#who a few episodes ago leveled a whole village in front of her

[itachanta]

Meryl determined to save Vash

#trigun #trigun stampede #meryl stryfe #her determination to save vash #jumping into danger #calling his name in front of knives #who a few episodes ago leveled a whole village in front of her #being only a human among monsters #she is reckless but inspiring and strong-minded #she falls but gets up and climbs again #while witnessing things she'd never seen before #always believing in vash and following him #that's who she is #and i love her for it #vash the stampede #vashmeryl

[mcd-ms-rants]

Wow you all are the best <3 <3 thanks so much!!

so without further ado

STUFF I DIDNT LIKE ABOUT SEASON 3:

• Ok why does this season have SO MUCH FILLER

• Waaay too much in my opinion

• We never actually find out what that fragment Zane has is for I mean Emmalyn did find something but she escaped before Zane could force her to say it soooo :/ and then mcd was discontinued

• I don’t understand Aphmau’s reasoning for not being Irene. When Zane says “you would deny your birth?” she tells Zane that she has no memories of Irene therefore she is not her. Well Aph honey tell that to the 38373 tourists that visit everyday just to see you -_-

• Wow was it really that easy to kidnap someone from Phoenix Drop the home of the new Irene damn Zane has his work cut out for him

• I mean he literally walked IN FRONT OF Dante

• Speaking of Zane, i don’t really like his s3 version. Him having the untouchable status of high priest was a big part of his character and removing it made him even more one-dimensional if it’s even possible. Now on top of being a way too simple character you don’t even have the one thing that made you unique. He wasn’t written to be a side antagonist and as someone who likes his concept I feel that he deserves much better. he shouldve been used in s2 as a main antagonist with ivy as a side maybe and not in s3 because it ruined him :(

• Tho why is he not treated as a big threat. He’s a shadow knight. Note that I pretty much skipped past all scenes with Aph in them so if she does something I’ve mentioned below, ignore it. She should’ve sent a warning letter or something to the lords of the neighboring villages like hey the murderous emo priest is back get yo shit together. No one even knows he’s back. for the record I feel like he grew weaker as a shadow knight?? Aren’t they supposed to have greater strength? I don’t understand why his strength level keeps changing throughout the season. It’s apparently easy to defeat Dante but not Lucinda?? Is it bcuz she’s a witch and has long-range magic? Cant shadow knights teleport and use magic too or am I getting it wrong

• I don’t like the ending to Dante and Gene’s fight. He legit laughs and it sounds like he has asthma I’m sorry he sounds like he’s choking there no hate tho...anyway why tf does he leave? All I remember is that the people somehow got freed from his memory magic (again, how??) and surrounded him. why is that a problem?? Knowing him he would’ve just massacred them. or used them as a hostage to force Dante to cooperate this makes no sense

• SO. MUCH. FILLER.

• I don’t like how in Zane’s Wrath it shows a whole village burning and then Zane says “hmm only about 30 people have been slaughtered.” EXCUSE ME HE MASSACRED A VILLAGE ONCE HE CAN DO IT AGAIN. He’s a shadow Knight now where did the advanced strength go?? AND THEN HE SLEEPS RIGHT AFTER. So THIS part of being a shadow Knight applies but his strength doesn’t?? • I don’t like how Emmalyn interacts with Zane. I get that they needed to make it a bit funny but there’s nothing funny about being kidnapped. they should’ve stuck the comedic relief somewhere in between the large amounts of filler. Zane’s a psychopath and a homicidal maniac and Emmalyn should be more scared. I mean it’s evident Zane wasn’t gentle when kidnapping her just look at her house. why is she talking causally. ok even if you argue that he hadn’t shown his true colors yet she knows of him and has heard of what he does. and for the record WHY DOES SHE SPEAK TO HIM NORMALLY AFTER HE SLAUGHTERS SO MANY PEOPLE. Like after the village rampage she cries for a minute and then she’s back to being a scholar who asks waaay too many questions. and purposely withholding info from someone like Zane doesn’t seem like a good idea to me idk abt the rest of you

• I feel like Lilith was really forgotten in the season bcuz of Alina having Shad’s relic and all that jazz. • Garroth was REALLY forgotten. im pretty sure he was neglected the first few episodes and then they chucked him with Hyria to have a really long tea party

• BUT at least we got some Ro’meave angst with Garroth and Zane yelling at each other. wish we got more of it tho it will never be enough

• ZANE IS SUPPOSED TO BE SMART. We can see that so many times in his concept. He’s meant to smart and cunning and calculating and manipulative how could he be that way if he was dumb. STOP WRITING DUMB DECISIONS FOR HIM. I hate how they made Emmalyn keep the fragment someone like Zane would never let anyone else keep something of *zane voice* POWER so why does she have it here. Zane wouldve logically kept it with him. I get that he could be overconfident enough to sleep while Emmalyn was free but no way he’s letting her keep the fragment. The script keeps making him do stupid things whyyy

• Aphmau being a shit friend again. When Lucinda arrives back at the Alliance Island and Malachi tells Aph about all the shit Zane did she’s just like BUT I need to find out about Irene. EXCUSE ME those books aren’t going anywhere but your friends sure are. Even Malachi says “you’re going? What about all the stuff that’s going on at home?” or something like that. YA CUZ WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE KENMUR IS DEAD AND DANTE IS GRIEVING.

• Wow why does Aph sound so surprised when Lucinda suggests making wanted posters you should’ve done it a long time ago

• The way canon mcd was left off was not great in my opinion and in some cases it’s downright awful. Emmalyn is stuck at the werewolf castle and they now know about Aphmau. Zane is powerless and useless, both of which so no favors for his already lacking character so idk what they could’ve done for him anyway. There’s so many inconsistencies throughout mcd regarding the way he was written. Aph wants to go tu Tu’La courtesy of a glowing book. Yay. im pretty sure Garroth is STILL with Hyria. travlyn is just chillin

• Basically pls give characters some better development and opportunities thanks and stop making Zane do dumb things he’s suffering from his lack of character development anyway

#zane ro'meave #mcd garroth #garroth ro'meave #aphmau #katelyn the firefist #aphmau katelyn #mcd emmalyn #mcd dante #aphmau gene #travis valkrum #ya this is another rant post #pls give some better development #we need it #thoughts? #whats your opinion on these points #would love to hear them!!

[lost-in-yujikiri]

Alicization Rewatch ep 14

OK, I’m back! Sort of haha, I’m having exams in these few weeks T_T, but I’d definitely post more frequently now especially in Lunar New Year week, so look forward to more.

Today I’m only talking about one episode because while rewatching it I found that the aftermath of Deusolbert’s fight was dragged out for so long, especially the last 5 minutes. They could have speed things up by shorten the latter half while adding back the important Eugeo’s monologues that they always loved to cut that add a huge chunk of characterization to him in LN.

Remember in my last Rewatch post, I said Eugeo didn’t just stay there reading history books for fun? He actually has a more profound reason for it, which he narrated in LN before the boys fought Deusolbert Synthesis 7.

Eugeo has always been plagued by guilt since he was a kid, but it’s not just about Alice’s arrest and being taken away from him. Eugeo’s family is made of poor barley farmers, but his original Calling was cutting the Gigas Cedar, a task that would take more than his whole life to fulfill.

Calling is not something anyone can choose for themselves, but his family shunned him for not being able to help on the farm, and most of his salary went to his father Orick instead, thus Eugeo was stuck with eating stale bread and wearing torn shoes everyday.

Eugeo’s family in Alicization manga, which is the only image they have in any adaptation so far

If Kirito had never come and found the idea to cut down the Gigas Cedar with Blue Rose Sword after both boys raised their Authority Levels during the goblin fight, his life would be stuck with it forever.

When Eugeo left the village with Kirito, his family of course wouldn’t receive any more salary from Eugeo's labor, so they were openly disappointed with him even though he fulfilled a huge feat his village has always dreamt of (sorry for my crude personal opinion, but Eugeo’s family are pretty much assholes all around, even when Eugeo tried to paint them in a better light in his monologues). But Eugeo still thought it’s his fault so he decided that he’d become an Integrity Knight to one day compensate more money for his family.

But after what happened with Raios & Humbert, both Eugeo and Kirito became criminals, the village and his family would shun them away even harder (like you guys can see what happened to Alice S30 in WoU ep 1-2), all Eugeo’s plan to become Integrity Knight to help his family became meaningless.

From then Eugeo saw himself straying away from the righteous path. He thought of himself as a monster. He read many history books in Cardinal’s library to see if there are any other people like him who have committed crimes and could go back to their families unchanged. No such records exist. He can no longer go back to live a normal life, only a bloody path ahead. Eugeo mentally broke down and he would curve himself into a ball and cry if Kirito didn’t find him before then.

In his mind, his goal of taking Alice back to her family still didn’t change, he’d do anything for it to go smoothly. But for himself, he’d wanted Kirito, the black-haired boy walking in front of him to be his partner for all their hardships ahead. He’d even ask Kirito to flee and live in the Dark Territory with him if they ever achieved their goals.

There was no place he could live after his many sins anymore, except for the horrifying Dark Territory beyond the End Mountains. But even that was a price worth paying if it meant Alice could go back home and live in happiness again. Eugeo watched Kirito walk before him, turning over this secret determination in his head. If I said I was going to the Dark Territory, would you come with me…?

LN Excerpt: Sword Art Online Volume 12 Chapter 8 part 1

After the fight with Deusolbert, while Kirito could see the Integrity Knights as poor beings whose memories were blocked and manipulated, Eugeo still viewed the Axiom Church as a wicked being and the Integrity Knights as a huge farce who had indirectly caused despair to their citizens and yet they all forgot about all their shady missions under Administrator’s orders, so they aren’t worthy of calling themselves justice defenders. That’s why Eugeo was so angry during his fights with Deusolbert (& Fanatio later), because he couldn’t accept their existence.

After it all, Kirito still bantered with Eugeo a lot like the old school days as a way to help ease his tension down, and assured Eugeo that everything was still fine. The silly banters the boys shared unfortunately have been changed into a very bland and dragged out version in the anime which shows none of their dorky character, so I post their original banters here:

Just then, Kirito came to a sudden stop on the staircase landing just ahead. He turned back, face dead serious, and said, “Hey, Eugeo………What floor are we on now…?” “Um…well,” Eugeo said, wobbling a bit. He sighed, shook his head, and slumped his shoulders all at the same time. “Next one’s the twenty-ninth floor. I’m going to assume you were at least counting at the start.” “Well, you’d think they would have floor number displays along the way. I mean, it’s just common sense.” “I agree, but you should have noticed before this!” Eugeo scolded, but Kirito merely brushed it off and rested his back against the landing wall.

“Man, I’m getting hungry…” “…I agree with you there.” Eugeo thrust out his hand and demanded, “So hand over one of the ones you’ve got in your pockets.” “Uh…but…I was saving them for emergencies…Man, you’re greedier than I thought.” “You thought I wouldn’t notice how much you stuffed in there?” Kirito gave up and slipped his right hand into his pants pocket, then pulled out two steamed buns and handed one to Eugeo. The smell of it was still strong enough to stimulate his appetite, even though they’d left the library long ago. “That flame attack kinda charred it a bit.” “Ha-ha…I see. Thanks, man.” Cardinal had generated the steamed bun out of some precious old tome’s pages using her high-level sacred arts, a fact that Eugeo had to ignore as he bit into the treat. The crispy, burned outside gave way to juicy meat on the inside, which he savored rapturously. In less than a minute, their little lunch was over, and Eugeo licked his fingers in satisfaction. Kirito’s other pocket was still bulging suspiciously, but Eugeo was happy enough to let it go for now.

LN excerpts: Sword Art Online Volume 12, Chapter 8 Part 2

I’ll will speak more about Eugeo’s continuous character development that anime hasn’t emphasized very well in next week’s Rewatch post.

#Eugeo #Kirito #Kirigaya Kazuto #Sword Art Online #SAO #Alicization #sao alicization #Alicization Rewatch #Deusolbert Synthesis 7 #YujiKiri #KiriYuji

[drink-n-watch]

Glass really is a great invention. It’s one that has really been taken for granted compared to most of the inventions Senku has explored so far. A lot of people actually just think of glass as a building material. I was pretty happy to hear Senku explain what’s so great about it and why glass’ unique properties have made it so important to human civilization.

He skipped over a lot of stuff but it was a nice tidbit. As I’m currently sitting at my glass topped desk writing this, I appreciate it just a little more!

What I thought Would Happen

I actually thought the show would use Gen’s departure as a natural bridge to leave behind Senku and the village for a little bit (for the episode or 3/4 of it) and catch up with Tsukasa. Maybe let us know what Taiju and Yuzu are up to. This would also have been a good opportunity to throw in a bit of confusion about Gen’s loyalties and keep us on our toes.

At most, I though we would get a continuation of the training between Kohaku, Kinro and Ginro while Senku and Chrome remained mysterious, working on something in the background. Maybe gathering mats, they do still need quite a few after all. That way, we could go back next episode and all the leg work would have already been done. It would have been a good way to add a sense of urgency and menace as well, although I suppose they already have the tournament and Magma for that

What Did Happen

Let’s  concentrate on what I got right, Kohaku, Kinro and Ginro did continue training for most of the episode and…that’s about it.

As you may have guessed from my opening paragraph, Senku set out to make glass this week, a necessity if you’re going to attempt any sort of advanced chemistry. This ties in nicely with the fact that Suika is actually short sighted. The mask that she wears has pinholes for the eyes which help her vision. But now, she has lenses. It may sound super silly, and it was, but it was also very sweet! We also find out that Ginro is short sighted as wel. That’s probably going to pay off later.

What About the Characters

Right now, it’s not so much about developing the independent characters as it is about building up the various relationships in their makeshift little band. Senku seems to be a static character (one that hasn’t and probably won’t change that much in the story) and I think that’s actually an excellent thing with this type of premise. We’re slowly getting to know him more and more but as we already know him pretty well, it’s not exactly remarkable. Although there was a moment at the end of the episode, when he saw the lab and for the first time, seemed honestly emotional.

This said, Chrome is still the faithful sidekick, Suika remains the adorable one. Nothing much to report of that front. Yes she now sees better and that’s great but otherwise, same charater.

The brothers though, Kinro and Ginro did manage to reveal a bit more of their personality. For one, we are slo9wly seeing that Ginro seems a little insecure and is hiding this behind his rigidity and discipline. While Kinro, who’s been portrayed as a lovable dolt up until now, is a little sneakier and more underhanded than I first believed. This puppy has some bite. What makes me happiest is that so far, the group dynamic doesn’t seem to have been destroyed by the new additions. I would even welcome Gen back as I believe he brought a unique personality to the mix but this episode still felt balanced and was entertaining without him.

What I Liked

Like I mentioned, I really liked the pursuit of glass as the science of the week. It’s a good choice!

The show seems to have settled into a comfortable routine. The pacing is quite good and episodes don’t feel overly long or confusing. It’s a fairly simple structure and a repetitive one but it’s also just plain enjoyable watching all these characters come together and toil away.There’s just enough real world science to get the context and it makes their weekly pursuits feel more tangible.

Although the characters can feel like caricatures and are all clearly exaggerated, they’re not actually archetypes I recognize. All of them have on some level subverted my expectation. Kohaku is a strong independent action girl who is also very open about her attraction to Senku without ever fawning over hi, can recognize when she needs help and is more than happy to ask for it (I say this every week, I quite like Kohaku). Senku is just a weirdo, no one could expect him. Chrome is your basic nice guy but the science geek edge is a bit. I can go on but basically none of the characters were exactly what I expected and I like that.

As I was writing the episode summary I realized it was  much shorter than usual and that’s actually a good thing. Dr Stone can get a little scattered. Having the episode revolve around just a few points and narrowing the scope of the narrative made it more enjoyable for me.I think they should in fact stick to this formula when they can.

As for the show itself, it continues to expand the colour palette and my stills, when looked at from a distance, are getting more and more interesting. Look at that sunset!

What I Liked Less

I actually really liked this episode. The only thing that is sort of bugging me is that the whole Tsukasa side of the story has just been left hanging for so long. I’m really wondering what’s going on over there. Especially with our friends. They could at least just show us an image.

And as I am writing, I realize that it’s probably on purpose. My curiosity is certainly piqued. I will come back just to find out what’s going on on the other side. They’ve built up some great little mystery and suspense here. I would move these paragraphs from the section but then I wouldn’t have anything left to say.

On wait, I guess Ginro has the potential of becoming annoying but for now, I’m fine with him.

Closing Thoughts

Fine, I’ll admit it, the show won me back. It won me back a while ago to be fair I just wasn’t ready to admit it. Admittedly, it’s not that hard to make me love an anime but I’m just having fun with it. Honest to goodness fun. I kind of wish it didn’t air on the same night as so many other shows I’m reviewing so I could enjoy it on it’s own.

Mood: Suckered

  Dr. Stone Episode 11 – Focus Glass really is a great invention. It's one that has really been taken for granted compared to most of the inventions Senku has explored so far.

#action #anime #comedy #Dr. Stone #episodic #science! #shonen

[eternityunicorn]

Remember Me? - Part Two

Author: eternityunicorn 

Genre: Romance/Drama/AU

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Warnings: Violence, Smut (*Smut chapters marked +18)

Summary: Set in TO Season 5 - Elijah Mikaelson didn’t know who he was, but he had stopped searching for answers. Instead, of trying to discover his true identity, he settled in a small village in the south of France, spending his days as a musician. Then a mysterious woman begins to show up, night after night, to drive him insane, when he refuses to return to his old life with her. However, his course is set as he learns more about the woman and the past he left behind, leading him down an emotional path of infidelity, betrayal, and heartbreak. Can he ever put the broken pieces back together?

NOTE: OC and original elements are from my up and coming novel series!

AUTHOR’S COMMENTARY: This chapter is based on TO Season 5, Episode 6.

———————————————————————————————————

That night had proved to not be the last that Elijah saw of the mysterious, yet familiar woman from his past. Though she did not show back up until a few days after their last meeting. Once again, Eternity stood at the bar, watching him as he played at the piano. He had been surprised to see her there, after she disappeared that night he confronted her, but found he was also mildly pleased, despite himself.

Unlike in their past encounters, Eternity didn’t remain standing across the room for long. 

“Do I have any requests?” Elijah asked the gathered crowd, trying to ignore the pale beauty.

When he made this inquiry, the shimmering beauty came floating over, coming to stand in front of the piano with her hands spread out upon it. “I do,” she answered with a flirtatious smile, “but it is a duet. Mind if I join you?”

He returned her smile with a small, curt one of his own as he scooted over to one side of the piano bench and nodded to it, “Sure.”

With that same regal grace, she went around the piano and sat down beside him. Putting her hands on the keys, she began to play a modern tune, one that Elijah hadn’t heard before. It was hauntingly beautiful and soon, he found himself joining in, despite not knowing the music. It was as if his fingers had minds of their owns, as if he knew the tune on some subconscious level. They played together perfectly, he and the beauty beside him, as if they had been playing together for years. Perhaps they had.

“It seems that some part of you still remembers,” commented Eternity quietly, glancing at him. “We used to play this tune together all the time.”

“Did we now? Sorry, I cannot recall,” he quipped with a smirk. “I seem to have some sort of amnesia.”

Eternity laughed lightly and shook her head at him.

Elijah felt such joy hearing that melodious sound and that profound connection he felt toward her only increased with it. He couldn’t resist it if he tried - and he did try.

Then suddenly, Antoinette made an appearance, breaking the spell between them. “Elijah?” She questioned upon seeing them together, the surprise and subtle jealousy evident on her face.

He immediately got up from behind the piano and went to her, kissing her lips quickly in apology. “Sorry, Eternity was just teaching me a new-old tune on the piano,” he said weakly, turning to look at the pale beauty, only to find she had disappeared...again.

Elijah tried not to let his disappointment show. Then he felt Antoinette pull on his arm to gain his attention. He turned to her with a small smile that was as fake as they come, but one he tried to pass off as genuine anyway.

“Come on, love,” she said with a hint of sadness in her sweet voice. “The sun is about to rise. We should head back.”

Without hesitation and a simple nod, he followed her out. All the while, Eternity was on his mind.

That day, as he slept beside his fiancée, he dreamed of the ethereal beauty who would not leave him alone. He saw her round, childlike face and she was smiling at him with those big, sparkling sapphire eyes of hers. He reached for her automatic, embracing her, kissing her, then making love to her. She didn’t speak and neither did he. They were simply together - beautifully happy. 

When night fell and Elijah rose from slumber, all he could think about was Eternity, despite attempting very hard not to. He didn’t consciously know her or love her, but some subconscious part of him remembered and cared for her still. He couldn’t escape it, no matter what and it drove him crazy!

Then, like a saving grace to his sanity, a distraction came knocking at the door. 

Curious, Antoinette answered it and found a fellow vampire the other side, looking weary and weak. “Mother! What happened to you?” She asked, nervously.

“The path to redemption is long and winding...but worthy,” Antoinette’s mother replied, just as Elijah came to stand by his fiancée with her intertwining their fingers in comfort. The weary female vampire looked at him and said, “Elijah, yes? What a pleasure it is to finally meet you.”

There was something eerie and ominous about her. Because of that, he hesitated slightly, before nodding, “And you.”

Of course, Antoinette let her mother into their apartment and before long, the woman, Greta Sienna, started to look less weary and more at full strength. Elijah had prepared a modest meal for the three of them, so that they could talk about whatever had brought the unsettling woman to them.

His fiancée seemed suspicious of her own mother, especially with the quick and strange phone call his soon-to-be mother-in-law made during dinner. Then Antoinette had pointed out how Greta was wearing a daylight ring, something that went against the purist vampire teachings, making his lady even more wary.

“I'm sure you didn't get a daylight ring just to see me,” his fiancée said. 

As Greta poured them more wine, she replied, “No. I've been wearing one for years. But your father believed, at times, the ends justify the means.”

Curious, Elijah asked, “And what means were those?”

“Our movement recognizes the superiority of our species,” Greta explained, “and works to protect the sanctity and purity of the true vampire.”

With a slight scoff, Antoinette chimed in, “By wearing a ring and acting like a daywalker?”

“By infiltrating those who need reeducation,” her mother corrected. “The daywalkers are in denial of their natural state. They live as though they've never died and been chosen for something better than being merely human.”

“Yeah, perhaps they don't know the peace that comes with removing the ring,” commented Elijah.

“No, Elijah, they don't,” Greta agreed. “But...our work is paying off. We've taken hold.”

“Doesn't explain your sudden visit,” Antoinette said, gazing curiously at her mother.

It was obvious to Elijah that there was some tension between mother and daughter. He didn’t know the story behind that, other than it was Greta’s teachings that Antoinette followed, the very same that she had taught to him in his reeducation on how to be a vampire. He enjoyed the purist form of vampirism. It was freeing and he could understand why one might try to push it on others of their kind. 

“No,” Greta admitted, “but I believe Roman may be in danger.”

Immediately, Elijah’s fiancée was on alert. Worry marred her expression and tainted her voice as she urgently asked, “What's happened?”

“It's my fault, really,” answered Greta regretfully. “Your brother wanted to go away to school, and I...I indulged him. But now I've learned that he's gotten mixed up with Hope Mikaelson. He's quite fond of her. But the moment her father finds out that she's involved with a Sienna...”

“He'll kill him,” finished Antoinette, very worried now for her brother.

“Roman won't stand a chance against him,” her mother said gravely. “That's why I'm here. The only one strong enough to stop Klaus Mikaelson, save your brother's life...”

 “Is me,” Elijah finished, knowingly. “I’ll do it. I’ll go.”

“Good,” Greta smiled almost wolfishly. “I’m glad to hear it and I am forever grateful.”

Later, after Antoinette’s mother left. They discussed this mission of his, as he packed to make the journey to New Orleans. He was full of determination, wanting to protect his new family. So focused was he that he didn’t even think about Eternity or the dreams he kept having of her.

“My mother had no right to put this on you,” his lady said, exasperatedly.

“She's just protecting her son,” he replied, as he moved about the bedroom, readying himself for the trip.

Antoinette was clearly bothered by this whole thing, not liking the idea of him going at all, as well as being worried for her brother. “Greta is complicated,” she sighed. “And obviously her views are pretty extreme. But, yes, she does love Roman. So do I.”

Curiously, he asked, “You never told me how it was Greta came to be your mom.”

“All those years ago, after I was staked and stoned by my village, I was left for dead,” Antoinette explained to him. “I could feel my life slipping away when Greta found me. She saw something in me and turned me. I call her mother because...she gave me life. I-I owe her everything.”

He smiled confidently, “So my path is clear.”

As he moved past her, he paused and he kissed her lips tenderly.

“I don't want you having anything to do with your family,” insisted his fiancée, obviously trying to convince him not to go. He realized that she was afraid to lose him. If not to his family, then perhaps to Eternity, whom had been waiting for him to go home to New Orleans. “This is my problem,” she said weakly.”

“You are my family,” he smiled tenderly, as he neared her. “Your joy is my joy.” He paused to put on his daylight ring, then finished, “Therefore, your problem is my problem.”

“No, this is asking too much,” she murmured worriedly.

Elijah shook his head, “No, it's not. Your mother is right. I am the only one with the power to protect your brother from Klaus.” He cupped her neck in both hands to gaze into her eyes meaningfully. “Now just let me go. And after the sun sets and it's safe for you to travel, you come and join us.” He kissed her lips again, more passionately than before. Then, pulling away he saw her uncertainty, and with concern, asked, “Hey. What is it?”

Realizing she couldn’t stop him from going, Antoinette sighed in defeat and whispered, “Thank you.” Then she pulled him to her and hugged him tightly, before letting him go with a brave face.

The next day, Elijah found himself outside New Orleans, at an old abandoned farmhouse. Klaus Mikaelson, along with a pretty blonde companion he of course didn’t recognize, rolled up. The hybrid quickly moved toward the building, ready to kill Roman and anyone else that was part of Greta’s cause. The blonde followed and Elijah moved silently, stealthily snapping the woman’s neck before she could get far.

Then he went after Klaus, just as his brother turned to face him with a surprised look on his face to see him there at all. “What are you doing here?” He asked Elijah.

“Protecting my family,” Elijah replied, just as he snapped off the handle of an old shovel and threw it at the hybrid, who dodged it easily. 

An incredulous look crossed Klaus’s face as he raged, “They're your family? Hope is in there!”

Unmoved, he coolly stated, “It's not my problem.”

“Well, what about Hayley? Your sister-in-law, my wife, Hope’s mother!” His brother tried.

Gazing threateningly, Elijah responded, “The woman I love has a brother in there, and you're not going in.”

“I see Eternity - your wife - couldn’t reach you either,” he said with a sigh and then in frustration, he growled, “She is the woman you love, not that harlot you met in France, the very one that’s part of that deranged Sienna family, our family’s old enemy! You surely break her heart by denouncing her and choosing that woman over her!”

“Antoinette is the woman I love and the woman I plan on spending my life with,” countered Elijah stubbornly, despite his conflicted feelings over the pale beauty. “I don’t care what came before! This is my life now! And as I said, you’re not going in there!”

“Well, it shows how little you actually remember your old life,” his brother said, “because if you did, you'd know there's no way you can stop me.”

Just as they were about to fight, there was a loud commotion that rang out from within the farmhouse, giving both men pause. The sound of a struggle could be heard and then, few moments later, nothing. There was utter silence, before Eternity emerged from the house with a woman limping beside her and a young teenage girl on her other side. 

A look of utter relief crossed Klaus’s face as he rushed to them, embracing the bloodied and bruised woman, then the young girl joyously. He kissed each of their faces over and over again in his relief that they were still alive, and now safe. Then he hugged Eternity and thanked her for her efforts to save them. 

Worry immediately crossed Elijah’s face as he saw the blood spatters that marred the ethereal beauty’s face, hands, and clothes. He feared that the boy he had come to save had been killed by her. He was troubled by the prospect of failing in his mission, as well was the idea of Eternity turning into his enemy.

“Where is Roman?” He demanded angrily. 

Eternity looked at him gravely, knowing already the reason why he had been there. It was obvious by the disappointed expression upon her face. “Roman is alright,” she told him, comfortingly, despite her sadness. “He is but a child and therefore, I let him go. Greta was not so fortunate, I’m afraid.”

Upon seeing the defensive stance he took at her revelation, she turned to Klaus then and said, “Get Hope and Hayley somewhere safe. Leave Elijah to me.”

The hybrid nodded, ushering his wife and daughter away to the car he had come in, while pausing to pick up the still unconscious blonde vampire on the way.

Once they were gone, Eternity approached him. “Greta was using you, you know,” she said. “She was using your amnesia to her advantage, as well as your relationship with her daughter, in an attempt to keep Niklaus busy long enough to allow her kill Hayley and Hope. She was to murder our sister-in-law and our niece for her own twisted cause, which you were naively helping further.”

Elijah stared at her unforgivingly, “You killed Greta.”

“Yes, I did,” she nodded unapologetically. “You’ve aligned yourself with a fascist vampire cult, lead by one, Greta Sienna, Elijah, because of your idiocy. You made a stupid, reckless move with good intentions by erasing your memories. You’ve caused more problems without them than you would have with them.” She sighed in frustration and threw her hands up, “and I don’t know if Niklaus will ever forgive you for it. You may have forever broken your family, which is usually your brother’s MO, by the way.”

Elijah didn’t know what to say or to think. He simply gaped at her speechlessly.

“It is a good thing I managed to intercept her plot,” she carried on, speaking more to herself than to him. “Though it’s not over. Her cult followers have infiltrated New Orleans and I must go help dismantle that evil movement, before it tears the city apart since our family has to remain separated.”

He gazed at her curiously, sensing that she was saying goodbye to him, before she actually said it. He felt his insides twist sickeningly at the very idea, despite her killing his fiancée’s mother and acting as his enemy.

“I’d ask you to come home again,” Eternity murmured with a sad smile that broke his heart, “to allow me to not only restore your memories, but to also put the Hollow down for good - to reunite our family, but I know it’s a fool’s errand. You have made your choice. I cannot stop you. I won’t force you back against your will, because that is not love - and I do love you. Instead, I will find another way of defeating the Hollow and I will let you go.”

Elijah continued to gape, as words kept on failing him every time he attempted them. He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? He had rejected her, just as he had chosen Antoinette’s family over the Mikaelsons. He felt as if it was too late to turn back, as if he were stuck on the path he was on.

“It is a shame, however,” the ethereal beauty mourned with a shaky voice. “It is a shame that our daughter will grow up without a father. Worse, a father that chose to forget her, to build a new life without her. By rejecting the Mikaelsons and I, you have rejected her.”

That snapped Elijah out of his stupor. “Daughter? How?” He asked quickly with uncertainty. “I thought vampires couldn’t procreate. Did we adopt?”

Eternity shook her head, “No, she is your biological child. It is true that typically vampires cannot have children, but I am not bound by the rules of this world and with my magic, I made it so that we could, along with the other Originals.”

“What’s her name?” He found himself asking before he could stop. 

“Arianna Katerina Mikaelson, but we call her Ari for short,” she told him...and then, “Goodbye, Elijah. I wish you nothing but happiness in your new life.”

Before he could get any words out to keep her there, Eternity vanished from sight, just like that. 

Elijah was left with his whirlwind thoughts. His head spun, while his heart ached. It was that part of him that remembered that caused it, it was as if that subconscious part of him that knew the truth was rebelling against his. It was like it was crying out in terrible grief from a loss that he was consciously unattached to. It was a strange feeling, to feel something so profound and yet feel absolutely nothing at the same time.

The sun was setting, Antoinette would be arriving soon. He would have to tell her about Greta...and about the daughter Eternity mentioned, as well as all he was feeling. He didn’t know what to do, what path to take. 

He did love Antoinette and he did want to spend his life with her. However, Eternity and the knowledge of their child threatened to pull him in a backwards direction, back to the family he swore he didn’t care about - that he swore he wanted nothing to do with. He wanted to go to New Orleans to see this daughter, to know her. The tug toward the child was strong, so strong he could barely resist it.

Perhaps, his lady’s worries about losing him had more merit than he realized.

With these troubling thoughts plaguing his mind, Elijah left the farmhouse to meet his fiancée since he didn’t know where Roman had gone to and couldn’t do anything more to help him. He was glad that the boy had managed to escape or rather that Eternity had let the boy go, feeling grateful to her for that mercy. Though, his gratitude only served to complicate him further, leaving him just that more chaotically aimless.

To Be Continued....

———————————————————————————————————

Tag List: @elejah-wonderland @dendrite-lover @xanderling @x-memi12 @elizamonet @esclisa @hawaiianohana31 @inmylifeilovedthemall @freshsuitcasewinnereagle @missnmikealson @lalabluues @loulouisa @lolelijahishot @teekillerin

#elijah mikaelson #daniel gillies #original character #elijah x eternity #elijah x antoinette #antoinette sienna #klaus mikaelson #hayley marshall #hope mikaelson #romance #drama #alternate universe #tos5 rewrite #the originals fanfiction #the originals #the vampire diaries #the vampire diaries fanfiction

[narutostuff101]

Shikamaru and Naruto Fanfic #2

Shikamaru’s Duty

Summary: Shikamaru knew that it was up to him to protect Konoha when Naruto was gone. It was his promise to Naruto and to himself.

Set during Boruto Episode 62 but in Shikamaru’s POV.

Shikamaru looked at the bright orange and yellow light that was Kurama’s tails in the arena. The tails were engulfing an enormous Tailed Beast Ball.

Naruto...

Like everyone else, Shikamaru could only stand and watch the scene happening in front of him. How could this have happened? The research and investigation with Sasuke had been done for weeks. Why didn’t they see this coming?

The devastating blow by one of the ogres had caused the arena to crumble. Huge pieces or debris came falling down onto the spectators who had come to watch the Chunin Exams. The Four Kages and their advisors were quick to access the situation. They had scattered to quickly assist in evacuating the people. Ninjas in the stands had also aided in bringing the people away from the arena.

Shikamaru had rushed to the see what was happening down at the arena. As he cascaded down, he had shouted orders to the ninjas to hurry and get everyone to safety while at the same time trying to spot his son amongst the flood of people trying to run away. He did not see Shikadai anywhere but Shikamaru could not afford to worry about that at the moment. He needed to focus on getting to where Naruto was.

When he reached the edge of the stands, he could see the scene unfolding in below him; Naruto was carrying Boruto while trying to fight off the slimmer of the two ogres whereas the bigger one was attacking Sasuke who was holding Sarada. Shikamaru reacted fast. He performed the hand seals to activate his Shadow Binding Technique. His shadow stretched and stretched until it binded the two ogres.

Just in time.

“That was close!” He sighed in relief. Had he not reacted quickly, Naruto and Sasuke along with their children would’ve being sliced by the ogres. His success was short lived however. The ogre that was attacking Naruto had muttered something and all of a sudden, Shikamaru’s Jutsu was somehow absorbed into the ogre’s right palm. Shikamaru fell forward.

Is this like Pein? Does he have the Rinnegan?

Shikamaru’s brain went on a roll.

What on Earth are those things?

Even from far, Shikamaru knew that those creatures were not ordinary. He knew that they possessed a power that was beyond their level.

And of course, he was right. The ogre who had absorbed his Jutsu raised his palm and a big Tailed Beast Ball emerged from it. Then, several nature Jutsus emerged and began to circle the Tailed Beast Ball. It was a nerve-wrecking site.

This is bad.

Shikamaru needed to get away. He needed to leave the arena before the ogre unleashed those Jutsus. Shikamaru was trusted that Naruto would be able deal with it. Sasuke was there as well. They would protect the people in the village from the hellish Power that the ogre or perhaps ogres, possessed.

Shikamaru ran to the exit just in time as the ogre let loose the Jutsus in his palm. Running at full speed, he made his way to the forest area surrounding the arena. He noticed that many of the people have been evacuated there.

The majority of the Chunin Exams spectators had been Konoha citizens. He could only see several people from other villages. Shikamaru then spotted Shikadai. He was with the other Genins. As much as he wanted to, Shikamaru did not approached his son. Shikadai was safe and that was enough to ease Shikamaru’s sickening worries. Although he could not see his wife, Temari amongst the crowd, he did not panic. He was confident with his wife’s abilities and trusted her to be able to take care of herself. Now, Shikamaru had a bigger responsibility to carry; to ensure everyone’s safety as his first priority.

He began to instruct the Konoha Shinobis to bring the people further away from the area. They must not take any chances.

The sky above the arena flash with lightning. It was not natural lightning but several lightning style Jutsus. They could hear Kurama’s roar. Naruto had fully transformed into Tailed Beast Mode. Shikamaru hoped that that was a good thing.

Evidently, it wasn’t. The situation was clearly in favour of the enemy because suddenly the evening sky became dark. Shikamaru looked into the sky and what he saw, made him freeze. An even bigger Tailed Beast Ball blocking out the setting sun. Shikamaru felt himself gulping.

What were they going to do?

As if to answer his silent question, the tails of Kurama suddenly illuminated the dark sky.

“Naruto... is he going to absorb the thing?” Shikamaru thought aloud.

Around him, the people were shouting out to their beloved Seventh Hokage.

“Nanadaime-sama!”

“Hokage-sama!”

“That’s enough, Hokage-sama! You’ve done enough already! Get to safety!”

The people desperately shouted.

It only took a moment later and the sky became dark once more. Kurama’s tails disappeared into the darkness.

Naruto is gone.

Murmurs broke out amongst the crowd behind him. Some people started to cry out to Naruto. Shikamaru needed to get to the arena. He needed to know what was the situation. He ran as fast as he could.

As he ran, he remembered a conversation that had taken place between him and a freshly inaugurated Naruto, nearly 5 years ago.

“Shikamaru, thanks for being my advisor.” Naruto had told him when he settled into his new Hokage office. “It wouldn’t have been here if you hadn’t helped me the past few years.” Naruto gave Shikamaru his signature wide smile that made Shikamaru smile as well.

“Well, that was my nindo anyway.” Shikamaru told Naruto unabashed. “Now, if there is anything that you need help with, I’ll try my best to assist you. That’s my duty as your advisor. Got that, Hokage-sama.” He emphasised on the last two words.

Naruto scrunched up his face and let out a chuckle. “Thanks Shikamaru. I understand.” Then, Naruto’s face became serious. He looked Shikamaru in the eye and said in a serious tone, “However, I need you to understand one thing, Shikamaru.”

Shikamaru remained silent. He did not interrupt.

“If there came a time, when I can’t be there for the Konoha and it’s people, if I had vanished from here... I want you to promise me that you will protect this village as if it was your own family.”

Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows and stood up straight. He could tell that Naruto was very serious. He knew that the village meant everything to Naruto. That was one reason why he had wanted to became the Hokage. To protect his village.

“I understand.” Shikamaru answered curtly.

Naruto nodded. “Don’t worry Shikamaru. I’m strong, dattebayo! I won’t get killed that easily.” Naruto boasted.

“Huh. Sometimes I wonder if making you the Hokage was really a good thing. It may have inflated that big head of yours even more. Ha ha,” Shikamaru teased the blonde man.

“Shut up, Shikamaru.” Naruto said with a scowl. The two leaders of Konoha let out a laugh. Their journey to bring a new era to Konohagakure together began on that day.

Shikamaru reached the arena that was completely destroyed. He couldn’t see very well due to the dust that clouded the area. He jumped down towards a tall black figure.

It was Sasuke. Sarada and Boruto laid on the ground; passed out. Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

Shikamaru quickly approached Sasuke and called out his name. “Sasuke! What happened?Where is Naruto?”

Sasuke did not meet Shikamaru’s eyes. Instead, he crouched down to check on his daughter and Boruto before answering his questions. “Those aliens tried to destroy the place. They wanted to force Naruto to use his Tailed Beast Mode. Naruto’s chakra managed to prevent the Tailed Beast Ball from impact. Right now, I can’t sense his chakra anywhere.”

Panic began to rise within Shikamaru. “Is he dead?!” Although, he didn’t want to know.

“I don’t think so. Those ogres need Naruto to be alive in order to extract the Nine-Tails’s chakra. It is most likely that Naruto was teleported into another dimension by Time-space ninjutsu”, Sasuke explained. “These two need to be brought to the hospital.”

Shikamaru was still trying to comprehend what Sasuke has just told him. It did make a whole lot of sense. According to their intel, those ogres needed Naruto to be alive in order to carry out their intentions.

“I’ll take care of that. The media corps are heading their way here.” He told Sasuke. Although Sasuke was no longer paying attention. He seemed to be im deep thought.

“What will we do?” Shikamaru pressed for answers from Sasuke.

“I will try to find out which dimension which Naruto was taken to. I’ll contact you soon. Please tell the other Kages to be ready. A rescue mission to retrieve back the Hokage will commence soon.”

Shikamaru gave a slight nod. “Understood. We’re counting on you, Sasuke.”

The medic corps arrived right then and lifted Boruto and Sarada on stretchers. Sasuke disappeared into the darkness.

Shikamaru stood there for awhile. This was it. This was the ‘if’ that Naruto had told him. The weight of the lives of the Konoha people now rested on his shoulders. He had promised Naruto the first day they came into work together that he would protect the village like his own family. He needed to ensure that everyone was safe. The injured must be treated promptly. He needed to increase the village’s defense. Right now, the village of the Hidden Lead was very vulnerable without it’s leader. Shikamaru must act now. There was no time to waste. For the sake of the village, and as to fulfill his promise to Naruto, Shikamaru must do all he could to protect the Konoha from any further harm.

That was, Shikamaru’s duty.

The End

A/N: meh, idk. I tried my best. I hope you enjoyed reading this. I’ve got another Shikamaru and Naruto fanfic coming up. It’ll be much shorter than this one. Anyways, please give me some feedback and like and reboot and all those stuff. Also, please follow me! Thank you!

#naruto and shikamaru #naruto fanfiction #naruto fanfic #shikamaru #naruto #chunin exams #boruto fanfic #boruto next generations

[purplesurveys]

207

Can you remember the first survey that you ever took?  I don’t remember taking it but it’s permanently on the Internet on my old survey blog also on Tumblr. It was in 2012 and I was a completely sociopathic person back then...I can’t even do a then-and-now version of that first survey because my answers were dreadful as fuck. What did you spend the majority of the last night doing?  I took forever to answer one survey that I ended up finishing just now, and then I watched a new episode of my show. Have you ever had a particularly disturbing dream? About?  I have had a lot but the ones that’ve been most disturbing are the dreams that involve me or Gabie getting shot. There was one time last year that I had a streak of dreams, all of them about Gabie being shot different ways. Safe to say I often woke up heaving and crying and having to call her. What goes through your mind when someone threatens suicide?  I panic, honestly. I’m not necessarily the go-to person for suicide threats, being suicidal myself. It’s just going to cause me to be overwhelmed; but I will try my best to be instrumental in convincing them not to, of course. Have you ever expressed that you wanted to kill yourself?  Yes. [trigger warning] The worst of it was a few months ago when I let my closest friends know that I had everything planned out, all their questions answered, have my things designated for certain people. It had to take some pretty persistent and harsh convincing for me to finally change my mind.

Should gay marriage be legalized? What are your reasons?  As common sense dictates, yes. I doubt it will ever happen in the Philippines any time soon though as we have, for the longest time, been a Catholic, traditional, and conservative country. If the tides ever turned, it wouldn’t be for a long, long time, and with brutal opposition from the Catholic majority.

As for my reasons, I mean isn’t it simply so that everybody has equal rights in marriage? It’s more than ‘people can love who they love’–at the face of the law it’s really just so that everyone has the same opportunities when it comes to marrying the person that they’re with, deeming discrimination useless. Traditional people are a huge pain in my ass for this.

Would you ever consider getting an abortion, under any circumstances?  If the baby was already in such a debilitating condition even before birth that there is no chance of them surviving childhood, yes. I don’t know about other cases and I’ll only ever know about how I would react if the situation was already right in front of me. What do you think of people who get abortions?  I can’t make a blanket statement about something like that. Let’s just say I believe it needs to stay legal and available. < Yep especially to the first part. I always just say to myself that every woman had their reasons. What was the last bug you killed?  An annoying one that kept walking all over my laptop screen last night. Do you ever argue or debate with people about your beliefs?  At the most minimal level. I don’t really like getting into arguments nowadays, plus it’s really helpful that all of my friends have homogeneous beliefs when it comes to touchy topics in the country like politics, religion, sex, etc. If yes, when was the last time?  Probably at the dinner table a couple of months ago when my dad unfortunately started defending our perverted murderous fascist of a president. When was the last time you felt turned on?  Two weeks ago... :/ Didn’t see Gab at all last week so. When was the last time you felt disgusted with someone/something?  A couple of hours ago. I was reheating my pasta when I unconsciously drooled... Do you typically finish all the food you put on your plate?  Yes. Do you continue eating even when you are full?  I do that in buffet restaurants so I could get my money’s worth. What is the most wasteful thing that you do on a regular basis? Coming from a school that was really strict about staying green and eco-friendly, I’ve always been more conscious about the things I use and how not to waste them. What is one weird eating habit that you have?  I dip everything in mayonnaise so long as there is mayonnaise available. What is something other people tease you about?  My chest. It was annoying as a teenager but I don’t mind it at all now when they brutally roast me on my lack of a chest. Does it bother you to be teased about this?  No, because to be fair the jokes they make about it are funny :(( Would you rather suffer from anorexia or bulimia?  What the actual fuck. < This is the worst question.  What is the worst question a survey could ask you?  The previous one is one of them. Do you think it’s okay for a survey to ask if you’ve been raped? Why?  It always surprises me to see it, but I guess survey takers tend to overshare anyway so maybe it’s not too far out there. < Agree. It just becomes concerning to me when it becomes a trigger to some. Would you answer such a question honestly, if faced with it?  I always have. If you are a vegetarian, do you look down on people that eat meat?  I’m not a vegetarian, but I wouldn’t look down on omnivores if I ever converted since I ate meat once too... Why do you think some vegetarians behave that way?  Dunno. Maybe because they’re overly proud and believe they’re on a whole other higher level that they were able to get over meat, something most people love to eat and live on. Kind of the same case with some straight-edge people who get very preachy about drinking, because a lot of people drink for fun and for socializing. At the end of the day I think it’s sometimes about the human tendency to think they are cool because they aren’t doing something popular haha but idk that’s just how I see it. Some vegetarians lay out respectable arguments and knowledge though; that I have no problem with. If you eat meat, what do you tend to think of vegetarians/vegans?  I have loads of respect for them for living such a lifestyle that takes lots of restraint and willpower at first. I like their dedication, especially if they are doing it for ethical reasons. I know I would have a reeeeally difficult time trying to change my entire diet, which I’m planning to do once I’m capable of sustaining myself. If you paint your nails, what color do you generally choose?  I don’t know. A nice shade of dark pink would be nice though. If you could spend a day as the opposite gender, what would you do?  Get a boner, masturbate, hahahahahahahahahaha. What are some good things about your gender?  We are generally more caring and warmer. I also like the fact that we are emotional, since it helps build relationships more. Most of the women I know are empathetic too, which I admire. What are some of the downsides?  Women love tearing women down. It has always baffled me. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to start life over?  Yes. Sounds perfect to me. What might you do differently?  The better situation would be if I lived a different life altogether, and not starting the same life over. All of the horrible things that happened in my childhood were not my doing and thus it would be pointless if I just had to relive another decade in a house that didn’t help my well-being at all. If you could spend a year living in a foreign country, which would it be?  South Korea. Why did you make this particular choice?  Just because I’m biased. And I’ve watched too many Korean programs to know how to survive there at the most basic level. What is the next big event you have planned, if any?  Not really an event and definitely not something I planned, but I’m going on a field trip to Pampanga with my art studies class this Saturday. What do you do to entertain yourself on long car rides?  A good playlist would help tons. I don’t like talking to my family so that’s useless. Occasionally I would bring my own movies to watch, but there are times that I get dizzy more easily than usual. What do you say to someone who is annoying you?  I don’t usually waste my time talking to them. How do you let someone know you don’t like them?  I don’t talk to them in the first place. If that can’t be avoided, I’m usually able to keep it civil until they do something that’d piss me off. When was the last time you felt insecure? What happened?  Last night. I don’t really want to go into detail about it. How did/do you feel about learning to drive? Who taught you?  I was scared and heavily convinced at first that I would never learn and never get past driving inside my village. My dad taught me, but eventually I got enrolled in driving school, where he paid for only three days’s worth of lessons. What do you think of people that like the Twilight series?  I think that we ought to talk about it together heh. I don’t like the crazy fans though, if they still exist these days. What do you think of using lyrics to express how you feel?  I have no problem with it. I use that on Twitter sometimes; coping becomes easier that way. Do you prefer profile pictures by yourself of with someone else? It doesn’t matter, whatever just looks best at that time. When’s the last time you had Sunny D? I don’t know what that is. Is there anything hot pink within five feet of you? My notebook. Have you ever told someone you hated them and meant it? Nope. I said it to my siblings as a kid but obviously those weren’t meant. I’ve never said those words to someone in this age. Do you and your friends ever make up ‘code names’ for people? We did that in fifth grade for our crushes. Would you rather go out to breakfast, lunch or dinner? Dinner. Do you know how to work a barbecue? I don’t. Do you find it rude when people text when they’re talking to you? It’s the worst. I always, always put my phone away when talking with someone. What would you do if the last person you spoke to on the phone asked you to marry them? Yes, but get back to me in like eight years. What’s the longest you’ve ever been out of your state/province? A week and a few days. Do you know anyone who has written a book? Yep, my professors. Would you rather have eggs or waffles for breakfast? Waffles. I love eggs equally, but that’s what I have all the time so it’d be nice for a change. How many people could you fit (standing up) in your kitchen? It starts to get cramped by the time 20 people are there. How long would it take to walk to the nearest McDonald’s? Right now? It’s probably a 30-minute walk. Does your best friend have any pets? Yes, they both have dogs. Is there something that happened to you ages ago but seems like only yesterday? Yuh. A kid never forgets seeing their relatives in a drunken stupor every night. Where would you go if you wanted a fake ID? I don’t know any resources. I’m too honest to have my own made :// What would you do if the last person you laughed with dated your best friend? “Duuuuude. Why?” Who’s the last person you shot a dirty look to? Not a person, it was a stupid 10-wheeler. What was your second to last conversation about? Forgot. I haven’t opened my mouth to talk for a while now. Do you drink milk/juice from the carton if no one is around? [continued from a few days ago] No. Mostly because of an incident when I was a kid - I drank milk from the carton once and it turned out to be spoiled. Never tried it again. Do you know anyone who broke a limb from being in a car accident? No, but they broke their nose. Have you ever burned a photo of you and a person you were angry with? OMG no, that’s super theatrical though hahaha. Would you prefer working at a grocery store or an ice cream parlor? Why? I guess an ice cream parlor. It seems more chill and I like dealing with kids anyway. The grocery is always filled with rude old people. Has anyone ever told you they liked you in a realllly sweet way? Yes. Is there any ice cream in your house right now? What kind? We do have a tub of cookies and cream ice cream in the ref. What’s the best part of sleepovers? All the stories that come out of them. What’s the most comfy thing to sleep in? A blanket. Does the last person who sent you a message online wear makeup? Dunno, maybe? I don’t know her all that well yet. Would you rather have an overly cheerful cashier, or a completely silent one? Cheerful. It does wonders to my day. Do you cry at weddings? No...I was a kid for most of the weddings I’ve been to so it was just me waiting for it to be over. Still, at this age I still don’t think I would cry. Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night frequently? Yeah. I just wake up. Do you bring pillows on road trips? We already have pillows in the car so that we don’t have to take out the ones from the house.  What’s the most important thing for a road trip? For me, cellphone signal. I always want to be talking to my girlfriend when I go somewhere far away. Has a member of the opposite sex ever given you jewlery? No. Do you like camping, or would you rather stay home? Camping if it’s with a bunch of people I love and only if it’s well-planned. Other than that, I would rather be home. Do you know anyone whose name is your middle name? I have never met anyone with the same maiden name. Do you think Super Bad was as funny as everyone said? I haven’t even seen it. If you wanted a hamburger right now, where would you go? Burger King just across our village. What about a new pair of shoes? There’s a place called Just Things but their prices are outrageous, so I’d rather go somewhere a little farther but is more affordable, The Playground. Do you find sleeping in cars easy? That’s only posisble if I’m too tired. Usually I’m unable to. How long would your hair be if you cut off eight inches? My hair might just reach the tip of my head then... Would you do that? I’d rather fully shave my head than have an awkward chunk sitting at its tip. Have you ever woke up with someone you didn’t know next to you? Nope. Has a boyfriend’s/girlfriend’s parents ever gotten mad at you? Why? No. I’d never want to do anything that would piss them off...quite the contrary. I would do everything they asked me to and more. Her mom has told me she loves me. Her dad is less affectionate but clearly approves of me. Have you ever been friends with a boyfriend’s/girlfriend’s siblings? I was closer to them when they were younger. They’re now teenagers so they’ve been more shy around me these days, but I love them and am always working on getting closer to them. Who’s the last person you told to shut up? Probably my sister. Do you know who Blair Waldorf is? Only because of the media and my friends. Do you own any hot pink clothes? Nope.

#survey #surveys

[deannesen]

A Fair In City Four

"Where the hell is she?"

She stretched out her neck to look for Angie among the crowds surrounding them. She spotted a tiny girl barreling towards them from the ticket scanners, decked out in a silver bodysuit. The blonde wig and giant purple goggles nearly made her unrecognizable, but she would know that bouncy gait anywhere.

"Heyyyyy!"

Angie tried to slow down, but ended up knocking into Sakura. She caught her before they both went flying. Sakura flicked her forehead. Her face scrunched up in mock pain.

"Isn't someone fashionably late?"

"Sorry," she chuckled. "This outfit took forever to smooth out. Plus I had to figure out what to bring," she said, and held out her arm to show a large folded up object hanging from her wrist.

"What's that?"

"It's my folding suitcase," said Angie, ushering them towards the train. She looked at her in confusion.

"You're bringing a suitcase?"

"Duh," said Angie, tapping her head. "Who knows how much stuff I'm gonna get. It's easy to bring this along just in case. See, I'm a smart girl."

She knocked Angie's head lightly with her finger. Sakura smoothed out her pristine white lab coat that she wore over a sturdy armor top. She and Angie both dressed up as characters from Defcon Zero. They both enjoyed the fun of dressing up as someone completely different, trying it out whenever they went to fairs and conventions.

Yukika was already sitting in her seat by the time they both came in. She was staring out of the window. She was dressed a lot more mundanely, in a royal blue tank top and white shorts. The simple outfit managed to enhance her long legs and pale skin. Sakura stared for a moment in jealousy.  Angie pulled her to their seats.

The train started. She watched them leave the grassy towns of City Nine. She wiped down the touchscreen in front of her. There was an episode of Star Hearts she hadn't seen before. Angie leaned over to watch it with her. They turned on the massage mode and seat warmers before sitting back to watch the show. The time flew by as their eyes were glued onto the screen. The train slowed down just as the final line played.

"I will never let you feel lonely again. It doesn't matter what I lose. None of it will compare to losing you."

They were sniffling at the end of the episode. A robot cleaner rolling through the aisle offered a pack of tissues to them. They paid it 25 Unicents and it rolled away, clinking within its tracks. Angie wiped away her tears. They had arrived at their destination.

Sakura looked out of the window. Colourful banners and signs greeted them, with more cosplayers milling about. They both hurried out of the train to check it out, with Yukika trailing behind. A woman with a brightly painted face edged towards them and displayed a flyer from her Screenpod.

"City Four's happy t'see you!" she chirped in a strong City Four accent. "You aren from 'round here, ye?"

"We're from City Nine," she replied. Sakura scanned the details of the display. There was a giant manga sale in the fair they were heading to. She pointed it out to Angie and she nodded. Their focus was disrupted by the woman's tinkling laugh.

"Dat little village city, so charmeen." Her tone was saccharine. She wanted to frown, but stopped herself. The painted woman clicked off the Screenpod and walked towards other visitors. She waved them goodbye. "Enjoy your time 'ere!"

"That woman is off."

They both yelped. Yukika was standing right behind them. Her eyes followed the woman before roaming around to take in the colours. She held two giant chocolate milkshakes in her hand. Yukika held them out to them. They glared at her and took the milkshakes. Her lips seemed to struggle to not form a smile.

After returning their tickets, they weaved their arms together to walk towards the fair. It was a silly sight, two tiny girls holding onto a white-haired beanpole. Outside of the train station, City Four was even more vividly iridescent in the sun. There were festivities and stalls all around them. The sticky sweet chocolate was soothing and energizing in the hot day.

They stopped every dozen steps to check out trinkets and tantalizing food. Sakura picked up some caramelbean muffins and three volumes of manga. Angie took a talking wooden doll, a first edition of a book published a few centuries ago, a vintage handheld and a whole collection of manga volumes.

"Hey!" someone called out as they were leaning over watching a half-finished snowman build itself. They turned and saw a lanky freckled guy waving to them, approaching slowly. He seemed familiar. "Are you the Lolitaholics?"

By the mention of the name, a memory of his face clicked. She nodded with Angie. They went by Lolitaholics when they joined competitions together. It added to the fun and merriness of it all.

"Yep, that's us. Nice to see you again, August."

August was a newbie organizer for gaming conventions. They had met a few times at conventions, and he had signed them onto a few notable competitions. He was a friendly guy, if a little stir crazy when it came to games. He smiled at them.

"Get your ass kicked-"

"-by the Lolitaholics!" they chorused, laughing. He pointed to their outfits.

"I like the cosplay. Rejna and Aegis are the best."

"Thanks!" they beamed. August pointed further away into the fair. They followed his finger and saw a blue dome surrounded by lots of people.

"Did you know that they're making new updates for Cosmos Fighter? You can test the levels out if you'd like. I think I can get you an early spot."

Her heartbeat raced. A new update? Hell yeah she wanted to check it out. Angie tugged on her sleeve and nodded frantically. She glanced towards Yukika. Her smile had totally disappeared in the presence of a stranger.

"Is that alright, do we have time?" she asked. Yukika nodded, and Angie fist-pumped. August clapped his hands together.

"Great! Come follow me."

They trailed after August, making their way around many costumed visitors and colorful City Four dwellers. There were normal dressed visitors as well, traditional garb wearers from City One, floatily dressed City Five folks, covered up people from City Eleven. She looked up and saw a sign for a history display. She noted that, hoping Yukika would like it.

Inside the dome were banners with Cosmic Fighter characters on them, Cosmic Fighter merchandise and holographic projections of characters. In the front were huge screens with scenes from the game playing on them. There were lots of cosplayers and geeks around, even though it looked like the dome had just been opened to the public.

"I'll stay right here," Yukika said, sitting down on the concrete near some others. She was worried that Yukika would be bored, but then she pulled out a book she bought out of her bag. She nodded and waved to her before August led them away to a space behind the screens.

There were a couple of people organizing the line for the testing. A few people looked offended as they made their way to the front.

"Hey, I'm just some schmuck with some friends who are super fans," he said, before pulling out his card. The neck strap dangled down. She stared at it before realizing that August was involved in the Cosmic Fighter organization as well. "Can they get an early turn for the testing?"

Sakura gave him her best puppy face. Angie followed her lead, looking like a chubby hamster girl. He laughed again and shook his head.

"Alright alright, I can't say no to these little ladies, especially such cute cosplayers. Say, folks," he spoke to the people at the front. "Spare a minute for these two, eh?"

They didn't seem to want to agree, but wanting to not be kicked out of the line, they stayed quiet. She almost felt bad, but then remembered that feeling bad for her opponents would make her a sucker.

They went inside separate booths. Sakura put on the goggles and took the controllers in each hand. The enemy roared. It was a mutant alien, large and spewing acid from what seemed to be many arms. It circled her. She watched it with bated breath. It ran towards her in full speed. She leaned back to dodge. It stopped in its tracks. She took the opportunity to shoot her gun.

The enemy produced a large area of effect where she suspected she would suffer burns from. She ran further away from it. The enemy charged up an attack while she ran, and she only just managed to avoid a hit at her current spot. She shot her gun again. It barely made a dent in its HP. She changed her bullets to lightning, then to fire. The fire bullets made much more damage.

So the duel began, with her firing as many times as she could and dodging each blow. She dealt her Ultimate several times, each time dealing more damage than the last as she wore down its armour. Finally, as it fell, a score flashed before her eyes.

Gar-gan-tuan defeated. Score : 679428/700000

She took off the goggles and placed the controllers aside. She went out to see Angie and August clapping. They were all handed a Cosmic Fighter T-shirt. They walked away from the line.

"That was so much fun!" said Angie.

"I should go manage the rest of this," August said, looking someone trying to grope a hologram. "But not bad, kid." He smiled at her before leaving.

They looked for Yukika, but couldn't find her anywhere in the dome. They went outside and heard a commotion. There was a crowd gathered in the middle of the fair. They were shouting in lots of different tones and languages. They ran over to see.

Rows after rows of the crowd began to fall silent. They searched and saw Yukika making her way through the crowd. With every row she passed, people went silent before leaving. She reached the middle of the crowd with little hesitation.

Two people were yelling at each other. They spoke in an odd tone, and she realised that they were speaking in an Ancient Language, not quite Forgotten, but not widely spoken. One was holding onto the collar of another. Yukika touched their shoulders. Her lips seemed to be saying something, but she couldn't figure out what. Their faces went blank. They gave each other a dazed stare and left. They hurried over to her.

"Yukika, are you okay?" Angie asked.

"I'm fine."

"Why did you come all the way here? What did you do?"

"Someone had to stop the fight. I told them police were coming." She shrugged. Sakura raised her eyebrows. She looked from side to side. Fair-goers met each gaze.

"You called the police?"

"No."

Yukika began walking away from them. It took them a few seconds to process the situation. Angie burst out laughing.

"She's a comedian for sure," said Angie between giggles. They caught up to her and Sakura led them to where the history display was. There were a few signs to guide them. They arrived at a large building with heavy double doors. There weren't that many people about. Yukika opened the door and they were greeted with artifacts on each side and lights leading the way.

It was dim in the display. The signs projecting information shone bright in contrast. Yukika quickly found a sign she was interested in. Sakura looked around and saw an ancient gun. It was rusty after all that time, and came with a barrel that could be opened to insert bullets. She imagined firing it while adventuring around in olden times.

There was an old sword beside it, dated only a few centuries ago. In its glass case, it showed that the laser blade could retract entirely within less than a second. She couldn't make out the decimals written below it, but it seemed to take far longer than it did now.

Angie watched a video further ahead. The other two walked towards her. It was an incredibly old video, taken about before the Great Destruction. The video showcased a woman writhing around in bed. Her veins rose above her skin, glowing red. A scanner showed that her spirit soul's powers were too much for her to handle.

"I'm glad that I don't have that problem," she murmured. Yukika watched passively.

The next video was taken in the midst of a Spirit Burst. She saw a commander giving orders far away from the battle, right in front of the protected area. Someone jumped down from a building. She landed with no more than a bump and blasted a spirit in the face with a green aura. Exhaustion ringed her eyes. A van careened through a corner with an open door. She jumped inside and it drove away.

A defense unit came and attacked advancing spirits with her shield. Sakura stared in awe as the shield itself caused the spirits to disappear. Another fighter used a flamethrower to burn all the spirits focused on attacking him. The fire funneled through the flamethrower seemed to come from nowhere else but his skin. He wore protective armour everywhere but his arms, which were shaved clean. The last spirit burned away, and all the fighters were triumphant.

"Woah..." they all said.

Near the videos was a section with replicas of weapons from the current era. They could each grab one as long as they didn't damage it. They grabbed a weapon and began to fight in a mock war. Sakura grabbed a shield. With a press of a button, it flashed a bright light. They fought for a few minutes until they devolved into giggles. They placed the weapons back and walked out of the display.

The sun was beginning to wane down. Sakura watched as birds came down to settle on trees above them. Yukika grabbed her hand. The coldness of her hand made her warm up.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" she asked. "Ready to go home?"

Angie and her nodded. They weaved their arms again and turned around to go back to the station. As soon as they settled into their seats, Angie fell asleep on her shoulder. She stared out of the window, watching the evening sun light up the dying colours of City Four. The train started, and she daydreamed of valiant battles.

#writing #fiction #battle #spirits #friendship #festival

[alanstng]

S7E25 All Good Things...

Troi, why are you giving Worf grief? He may express himself a little clumsily, but the intent was clear.

“We should discuss Commander Riker.” “Why, is he coming along?” Trooooooll.

I supposed the series finale probably had to have time travel.

It's not Riker’s feelings you need to be worried about. It's post apocalyptic Riker’s feelings. He was totally expecting to hook back up with Troi.

If you honestly believe that you've been traveling through time, surely you should be talking about this with more people than just a ship's counselor.

This really sounds like a dream, Picard.

You can tell it's science fiction because there's a giant ridiculous looking antenna in the middle of the vineyard.

You can tell the future because they both have beards.

Future LaForge’s wife's name is Leah? Are we implying that he married the woman he was cyberstalking?

Word of Picard’s medical condition is leaking out of the medical froup. The Federation needs HIPAA.

When in doubt, add a midget?

Troi didn't mention your disappearing in front of her, which suggests that at least on some level, this is all in your head.

Having Nurse Ogawa rub her belly to emphasize it feels ham-fisted. Especially since I think it's just a throwaway reference to continuity.

You’re gripping the doctor in a very unprofessional way, Picard. A little bit of finale ship bait?

The only thing your operatives could say was that “something” was happening in the neutral zone? I'm not sure your operatives are all that good.

Picard, if you really are time-traveling, this is just evidence that you didn't leave good enough notes behind. If you left good enough notes behind, LaForge would already know what was going on.

I'm not so sure about this part where even tenured college professors have maids, or housekeepers, or whatever, but I do appreciate the part where she dissed him.

Based on the way Picard is dressed, I deduce that he is the wealthiest man of this medieval village.

LaForge, why did you feel the need to ask about Data’s grey hair? I would have thought it was incredibly obvious that he was seeking to gain some artificial gravitas.

No, no one has said that you're delusional, Picard. They're just strongly implying it.

Seriously, Data, you're just going to blow off your lectures for the rest of the week? I'm pretty sure you can run tests on Picard and still manage to fit in a few hours of lectures.

They somehow managed to make Worf look younger.

And they had to dig out Troi's old uniform!

I think I have those same storage boxes.

“How is this all related to your time shifting?” LaForge literally just said maybe is a temporal anomaly in the neutral zone.

I'm trying to figure out why past Worf looks younger.

I suppose the final episode did need a scene for the Picard/Crusher shippers.

Given that the past that he's seeing is clearly different, I would definitely not trust his vision of the future.

Okay, I did not expect actual smoochies.

Apparently in at least one of the Star Trek multiverses, the klingons successfully took over the Romulan Empire. That's... surprising. I wonder if the Federation and the klingons are buddy-buddy still. Even if the Federation didn't like the romulans, I think they respected Romulan sovereignty.

Okay, apparently they're not still friends.

Is future LaForge wearing unusual contacts that give him little dots in his eyes? I guess I could see that.

LaForge keeps referring to Picard as Captain, which makes me think that Picard probably retired as a captain. Interesting that Riker ended up an Admiral.

I'm not super sold on Riker’s old man makeup.

Why would Riker by sheer coincidence have seen a report on the Devron system that morning?

Given that it's super obvious to the audience that you're talking about Crusher, why are you being coy about who the captain is. Presumably Crusher’s old shipmates would know.

Crusher’s old woman makeup is much better. It has a level of subtlety that Riker’s did not.

“So that's why you married me?.” In that context, it's not obvious if Picard is being ironic or not. Are they married or are they not? You're just torturing shippers now.

“Captain Picard?” All right, that answers that.

“So you've kept the name?” And that answers the remainder.

Is Q wearing dish gloves?

Last time, wasn't the audience more post-apocalyptic than Victorian urchin?

If Picard is going to be so surprised when he figures out where the anomaly came from, it means he had to have a hand in creating it.

Comparing Q and Picard to master and pet doesn't work very well. I mean unless the animal protection agency shows up to claim Picard.

Didn't LaForge say there was no neutral zone? And now Worf says there is one. Did we forget what happened several scenes ago?

If Riker had given you a ship with cloak? The hells? I guess maybe the treaty was void once the klingons took over romulan space.

Based on Worf's response, he's been seething about this for many years.

We're getting the band back together.

Warp 13!?

That communication with Riker looks suspiciously like previously shot footage. I guess temporarily getting rid of the beard is way too hard. Sadly, as a result it looks super poor.

The anomaly is moving backwards through time?

Does Picard somehow create it in the future, and it travels backward?

Eva proposes that the tachyon beam is the cause of the anomaly.

“The relationship between time and antitime is roughly analogous to that of matter and antimatter.” That, uh, doesn't really clear anything up, Data.

You don't understand why it's bigger in the past? You were literally talking about antitime.

It still amuses me that Tasha Yar's actress got to be in the first and final episodes.

“We are medical ship on a mission of mercy.” You’re a part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor. Take her away!

Signal surrender? Is there a button for that?

Calling it, the new ship is Riker.

Um, Why are the Federation and the Klingons not friendly? Why aren't the Klingons desperately begging the Federation not kill them all with their shield-cutting, punch-through-the-hull phasers?

So based on its effects, the antitime thing is just causing magic things to happen?

Is the implication that if Picard hadn't gone off half-cocked in the future, everything would be fine?

Riker and Worf for having a snit? Over Troi?

Oh, is she dead?

“I always thought we would get back together again.” Did you forget that your transporter clone planned to hook up with her? Blocking Worf is one thing, but blocking yourself?

If your goal is to not sound crazy, Picard, you're failing.

What does it even mean to turn off the tachyon pulse in the past? It was on. It will still have been on.

Okay, past Picard, You deserve a mutiny from your crew.

I don't think the little speech about how much you trust them all is going to be terribly convincing to people you apparently just met a few hours ago. Especially given that you're acting super crazy.

So in the future they refit the Enterprise by bolting another warp nacelle on to it like someone with a cheap car bolting a spoiler onto it.

“Just another day at the office?” Well, yes.

Very convenient entirely black backdrop for green screening Q in on.

“Mr. Worf, what's the date?” Why, Christmas Day.

Worf’s leisurewear is super ridiculous.

While I appreciate the challenges of paradox, I feel like maybe you should write down a whole bunch of theories about antitime and stuff, since apparently that's actually in the future. Might be useful.

“Knowing what happens in that future allows us to change things now so that some things never happened.” That is literally the definition of polluting the timeline. Which is a thing you're apparently not supposed to do.

Picard wants to play?

Somehow it seems appropriate that the series would end with a poker game.

If you are quite a card player in your youth, Picard, why are you doing a god-awful overhand shuffle?

#Season 7 #Picard Episode #time travel ruins everything #Q