#i'll probably include more characters in the Spinning very soon

[canonically-a-genloser]

"healing"

"Healing" wasn't a beautiful word to Paislie.

Other people described it as a good thing. They related healing to waking up on a sunny morning and telling themselves it would be a good day. Or suddenly waking up one day and realizing how consistently they would feel better in whatever sense of the word they wanted to take it as.

To Paislie, it was watching your basically older sibling go through surgery after surgery to try to piece their skull back together. It was helping keep two of your brothers from tearing each other apart limb from limb. It was watching- even helping at times- your sister change, both physically and emotionally, from what had been chosen for her and molding it into someone, something else because she couldn't stand looking in the mirror anymore. Healing was guilt and hate and anger and screaming until you couldn't anymore because all that was left of you was pain.

Paislie hadn't understood her feelings escaping Showfall. Sure, she wanted to die less at times, but she should've wanted to live. Compared to before, she had so many reasons to.

She had someone to care for her like a father even though he didn't have to and was probably just as overwhelmed as she herself was most of the time.

She had physically healed some, probably as much as she ever would.

Another thing she was genuinely glad of, though, was getting to see the sun again.

Watching Sneeg and Charlie see it for the first time.

Helping Niki cut off half her hair so she could decide what she thought about it.

Sitting beside Ranboo when both of them were too tired or in pain to join the rest in whatever they were doing.

She couldn't say it had all been bad.

And who knew. Maybe someday, Paislie would say she had healed. Maybe she just felt more isolated because most people wouldn't have a mega-fucked filming corporation on their list of traumas.

But, she figured, as cheesy as it was, most people didn't have the found family she did. And to her, that undoubtedly counted for something.

[slavic-roots-western-mind]

My top Russian Tv-Shows

Despite this being mainly a mandarinblr, I still try to practise my other languages so here are some of the most interesting tv-shows in russian for my fellow russian-learners and speakers and anyone interested.

Kitchen - Кухня This show has several spin-offs including Hotel Eleon and Grand which I will not mention as by the end of the last spin-off there are literally no characters from the original cast and the plot slightly goes of the rails. The actual show is set a french restaurant in Moscow where Max Lavrov, who just finished his military service decided to work at. The show follows the various challenges that Max faces at his new workplace, including the foul-tempered but very talented Chef Viktor Barinov who has a drinking problem and other interesting characters. It's quite funny and heart-warming, and it's a must-watch imo.

Youth - Молодёжка A pretty standard sports series tv plot. The hockey-team "Bears" are a meh team at best, but that all changes when a former National Hockey League player turned coach shows up to make a proper team out of them. I only watched the first season because after that the plot got a tad boring for me, but as far as sports series go, pretty good.

Law of the Lawless (Not the 1964 film!) - Бригада A cult-classic staple of only 15 episodes. The plot is a bit over the place at the beginning, as opening episodes sequence is a flashback to the start of the final episode but after that it's chronological, with the first episode w english subtitles here. 4 best friends start out as youths from early 1990s to 2000s, with one returning home after finishing his army service with plans for uni and the others just starting their lives. However, the Perestroika had significantly changed their lives, so eventually the gang turns from racketeering and petty crime to slowly becoming the mafia. The opening theme is worth watching alone, but then again I'm biased.

How I became Russian - Как я стал русским This comedy show is quite dear to me, as it follows an American journalist with russian and slavic roots navigating life and work in Russia as he works on a story about life in Russia for a major newspaper back home. He's back in his homeland but as a foreigner who finds his heritage utterly confusing. This series resonates with me, as despite having a good grasp of my cultures languages and customs, I still feel disconnected from my heritage at times, and this show has been a reassuring reminder that not being 100% attuned with your heritage is okay, and that there are many different ways of re-connecting with your culture.

Closed school - Закрытая Школа I was slightly tramuatized by this show when I first watched it 4ish years ago, in part due to how unhinged and off the rails the plot slowly but surely becomes. A descent into madness. Andrei and his sister are sent to study at the Logos boarding school, but are then informed that their parents have perished. Andrei doesn't believe this, so he sets off to investigate with his new friends and investigate he does. There are also some other background shenanigans going on, but the unraveling of the schools mystery remains the main interest, including its odd passageways and deeply disturbing history. As a thriller series, it honestly deserves that title.

Here are some shows that came out more recently that I think deserve a mention.

The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt- Слова пацана кровь на осфальте I've only seen a few episodes out of the 8, but it's very Brigada-esque so far. During the mid-late 1980s when Perestroika is going on and the USSR is soon to be no more, 14 year old Andrei is trying to survive as he's constantly bullied at school and by gang-members. He makes friends with one of said gang members Marat, as he slowly descends into the world of street life. I'll finish watching this series sometime probably.

The new guy - Новенький 16-year old Max moves from his glamorous life in Moscow to a small-town Yurovsk due to his parents constant arguing, where he immediately doesn't get along with his clasmmates who think him stuck-up and start bullying him. One day Max goes missing and his classmates are the obvious suspects, as slowly but surely secrets start to emerge revealing everyone's lies. A pretty good suspense/thriller show, which covers the topics of bullying, coming of age and what it means to be an adult pretty well, despite the 4th and final season being kind of lackluster.

Central Russia's Vampires - Вампиры средней полосы Where to even begin with this show. I don't know whether I should introduce the trailer or the opening theme song mv. Basically the life of a small and unconventional vampire family living in Smolensk, presumably in central Russia, who get disturbed when bodies with distinct bite marks are found nearby. This results in the Guardians (aka the guys keeping vampires a secret and ensuring that no one acts out) taking over and investigating with the vampire leader Svyatoslav Vernidubovich given a week to find and punish the culprit. My odd plot description aside, the cast is why I adore this show. The recently turned Gen-Z wannabe blogger Zhenyok, the thousand year old grandpa Svyatoslav, the constantly annoyed Dr. Zhan Ivanovich (who is actually french and decided to hang around after Napoleon was defeated) and his ex-wife The Countess who honestly should have a spin-off show and many more characters.

Doomsday - Конец Света Satan decides to come back to Earth and start the apocalypse, for which he needs his son Dimyan who should become the Antichrist but to his dismay, Dimyan doesn't really care about world domination and money, he just wants to get married to his fiancee Galya and live happily ever after. Chaos ensues as satan tries to persuade Dimyan to join him, whilst Angel vs Demon shenanigans occur in the background. I honestly had no idea that this type of show could even be produced due to the censors and yet it was. It's kind of slightly similar to Good Omens with all the apocalypse stuff and the Angels and Demons eventually teaming up? Good Omens adjacent. Except more gritty with much darker humour. The actor who plays satan is Yuri Kolokolnikov who actually starred in game of thrones so if you're a fan of his acting, do try this show.

Alisa can't wait - Алиса не может ждать Alisa is a 15-16 (don't remember her exact age) year old girl who is going blind and she decides to do something really drastic to ensure that her life will be comfortable after she loses all sight. There's a noticeable build-up to what she's actually planning during the episodes, as her homelife is less than ideal, with her older sister stuck in an unhappy marriage and a turbulent relationship with her parents. This is one of the few shows that really left a deep impression on me but it deals with some very sensitive and potentially upsetting topics so be aware if you're giving it a go.

This list may be updated in the future, so if there are any other shows that I may have missed do share them!

[zarvasace]

PROGRESS POST

(12/18/23)

If you're interested in what I've done recently, the state of my projects, and what I plan on doing in the new year, read on! :)

By Fandom

Linked Universe Projects

Shatterproof: I have more backstories cooking, and a half-finished fic or two, but that's about it. I plan on updating a story at least once before January

Council (1931 AU): backburner, haven't really had inspiration. Still on my radar though, and it spins through my head on occasion!

Marvelous Misadventures: been plucking away at this! I recently had an epiphany regarding the next part of the plot, so hopefully that gets me more excited to work on it

Considering expanding the coloring pages I made into a whole series, that could be cool

Misc stuff includes a couple half-abandoned oneshots, a few drawing ideas, and a major art project that probably won't happen because I'm trying not to burn myself out 😅

Four Swords Projects

Fairytale AU: recently gained fire for this again. Reread and organized all my existing material, edited the outline, and I desperately want to finish it soon. Hesitantly scheduling for before the new year. Draft currently maybe about 30% of the way, at 8k.

Isekai AU: I don't think I've mentioned this to anyone outside discord, but ta da I'm deep in this. I'm probably 90% done, about 30k. This will be a Christmas fic, I hope!!

Vampire lords AU: rambly vampire plot is going. Somewhat slowly. I've been trying to not overload myself with too much, so this has been demoted slightly. :) Bite fics happen spontaneously, though, and there might be another coming.

Rinthia AU: my original world, the one seen in Nothing New Under the Sun. This is kind of a passing thought, definitely in planning stages, but I would kind of like to expand this—see where the other characters are, give y'all some answers, because the answers are there

Non-fandom

I want to do more traditional art, graphite and watercolors mostly, and that usually means using photos or life instead of fandom stuff. Makes it a bit less exciting, but maybe I can find a way of doing that. I miss my lil oil paint studio area but I can work with what I have

I'm crafting a few Christmas presents instead of buying them because I do not have much money. That is something I need to spend like, this next week doing

Sanderson merch: I have a goal of getting a booth at Dragonsteel next December, and selling some small souvenir stuff. My plans involve making more pins (I ordered a couple already, and they're very nice), drawing some coloring pages, and maybe advertising here a little once I actually have some stuff I'm proud of up. This will ideally take a year to get together, though, so no rush.

By Month

November

I spent most of November working on The Worst Thing About Earth, kind of an impulse fic that spiraled out of control. I think I burned myself out a little on this, so I've been taking it slowly. Trying to, anyway.

December

So far, I've mostly worked on holiday gift exchanges and some backburner stuff. Like I said, I've been taking it kind of gently. I plan on finishing the FS isekai AU this month, and getting most of the way through the fairytale AU. Getting those off my plate will free me up to think about other things, I think. I also plan on maybe one more bite fic and one more LU disability AU thing before the new year.

January On

I'm not sure what the next month will bring! Ideally, I'll be wrapping up the fairytale AU and intermittently posting a few little things. I'm hoping to return to a couple of my older projects soon, mostly Marvelous Misadventures, because I've left that thing unfinished for LONG ENOUGH.

This next year, I want to try to devote more time to doing things for myself that aren't fandom things. I'd like to reread Stormlight Archive before #5 comes out in December, play more video games, and do more painting. I would like to establish a better habit of making and eating food. I want to play board games a little more often.

Still, the muse can be fickle, and as you probably know by now, I am very good at chasing my inspiration!!

[ciaossu-imagines]

Hello, hello, my lovely constant readers! Just popping in to check requests and messages, hoping to reply to the latter soon this week. I've finished the commission I had, and have been working on some writing that I've been putting off and am having a ball with it. By the end of February, you'll see the start of The Ever Young and will have new chapters of the delinquent! Shouhei story on here, and I'll be posting my first self-indulgent little stories on AO3, which I'll probably also share on here. I've also been giving myself reading and watching time, which was sorely needed. For anyone interested, I've finally completed my full KHR reread, which for me includes the manga, all the Secret Bullet translations I could find (and summaries of what happened in the ones I couldn't find translated) and watching the filler arcs of the anime! I've started a K rewatch and am searching for the spin-off manga because my manga app took them off, along with light novels I know were done for that! I'm also doing a Servamp reread/catchup on so by the time I come back, I'll have all those done, yay!

Just wanted to leave a message saying that I absolutely love all the requests that have come in. I have noticed a couple trends in them though that I want to comment on before I kind of go back to my readings and writings while on my break. I've noticed quite a few people worried about sending in more than one request or asking if that was okay.

PLEASE DO! I will never, ever be upset by people sending in multiple requests during a day, even if they're for the same character. The more requests I get, the more I have to write up and put out for you guys! This is a request blog, which largely means that if you want to see something written, be it for a character or a fandom, you need to request for that! (Though I admit I might use some of the prompts to write things I have in my head for some fandoms that don't get requested!)

On top of that, I've had people worry they're being too self-indulgent in their asks. Please go all out! Requests are, by their nature, very self-indulgent and I encourage that full-heartedly! You're not offending me or making me upset, I do not hate any requests that come in (I love seeing them honestly), and some of the requests really make me very excited to write them!

[writingsofwerewolves]

The first 4k words of my Thrawn Fanfic, Fifty Shades of Blue.

Please let me know if you're interested in the whole thing. This sample doesn't include any sex scenes but there are some many later on.

If enough folks voice their interest, I'll post all 131k words to Ao3.

~~~

I had to be dreaming. Dreaming of spinning and falling and being weightless. Dreaming of being on a comfortable bed that certainly wasn’t my own. Dreaming of a warm hand pressed to my temple. Dreaming of the sensation of bile rising in my throat while nausea and dizziness overwhelmed me. Dreaming of gentle hands helping me upright as a can was held in front of me to catch the vomit.

It wasn’t a good dream, that was for sure. But it was a vivid one.

I would have almost believed it was real if not for the fact that when I got glimpses of the person with me, I saw that he had blue skin with red glowing eyes. Thrawn, I knew. Of course I would dream of Thrawn. I’d done nothing but think about Thrawn for weeks. I’d clung to the fictional character as if my very life depended on it. My sanity certainly did, as my physical and mental health spiraled. The only freedom from reality came from indulging in my obsession with the beautiful blue genius.

So of course I was dreaming about Thrawn. Who else would I even want to dream of?

It wasn’t the dream I would have chosen for myself, though. I felt sore and sick from head to toe. Every movement ached and threatened to elicit more vomit. At the same time, though, Thrawn was very attentive in the dream.

“This will pass soon,” I heard him say as his hand smoothed over my brow. “Rest.”

“Yes, sir,” I managed to slur out blearily.

His lips turned up in an amused smile before darkness overtook me.

I was certain I’d spoken several times within the dream, but I couldn’t remember much.

Part of me wanted to wake up because surely when I woke, I wouldn’t feel like absolute shit anymore. But at the same time… Thrawn was there. I saw his face. I saw his smoothed back black hair. I saw the alien ridges of his face, more subtle than the cartoon but still prominent enough to be recognizable. I saw his blue hand holding mine comfortingly. I saw his white uniform, though there were differences between it and what I expected to see. No, I didn’t want to wake up.

I cursed my dreaming mind. Within my dream, I could never keep my eyes open long enough to properly see his face. I wanted to memorize his every feature. I wished I had any visual artistic talent so that I could draw him when I woke. I wanted to keep that image safe forever.

But within my dream, I fell asleep.

~

I blinked my eyes open as I woke. I sighed sadly as I remembered my dream, suddenly filled with sadness. I’d probably never dream so vividly about Thrawn, or any other character I loved, ever again. And it was over.

Then why in the world did I still feel so sore? Not as badly as I had in the dream, but my muscles still protested as I adjusted myself in bed.

Wait. My bed felt different.

I sat up suddenly, gasping loudly as I looked around the strange room. It wasn’t my room. It wasn’t my bed.

A door slid open and in stepped… Grand Admiral Fucking Thrawn.

Okay, so I was still dreaming. Good? Maybe?

Except I didn’t feel like I was dreaming. Things felt relatively clear in my head. There was a heaviness there, as if I’d slept too long, but I didn’t think I was dreaming.

“You’re awake,” the blue alien remarked gently as he set the tray he was holding down on a cabinet, “How do you feel?”

I didn’t respond, my eyes wide as I watched him carefully.

“Hmm,” his brow furrowed thoughtfully, “You don’t remember how you came to be here, do you?”

I swallowed hard and shook my head, not trusting my voice.

“I see,” he inclined his head and then moved to a chair, sitting down and looking at me seriously, “I am Grand Admiral Thrawn. I found you on the street of the planet Pantora, clearly lost and ill. I brought you here, to my ship, to recover.”

“I… I don’t remember any of that,” I whispered, my mouth completely dry.

Thrawn reached for the tray and grabbed a glass of liquid before holding it towards me. I eyed it suspiciously.

“If I wanted to poison you, I had plenty of chances before you regained consciousness,” he assured me, his glowing red eyes twinkling with amusement, “It’s water.”

I took the glass, carefully holding it with both hands as I didn’t think I had the strength with one just yet.

“Drink slowly. You are still recovering,” he told me.

“Yes, sir,” I said automatically. Then my eyes widened, horrified. I quickly took a sip to cover my embarrassment. I was relieved to find that it was indeed water. Suddenly I was absolutely parched and drank deeply.

“Slowly,” he reminded me, his voice more stern.

My heart fluttered at the command and I lowered the glass from my lips. He gave a satisfied nod.

“What is your name?” Thrawn asked, his voice gentle.

“[Name],” I answered hesitantly.

“A pleasure to meet you, [Name],” he stated before rising to his feet, “I have duties to which I must attend.”

He picked up the tray and set it on the foot of my bed, within my reach.

“If you feel up to it, please try to eat something. Pace yourself, though. I will return in a few hours and then we can discuss the situation.”

I resisted the overwhelming urge to say “yes, sir” and instead just nodded. He inclined his head before leaving out the automatic sliding door.

I took a few slow deep breaths as I processed everything.

It didn’t feel like I was dreaming. But I had to be. But what if I wasn’t? If I was dreaming, then I could do whatever I wanted with no consequence. I could have grabbed Thrawn by his immaculate uniform and crushed my lips to his. But if it was real…

My anxiety forced me to consider the consequences, even if the logical part of my brain wanted to take advantage of the clearly fabricated scenario. There was no possible way I was really on a space ship with Mitth’raw’nuruodo. No possible way.

But just in case… I had to act as if it were real. I couldn’t risk embarrassing myself further.

So. Working under the assumption that it was real… what the fuck was going on?

There was only one possibility in my mind. I’d fallen through dimensions. I was in an alternate dimension where Star Wars was real. Or perhaps I was in the same dimension, but traveled back in time to a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Either way, Thrawn was real. I was on his ship. And I had no idea how or even if I could get home.

Deep inside me, I somehow knew there was no home to go to. I didn’t know how I knew, but it felt like a fact.

I allowed myself time to mourn. I mourned my life. My friends. My family. My home. They were lost to me. Gone forever.

Sniffling, I wiped my eyes and then looked to the tray of food. There was a variety of options, none of which looked familiar to me. But I was suddenly ravenous.

As I reached for something to eat, I heard Thrawn’s voice in my head. “Slowly.”

I smiled to myself and said aloud, “Yes, sir.”

~

I’d only managed to nibble on a few food objects, though I’d fully drained the glass of water, by the time the Grand Admiral returned. My stomach was too tense to think about eating much, even though I felt pretty darn hungry.

Thrawn sat, his eyes on the tray of barely touched food as he gave a satisfied nod.

“How do you feel?” he asked, his glowing eyes turning to me. It was a disconcerting experience, being under those strange eyes’ scrutiny.

“Uh… still a little weak and tired,” I said, fighting the urge to say ‘fine.’ He would know that was a lie. It was Thrawn. “But better. Thank you.”

His eyes softened, “I am glad to hear it. Do you perhaps feel up to a conversation about your situation here?”

I gulped. No, not really. I was still hoping my situation was a dream. I didn’t want to consider what it meant if it wasn’t.

“It can wait another day if you would like to rest,” he told me, “I want to be certain you have a clear head first.”

“My head’s pretty clear now,” I replied, “And… I’m not going to rest very well without knowing…”

Knowing what? I had no clue.

“Understandable,” he inclined his head, “As I told you, I found you in very poor condition on the planet of Pantora. I suspect you do not know how you came to be there.”

His glowing red eyes held a question within them, though his words didn’t. I didn’t reply. I didn’t know what to say.

“I also suspect you have nowhere to go,” he continued, “If that is the case, it would be impolite of me to simply leave you on an alien planet to fend for yourself.”

My shoulders fell a little.

He was right. I had no where to go. No resources. Nothing.

“Therefore, I would like to offer you a place on my ship,” Thrawn stated, “You may remain here,” he gestured at the room, “For as long as you need. Or at least for as long as it remains my ship,” he corrected with amusement.

My breath left me in a whoosh, “Oh. That’s… very kind of you… Grand Admiral.”

His lips twitched at my usage of his title.

“I don’t want to inconvenience anyone…”

“It would not be an inconvenience,” he said. “This room isn’t needed for crew members and with a crew of fifty thousand, one more mouth to feed will not strain our resources.”

My eyes widened. “fifty thousand?”

“You should take time to consider my offer,” Thrawn told me, ignoring my question. “I am needed on the bridge.”

He rose and began to leave.

“Wait,” I called and he paused, facing me. I swallowed hard before asking, “What’s this ship called?”

His lip curved into a small smile, “This is the New Republic Star Cruiser, the Chimaera.”

My eyes widened, unable to respond as he inclined his head and took his leave.

New Republic?

Wait a second. That explained why his uniform looked slightly different. It was a New Republic uniform. But… the New Republic didn’t have grand admirals… and the Chimaera was an imperial ship… and Thrawn… Thrawn was supposed to be an imperial.

What the fuck was going on?

~

Still sore and tired, I didn’t have that much trouble getting more sleep. After napping a little, I felt much more clear headed and even more certain that I wasn’t dreaming. I felt good enough to walk, so I explored the room a little. It was very simple, without much in it. But I did manage to find the connected bathroom or “refresher” I supposed it was called. I was extremely relieved to find it functioned mostly like a normal Earth bathroom. That could’ve been awkward.

I slept more, still recovering from whatever illness had befallen me. Actually, I was starting to figure it out. I decided it was from traveling through time and space. Surely without the proper protection, like being inside a Tardis or something, would leave one very ill after such a trip.

When I woke, I saw that the tray of food was gone, replaced with a fresh jug of water, and there was a neatly folded stack of clothes on the dresser. My glasses were placed delicately atop them. I let out a sigh of relief. I could see without my glasses, but it was uncomfortable and blurry and risked migraines if I wasn’t careful.

I showered before putting on the fresh clothes, grateful for them as mine were feeling sweaty and gross.

But anxiety gnawed at me.

How much did Thrawn know about my situation? He knew I had no where to go… but how? Why? And why offer me a place on his ship? And what did he expect in return? He surely didn’t think I could be a crew member.

If this were a fanfiction, he’d offer me a room on his ship in exchange for sex. I couldn’t help the snort that came from me. I’d have to get thoughts like that under control. That wouldn’t happen, I was certain. Especially when I looked in the mirror. No way Thrawn would be interested in me.

I did wonder if Eli Vanto was on board… and wondered about Thrawn and Eli’s relationship…

I shook my head to clear it. No, no. Bad [Name]. Thrawn was a real life person. No dreaming of fan fiction while aboard his ship.

Not long after I had showered and changed, the door opened and Thrawn stepped in.

“[Name],” he greeted me with an inclination of his head, his hands held formally behind his back.

“Grand Admiral,” I returned.

The ghost of an amused smile passed over his lips before he spoke, “You seem stronger. Your illness has passed.”

“Yes, sir,” I said before I could stop myself, “I think so. Thank you.”

“Have you given thought to my offer?”

I swallowed hard, “I… uh… I don’t see much choice. I don’t have anywhere to go.”

“I understand,” he said and I wondered exactly how much he understood. “You are welcome to stay here until you find an alternative. I will assist to the best of my ability.”

“Thank you. Is… uh… am I allowed to stay on this ship, though?” I asked tentatively.

“I am a Grand Admiral in the New Republic’s Navy,” he remarked coolly, “I decide what is and is not allowed aboard my ship.”

The authority in his voice sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. That was nice. That was very nice indeed.

Part of me wanted to point out that surely there were rules and regulations he had to follow. In the Empire, he often got in trouble for letting people like Admiral Ar’alani on board. But at the same time, the tone of his voice spoke to an end on the subject. If he said I was allowed, I was allowed and that was that.

“Yes, sir,” I whispered, unable to help myself.

I thought it was my imagination that his red eyes seemed to glow brighter.

“May I take you on a small tour of the ship?” Thrawn asked, the increased glow gone before I could be sure it was ever there.

Not trusting my voice, I nodded before pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose slightly.

“Wonderful,” he said, sounding pleased. He pressed a button on the wall and the door slid open. He stepped out and waited for me to join his side.

It was a long empty corridor, with several doors like mine along the wall. There were markings that I was certain were the room numbers, but in a script I didn’t recognize. Some of the numbers looked like Arabic numerals and I recognized the number nine from seeing it so much on The Bad Batch.

As I walked beside Thrawn down the hall, looking at each room number, I realized that part of the string of figures probably wasn’t a number. Probably letters or even words.

I felt Thrawn’s eyes on me and when I looked up at him, sure enough, he was watching me. I felt heat rise in my face and I turned my gaze down to the floor as we continued. It didn’t help when I remembered he could probably see the heat building in my skin. The thought made my whole body go hot with embarrassment. Fuck.

Could I wake up from the dream now, please? Please? No? Great…

I took a few steadying breaths. They didn’t help.

Thrawn slowed to a stop in front of what seemed to be an elevator. He pressed a button and it instantly opened, revealing the small space inside. After we stepped inside, the elevator started to rise and I gripped the waist height support pole to steady myself. I hated Earth elevators enough. I hated space elevators more.

Thankfully it was a short ride and we were stepping out. After stepping off the lift, my eyes were drawn to the large view port. Stars stretched out in the pitch black sky for as far as the eye could see. Every direction glittering at me. And almost below my feet I saw a planet. Millions of lights glinted from the surface in shapes that looked like roads and cities. It looked familiar. Though fear gripped me, the fear of falling through infinite space, I was in awe.

My eyes roved the view before me, wanting to take in every star. Every cloud above the surface of the planet. Every ship I saw soaring in the distance. It was so big. So beautiful. So endless.

“You have never left a planet’s surface?” Thrawn questioned, his voice gentle.

“Never,” I breathed, “I’ve… I’ve never see so many stars.”

Tears suddenly clouded my vision. My fears of traveling through space forgotten in the vast beauty of the universe.

I saw Thrawn’s reflection in the glass, standing behind me with a wistful smile on his lips. I cleared my throat and blinked away my tears.

“Sorry,” I told him.

“It is alright,” he told me, “I have spent my entire life traveling through the stars. I forget to see the beauty in it. Though now what I intended to show you seems small in comparison.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“This way,” he beckoned and I fell into step beside him, casting one last look at the view port before focusing on making sure I didn’t trip over my own feet.

We came to a door and when he opened it, I instantly realized it was his office before even stepping inside. I could see artwork lining the walls and standing on podiums. I couldn’t help the wide smile that broke out across my face.

I followed him inside, my heart racing excitedly as I took in each piece. There were some paintings, some small statues, a few art mediums I didn’t recognize, masks, and so much more. I couldn’t process all of it as quickly as I wanted.

“I am somewhat of a collector of art,” Thrawn explained.

I couldn’t help snorting through my nose, “’Somewhat’?”

“Somewhat,” he agreed, sounding amused.

I spun slowly in place, still looking at everything. But gradually I realized… this wasn’t his office on the Chimaera I knew. The wall behind his desk had carved statues, but they were different from the ones I saw on Rebels. And Sabine Wren’s retaining wall graffiti was nowhere to be found. And the layout of the office was different.

“Can…” I began, choking on my words a bit, “Can you tell me about some of them?”

I was certain his eyes glowed brighter that time.

“Of course,” he inclined his head and then moved towards one of the small statues, “This is a piece from an artist on Onderon, from before the Clone Wars.”

I listened as he spoke of the sharp angles of the shape and how they told much about the culture from which it came. How the scene it depicted was representative of the difficult history of the planet and the artist’s own struggles. I didn’t see everything he saw within it, but I didn’t care. I just listened to his silky voice, suddenly living in an absolute dream come true.

Then he moved on to another piece, speaking of how the limited types of materials used spoke to the scarcity and value of resources in the culture. And then another, speaking of the purpose of each brush stroke.

It was too much for me to take in, but that didn’t matter. Thrawn’s eyes were intense with excitement, perhaps at having someone actually listening to him infodump. I was grateful that he didn’t seem to expect me to fully understand what he was saying. I just listened, a stupidly big smile on my face.

“Is there a particular piece you would like to hear about?” he asked after the fifth artwork.

I frowned suddenly, caught off guard by the question. But there was one. My eyes fell on a rather pitiful piece.

“Ah,” Thrawn nodded and we moved towards it, “I would be curious to hear your thoughts on it.”

“Oh, I don’t have a clue,” I said quickly.

“I find that unlikely. You were drawn to it for a reason,” he remarked lightly.

“I’m probably really off,” I shuffled my feet uncomfortably, “I’m… I’m not very familiar with other cultures’ art so maybe…”

“I promise I will not be offended if you are incorrect,” he assured me, “I would like to know what you think, [Name].”

The soft use of my name almost broke me. I swallowed hard and nodded.

“It… doesn’t look like it’s supposed to look like this,” I ventured, watching his expression carefully. But he gave no sign of whether I was right or not. “I know from my experience with older artworks from where I’m from that some materials age and yellow over time. This looks like it was coated with a varnish or resin that’s aged very badly, but…”

“But…?” he prompted.

I looked closer at the piece. Something looked so off about it.

“I don’t think the resin was put on by the original artist,” I told him, “It looks like the original art had… I don’t know... Some sort of plants on it. And the whole thing is just… coated in that yellowed resin and it looks like the plants were caught within it, probably to keep them in place but the placement where they ended up doesn’t look purposeful. It’s like someone just laid it on its back and dumped the resin on it and let the plants fall where they did.”

“Very good,” Thrawn said, sounding pleased.

My heart soared at the words and I stood up a little straighter.

“This piece comes from Mon Cala,” Thrawn explained, “It is an aquatic planet and therefore most of its art is meant to be viewed under water.”

“So when it was brought to the surface, someone wanted to preserve that effect by dumping resin on it,” I said slowly.

“Indeed. To the work’s detriment, as you can see. The plants are meant to move with the water, not be glued in a static location. In addition, the plants didn’t survive the process and have decayed within. I believe the yellow came from the color of the plants leeching into the resin.”

“That’s unfortunate. I bet this was really beautiful before. The background looks so purposefully done, but it’s covered by dead plants and flattened visually from the resin…”

“Come,” he beckoned, moving to his desk. I followed him and he pressed a few buttons on his desk. Suddenly a hologram floated in front of us. “This is not the exact piece I have here, but it is a similar work.”

I examined the glowing blue image. It certainly was a different piece, but I could see what it was meant to be. The plants flowed with the water, giving the work the feel of being alive.

“If these pieces can’t exist properly out of water, why didn’t someone just… put it in a tank of water or something?” I asked.

“I suspect there are several reasons for that,” Thrawn began, “First is simple practicality. It is much more difficult to move around a tank of water than a static work of art. Secondly, I suspect the plants do not thrive outside of the waters of Mon Cala. The work may last for a time in a tank of the right water, but I believe that it would still degrade. Whoever encased this piece in resin was no doubt attempting to preserve it, but sadly they did more harm than good.”

“Unfortunate,” I sighed sadly as he turned off the hologram, “Looks like it was beautiful before.”

“Yes, I believe it was. Sometimes the method of preservation, even poor preservation such as this, can tell us something, however.”

“I suppose so… at a high cost, though.”

He inclined his head, “Indeed. Thank you for indulging me, [Name]. However I am certain you are still recovering. Shall I return you to your room?”

I nodded and he began to lead the way out of his office. As we came to the elevator, I veered off to look out the view port again. The planet was in a different place relative to the ship than it had been. I looked out at the countless stars, wondering what all was out there. Who all was out there…

“W-what planet is that?” I asked quietly.

“Coruscant,” Thrawn replied. “The capital of the New Republic.”

I nodded my understanding. I suspected it was Coruscant based on the patterns of lights I could see. But… how was it the New Republic? How was Thrawn and the Chimaera part of it?

“Come,” Thrawn called, “You are beginning to look tired. I think you should rest.”

“Yes, sir,” I agreed, stepping onto the lift with him. I didn’t look at the blue alien, but I once again was fairly certain I saw the glow of his eyes intensify.

[everythingsinred]

Previous anon. Honestly nothing made me happier than seeing natsume and mikan well and happy in the spin off manga, just together and happy. Ofc i do miss Hotaru and i hope she managed to get back to the gang bc they are just not complete without her.

I wanted to ask you: do you have any HCs regarding the quartet (yes including Hotaru being back) in their mundane day to day highschool time? How is studying for them, what do they all wanna be when thry graduste? Are any of them going to go to university? How fast are Natsume and Mikan going to be married? Anyone any kids? Maybe a dog or cats?

thanks for the ask <3 yeah my absolute favorite part of the spin off was seeing natsumikan as an official couple! theyre so cute <3 im incapable of thinking of a post-kageki universe where they dont reunite with hotaru.

tsubasa mentions around chapter 73 or 74 that the last couple years of the high school count as university credit but that some students choose to continue college to gain more knowledge. i feel like perhaps hotaru would be in that category. she is very lazy but i think she'd want to refine her skills. if not that, then i could see her easily taking off with a career right out of school since she already has an impressive following. her future is pretty solid.

ruka wants to be a vet and i'm not entirely sure how vet training would work in alice academy? it's a pretty lengthy process in the normal world--about 8 years (4 undergrad, 4 at vet school). if the last 2-3 years of alice academy hs are the equivalent of a typical 4 year university, then ruka would still have to continue the 4 years of vet school to get his credential. in any case, he's pretty passionate about it. he doesn't seem like he puts much effort into school while in elementary school, but i think he'd put his all into vet school because he'll be doing something he really loves.

i can see mikan pursuing a teaching job or maybe nursing--something where she can help people. it would HAVE to be a people-oriented occupation, where she interacts with lots of people and is more hands-on. in either case, she could probably start right away after graduation and since nepotism is real and she's close friends with most of the staff, she's a shoe-in for a teaching position for sure.

i can't imagine natsume having a job he's passionate about. i don't think natsume would ever be passionate about labor, no matter what it is. i've read all kinds of fics, where natsume goes on to be a spy or work in security or what have you, but to be honest i don't think natsume would EVER elect to be in a dangerous field after being a child soldier for so many years. idk cant he be mikan's stay at home husband? cant he have a break? if he must have a job, i'd hate it if he did anything dangerous; i much prefer to imagine him doing something calm and laid-back.

as for the marriage question.... i can see them getting married ASAP. like right away tbh. natsume has a terminal illness after all! but thats not fully relevant to me bc i cant imagine a future where natsume doesnt get "cured" in some way. i just cant. in any case they were 12 when they got engaged so they're the kind of couple that moves fast FOR SURE. they'd get married as soon as it becomes a possibility. i talk about the possibility of nm children here, too.

as for other characters...

idk really. i can see tsubasa and misaki for sure having kids. the other class b characters might have kids but probably not right away. i can see ruka for sure having pets always. maybe natsumikan get a kitty. that would be cute!

i have a lot of hcs actually but i feel like this has gotten pretty long so i'll leave it at that for now. thanks for sending me this ask! i appreciate it ;-; <3

[halflingkima]

First Chapter Test: Romance Edition

so i finished that regency romance/crime thriller and wanted more of that vibe and yes i have 12 other books checked out but the other night i got drunk and put a bunch more on hold. this'll include the romances i mentioned in my last first chapter test, but i figure it'll be helpful to have them all in the same place.

Palace Project

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae: I've had In the Event of Love on my TBR for a bit, but it's a holiday read and i def wanna read that in the appropriate season, so i was pleased to find the sequel is set in summer! how timely. apparently it's a friends to lovers/best friend's sibling sitch with a sorta baking contest involved. the writing style is promising, it's weakest point being the sequel-catch-up spiel: the rapid intro of a bunch of characters real fast made my head spin. but i think it'll be okay from here on.

Hockey Bois by AL Heard: Was a little put off when this one had a fanfiction-style tags/tropes list up front, but the writing style is perfectly good. The main character is just starting to play hockey on a team/in a league as an adult, and the stoic team star takes an interest in helping him practice. I'm hoping the "grump" role will slip from the love interest soon, but it's a really decent start, and i will probably continue.

The Mastermind by Amy Lane: Amy Lane is truly hit or severe miss for me and i've not enjoyed a book of hers in a while. i've been interested in this heist/con artist series for a while, but never enough. i know i've read this first chapter before, and rereading it, remembered why i put it down: the main plotline focuses directly on a (white) woman "ruining" a man's "legacy" through falsifying claims of discrimination. While i know the author to treat her women characters very well, the concept still makes me uncomfortable. I think i'll press on for now, but i can easily put it down if there's nothing intriguing enough to make up for the unbelievable female antagonist set-up. Also: a LOT of telling in this first chapter, when I would've liked the characters' past to unravel over a bit more time.

String Theory by Ashlyn Kane: Wanted to read a hockey romance, but Palace doesn't have the first of this author's series, and i don't wanna skip around in that one, so I compromised with this unrelated book. that being said, this was surprisingly the weakest link on this platform so far (i had very low expectations for Hockey Bois). The opening was a little confusing – i think i read the prologue? also haven't met the second character, and all i learned in this one is that one of the main characters is a slut with a very stoic roommate lmao. I'll hold out until i meet both characters, but i'm 50/50 on this one.

Physical

A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske: Oh I had high hopes for this one based on all the good things i've heard and my recent regency mood but the first chapter did not serve it well. It's regency(?) era with magic, and i think i remember there's a sorta mystery (thriller?) aspect to it, but the very short first chapter has a lot of samey characters with little worldbuilding and a lot of action, which while a strong way to start, is not the vibe i was looking for at the moment. i don't think i'll fully dnf now that it's in my possession, but it will probably sit in my pile of shame for a while before it get to it.

The Prospects by KT Hoffman: ok first of all, didn't realize the main character is also TRANS and now i'm HYPE about it. the first chapter was great 10/10 no notes i fuckin love sports romances i'm so glad this is finally out and owned by my library system and in my HANDS

The Ride of Her Life by Jennifer Dugan: The true panic cover "buy" (check-out). I have no clue what it's about but it was available and had two ladies on the cover. And looked a lil country, but I think it's about horses? The most stereotypical first chapter in the world, didn't reveal all that much, but the writing style is very readable. I truly have no verdict on this, i'll have to get a little further.

Hoopla

Delay of Game by Ari Baran: Knowing the main characters of this book from the previous one in the series, this story def started as a bucky/cap hockey au and i KNOW it's gonna be stunning. that being said, the first few bits are a huge flashback and reframe the characters a lot, which kinda knocked me for a loop. I'm also afraid to read this before my library has the next one; i need my book safety net. T_T I'm also a little concerned my expectations are a bit too high for this one lol

Libby

New Adult by Timothy Janovsky: The sliding doors/alternate timelines concept is very different from what I've read from this author, so I'm a little concerned in that regard. I also don't personally like stand-up comedy all that much, and I hope there's not too much of that on-page. I also found the set-up a little rough. I'll probably go ahead and read this to get it off my tbr, and it'll probably be a good time. im not sure it's strong enough to bump the slump though.

Afterlove by Tanya Byrne: Genuinely don't know what to expect from this one. I've only heard of it bc i think Fairyloot? sent it as a bonus book in a box and some booktubers unboxed it. I've not seen anyone read it or heard anything of it since. There's something about death and undeath and teen girls in love. I don't have super high hopes bc it's YA but the opening was strong and i'm interested to see where the plot goes, though i'm not invested in the romance much at all at this point.

[shibalen]

HIYA! This is me ✨ anon! I was about to sleep when you posted this gajshsjs better do it fast- Okay so, I would like a romantic match-up for Akatsuki no Yona and Haikyuu! I dont think I'll be able to summon those other emojis so I would like music box and jewellery box uwu. My nickname is Oya! I am a female with long straight black hairs and black eyes and I wear glasses. I am smol, 160cm, and a bit on the chubby side :"). I am a INTP-T so this shows I am an introverted person. ✨(1/2)✨

I also have trust issues so its really hard for me to open up to new people but once I get to know them I'll never leave their side. I also have anger issues so I bust out at the wrong time hahaha. I love to sleep, eat and be lazy all day doing nothing. If something interests me I would get obsessed with it. I have a disliking towards dogs because of some encounters in the past TvT. Just a little fun fact- sometimes I purr like a kitty 🐯. ✨(2/3)✨ (me made a little mistake I think-)

In a relationship, I would place loyalty and trust over everything else! Oh and I just saw that do you own many plants? Damn my house has like its own garden on the roof. Thanks for this and remember to always take care of yourself and stay safe 🌸 ✨(3/3)✨

♡︎ matchup for ✨anon

howdy! i'm so glad you made it on time. i really hope you enjoy your matches!

akatsuki no yona: i match you with . . .

shin-ah !!

• i know you two sound too similar to be matched but i promise once you come to trust each other the result is the most beautiful !!

• as an intp-t you are easy-going, have rich imagination and don't need extravagant objects in your life to feel happy. i am 100% sure Shin-ah would love these qualities in a lover.

• also, you need not look further for someone loyal and trustworthy because Shin-ah is the perfect example of those traits. no one will cherish you like he does. for you he'd go to the moon and back ♡︎

• he's a little difficult to understand sometimes but over time you learn to read his body language and tone of voice to determine how he's feeling. your bond exceeds the limits of words. it is something much deeper, almost spiritual.

• your relationship development was no doubt a long road, seeing as both of you were rather guarded at first, but i believe it was something that also brought you together.

• before you were ready to join the rest of the gang by the fire during dinners, you would sit by yourself. Shin-ah, being a shy boy but also knowing you were on your guard, began slowly sitting closer to you every time. it was little things like that which made you become closer.

• you grew together very naturally, respecting each others' boundaries until there were almost none between you two (o´ω`o)

• it's so lovely how you're always by each others side, not perhaps always talking but doing things like napping, eating and walking side-by-side. anybody can see what a cute couple you make.

• i'm telling you he's in love with how much passion you have for your interests. when you're telling him about all the plants you like or a crazy dream you had he'd mostly be quiet, hanging on your every word.

• but sometimes you'll catch him with a small smile or muttering "tell me more". you're like his own ray of sunshine

• once to explain it to him, i think he'll be fairly good at understanding your outbursts. he lived with Ao for a long time and knows when someone is under pressure.

• he'll try his best to help you. he has a very calm energy so being about him definitely has a good influence. will very gently reach out to you to get you away from your source of anger. "Oya, let's go."

• giving you his fluff when you're cold !! if you invite him to snuggle up to you, might catch a glimpse of him holding back tears before turning away to wipe them off.

• and speaking of, napping with Shin-ah is the best experience you can ask for: he's so soft and warm, and sometimes he'll hold onto you in his sleep like a small child— gets teased by Jae-Ha about it later shhh

• poor bby gets a little insecure when someone's flirting with you or even having your attention for a little too long :( if you're comfortable with it then he just subtly sulks in the background but if not then he'll be by your side in a second to ward off the character.

• when you're feeling shy or uncomfortable he'll either pull you close to hide within his fluff or pet your head. though he doesn't speak much, his actions speak for themselves.

• he brings you flowers and puts them in your hair. the contrast of your dark hair and light petals make it look like you have a tiny garden on your head, it makes Shin-ah's heart flutter to the point you can see his blush ♡︎

• your dates include romantic moonlit walks in a forest, firefly viewing, napping, making flower crowns and exploring new towns you travel to !!

♫︎ music box

— Dandelions by Ruth B.

— Talk To Me by Cavetown

— Lost In You by Khai Dreams

— Sunshine by Keaton Stormberg

— Angel With A Shotgun by The Cab

♡︎ runner up: Jae-ha

⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

haikyuu: i match you with . . .

lev haiba !!

• i know for a fact Lev would l o v e your innovative and curious way of thinking as an intp-t !! also you're chill but don't open up much at first so that raises his curiosity towards you.

• you were classmates but hung around in too different circles to interact properly until . . . you both fell asleep in the same class. the teacher sent you to the corridor to think about your actions.

• while you were feeling embarrassed, Lev was a little cranky that his nap was interrupted and how sleepy he still was. he told you there was nothing to be embarrassed about since it was school in the first place that made you tired.

• despite your differences in personality (and you finding him kind of intimidating), Lev was super friendly and kept talking about volleyball and asking you questions. even afterward he came to talk to you because he honestly found you so pretty and smart and wanted to get to know you more ♡︎

• you soon noticed it was easy to trust him but it wasn't until another while that he asked you out. of course, he wanted to do it sooner but both Kuroo and Yaku said to make sure you were completely comfortable with him first.

• he brought you over to watch when they were having a practice match with Fukurodani. it was great.

• "Oya? " "Oya oya?" "Oya oya oya." i'm sorry i had to

• mate, you guys have over a 30cm height difference !! it's almost a second nature for this boy to pick you up, hug you and spin you around. you drown in his jersey but you know he loves it.

• you don't have to worry about hurting him when getting angry: sunshine boy lets it go easily. he'll only focus of making you feel better by joking around. "it's okay, Oya! compared to Yaku-san you're an angel!"

• when he first heard you purring he was like (´•ω•`)? but then changed to ((っ･ω･)っ lemme hold you you're too cute asdfghjk

• but you know he can be such a blabbermouth sometimes. when he's with the rest of the Nekoma team he can't help but talk about you. how excited you are about your interests, how adorable you are when you're napping, the list never ends, oh dear (¯∇¯٥)

• the boys can't decide whether it's cute or cringe that he has like a hundred pictures of you on his phone and his phone's background is a selfie of the two of you with edited cat ears and whiskers.

• spoiler: it's cute af and it makes him grin everytime he looks at it

• if there aren't any upcoming exams or games you meet up every saturday just to laze around and take it easy. when he gets stressed or is under the weather so being with you is the perfect relief.

• during a particularly rough week he'll complain what sounds like every second of the day. he'll be very whiny and touchy with you until and if you tell him to stop. but at least please hold his hand on your way home !!

• you do dumb but cute stuff together while hanging out like competing who can fit more popcorn in their mouth or doing the duck face with pringles chips and see who will laugh first (it's Lev)

• he can't remember all the types of plants you own so he names them himself. whenever he comes over he'll wave at them and call them something like Tom, Jeffrey or RedWheels666 lol

• a very fulfilling relationship: you provide the down-to-earth approach and the braincells while Lev is the social daredevil that is spontaneous enough for both of you.

• dates with the two of you include stay-at-home dinners with movies, cosy blanket and cuddles, karaoke nights, walks in the park and by ponds as well as visits to zoos and aquariums !!

𑁍 jewellery box

— favourite memory with you:

when you went on a school trip to a beach resort and after a long day of playing beach volleyball and hanging out with friends you two sneaked out to walk along the beach. you were sharing some snacks and chatting away. it was the first time you truly opened up to him. he remembers watching you smile so wide, so beautifully and being absolutely whipped.

— favourite activity to do together:

as much as he l o v e s napping with you, Lev's favourite activity together is, in fact, training. sounds strange, i know, but you don't even have to be athletic or do anything at all, he just likes having you there because you motivate him to do his best. you joke around, and count his pushups—if you're in a gym everyone else is jelly.

— favourite place to kiss you:

your stomach and cheeks. sometimes he challenges you to tickle fights just so he can peck your face with kisses or your belly. they're so soft he can't resist ♡︎

— favourite nicknames to call you by:

baby, because i know he just would. also your nickname and bean because that's what he called you before he knew your name so now it's a running gag between y'all.

— favourite thing about you:

probably that you're just as curious as him about your surroundings. it means that you join in when he gets excited over something instead of scolding him. you also don't mind his blunt nature and know he means well ♡︎

♡︎ runner up: Hajime Iwaizumi

there you go! thank you for the sweet words, i do try taking care though sometimes it's hard (✿^‿^) don't forget to take time off for yourself, dear ♡︎

[speechless-illusions]

What if we got the story of the rooftop trio animated in season 5 of BNHA?

*Disclaimer before starting: This thread comes from my intense desire of seeing the Vigilantes Spin-off made an anime, and my desire to see the story of Shirakumo animated because I like to suffer. It's written in a "theory" way but I don't want to imply it's true or it's going to happen, because even though I'd love something like this, I feel it is too far-fetched and surely not going to happen. But what if...? So please keep in mind that I'm just joking, and not being really serious about this (..or am I?)

First of all, I'm going to explain how a strange thought like the possibility of seeing the story of the rooftop trio animated in season 5 came to my mind.

I'm obsessed with both bnha and vigilantes. I started reading vigilantes because I wanted to know more about aizawa and I heard that his past was explained there, but I ended up falling in love with vigilantes and I consider it something you must read if you really want to understand the bnha world more. To me, it is not only a spin-off, it's a very important part of the bnha story specially because I can't see someone feeling the same impact while reading bnha story (specially after the Kurogiri reveal) if they haven't read vigilantes too.

My best friend also loves bnha, but she hasn't seen the 4th anime season yet, and hasn't started reading the manga. She is going to start reading the manga soon and I told her "Keep me updated about what chapters you're reading because I want you to stop reading bnha when you reach a certain chapter, switch to vigilantes, read the whole vigilantes (or at least until Aizawa's past arc) and then come back to read bnha"

I want her to do this because I feel the Shirakumo/Kurogiri reveal doesn't hit you that hard if you haven't read the rooftop trio chapters of vigilantes. I mean, I read them before and the reveal got me the most shocked I've ever been. I can't explain how I felt but I couldn't close my mouth and I kept saying "No way... No way... Oh god..."

When do I think she has to switch from bnha to vigilantes? In other way, when do I feel like it's the perfect time to read vigilantes while reading bnha?

Well, this is a personal preference but I think it should be after the joint training arc. Why? Because of this scene:

It's (if I'm not mistaken) the first time Shirakumo is mentioned in the bnha manga. It's chapter 217, the last chapter of the joint training arc, before the meta liberation army arc starts. (Keep this in mind because it's important later in my analysis)

I think this dialogue is perfect, because it makes you wonder who that Shirakumo is? And it's when I think my friend should switch to read vigilantes. She will eventually read the Aizawa's past arc, meet Shirakumo, cry about him like I did, and then come back to read bnha, starting the meta liberation army arc. She will read that arc, which is very long and focused on the villains, so she will probably forget a bit about Shirakumo. This means when the reveal of Kurogiri happens at the start of the Paranormal liberation arc, she will be shocked.

I didn't like the idea of telling her to read Vigilantes right before the reveal because then, the moment she saw aizawa and mic going to Tartarus, she would be suspicious about that what is going to happen could be related to that. But making her read vigilantes after chapter 217, gives her like an amount of 40 chapters of the manga to read before the reveal. In those 40 chapters Shirakumo is not mentioned, so she will focus on other things, not Shirakumo, and when the reveal comes it will blow her mind.

You're probably wondering why I'm telling all of this when the title of the post is about season 5 of the anime. Well, here it comes:

Yesterday I was curious about what parts of the manga we will probably see animated in season 5, so I went to the My hero academia wiki and started wondering about it. Here's what I thought:

First, I thought about how the pro hero arc wasn't finished in season 4. In the anime, they cut the season when Endeavor wins against the nomu. But in the manga, Dabi appears right after that and then we see the first glimpse of double agent Hawks when both of them talk in private. This means the season is going to start with a few chapters left of the Pro hero arc. Watching the equivalent of manga and anime chapters in each arc, I came to the conclusion that usually in the anime, each arc is more or less half the chapters of that arc in the manga. The Pro hero arc has 10 manga chapters, and so far, we've had 2 anime episodes. So this means we could still get at least 2 or even 3 anime episodes about that arc...

Then, it comes the Joint training arc, which has 24 manga episodes. If we follow the previous estimations, it could be like 12 anime episodes (maybe less, since that arc has a lot of fights and fights are longer in manga than anime)

And then it's the Meta liberation army arc, or my villain academia, which is 23 manga chapters long. So maybe 11-12 chapters, but as I said before, battles tend to be longer in manga so maybe less anime chapters.

This seems correct. Adding those numbers we could get a 25 chapters season. But now let's imagine that my estimations are not really correct, and also the battles turn out to be much quick in the anime, so they end up with less chapters than the ones I've estimated.

Let's imagine they get only 23 chapters, for example. But they need 25...

Even if they could start the next arc and cut again the arc at the end of the season like they did in season 4, it would be weird. I mean, the Meta liberation arc is only about villains, and I imagine they're going to make that second half of season 5 only about villains. Opening and ending villain themed included. So it would be weird if the last one or two chapters of the season were from the following arc, because they would come back to the heroes for like two chapters after being only focused in the villains for 10 chapters... It would feel weird. It would be better if they end season 5 at the end of the meta liberation arc, when the LOV wins the fight.

But... What if they need more chapters to reach 25? What if the first half of the season needs those 2 chapters? (I see it more likely that this would happen to the first half and not the second, because the meta liberation arc would perfectly fit half a season in my opinion)

And this is where my brain said "What about... Animating the rooftop trio story?"

Okey, okey, I know. It sounds really far-fetched. I told you at the begining. But let me explain.

Remember what I said about my recommendation to my friend: that the perfect moment to switch to read vigilantes (and so the rooftop trio arc) would be at the end of the Joint training arc (which as I have analysed, would be in the 1st half of season 5) and before reading the meta liberation army arc (which will probably be the 2nd half of the season 5). That is the spot where I personally think it's the best moment to learn the story about Shirakumo to make the Kurogiri reveal most shocking (as I said, you would have at least like 20 anime chapters to "forget" about Shirakumo and then the reveal would be like "WHAT?! THAT SHIRAKUMO?! THE ONE FROM LIKE LAST SEASON?!")

Now, let's talk about length: if we cut out all the parts related to the vigilantes main story (because it wouldn't make sense to animate for example aizawa talking to Koichi), the arc about Aizawa's past (or Rooftop trio arc) is more or less, 6 manga chapters long. It has a battle, and some extra scenes that could be also cut, so let's say you could fit that story in maybe... 2 anime chapters. Only 2 anime chapters. Wow, that would come handy if you need to fill a 2 chapters gap in an anime season, don't you think?

Animating that arc right after Aizawa mentions Shirakumo at the end of the joint training arc would not only be the perfect spot in the bnha story to do it, but would also have the perfect chapter length to fit in the 25 chapters limit of season 5. It would give us the necessary info about Shirakumo to feel really really shocked about the Kurogiri reveal. I mean, it will surely hit harder if you know the whole story and how his relationship with aizawa was, than if you only know the few glimpses the bnha manga gives us about it.

Do you need another reason to get crazy about this? Well, remember this:

They literally put Shirakumo in the last ending of season 4. They put there a character that we were not supposed to know nothing about until season 6. Why hint him so soon? Well, maybe to hint something that could happen in season 5...? Something like... An arc about who's him and his story with aizawa and mic?

I'll let this right here. I'm not saying they are going to do it. I'm saying I would love to see this happening and that in my head IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE