his memory easily and somewhat chasing after the virus so he don’t get kill of left behind. I though it was funny to make an body cell ace, I know I’m really funny.

> Nikolaus Fichter: A spider hybrid who’s a librarian after being taken in by one when he was little. Doesn’t goes out much and isn’t really good at socializing, but if someone gets to know him he’s pretty nice and will talk more easily. He’s a total bookworm, which is sort of why he’s often in the bookstore/library.

> Jérémie Prieur: Cat hybrid abandoned by his parent at birth, he’s picked up by a teacher who took care of him. He doesn’t go out of the house much because of his appearance but does like to interact with people online. He can come off as a little naive and innocent at time since he doesn’t have much real life experience, but one shouldn’t believe he has the mind of a kid either.

> Yashiro: A pretty cold man who doesn’t approche people much and prefer being alone. If it wasn’t for Koseki, he would be living in the middle of nowhere all alone, but he needs to take care of this little carefree subterra to makes sure nothing bad happen to them. He got a real soft spot for this little fella even if no one would catch admitting to it out loud and would do anything to keep them safe.

> Samuel Roy: A hitman addicted to coffee who only have one friend and for which anyone else is just a source of annoyance. He don’t care much about other people which help a lot for his job. He lives from day to day and doesn’t really have any plans or dreams for the future, as if he could die tomorrow because of his line of work and accept that fact.

> Keir: An incubus who really love sex and doesn’t really mind who’s their partner. They roam around the human realm to have some fun and eat good food. They can switch their body appearance to whatever could please someone best but often stick to a more masculin and androgyne body.

> Theòs Mortem: Previously a death god before people kicked out of the death realm after pushing people to die earlier than expected by tricking them into dying. They have a really morbid fascination of humans dying from their own hands and will often play mind game to push someone over the edge, but never does anything himself physically. They switch from a masculin to a feminine appearance when needed to be more trustworthy in someone eyes.

> Cassius: a greek dragon who loves to travel around the world, but often stick to Bankei side. He got a grudge against human for causing the dying of his people, in big part at least. Yet, he’s still interested by what said human can do, despite this grudge.

> Jim Campbell: A teenager who believes in alien and who destined a big part of his early teen to fight against an alien who came to earth in an “attempt” to invade it. He loves everything that is supernatural and cryptic, doesn’t really know what to do in the future since this field isn’t something stable and his parents want him to have a good job.

> Billy Anderson: Young boy who loves to cause trouble and would do anything for his two best friends. He’s adventurous and often get himself injured or in trouble, yet it never stop him from having crazy ideas to suggest to his friends. He plan on getting out of the town the moved in and to hopefully still be with those two friends of his.

> Ludwig Lange: A tall demon who works in a freak show as a scene master, even if he come to pull the string behind the scene at some point. He absolutely loves his crew and would do anything to protect them from outsider coming at them. He easily adapt to his time and finds humans to be pretty fascinating.

> Casey McCormick: A little rat hybrid who loves photography, they are pretty shy at first, but once they know you they’re a real chatterbox. They would love to became a professional photograph and practice on their own or with close friend of them.

> Yasuhiro Ogawa: Due to a curse in their family, Yasuhiro is an snake hybrid. They don’t mind it much though since their uncle, who’s the same, made sure to make them feel at ease. They work as an bartender in their best friend gay bar, but will from time to time be a dancer when the bar is short on dancer or when they feel like it since it something they enjoy doing anyway and the only safe way they can show their scale under the pretense of it being prosthetic.

> Cyrus: Little angel who has fallen from heaven after some other took revenge on him and pushed him down after taking away his wings. Once on earth lost all his memories and could only remember his name because of a pendant. He was found by Micha who then decided to keep him under his wing and even let him work at his bar. Cyrus can be a little naive at time and can be easily trick, which is why Micha keeps a close eyes on him.

> Gabriel Woods: He became mute after some injuries cause to his vocal cord by his mother. After the traumatic incident he was taken in by his best friend family who treats him like a family member and do their best to help him heal. He works as a waiter in a small family restaurant where his best friend is also employed even if it can be challenging at time, most costumer are regular who are cooperative when he has some difficulty communicating correctly.

> Sculptor: A sculptor who’s going through hard time after his young daughter death. He goes through his grief with his art, but the support of his friends is what helps him better.

> Han Tsao: Someone who loves art and doing graffiti, working in an antique shop after being caught graffiting over the back wall of the shop. He still became a good friend with the owner and kept working there even after paying back the cost of repainting the wall. He would love to became a professional wall painter artist.

> Sebastiano Leone: Became a vampire when a pandemic broke out in his little town and his wife and daughters were affected. He threw out the window faith and went to follow rumors of a vampire nearby as an attempt to save them, but took too much time convincing the vampire to turn him. His biggest regrets is not being there when his family died. Nowadays he travel around the world, trying to fade into the decor and live normally. He decided and promised to himself he would keep on living since he know his wife wouldn’t want him to end is life just to join them, carrying an old locket with his family portrait as a way to make them keep on living too.

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bearpillowmonster · 4 years

Text

Resident Evil 2 Remake Review

NON SPOILER

I've bought Resi 4 on Steam, after the first level of playing it, I realized that it wasn't for me, all the enemies looked the same and it looked repetitive, zombies kept spawning and there was no way to get rid of them all, I ran out of ammo, it was a mess. I knew that the genre did that, I know that that’s the point, but I didn’t like it. Plus, I couldn't even really get the gunplay to work right. I heard that it was at its best on the Gamecube but I haven't given it another shot since then. However I saw that Resi2 got a demo, so I played it when it released and I kind of liked it, I was sold on the game and asked for it for Christmas (or maybe even my birthday, so yeah it’s been a long time but I was busy with other games) Now, the RE3 remake is already out...wow, time to play RE2 then, huh? So, you can consider this my "first" RE game.

Right out of the gate, visuals are stunning, almost needless to say and the level of accuracy is immense. I mean I didn't expect there to be a gas station at the beginning but it even had the lighters and beef jerky towards the front and stuff, they really went all out.

I can't imagine seeing this game when the original came out with PS1 graphics, it's ambitious, this is clearly the way it belongs. I thought a bug flew on screen but then I realized it was in-game, it's immersive, I don't normally read all the little tidbits and notes and stuff but it was generally interesting to read on the lore along with the VHS tapes and get some clues as to what to do next. I tried to play through it as if it were 1998 so I didn't look much up, I usually tried to do it myself with a few small exceptions. I felt accomplished by the end of each session like "Wow, I did that. I'm smart." It's rewarding. Now I played through each campaign so both Leon and Claire (starting with Leon) Claire on the other hand I was more lenient with, I looked up a decent amount because I was already in the station doing the same puzzles as Leon. It makes me wonder how they got the same items story-wise though, I mean we see Leon leaving her notes but you can't blow up the same wall twice in reality, that's nitpicking the game a little bit though. I will say that I felt like it was a wild goose chase when I did look it up because every thing I looked up was giving me different information "The portable safe is in this room." "No it's in this room." "This is the combination for the unicorn statue" "No it isn't, this is." Because it varies when you're playing on standard vs hardcore and whether it's your first or second run. So, I got my punishments for looking it up I guess.

But with that said, I know some of these types of older games have a tendency to make it really confusing and difficult without a guide so I was kind of worried about not knowing what to do or where to go. While I will say I had had to look a few things up, it became cut and dry once I figured out the pattern, most of the things I looked up were things I was going to do anyway but wanted to make sure before I somehow unleashed a hoard of zombies that I certainly didn't want. Same goes for story too, I knew close to nothing about it. But you basically just have to make it to the next area, think of it as that Chowder episode where he loses his hat and Chestnut has it so he has to go around doing odd jobs one by one in order to progress. The overall goal is to get out of the police station and kind of just find a way to survive but you have to focus on the smaller goals / getting to the next room. I looked pretty thoroughly through everything and managed to find everything I needed without even trying or knowing what it was for half the time like "Well this should come in handy later." *puts it in storage chest* Speaking of, I like how each chest is like an Ender Chest and is interchangeable as if it was the same one chest in every location, that makes things much easier rather than some hardcore game of "where did I put my keys?" that I'm not into. But you learn to find your destination a lot easier than I thought. That was always something I hated about Resident Evil games while watching them, that there was a lot of backtracking but actually playing the game hits differently, it's not what I expected, it's actually kind of fun, like I mentioned saying "I know where that is!"

Maybe it's just the setting of a police station that did that for me or maybe seeing speedrunners doing it with the old games and paying no mind made me scared or maybe the fixed camera angle of the old games (so that each side of the room had the clip as if it were just a picture) along with the idea that the originals are dated rather than PS4 but regardless, it's just surprisingly not annoying like I thought.

Games can easily stress me out but I actually found myself cruising and feeling good about it despite all these zombies...then I met Mr. X. He chases you EVERYWHERE throughout the game. Thing of nightmares. I will probably hear footsteps in my sleep now. I knew he was coming but I didn't know his presence wasn't always scripted, it's just a game of cat and mouse...and he's the cat! It gets me paranoid because I'll stop and hear footsteps then stand still for a good 5 minutes and he's still tromping around. I walk down a hall. BOOM! Crashes through the wall, making ME screech. There's no way to get rid of him and it kind of ruins the atmosphere to be honest, I know it's trying to be scary but it's more annoying than scary because every time I move I'm like "Ok stop" and I'll stand around for a minute, checking the map, to check the fastest route to where I need to go, just to make sure and then continue... only to turn the next corner and then repeat. I couldn't even move comfortably anymore, it's space invading. The tension is high because he can come into the main hall which I liked to use to save but alas, I had to memorize where all the other save points were or check the map again.

So, you get to play as Claire, which I like, but with Leon's story it's kind of just like "Well I'm going to do my own thing and if she survives, she survives." I understand each step is essential to progressing and getting closer but for all he knows, she's just out in the rain, waiting for him to unlock the door. And I also know that she said that she can handle herself (before Leon had to point out the zombie behind her! lmao) and he has survival on the forefront of his mind too but still. They flirt every time they're on screen together but the thing is that I love it, I ship it, it's cheesy but I don't care, that’s half of what I’m even here for.

As for the rest of the story, you're telling me that they made not just one movie but a SERIES of movies and it wasn't this?! This is great, this is a master-craft in its work. I'm not a big fan of zombie movies, I'm sure there's one out there that I like but I can't think of any off the top of my head but this? This is it! (Jennifer Lawrence would make a good Claire tbh) Let alone the horror genre in general, I'm not even frightened all that easily, I just think a lot of the plots and decisions are stupid in horror, this goes against all that. Speaking of spooky, I know making the screen brightness balanced is normal for games but I don't think it's mattered more than here, brighten that baby up because sometimes it's pitch black, immersive but still hard to see.

Boss fights are something I didn't think a whole lot about until I actually got to it. Doing the first boss fight with G was really memorable for me because I could cower away all I wanted in that gridded pit of a machine room and just launch grenades at him but it wasn't until the bosses in the sewer that I really started to like it. First was that Crash Bandicoot type running sequence, then we had G-2. I had actually ran out of ammo at that point, I used it all on the sewage monsters (I didn't get the flamethrower, I didn't know how, as I said, I did this more or less blind) so I just kept running, and clicked X every time the option came up, hoping to pick up something good. All I got was a combat knife and a flash grenade, then I started messing with the buttons on the control panel, in hopes of cheesing it and just going to the next section but then I realized what I was actually doing. I was using those buttons to move a crate and using that crate to slam G into a pit. I love the classic boss style, I haven't played a boss like that in a long time. One where it doesn't matter how much ammo you have, but just using the environment to your advantage without it explicitly telling you (except the death screen giving you hints). That was until the later boss fights, you basically just keep unloading your belt until they die, kinda lame but whatever.

This actually made me rethink the genre and also about giving one of the other games a shot (PLEASE REMAKE CODE VERONICA, I BEG!) it might be right time, right place (PS4 with modern graphics and modern gunplay) that made me actually interested. The “true ending” is unlocked by playing through one of the two’s campaign and then playing through the other, which is basically the same game but with different cutscenes and context (some new areas too) so it’s definitely worth it, you could even just speedrun the second run if you’d like, you even unlock a secret boss and for those who have already seen the true ending, know that I liked it based off of what I said earlier, no spoilers.

#re2 #resident evil 2 #remake #review #this game is great #long review #ps4

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reversemoon255 · 4 years

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So Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise has been going on for a month now, and I’ve been quite enjoying it, and I’ve got to do a Fifth Review for this month, so I thought I’d talk a bit about the Gundam Build series. I feel like I’ve always been more into the Build stuff than a lot of other fans I’ve talked to, which I attribute to me being more into the technological aspects of the meta-series as a whole. So, as Gunpla’s kinda my thing, I thought we’d talk about Gunpla. I’ve been interested in doing some Top 10 stuff, and thought it might be fun to go over some of my favorites from the series. I won’t be including Re:Rise since it’s not complete, but I will be looking at all the custom Gunpla from GBF, GBFT, GBD, and their associated manga and choosing the ten that fit my fancy:

Number 10: GF13-17NJ/B Gundam Shining Break

This is probably lower on this list because I haven’t been able to find Gundam Build Divers Break, but I still love the idea behind this unit. I went over it when I reviewed the kit, but the reason the Builder chose the Shining Gundam as a base was because of its wide range of articulation as a martial arts inspired Gundam, but then removed all the things that let it do martial arts techniques and slapped a big ol’ gun and shield on it and gave it an MA conversion. He basically turned it into the WIng Gundam.

And I think that’s really cool. Taking a unit that you like for one reason and completely changing its fighting style and gimmicks to better match that of a unit you mesh with from a control perspective. I feel like most people would just take a unit that was their favorite or already had a fighting style they liked and would just choose that as a starting point, so it’s cool to not see a unit give into that compromise.

Number 9: NYA+MBKF-P02 Nyaia Astray

The Nyaia Gundam is probably the first MS in the GBF canon that we see get a total overhaul, transforming a Gundam with a quadrupedal MA mode into a cuddly cat. And like the Bearguy III, it spawned several copycats that all have cutesy MA transformation... It’s just none of them got actual kits.

Of that particular cast of characters, the Nyaia Astray is my favorite. The successor to the Nyaia and Nyaia Leone, the Nyaia Astray is one of the few cute MA to not have an MA Mode to start with, similar to our previous entry. It’s just another cool bit of inspiration, giving a unit an alternate mode when it originally didn’t have one, and also building outside the preconceived notion of sticking with in-universe canons.

Number 8: 最強機動 Gundam Tryon 3

I love Super Robots. I have not been shy about telling people that. And here we have a Gunpla inspired by Super Robots. Enough said.

Number 7: GN-1001N Seravee Gundam Scheherazade

Y’know, I just now noticed that it’s call sign is 1001N, as in 1001 Nights. Clever.

The Scheherazade is an excellent example of adding an original gimmick to a Gunpla. Its Booster is capable of transforming into a weapons pack similar to the original Seravee’s typical loadout, but also has a secondary mode built for close combat. Plus it can itself be used as a weapon. That’s four different ways a single Booster can be used, leaving the base unit free to worry about its own articulation, weapons, and performance without having to integrate any abnormal parts that might get in the way.

Number 6: RMS-117G11 Galbaldy Rebake

While it was mostly an excuse to slip some Iron-Blooded Orphans in due to licensing issues with other TV stations (the same reason 00 didn’t appear in GBF until the second season), the Galbaldy Rebake is still an excellent Gunpla. While it doesn’t do anything particularly interesting like the last few entries on this list, it still packs an amazing amount of imagination. It takes the Galbaldy, a Universal Century unit, and changes its style into that of a Calamity War unit, giving it equipment to match. The idea in and of itself is amazing, it’s one of only a few units to it, and it arguably does it the best.

Number 5: XXXG-01S2龍虎狼 Gundam Jiyan Altron

The Jiyan Altron combines several aspects we’ve seen in previous entries on this list. It takes an After Colony timeline unit, not to mention one built for midrange combat, and changes it into a close combat unit with aesthetic and combat elements taken from Gundam Fighters. It utilizes its existing parts in interesting ways, has unique new ones, and even incorporates unseen ones like the golden Hyper Mode.

Also gets a lot of credit for going with the series Altron rather than the EW version. Though, now that I think about it, most of the units based on Gundam Wing seem to utilize the show versions, which is odd considering how popular the Endless Waltz versions appear to be. I wonder if there’s a reason for that?

Number 4: MBF-PNN Gundam Astray No-Name

I’m honestly surprised that the No-Name ended up so high on this list. I know I like the Astray, but not that much. I think that’s just a testament to how interesting the design is. Despite being from GBD, the Astray No-Name feels like the ultimate culmination of the philosophies of GBF and GBFT. As the unit was more and more damaged through actual battle, the Builder continually built upon and reinforced it until it became what it is now. It’s construction out of necessity, rather than how Gunpla are typically built in GBN where it’s based on pilot experience and data. It’s cool that there was at least one Gunpla in the series that hearkened back to it.

Number 3: PEN-01M Momokapool

Gunpla is Freedom! The fact that this is even higher on the list than the No-Name is even more surprising. But the Momokapool is just, like, one of the most unique units in the series, partly because it’s built weaker than its base unit. What really sold me on this was the instruction manual of all things. It gives so much extra detail about the construction of this unit that you miss during its debut episode (though it is a decent episode). Momoka even wanted to remove the finger guns, but only kept them because Koichi was helping her build it and insisted she have some kind of weapon. The Petitkapool is also another great example of an original gimmick, though in this case even though it takes up a lot of space it’s still seamlessly integrated into the design.

I also like the name. It’s Momoka’s Kapool so it’s the Momokapool. Cute.

Number 2: SD-237 Winning Gundam

You may have noticed that most of the units on this list are from GBD. As the series’ have progressed the designers on the series have gotten better and more imaginative, so it’s not surprising that the newer units would incorporate more of the technical stuff I like in comparison to older units that were mostly recolors with new heads.

However, the Winning Gundam, despite its age even within its own season (eventually being replaced by the Star Winning Gundam), stands out as one of the most imaginative units the series has ever produced. Most SD Gundams are themed, normally around Romance of the Three Kingdoms due to most SD Gundam shows being based on it, but the Winning follows the typical schemes of most MS. Not only that, but it has a Booster Mode, it’s head can separate from that to form a smaller Booster, and it has multiple weapons and parts that can combine together for different situations.

But the best thing it does? It’s able to integrate with Real Type MS. The first to do so. It even inspired an entire, though to my knowledge brief, line of SD Gundams capable of doing the same. It’s thinking outside the box at its finest.

Number 1: XXXG-01Wf Wing Gundam Fenice

And the only Gunpla from GBF ends up being number 1 on the list, but not for the same reasons as everything else. It has a few new gimmicks, but nothing amazing. It has a few additional weapons, but nothing as intense as other MS in the series. It has some unique design elements, but doesn’t utilize any spectacular ideas in its build. And it’s green.

But what it does do is tell a story. Like the No-Name, it’s been bashed and beaten through years of Gunpla Battles, and has been repaired and upgraded each time. Unlike the No-Name, however, you can actually tell by looking at it, with its asymmetrical design, broken head components, and heterochromia.

And its upgrades are great, too. It has a personal vehicle that utilizes some of the missing components from the Wing Gundam base, the Meteor Hopper. When it’s eventually destroyed in its battle against the Qubeley Papillon, its successor, the Gundam Fenice Rinascita, takes many cues from this unit while reincorporating the MA Mode from the Wing Gundam and has new combinable weaponry likely inspired by the Wing Gundam Zero. And on top of that, its final incarnation, the Gundam Fenice Liberta, removes the previous MA Flight Mode in favor of a ground-based one reminiscent of the Meteor Hopper the first Fenice utilized.

All in all, the Fenice may not be as bold and flashy as some of the other Gunpla it fought or those from future series, but it makes up for it with sheer charm and design quality.

And that’s my favorite Gunpla to have come out of the Build Series. I’m pretty sure most people won’t agree with a lot of my choices, but I know what I like. I’m not trying to be objective; I’m just running on gut feelings here. And to bring things back around to Re:Rise, I’m excited to see what new Gunpla we’ll be getting in the future, and am happy with the ones we’ve gotten so far. And I’ll talk more about that tomorrow...

#gundam #gunpla #gundam build fighters #Gundam Build Fighters Try #Gundam Build Divers #Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise #Top 10

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ghosty-schnibibit · 5 years

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taz liveshow liveblog! woohoo! ^o^

this will be the first ep of taz i’ll have listened to as a person with a bachelors degree lmao, let’s go!

what is this description even oh my god

what do you mean make it quieter i can barely hear it

so this is the third apocalypse faerun has had to deal with? cool, very cool

"it's really very bad" thank you for the humor griffin

c y b e r b i r d s

i need fanart of that stat oh my god

"you fell asleep in normal ass faerun" oh so its like another mindscape thing, i feel instantly better about this

who is this burly man???

mood clint, mood

god i've missed these dumb boys

merle i love you

WHAT THE FUCK IT'S ANGUS

"leitenent? bullshit!" i love that that’s the most concerning thing for magnus in this situation

ango's packin heat lmao

aww merle :')

this sounds like a garfield problem lmao

"may i, please" ilu angus omg

angus my sweet boy i love you so much

"my least favorite thing you do at the liveshows" ilu griffin

DAMN YOU SIRI

why is their griffin voice just clippy

YAY KILLIAN :D

i ' m t a a k o

clint i love you so much

what is a klaxon griffin???

BROCK KNIFEBONE

"only we don't like it" god this is so good

oh my god is this the speech from independence day

welp, he died quickly lol

ilu travis omg

CYBER DOG YAY :D

dang i gotta write all this shit down, this is a lot of targets

AVI :D

LEON :DDD

... why do i have a feeling we're about to see some alternate reality major character death

MAGNUS NO

"and me against the dog!"

"i am going to cast" the hallmark of hilarious shit to come

taako is matrixing lmao

nice! gotta love chance lance

the curse of tanks

go merle! :D

oh no merle D:

this is such a wonderful mental image oh my god

TAAKO WHAT THE FUCK

"this is gonna be fine!" NO IT’S NOT TAAKO YOU DO NOT HAVE SPELLSHAPING

well that went better than i thought lol

IS THAT THE FUCKING HAMSTER DANCE GRIFFIN

"but i'm going to" love you maggie

yay railspliter :D

"the dog has now slid so far away" pfffff

god that is such a cute mental image

FUTURE CYBER LUCRETIA

t h r e e r a n d y g u y s

well this is a thing that’s happening

POOF!

"robots are nothing if not a bunch of corners" love it

taako's going to fucking die

so he's running interference basically

maggie you dumb dumb boy

jesus christ taako you did not think this through

TAAKO THIS IS THE CLOUD KILL FROM THE BOSTON LIVESHOW ALL OVER AGAIN YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

the world’s tiniest "FUCK"

that's like the third 24 he's gotten this ep wtf

yay! go carey! :D

"in this universe i'm omniscient" nice

"this is called dramatic conflict" god bless you clint

god i love this so much holy shit

"the doors that i've just invented shut behind you"

OH GOD NO IT'S UPSY

... wait is lucas the bad guy??? lucas is the bad guy isn't he

OH EWWW

"FRIENDS DON'T JUICE EACH OTHER" OH GOD

MERLE YOU ABSOLUTE DIPSHIT

i figured lol

OH MY GOD IT'S AGENT SMITH

"john?" "no, that'd be wild" i need that au fic

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME IT'S HODGEPODGE AGAIN???

so lucas is the bad guy in a round about way lmao

OH NO, OH NO, THIS IS SO FUCKING CREEPY OH MY GOD

can't wait for amnesty to rip out my still beating heart and eat it two weeks from now :)))

it is probably better for them not to take on themselves, i learned that from an episode of teen titans

merle has just given up

yes heal taako please he's nearly dead

catch phrase bots lmao

OH THAT'S NOT GREAT

oh my god poor robot merle

aww poor clint lol

OH SHIT

yeah, it's not going to be great admittedly

"don't get it fuckin' twisted, i'm saving robot taako" ASDFJKLSFKLSS

TAAKO AND THE BOT

god i love this so much

ACTUAL MISSILE

NICE! GO MERLE!

so taako's back to nearly dead holy shit

they are all going to die

he sounds so excited and i love it

WHAP WHAP

oh my god travis

he's going to meet robo julia

... what is he going to turn robo taako into???

AWWWWW

GOD THIS IS THE CUTEST MENTAL IMAGE

extreme tin bible

... so how much health is taako at right now????? he's lost like 66 health if i'm adding right

what the fuck have you done to him taako??? why are you pulling a doctor willy on this robot merle?????

WHAT THE FLYING FUCK TAAKO

what does merle think of all this omg

"this is a weird fight" YEP

ROBOT CAT TAAKO

TAAKO'S FUCKING DEAD ISN'T HE

NOOOOO NOT ROBO CAT TAAKO

"can robo kravitz catch him?" i fucking love you justin mcelroy

"during my time when i assimilated you" griffin this is too close to the current abomination for comfort, i'm sad remembering dead boyd and possibly dead dani now

MERLE IS GOING TO FUCKING DIE

YEEEEEAH!!!

YOU'RE ITCHIN FOR A GLITCHIN

jesus fuck magnus so many numbers

THIS IS LITERALLY THE CURRENT ABOMINATION GRIFFIN

NICE!!!

hodgepodgemen

YOU ARE GOING TO PERMAKILL TAAKO AND YOURSELF MERLE

YAAAAAY!!! :D

GO MERLE :DDD

half the crowd cheered so loud at lucas dying omg

...he’s talking to the robot merle isn’t he, yep, yep he is

WAIT MERLE HAD ONLY ONE HP?????

lucas wtf

this was so fuckin funny, i don’t think i’ve laughed that hard since the “you’re dating the grim reaper!?” lmao. also it was a good detraction from the current heartache of amnesty. i can’t wait to check the tag for fanart of this ep :D

#taz #the adventure zone #ghosty liveblogs taz #taz spoilers #god that was so good

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thatsnotcanonpodcasts · 4 years

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Egyptian, XCloud & Coppola

Hooray, it is episode 90 and all is well. This week we walk like Egyptians, question the cloud, and applaud Francis Coppola. But first up, have you got your tickets for Supanova Brisbane? Not long to go now. We are excited for it and are looking forward to watching all the awesome cosplayers and other amazing antics happening on the Saturday. Stop by and say hi if you are there.

Now first up we have news about the most incredible discovery of Egyptian sarcophagi of this millennium, the best in the last century also. Now, we have to say that it is due to a very sneaky priest who hid them to avoid the thieving grave robbers. So, thank you wise priest with your cunning plan. Because of you these remains are safe and will be protected at the new museum being built at Gaza. There were males, females, and children in these sarcophagi, if you want to know more listen in.

Next up we talk about a cloud. Not the soft fluffy kind you see floating through the sky, no, this is an xcloud. What is an xcloud you ask? It is a cloud that is brought to you by xbox and is intended to support mobile gaming with a cross platform goal in the long term. Sounds awesome right, you will finally be able to see the xbox tribe battle against the Playstation civilisation. Not that I’m biased mind you (Playstation rules). If you want to really get a grasp of the situation the Professor has a lot to say about it. So listen in and see what is happening.

Now, for the movie Nerds we have had Francis Coppola slamming Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy as being kind of boring and pointless. To which James Gunn has taken umbrage, and spoken out claiming all sorts of nonsense. Buck takes great offense and gives a passionate response which is worthy of an Oscar Hall of Fame speech. Truly he seems to struggle to remain calm at times. Truly this could be one of his better grumpy old man moments, especially as it gets Professor to become passionate on the subject. If nothing else this is worthy of a listen.

As normal we have the shout out’s, remembrances, birthdays and special events of interest for the week. Also we would like to say good luck to all those undertaking exams at this time, study hard, and do well. Remember, fear is the mind killer, and stress is a by-product of fear, so relax, just think of the Frodo waking up in Rivendell at the end of the Lord of the Rings. That is the joy when you finish your last exam. Until next week, take care of yourselves, look out for each other, and stay hydrated.

EPISODE NOTES:

Egyptian discovery

- https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/archaeology/30-perfectly-preserved-ancient-egyptian-coffins-unearthed/news-story/fb3984d1247b0102520aed7621b4ff94

- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/egyptian-coffins-mummies-nile-luxor-antiquities-archeology-a9163776.html

Project Xcloud - https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/10/project-xcloud-preview-serves-as-a-passable-portable-xbox-one/

Francis Coppola’s anti marvel remarks and James Gunn’s response - https://deadline.com/2019/10/james-gunn-marvel-francis-ford-coppola-martin-scorsese-guardians-of-the-galaxy-1202764709/

Games currently playing

Buck

- World of Tanks - https://worldoftanks.asia/

Rating : 4/5

Professor

- Battletech - https://store.steampowered.com/app/637090/BATTLETECH/

Rating : 7/10

- Magic The Gathering : Arena - https://magic.wizards.com/en/mtgarena

Rating : 4/5

Other topic discussed

Midnight Oil ((known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard), Martin Rotsey (guitar) and Bones Hillman (bass guitar)).

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Oil

The Beatles (English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon,Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the most influential band of all time.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles

Luxor (is a city in Upper (southern) Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Waset, known to the Greeks as Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-air museum", as the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor

King Tutankhamun’s “curse” also know as "curse of the pharaohs" (probably fuelled by newspapers seeking sales at the time of the discovery)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun#Rumored_curse

Curse of the Pharaohs and their deaths (alleged curse believed by some to be cast upon any person who disturbs the mummy of an Ancient Egyptian person, especially a pharaoh)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_pharaohs#Deaths_popularly_attributed_to_Tutankhamun%27s_curse

“Cursed” gems

- https://mentalfloss.com/article/68465/8-supposedly-cursed-gems

Star of India (a 563.35-carat star sapphire, one of the largest such gems in the world)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_India_(gem)

Koh-I-Noor (one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing 105.6 carats (21.12 g).[a] It is part of the British Crown Jewels.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh-i-Noor

African sacred ibis also known as Bin Chicken (A species of ibis, it is especially known for its role in the religion of the Ancient Egyptians, where it was linked to the god Thoth, hence the ibis's name.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_sacred_ibis

Cats in ancient Egypt (Several Ancient Egyptian deities were depicted and sculptured with cat-like heads such as Mafdet, Bastet and Sekhmet, representing justice, fertility and power)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cats_in_ancient_Egypt

Mixer (Seattle-based video game live streaming platform owned by Microsoft.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixer_(service)

Google Stadia (upcoming cloud gaming service operated by Google.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Stadia

Playstation Now (cloud gaming subscription service developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Now

Google stadia recent disappointment

- https://www.cnet.com/news/google-stadias-latest-disappointment-founders-may-not-even-get-it-at-launch/

Ninja moves to Mixer from Twitch

- https://www.businessinsider.com.au/ninja-brought-more-streamers-to-mixer-not-more-viewers-2019-10?r=US&IR=T

Steam Link (hardware and software applications that enable streaming of Steam content from a personal computer or a Steam Machine wirelessly to a television set.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_Link

Timeline of Scorcese’s hot take on marvel movies and their responses

- https://deadline.com/2019/10/martin-scorsese-dismisses-marvel-movies-not-cinema-theme-park-james-gunn-the-irishman-1202752509/

- https://deadline.com/2019/10/robert-downey-says-martin-scorsese-stance-on-marvel-makes-no-sense-1202755148/

- https://deadline.com/2019/10/jon-favreau-marvel-films-martin-scorsese-francis-ford-coppolas-comic-book-movies-iron-man-1202766208/

- https://www.indiewire.com/2019/10/kevin-smith-martin-scorsese-marvel-movies-emotional-attachment-1202180734/

- https://deadline.com/2019/10/francis-ford-coppola-backs-scorseses-marvel-superhero-movies-analysis-1202764668/

- https://deadline.com/2019/10/james-gunn-marvel-francis-ford-coppola-martin-scorsese-guardians-of-the-galaxy-1202764709/

Logan (2017 American superhero film starring Hugh Jackman as the titular character.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_(film)

Francis Coppola (American film director,producer,screenwriter,film composer, and vintner. He was a central figure in the New Hollywood film making movement of the 1960s and 1970s. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Ford_Coppola

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 American gothic horror film directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bram_Stoker%27s_Dracula

How Would You Carry a Jaeger From Pacific Rim?

- https://www.wired.com/2013/07/how-would-you-carry-a-jaeger-from-pacific-rim/

The Power of Friendship (Trope)

- https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThePowerOfFriendship

The Rainmaker (1995 novel by John Grisham)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rainmaker_(novel)

The Rainmaker (1997 American legal drama film based on John Grisham's 1995 novel of the same name, and written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rainmaker_(1997_film)

Sergio Leone (Italian film director, producer and screenwriter, credited as the inventor of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cinema.)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Leone

Lord of the Rings (film series)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_(film_series)

Wacław Sierpiński and his works

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li59EitdJUk

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Final Trailer

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qn_spdM5Zg

Everybody wants to be a Cat (TNC Podcast)

- https://thatsnotcanon.com/ewtbacpodcast

Floof and Pupper (TNC Podcast)

- https://thatsnotcanon.com/floofandpupperpodcast

Shoutouts

20 Oct 2019 – Borderlands turn 10. Borderlands was a textbook case of being the right game at the right time. It was unique, irreverent, and so full of guns that spending time in its wasteland meant a carefree and cathartic shooting gallery, with plenty to find and collect. - https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/01/30/37-of-the-biggest-video-game-anniversaries-in-2019

21 Oct 1959 - In New York City, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opens to the public. The museum was a work of art in itself. Inside, a long ramp spiraled upwards for a total of a quarter-mile around a large central rotunda, topped by a domed glass ceiling. Reflecting Wright’s love of nature, the 50,000-meter space resembled a giant seashell, with each room opening fluidly into the next. - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/guggenheim-museum-opens-in-new-york-city

21 October 1973 - 16-year-old John Paul Getty III’s ear is cut off by his kidnappers and sent to a newspaper in Rome. Because of a postal strike the ear does not arrive until November 8. It is starting to rot. - https://flashbak.com/news-in-photos-john-paul-getty-iiis-ear-is-hacked-off-by-mafia-kidnappers-16309/

Remembrances

21 Oct 1805 - Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, British flag officer in the Royal Navy. He was noted for his inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics, which together resulted in a number of decisive British naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was wounded several times in combat, losing the sight in one eye in Corsica at the age of 36, as well as most of one arm in the unsuccessful attempt to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife. On 21 October 1805, the Franco-Spanish fleet came out of port, and Nelson's fleet engaged them at the Battle of Trafalgar. The battle was Britain's greatest naval victory but during the action Nelson, aboard HMS Victory, was fatally wounded by a French sharpshooter. His body was brought back to England where he was accorded a state funeral. Nelson's death at Trafalgar secured his position as one of Britain's most heroic figures. The significance of the victory and his death during the battle led to his signal, "England expects that every man will do his duty", being regularly quoted, paraphrased and referenced up to the modern day. Numerous monuments, including Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London, and the Nelson Monument in Edinburgh, have been created in his memory and his legacy remains highly influential. He died at the age of 47 in HMS Victory, off Cape Trafalgar - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Nelson,_1st_Viscount_Nelson

21 Oct 1969 - Wacław Sierpiński, Polish mathematician. He was known for contributions to set theory (research on the axiom of choice and the continuum hypothesis), number theory, theory of functions and topology. He published over 700 papers and 50 books. Three well-known fractals are named after him (the Sierpinski triangle, the Sierpinski carpet and the Sierpinski curve), as are Sierpinski numbers and the associated Sierpiński problem. He died at the age of 87 in Warsaw - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wac%C5%82aw_Sierpi%C5%84ski

21 Oct 2014 - Edward Gough Whitlam, 21st Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. He won the 1974 election before being controversially dismissed by the Governor-General of Australia, Sir John Kerr, at the climax of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. Whitlam remains the only Australian prime minister to have his commission terminated in that manner. The Whitlam Government implemented a large number of new programs and policy changes, including the termination of military conscription, institution of universal health care and free university education, and the implementation of legal aid programs. The propriety and circumstances of his dismissal and the legacy of his government have been frequently debated in the decades after he left office. Some say he deposed as part of a CIA plot. He was the longest-lived Australian Prime Minister. He died at age of 98 in Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gough_Whitlam

21 Oct 2015 - Norman W. Moore, British conservationist and author who worked extensively on studies of dragonflies and their habitats and was one of the first people to observe and warn of the adverse effects of DDT and other organochlorine pesticides on wildlife. His pioneering work on nature conservation and his pesticide research led to requests for advice from governmental and other scientific organisations in Europe, India, Australia and the United States. It was his work on dragonflies and conservation that led to him coining the term "the birdwatcher's insect", aiming to raise public interest in the role of insect monitoring in ecosystem conservation. The Independent described him in his obituary as one of the most influential figures in nature conservation in the second half of the 20th century. The British Dragonfly Society administers an award in Moore's honour, called the 'Norman Moore Award Fund'. In addition to this, several species of dragonflies and damselflies are named after Moore. He died at the age of 92 in Swavesey - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_W._Moore

Famous Birthdays

21 Oct 1883 - Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish businessman, chemist, engineer, inventor, and philanthropist. Nobel held 355 different patents, dynamite being the most famous. The synthetic element nobelium was named after him. Known for inventing dynamite, Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments. After reading a premature obituary which condemned him for profiting from the sales of arms, he bequeathed his fortune to institute the Nobel Prizes. His name also survives in modern-day companies such as Dynamit Nobel and AkzoNobel, which are descendants of mergers with companies Nobel himself established. He was born in Stockholm - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel

21 Oct 1929 - Ursula Kroeber Le Guin, American author. She is best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the Earthsea fantasy series. She was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, yielding more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories, in addition to poetry, literary criticism, translations, and children's books. Frequently described as an author of science fiction, Le Guin has also been called a "major voice in American Letters", and herself said she would prefer to be known as an "American novelist". Le Guin's writing was enormously influential in the field of speculative fiction and has been the subject of intense critical attention. She received numerous accolades, including eight Hugos, six Nebulas, and twenty-two Locus Awards, and in 2003 became the second woman honored as a Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The U.S. Library of Congress named her a Living Legend in 2000, and in 2014, she won the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Le Guin influenced many other authors, including Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, David Mitchell, Neil Gaiman, and Iain Banks. She was born in Berkeley, California - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin

21 Oct 1956 - Carrie Frances Fisher, American actress, writer, and comedian. Fisher is best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, a role for which she was nominated for four Saturn Awards. Her other film credits include Shampoo,The Blues Brothers, Hannah and Her Sisters, The 'Burbs and When Harry Met Sally... She was nominated twice for the Prime time Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performances on the television series 30 Rock and Catastrophe. She was posthumously made a Disney Legend in 2017, and in 2018 she was awarded a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. She also worked on other writers' screenplays as a script doctor, including tightening the scripts for Hook,Sister Act,The Wedding Singer, and many of the films from the Star Wars franchise, among others. In later years, she earned praise for speaking publicly about her experiences with bipolar disorder and drug addiction. She was born in Burbank, California - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Fisher

Events of Interest

21 Oct 1940 - The first edition of the Ernest Hemingway novel For Whom the Bell Tolls was published. It was priced at $2.75 for 75,000 copies. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned to blow up a bridge during an attack on the city of Segovia. The novel is regarded as one of Hemingway's best works, along with The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and The Old Man and the Sea. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Whom_the_Bell_Tolls

21 Oct 1944 - HMAS Australia struck in first kamikaze attack during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The plane was carrying a 441-pound bomb, but it did not explode. Still, it inflicted serious damage to the ship and its crew. The Australia survived the attack and was repaired in 1945-46. It returned to the water after the war and was retired in August 1954. - http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/September-October-08/On-this-Day--Japanese-Pilots-Begin-Kamikaze-Campaign.html

21 Oct 1983 – The metre is defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. This definition only makes sense because the speed of light in vacuum is measured to have the same value by all observers; a fact which is subject to experimental verification. Experiments are still needed to measure the speed of light in media such as air and water. - http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/measure_c.html

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Facebook

- Page - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/

- Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/440485136816406/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamated

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nux69rftdBeeEXwD8GXrS

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/top-shelf-nerds/id1347661094

RSS - http://www.thatsnotcanonproductions.com/topshelfnerdspodcast?format=rss

General Enquiries

Email - [email protected]

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hazyheel · 5 years

Text

G1 Supercard Review

First match of the night was the Honor Rumble, starting with Kenny King and Minoru Suzuki. Just gonna run through some of the fun spots, such as the tag teams teaming up. Taguchi had a moment where he directed Rocky Romero’s corner clotheslines, eventually leading almost all members of the match to hit BUSHI in the corner. Jushin Thunder Liger got a huge pop, entering and eliminating Brawler Milonas with Shoteis. Colt Cabana took Yano’s spot in the match, in a heartwarming moment. King Haku made a big return, got a decent pop. Haku was beating down Cabana, so Yano ran into the match to help him out. And at #30, the Great Muta made a huge return. Yano accidentally nailed Cabana with the corner pad, leading to them both being eliminated. Ishii and Suzuki renewed their rivalry, leading to Suzuki’s elimination. The two finalists were Jushin Thunder Liger and The Great Muta. They had a nice little match, before Kenny King, who had not been eliminated, threw them both out and won the match. King got misted for his deceit, but still won the match.

Grade D+. Just a weirdly rushed Royal Rumble rip off. Really not into this. It wasn’t very smooth, there wasn’t much story to it, and even though it was for a world title shot, I just couldn’t care. Still, nice to see Muta wrestle again. He kinda still had it.

And in the first actual match of the night, Will Ospreay took on Jeff Cobb, in a winner take all match for the NEVER Openweight Championship and the ROH World Television. They started out fast and furious, with Cobb hitting a huge European uppercut to start the match. Cobb even hit an awesome delayed superplex for a near fall, showing incredible core strength and balance from Ospreay. Ospreay went for his flip off the chest, but Cobb countered with a huge lariat. Ospreay went for the os cutter, but Cobb caught him and threw him into the corner, only for Ospreay to land on the middle rope and hit the os cutter anyway, for an awesome near fall. Ospreay tried to hit the stormbreaker off the top, but Cobb countered with a super tour of the islands, then hitting a normal tour of the islands for the win.

Grade: A-. Great match. They had awesome chemistry, and hit some awesome moves on each other. I don’t know why I thought that Ospreay would end Cobb’s undeafeated streak, but I was happy to be wrong. Really great match, and I am looking forward to seeing how long Cobb is a double champion. Definitely a match worth watching as their counters were actually awesome.

Next up, a special singles match between Rush and Dalton Castle. This match was over in seconds, as Rush nailed three huge corner dropkicks and got the win. After the match, Castle was so pissed about his loss, and pissed at the boys for trying to cheer him up, he attacked them with a gutwrench suplex and a bangarang, turning heel. I am not going to grade this match, but it was pretty awesome to see.

Then we had a woman of honor championship match, pitting Mayu Iwatani against Kelly Klein. Before the match, Klein sent away camp klein, opting to fight the match fairly. The two had technical exchanges, with Klein coming away with the advantage during mat wrestling. But as Klein got too comfortable, Iwantani locked in a sleeper hold, nearly able to get the win off of that. Kelly Klein got the win after two K powers. At the end of the match, Velvet sky and Angelina Love came down to the ring. As the women distracted her, Mandy Leon attacked, laying out Klein and several other women of honor. They drew the anarchy symbol on her head, and walked out. New stable in the women of honor division.

Grade: D. Just a bad match. I liked the story of Klein showing that she has become a better person, but other than that this was a boring match that was kinda awkward. I didn’t really care for the post match antics either, just becuase it wasn’t particularly good. But they did hit some cool moves, it just wasn’t awesome.

Mega Ran did a rap. Yay, but thankfully Bully Ray came out to interrupt. He was given a big babyface reaction because they all hated Mega Ran. He drove Mega Ran out of the ring, and confessed attacking Juice Robinson. He said that the challenge was still open, and Flip Gordon answered the call. Back from injury, he got a huge reaction. He quickly started out with a superkick, and a springboard spear. It didn’t take long for Bully to get the table, and for Shane Taylor and Silas Young, but LifeBlood’s Juice Robinson and Mark Haskins came out to save Flip Gordon. They offered to change this to a 3 on 3 match, and came to beat down Bully. Gordan had to take huge kendo stick shots from all of the heels, no selling all of them until his Lifeblood allies came, for a kendo stick fight among all six. The heels fought back, and powerbombed Gordon through a table. In the finish, Bully was hit with a superkick, powerslam, stinkface and a 450 for the win

Grade: C. Perfectly fun soap opera bullshit. It was a lot of hard core stuff, but nothing too crazy. Awesome to see Flip Gordon back, and doing his thang, happy to see Silas Young and Lifeblood, just fun. Not the best hardcore match ever, but it was fine for what it was.

Into the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match, Taiji Ishimori took on both Dragon Lee and Bandido. Lee quickly picked up the pace with a slingshot hurricanrana to Bandido, only for Ishimori to hit a huge moonsault. Lee was really beating the shit out both of his opponents, with shots that were as stiff as they come. They just kept hitting crazy flying moves, mexican destroyers, hurricanranas and ddts. Ishimori hit Lee with the Bloody Cross for a near fall. Bandido hit both men with a moonsault powerslam, which the commentators accurately said wasn’t a real move. Lee was able to get the win after hitting a knee lift to Ishimori and some sort of vertical powerslam to Bandido.

Grade: B+. Flippy flippy flippy match. These guys flew all over the place, with awesome and dangerous moves. It was surprisingly short, but still quite fun. Dragon Lee winning the belt makes me think that Hiromu Takahashi will be back for the Best of the Super Juniors. Happy to see Lee have the belt, he really deserves it. And although I think Ishimori’s reign ended a bit short, I think that it ended at the perfect time for the story of Takahashi vs. Lee to continue. Hope to see that soon.

Into the tag team championships match, the Guerillas of Destiny vs. Villain Enterprises vs. The Briscoes vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon. PCO had to be revived in his entrance, but it looked pretty cool. They started out with a wild brawl, and there didn’t even seem to be rules in this match. The Briscoes seemed to be working together super well, destroying their opponents with chairs. Sanada and Evil hit awesome tag team offense, with huge kicks and such. PCO hit a huge moonsault for a big near fall. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa gave PCO a huge powerbomb out of the ring, to the floor, with no protection, it looked horrendous, but he sat up afterwards, so I think he is okay. In the finish, Jado got involved, smacking Brody King with a Kendo Stick, allowing Tama Tonga to hit a gunstun, and then a superpowerbomb from Tonga Loa for the win. However, as they went to grab the belts, Toru Yano had stolen them, and looked to run away with them.

Grade: A-. Wild match right from the start. There were crazy bumps, crazy spots, non stop action, and I couldn’t look away. It was a lot crazier that I had thought it would be, but it was still awesome. Briscoes had some awesome hardcore spots, Brody King and PCO did some crazy stuff, Evil and Sanada kept ahold of their classic wrestling style, while Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa kept their heads down, interfered when they needed to, and came away with the win. Fun, car wreck of a match.

Next up was a singles match between Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the British Heavyweight Championship. The two exchanged technical holds, with Sabre not commiting too hard in the beginning of the match. Sabre continued to play mind games throughout the match, working over Tanahashi’s arm. When tanahashi couldn’t skin the cat, Sabre realized that he needs to target that limb and began to destroy it. Sabre did his best to counter Tanahashi’s submissions, but Tanahashi was able to keep outwrestling Sabre. However, when Tanahashi went up for the high fly flow, Sabre quickly ran to the top rope to stop it. Sabre seemed to have the advantage during striking contests, but not in technical wrestling, oddly enough. Tanahashi began to psych himself up, hitting several twist and shouts and slingblades. However, Sabre was able to outlast Tanahashi, locking in his submission that has a super long name and getting the verbal submission.

Grade: B. A bit slower than the matches that these two normally, but still quite good. I liked the story of Tanahashi actually being able to best Sabre, but sabre just outlasted him. He was younger, had better conditioning, and knew that he could outlast the Ace. Good stuff, but far from their best match.

And then we had the Intercontinental Championship match, Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito. They started with the quick strikes right off the bat, targetting each other’s necks as these two so often do. It didn’t take long before they started busting out the big moves, with ibushi hitting a hurricanrana off the apron, and then hitting a springboard double stomp for a near fall. Ibushi hit his second rope german, Naito hit a spike hurricanrana off the top rope. The two battled for the opportunity to hit a package piledriver on each other, with Naito eventually getting the honors. The two began to exchange forearms, kicks and palm strikes. Naito then hit a huge reverserana into a destino, but Ibushi actually kicked out. Ibushi then nailed a bomboye to the back of the head, and then to the face for a near fall. He then hit a last ride for a near fall, before picking him up for a Kamegoye and the win.

Grade: A. As awesome as ever, these guys can do no wrong. They hit each other as hard as they could, they threw each other onto their necks, and the whole thing was just so so scary. Awesome to see Ibushi finally getting a long term title reign, unlike his run with the Openweight Belt. He will probably hold it for a couple months, hopefully into the G1 Classic, but I am just happy that he won here.

Now into the ROH main event, Jay Lethal vs. Marty Scurll vs. Matt Taven, for the ROH World Championship, in a ladder match. The men didn’t take long to start throwing ladders at each other. At one point, Scurll trapped Lethal’s head in a ladder, before hitting the latter with a chair. Scurll even attempted to grab the belt by climbing a shorter ladder and grabbing it with his umbrella. Throughout the match, Scurll injured his knee after being stuck in a figure four in a ladder. Taven hit a huge powerbomb to lethal through a ladder suspended between two chairs. Taven and Scurll faced off in the middle of the ring, with Scurll attempting to hit all his offense, but Taven kept playing spoiler to that, drawing chants of fuck you taven. Scurll hit a huge superplex to take out Taven. Lethal was about to win the match, but Scurll locked in the chicken wing and threw him off the top. Taven and Scurll then battled at the top, only for Scurll to break Taven’s fingers, before getting punched off. Taven had it won, but his fingers hurt too much and he fell off. Lethal was able to land a lethal injection on Scurll, but did not have a ladder to capitalize. Scurll took a lot of punishment, as Taven delivered a huge spear through the ropes and through a table. At one point, Lethal went up to the top of a huge ladder to hit the biggest elbow drop ever on Taven, through a table. At one point, Taven introduced a huge, purple ladder, with ladders suspended between lower rungs and the ropes of both sides. Scurll got taken out after Taven swept his leg, and he tumbled out of the ring. Lethal and Taven battled atop the ladder, and Taven smacked lethal with the belt, sending him down through the ladder. Taven then grabbed the title, the new ROH World Champion.

Grade: A. This was a great match. They destroyed themselves with ladder shots, and falling from huge heights. These guys will be sore tomorrow, and they put on a hell of a match. Scurll probably took the most sickening bumps, but everyone did some terrifying stuff. I didn’t expect this match to be as good as it was, but I was pleasantly surprised. Bummed that Scurll didn’t win, but Taven really does deserve it. Congratulations Taven, you deserved it. Surprisingly enough, this was probably the match of the night for me.

And the main event for New Japan, Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. White started playing mindgames immediately, but Okada played them right back. Every time Okada seemed to be gaining the advantage, Gedo got involved to keep White in the lead. It got to the point where, after booting Jay White over the barricade, Okada threw Gedo in after him, before hitting a huge splash to the both of them. White desperately tried to counter Okada’s signature moves, but even when he did, Okada would manage to hit them anyway. Okada was hitting his dropkicks as hard as he ever has, nailing one in the face and one in the chest. At one point, White hit a huge Saito suplex out of the ring, onto the apron. Jay did everything he could to make sure that he doesn’t get hit by the Rainmaker, at one point just sitting down to avoid it, and another time reversing into a sleeper suplex. Okada nailed a spinning rainmaker, into another Rainmaker for a great near fall. Jay hit the blade runner, but did not make the pin due to his exhaustion. As Okada was about to get the win again, but Gedo distracted the ref and White hit a low blow. They had a series of counters, before Okada hit two rainmakers, a jumping tombstone, and then one more rainmaker for the win.

Grade: A-. Really great match. They played on all the apsects of their rivalry over the past few months, like Gedo’s betrayal, the reversal of the rainmaker into Bladerunner, and Okada’s need to go super overkill to put down white. The action was fast and intense, and although I thought it would be better if White retained, it does feel good to see the belt back on Okada.

Overall Grade: B+

Pros: Cobb vs. Ospreay; junior heavyweight championship; tag championship; british championship; intercontinental championship; ladder match; main event

Cons: honor rumble; Dalton Castle heel turn :( ;women of honor match; mega ran

#hazyheel #roh #roh review #njpw review #njpw #new japan #new japan review #new japan pro wrestling review #new japan pro wrestling #ring of honor #ring of honor review #njpw world #g1 supercard #g1 supercard review

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crazynekochan · 5 years

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Imagine Kaz trying to act like this big, tough werewolf... and then someone scratched behind his ears or calls him a good boy in an excited voice and he turns into this happy cuddly puppy who wants nothing more than to cuddle eat treats. Also, who else do you think would be a werewolf or hunter in this au?

Whenever he tries to be imposing he absolutely fails, since just someone petting him or throwing something can make him turn into the playful pup and he can’t do anything against it to his demise. He just can’t pull off pretending to be a threat

I quickly made a list what I think everyone would be

Werewolves:

Aoi

Junko. She is the one who bit most of the cast and she pretends to be a normal human by hiding her wolf ears and tail if she has them, or let’s Mukuro take her place for a while

Chihiro

Toko

Mukuro. She pretends to be a hunter and has cut off her ears and tail if she has them

Celestia. She would prefer being a vampire

Mondo

Hifumi

Mahiru

Nagito. He is probably the only one who never has to shift during a fullmoon or something along the lines

Ibuki

Chiaki

Akane

Kazuichi

Rantaro

Gonta. Not that big of a surprise here

Ryoma. However his animalistic side behaves more like a cat than a dog

Kaito

Kokichi

Korekiyo

Angie

Himiko

Hunters:

Yasuhiro

Mukuro

Edit: Kiyotaka, since I accidentally forgot to write him down here

Kyoko. She however only uses her status to find the reason behind all the new werewolves that started appearing, aka Junko

Leon

Sayaka

Makoto. Same as Kyoko, since they work together

Sakura

Byakuya. Again same as Kyoko and Makoto

Hajime. Might get bitten later on

Fuyuhiko. Works in a team with Peko

Sonia

Nekomaru

Peko. Works in a team with Fuyuhiko

Gundham

Kaede

Tenko

Maki. One of the best hunters there is

Kiibo. They are the most technical advanced of all hunters and gets most weapons from Miu

Shuichi. Though he is better at finding them than fighting them, thus always works in a team

Tsumugi

Kirumi

Other:

Teruteru is an Innkeeper who often hosts all the hunters

Mikan is a human medic and often treats them all

Imposter. No one knows what they are, because they sometimes seem to be perfectly human and other times as some supernatural being

Miu develops weapons that can be used for hunting werewolf and trapping them

#danganrompa #ask #prompt #headcanon #werewolf and hunter au #Anonymous

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therake-1996-blog · 6 years

Text

Irreversible Ch. 12

Chapter 12- Rats

Hours pass.

The thirteen of us loiter on and around the veranda, talking and having a good time. Huedhaut even brings out the wine he makes, merlot, Riesling, and Malbec, to name a few.

As the gods go about picking their favorite flavors, I notice Zyglavis eyeing one bottle longingly.

“You like this one?” I ask, reaching out and picking it up. The bottle is dated 1042, making me raise my eyebrows. “Wow. He lets these ferment for a long time, doesn’t he?”

“That’s what makes them so good,” Leon says as he leisurely sips on the dark wine he had chosen. “The alcohol is so strong most humans wouldn’t be able to take one or two sips before they’d be completely hammered.”

“It’s get us gods trashed,” Partheno adds. “Which is saying a lot, because most other alcohols don’t affect us.” I nod, looking back down at the bottle.

Interesting.

“Why don’t you have some, then, Zyglavis?” He gives me a look.

“Can I?”

The other gods get quiet, their curiosities peaked as well. I cock my head.

“Why couldn’t you? It’s not like it’s poison.”

“Can vampires consume foodstuffs?” Huedhaut asks in place of Zyglavis. “Can your bodies process it?”

“I know we can at least drink things,” I reply. “My creator did it all the time. I don’t know if taste is altered, because I never did it, but you could at least try if you wanted.”

I pop off the cork as easily as if it was just sitting loosely on the bottle and pour the dark red liquid into a glass for Zyglavis. The rich aroma of plum fills my nose, along with notes of tea-leaf and damp earth. It smells good, at the very least.

When I hand the glass to him, Zyglavis seems hesitant, eyeing it doubtfully. To a novus, blood feels like the only thing that would ever sound remotely good, even above the things he or she loved in their human—or god—years. He swirls the alcohol lightly, watching as it delicately splashes around. Twelve pairs of eyes are glued on him, waiting with baited breath.

He lightly sniffs at it, and seems pleased that the smell hasn’t changed; I see the corners of his mouth turn the slightest bit.

And then he tilts the edge of the glass to his lips, taking a small sip.

This time when he smiles, it’s a large, blooming smile that shows all his teeth, including his new fangs. Everyone who hasn’t seen them seems unsettled at first, but Zyglavis is blissfully unaware as he happily takes another drink, deeper this time.

“It’s still good?” I ask, smiling myself.

“Very much so,” He replies. “Actually, I think it tastes even better now.”

“Interesting,” Huedhaut muses. “It seems your taste buds don’t wither, but instead become enhanced…at least, with beverages.”

“Maybe your wine is just that good.” Leon says as he reaches for his second glass.

“All I gotta say is, I’m glad you’re back, Ziggy,” Ichthys says from beside Dui. “I was so worried, I couldn’t get any pranking done!”

“Yeah, like that’s what we were worried about, ya dumbbell,” Scorpio growls.

“Seriously! You know it’s bad when I don’t prank. Like, at all.”

Ichthys’ eyes, the color of bright silver, are wide set in his head, and adorably honest. I can’t help but giggle. Zyglavis elbows me.

“Don’t encourage him.” He mutters.

“And I’ve had so many ideas, too! Do you think I could do any of ‘em? Nope!”

“Ikky, c’mon.” Teorus says, rolling his melting honey colored eyes.

“Oh, just wait. You may be a vampire, Zig, but don’t think that’s gonna stop me.”

“I honestly didn’t think it would.” Zyglavis sighs, slumping back in his seat. I lightly pat his leg.

Ichthys looks to Dui, sitting on his right, and continues,

“Did you know that the basement of the palace has rats?”

I stiffen.

“Rats?” Dui repeats. “Is that what was in that wriggling sack you had in your room? Ichthys, that’s gross!”

I feel an unpleasant shiver run down my spine. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end, my mind already trying to choose between fight or flight. Rats.

Rats.

Rats…

“They’re cute, though! Like, look at this little guy!”

Then Ichthys snaps his fingers, and what should appear in his hand but—

A chorus of loud jeers goes out around the gods and Ichthys tries to insist how cute rats are. Until I react.

Air hisses up my throat, bursting out my lips like a threatened cat. Zyglavis’ head snaps to look at me a millisecond before everyone else’s does. It becomes dead quiet as my muscles tense, and I jerk off my seat as the thing in Ichthys’ palm looks at me with its tiny, beady little eyes.

“Eden?” There’s a raw edge to Zyglavis’ voice, but he stays frozen in his seat, like everyone else, absolutely stunned that I was the one to react this way.

My lips pull back from my teeth, my body jolting back toward the mouth of the veranda when the rat so much as twitches. Nobody moves. Nobody so much as breathes.

My mind is torn. Somewhere deep inside, I know I’m overreacting. I know it can’t hurt me anymore. But the simple, animalistic instincts I have demand that I snatch the disgusting rodent from Ichthys’ hand and twist it, crush it, mangle it and throw it away as far as I can. Another part of me screams to run. Don’t even touch it. Don’t even breathe the same air as that filthy, repulsive creature.

So I settle for the latter.

I spin on my heel and make a mad dash for the doors. I know I shouldn’t leave Zyglavis alone, but I can’t be near that sickening thing for one more second. Venom burns on my tongue as I run, my body a blur to everyone else.

…

My skin is still crawling even as I pace safe in Zyglavis’ room.

I scoff derisively at myself. Nothing but another vampire could hurt me now, and here I am, still afraid of a tiny, insignificant little rat.

I feel like I need to scrub myself. Do they make water hot enough?

The door opens as I rub my hands up and down my arms. I barely spare it a passing glance.

“Thank you, Scorpio.” Zyglavis says as he enters.

“No problem. I’ll deal with the problem child.”

He shuts the door quietly and turns to me, still fidgeting.

“Eden?” He asks softly, his eyes filled with worry. “What happened?”

“I’m…sorry,” I whisper, immense guilt flooding my system. “I know I shouldn’t have left you alone, but…but I can’t-I mean I just, I hate those-those…”

Zyglavis ghosts over to me, shushing me as he gently wraps his arms around me.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about me, love. Do you have a phobia of rats?”

I nod silently against his chest, pressing myself as close as I can to him.

“Can you tell me why?”

I take a breath and twirl one of the tassels hanging from Zyglavis’ jacket in between my fingers.

“Because rats brought the Black Plague to Europe.”

…

“I was born in early May, around the year 1331,” I tell Zyglavis.

We lay on his bed, his arms around me and his chin resting on my head. I feel his fingers absent-mindedly play with my hair. “I had ten older brothers, seven of whom had married and moved to their own homes when…everything happened. The three youngest boys stayed behind to help father with his smith shop. It was late autumn, slowly turning into winter. We had heard stories of ‘death ships’ pulling into the harbors with most crew members dead and covered in black ooze, but we thought it nothing more than hearsay. People got sick. People died. That was an every day occurrence, something common folk like us were used to. A couple days after we heard the rumors, one of my brothers got bitten by a rat. He had caught it and was playing with it; he was always fascinated by wildlife and animals. Within the next twelve hours, he became gravely ill, spreading the disease to all of us. I remember trying to care for all five of them while I was sick myself. I would faint quite often. My throat was swollen to twice its normal size, I had a fever, and at times I could barely stand because my stomach hurt so badly,” I narrow my eyes. These are memories I haven’t allowed myself to think of for years. Zyglavis’ arms tighten around me. “Finally, I had to give up. The brothers that didn’t leave home died within three days, mother, father and I all lasting one more after. I don’t know what happened to my other brothers. I remember looking down at my fingers and seeing that they had turned black. It was terrifying, but at that point, I didn’t want to suffer anymore. I didn’t want my parents to. I wished for death.

“That’s when a plague doctor came. I thought it strange, considering the city had pretty much been abandoned save for the bodies in the streets, but he prayed with father and held mother’s hand until she passed. My father begged the doctor to save me, said he’d give his soul to the devil if that’s what it took. The doctor told him he’d do it, in the way ‘only he could’, and then, my father went. I was the only one left. He removed his mask and looked at me, completely unafraid to breathe the same infected air as me, and smiled. He had fangs.

“When he bit me, I didn’t really feel it. What I felt was heat, like I was standing over a fire. I couldn’t distinguish reality from nonreality, and it felt like my consciousness was flickering like the shutters of an old camera. I felt life holding me by one arm, death by the other, and they were both violently yanking me, both equal in strength, neither wanting to give me to the other. I kept being thrown around like a ragdoll. All the while, that heat lingered in the background. By the time I regained full consciousness, I was already halfway done with the transition. But I have to say, I was impressed when you were quiet the whole time you were changing, because the moment I came back to reality, all hell broke loose. I screamed. I thrashed. But no matter how hard or how loud I screamed, the only thing that would ease the pain was time. And finally, finally, it went away. There was no discomfort, no pain. My fingers weren’t black anymore. I could breathe.

“But my creator was…off. He scared me. He said that he couldn’t remember his real name, only that it began with Z, so that’s what he went by. He was cruel. Sadistic. He would put on that plague mask and wander around in London just to see the dead people. It brought him some sort of sick joy. He would kill just to kill. I only stayed with him for a few months before I ran.

“He followed me wherever I went. From the crowded streets of India to the dense jungles of the Amazon, it would never be too long before he found me. I ended up developing this sort of sense about three minutes before he would arrive. My skin would crawl and I would get this feeling of despair. That would always be my signal to run. He never caught me, but he never gave up his chase.”

My body shivers just thinking about it. Those dark violet eyes. The malignant, cold smirk.

Zyglavis’ arms tighten around me.

“Why is he so obsessed with you?” He whispers, more to himself than to me.

“My best guess is that he wanted me to be what I am for you.” I reply quietly. That thought makes a wave of dry nausea rock my gut, and I cuddle in closer to him. I feel his chest rumble.

“Is that right? Well,”

I blink. Zyglavis’ voice is surprisingly pleasant right now.

“After we deal with Diefropos, we’ll just have to deal with your creator.”

“No.”

I pull my head back and narrow my eyes at Zyglavis, who frowns at me.

“And why not?” He shoots back.

“Because I don’t want you within one hundred miles of him, that’s why!” I exclaim. “I’m not going to pick any fights, okay? I mean, I’ve been away from the Earth for over four hundred years now. He probably thinks I’m dead, anyway.”

“What if he finds us when we’re on Earth hunting?”

Zyglavis catches me there. I hesitate for a moment, and he smirks, knowing he’s got a point.

“Knock it off,” I growl. “If that ever becomes the case, I’ll know it, and we’ll run, like I did before. Besides that, you’d probably need the king’s permission to kill him, and you know that.”

He huffs, a dimple of frustration forming on his left eyebrow.

“Don’t worry about things you don’t need to worry about,” I tell him as I reach up and run my fingers over his cheek. “One step at a time.”

He sighs dejectedly, but, knowing he can’t argue, lets it go. For now.

#zyglavis #star crossed myth #star crossed myth fan fiction #otome game #voltage inc #voltage fanfic #fanfic

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buyingusedcar · 3 years

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New Pet Products, Medicine Showcased at Western Veterinary Conference

Las Vegas, – Horsing around in Las Vegas isn’t Normally like this. Dr. W. Leon Scrutchfield surrendered his secret would be to be fine ‘n simple when playing the horses, or in their own situation when playing with horses that suffer toothaches. Dr. Scrutchfield is a professor and chief of field services for large creatures, at Texas A & M University College of Veterinary Medicine – College Station. He gave a talk called “Equine Dentistry,” and was among 180 introducing veterinarians revealing new research for animal care in the 72nd Annual Western Veterinary Conference, Feb. 20-24, 2000.

More than 7,000 pet care professionals attended the seminar held in the Las Vegas Hilton and Riviera Hotels in what is arguably the biggest instructional veterinary convention in the country. In addition to the educational sessions, pharmaceutical companies, pet food manufacturers and companies which produce an assortment of pet toys and equipment for vets showed off their products. Scalpels were exhibited using plush stuffed toy cats and dogs, kitty litter was spread, flea products sprayed and at least one daring spokesperson even ate kibble for a skeptical vet who dared to inquire, “but does it taste good? ”

Here are some highlights:Dr. Gregory Hanson of Davis, Calif. explained that vets once treated pets for pain when they literally cried out for help, yowling or howling. “For one thing, we finally have the means to not wait long,” he explained. In addition, he pointed out that new research indicates pets may not display distress even when they’re experiencing severe pain. “They can’t tell us – and instinctively they just don’t express their pain. Instead their energies are directed at recovery. As an instance, a postoperative dog lying silently was until very recently supposed to be comfy. However, in reality that dog might not be comfortable in any way. As a livelihood our default must be to treat for pain unless the creature convinces us otherwise. ”

Hanson also spoke about the advantages of combining pain relief medications. Done properly and carefully, the effectiveness will increase and the potential for side effects may lessen.

“Ooops, missed that litter box,” is the number one pet behavior complaint, but little research has trickled out to ascertain why some cats think outside the box. Dr. Sharon Crowell-Davis and Dr. Wailani Sung of the University of Georgia – Athens are now in the process of compiling results from their still-to-be-published study.

At a sneak preview of her results, Crowell-Davis showed of these cats with box issues, four of ten pay their eliminations, in comparison with all the squeaky management group where seven of ten covered their excrement. Also, problem cats don’t invest as much time at the box sniffing about compared to cats that consistently reach their targets. This means if your cat isn’t covering up and isn’t sniffing its bathroom, see, you will soon have a kitty with poor aim. Crowell-Davis and Wailani additionally found most litter boxes to be too small.

Dr. Ken Bartels is on the frontier of laser medicine. He explained new tactics to deal with cancer without traditional chemotherapy or surgery. A special drug (called a photosensitzer) is injected intravenously to the pet and also manages to travel to the cancerous tumors where the vet points a laser light, aims and fires. The laser light activates the cancer fighting drug, and “bang zoom” the cancer cells have been blasted away. This treatment has been used with success on cancer of the nose cats and with skin and esophageal cancers in both dogs and cats.

Bartels, of Stillwater, Okla. is the president-elect of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association, and also a long-time proponent of laser operation. He said in 1990 less than two dozen practices around the nation had laser engineering, and they were largely at veterinary teaching associations. Nowadays, there are approximately 700 lasers in practices across the nation. He supposes that the moment the year 2010, 90% of all veterinary clinics will share the cutting edge technologies, that's the ability to perform surgery without actually cutting with a scalpel.

Bartels suspects even elective surgeries, such as spay/neuters, will increasingly be performed utilizing lasers. “There’s less trauma to the body because the operation is less invasive, there’s less pain to the animal and normally a faster recovery,” he says. Possibly the most immediate and pressing use for laser surgeries can be for reptiles or birds. These critters are expert at masking illness, so often by the time that they ’re diagnosed, they might be severely sick. It’s no operation that necessarily kills birds or reptiles, it’s the strain of prolonged recovery – using laser gear, this becomes much less of a problem.

Unfortunately, since the average laser operates anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000, the cost of laser surgery is at least for now somewhat costlier than traditional surgery.

Even vets were tangled in a web of confusion, seeing private boxes in which 12 company reps pitched their sites. Some sites focused exclusively on veterinary clientele, others – like pets.com – are for e-commerce attractive to the public.

Brand-new is petplace.com, a virtual veterinary medical dictionary plus a source for preventative medicine and wellness programs, launched by pets.com.

Another new website, goodnewsforpets.com is really targeted to members of their pet press.

Chemical behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine – Philadelphia, talked in Good detail concerning obsessive-compulsive disease (OCD) in puppies. She introduced evidence that dogs may have hallucinations, demonstrating a videotape of a dog pouncing on fanciful mice. Dogs can also present OCD by chasing their tails, self-grooming, or pursuing imaginary flies. Overall additionally clarified separation anxiety, sound phobia and thunderstorm anxiety in dogs. She says in all situations, the evidence seems clear that the brain chemistry has been altered. She and other investigators are compiling evidence that indicates when medication or behaviour modification is demonstrated to be helpful, the brain chemistry returns to normal.

Just as brain chemistry levels may impact a pet’s psychological well being, there might soon be medical means to actually measure dominance aggression in dogs. Overall says pee display data shows different amino acid measurements in dogs that are aggressive. If nothing else that is evidence that something neurochemical is happening in these competitive dogs.

Dr. Thomas Goerblich of Munich, Germany was covering the conference for what amounts to the German version of Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy. He clarified , in Germany veterinarians are reluctant to be interviewed since vets aren’t permitted to advertise their practices, so that they ’re exceedingly cautious to not misconstrue anything they say to the press as self marketing. “It’s convinced not that way in the states,” he states. Goerblich, who's a veterinarian, was schooled in Germany but trained at the Chicago region. He states despite the fact that there are more pets in Germany than before (5.6 million adults and 5 million dogs), there are also more vets than previously, and lots of trained as vets simply can’t find a job.

Dr. Andy Eschner, manager of professional services at Iselin, N.J.-based Merial (manufacturer of animal health products, such as Frontline) talked about how synthetic pyrethroids (most often labeled permethrins) are potentially deadly to cats. All these are place on flea control products for dogs, that are mandated by legislation to have labels warning against usage on cats. The dilemma is that the packing might have that warning in small print, but resemble the packaging of Frontline or Advantage. Don’t be fooled. When used anywhere near cats these products are potentially very hazardous. Eschner points it out ’s potential that a chummy cat rubbing up against a medicated dog might be adversely affected.

Note: This guide is copyrighted by Steve Dale and can be applied as source material and for reference only. It can't be reprinted verbatim. Please contact Steve Dale at [email protected] if you have any questions.

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