#:re chapter 63

[oh-dameron]

-The Hands of the Emperor, chapter 63

Congrats to Kip for getting his Take That smack down directly after this and all, but several things occurred to me on a re-read:

1. Cousin Louya was right about the fish farm,

2. Cousin Louya was right about the sea turtles,

3. Cousin Louya might have a genuine gift of prophecy,

4. There is a faction in the Palace of Stars who do indeed hide behind cunning masks,

5. Said faction set themselves up to seize power after The Fall by positioning HR as a God, and then again after HR's heart attack by attempting to execute Omo and destabilise the guards, and then when HR went on his quest they called Kip into a super shady meeting and just coincidentally shortly thereafter he got hit with [AtFotS spoilers].

6. Kip's second-in-command, Kiri Kalikiri, is precisely placed to do everything that Louya warned about, and

7. Kiri Kalikiri's parents are priests of the Imperial cult.

Is that a separate thing from the Ouranatha? I don't know. I do think it's extremely unlikely that the Ouranatha are planning to sit back, let HR retire, and dissolve the whole edifice of the Imperial cult that they rest the bulk of their authority on. There's going to be at least one more mad grab for power in their death throes.

The other reading, of course, is that Cousin Louya is once again right on the money but what she's seeing is Kip's complete takeover and restructure of the government. But that doesn't jibe with her warning of destroying everyone who is not like them and the erasure of culture. Unless you count Kip's desire to verbally smack down bigoted fools he never seeks to destroy. The sort of language Louya uses to describe the threat is imperialist.

[ipsen]

ch63 and re63

These images side by side are great at capturing how the original series and its sequel are different using the same line.

Tokyo Ghoul is bloody and gross and tragic, because ultimately Kaneki's plight here is pointless, as Aogiri, as we know, is not the real enemy, and yet, starting with this line, he begins his attempt to destroy them. He seizes control of the narrative-- we'll use a boat metaphor here (trust me)-- and he steers it toward Tragedy. Because tragedy is just 'doing a pointless thing' but like, if it was interesting.

Tokyo Ghoul: re is hopeful and about breaking cycles of tragedy, and Eto here, as a constant boat rocker, is now attempting to divert the boat's direction away from Tragedy and toward actual change and Hope. Because from chapter 63 onward (except for the things post-143, which is a whole other bag of worms), the relevant information about V and the Washuu is revealed, and the true villains of the narrative are finally placed on the board.

But there's another thing to talk about: the purpose of the characters saying the line. This line signifies Change. It denotes that the story has shifted in a different direction from where it used to be going. And that change is being driven by the character saying it in both instances. And, though that change is different for both of them, there is one commonality:

They are throwing away their human half. Their 'safe' half. They throw all of their cards into their identity as a ghoul in the hopes of pursuing their ideals.

They're the same.

[dudadragneel]

I'm just updating this

So, here's the list I said I'd share.

This is a mess, there's manga, webtoon, kdrama, jdrama, animes, tv series...

Not all of them are whump, some might be just my favorite episodes (probably because the animation was good.

ChaoS Child - 10 (vomit)

Tales of Zestiria - 4 (nausea)

Argevollen - 15 (vomit)

M3 - 3 (vomit)

Mob psycho 2 - 6 (vomit)

Persona 5 - 2,4,5, 15 (pain, injury)

Dororo - 5, 12 (faint, fever)

Fukigen na mononokean tsuzuki - 6 (faint)

Donten ni warau - 3 (nausea)

Darling in the franxxx - 5,6,11,12, 13,15,17, 18,21 (fever, faint, pain)

Duel ep 8 (vomit)

Wolf's rain ep 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14

God's Quiz - season 2 ep 12 (vomit)

God eater - 5, 6❤, 9,10 (injury)

Re: zero - 5,8, 10 (vomit)

Sign language - 68 (fever)

Aldnoah zero - 5 (vomit)

Battery chapter 10 (vomit)

Forever mine - 43,44,45,46, 63, 64,65, 69 (collapse)

Kakao 79 - 113-115 (fever)

Plastic memories - 07, 12 ( faint)

Doukyonin - 08 (faint)

Miira - 3,07 (fever faint)

Goboutan - 12 (fever faint)

Plastic Memories - 07 (faint)

Hyouka - 07 (nausea)

Black Lagoon - 1 (vomit)

Full metal Panic Fumoffu - 2, 8 (fever faint)

Knights of sidonia - 2 (vomit, faint)

Fruits basket - 23

Ai yori aoshi - 4

Guardian - 8

My love from another star - 9, 16

Guardian - 8,9,10,12, 19, 20,21, 23, 28

Love shuttle - 2,3,4,5,6,9,10, 11,12 (fever, vomit)

Riverdale - 4season ep 1

GRAND HOTEL - 1Temp - 7 3 TEMP - 2,3, 19,20 (injury)

Tokyo ghoul movie (emeto)

TEEN WOLF- Season 6 ep 6, season 1 - 1,2,6,8,11, season 2 - 6,7,9,10, season 3 - 5,6,11, 13 season 5 - 6,9 , season 6 - 13

RIVERDALE- 1- 10,11,12

Love stage - 9 (fever)

Skip beat - 15 (fever)

Miira no kaikata - 07 (fever)

DETECTIVE CONAN -  49,188,191,193,522,927,928,219, 118,126 (pain - faint)

Bleach - 9

Code breaker - 6

Tada kun - 9 (fever)

Mayonaka no ocult komuin - 1

Omiai (hentai) - 5,6 (fever)

Naruto - 140

DIVE!!- 12 (faint)

Katsute - 09

Beelzebub Ojou - 04

Cagaster -3,4,5

Pinocchio - 5,12,13

Itaewon class - 10 (emeto)

Richard - 10

Kakafukaka - 5 (emeto)

Uzaki - chan - 3 (fever)

Titan's bride - 4

Grisaia - ep 1 & 3 (vomit)

The God of Highschool - ep 5 (vomit)

Run with the wind - 8 (fainting), 18 ,19,20 (fever)

Kanojo okarishimasu - 73 (emotional breakdown/vomit)

Inuyasha - 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 32, 42,45, 46, 51, 57,58, 70, 78, 82, 87, 90, 89, 107, 113, 117, 122, 125, 126, 132, 137, 138, 140, 146, 155, 156, 161, 162, 163, 164, 167

Umibe no etranger - 7

Kkondae intern - 8

One piece 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83

Kekkai sensen - ep 4, 5, 8

Kekkao sensen and beyond - 9

Tensei shitara slime datta ken - 10,11,13

Persona 5 - 2,4,5, 15

Dororo - 5, 12

Fukigen na mononokean tsuzuki - 6

Donten ni warau - 3

Darling in the franxxx - 5,6,11,12, 13,15,17, 18,21

Naruto shippuden - 9,11,17,18,19,20,23,24,25,26,29,30,31, 39,40,41,42,43,44,45,49,50,52,56,68,70,71,73,74,75,79 ❤,80 😢,81,82😢, 84 ,85 🤯,86, 87 🤯🤯, 88🤯,89

Fruits bqsket ep 12j

13 reasons why - 4×02

WHUMP

ChaoS child - 10

Tales of Zestiria - 4

Argevollen - 15

Kimetsu no yaiba - 12

The K2 - 4

Healer - 6,12, 13,14

Train 2020 - ep 2 (emeto)

Pinocchio 4, 12, 18

One piece - 566, 567, 568, 569, 570, 597(Law) 598, 599,600,601,602

Jujutsu kaisen - 23 (megumi vomit)

Taishou otome - ep 2

One piece - nebulandia, 3d2y

True beauty - 5 (panic attack)

Casualty - series31 ep 34 (vomit)

Love and leashes - slight gag

Attack on titan - season 1 ep 3 (eren gags)

Tokyo ghoul movie - emeto

Hamatora (emeto)

Boruto - 234- 236 (emeto)

Anatomy of a scandal - 3 (emeto)

Slam dunk - 8,9,10,11,15,16(whump),23,24💜,25,28,29,30,33,38,39,40,42,43,44😭,45,46,48,49(whump),51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58(w),59😭,60,61,62,63,65,66,67,70,71(w),72(w)73,74,75,76,77,79,81,82,84😭

My strange friend (c-drama) - ep 14 (emeto)

Miss Hammurabi (K-drama) - ep 12 (emeto)

Lucky Romance (k-drama) - ep 9 (emeto/panick attack)

Goodbye Mr. Black (kdrama) - 18 (emeto)

Your honor - 19+20 (emeto)

Outlander - season 3 ep 9 (emeto)

2gether the series - 13 (emeto)

Kimi no tonari de yurarete (emeto?)

Stranger things - s1e4 - Jonathan gags

Kinnporsche - 2, 4 (emeto)

Time (drama) - 4 and 6 (emeto)

- my strange friend (c drama -youtube) - ep 16 (emeto)

- stranger things - s1ep8 (not really emeto but the scene gave me whumperflies)

- Kinnporsche - 02,04 (emeto)

- Banana Fish - 5 (nausea - I know but like, the scene gave me whumperflies)

- Chainsaw Man - 1 (blood), 6 (blood)

- Romantic Killer - 6 (slight panic attack) 11 (emeto)

- Aku No Hana - 8, 11 (emeto)

- Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen Train movie and season 2 episode 1

[sufferu]

Whats your favorite fan if other Then back to zero or the react fic

Of my own? — Honestly Back to Zero is my favorite, simply because I actually have a PLAN for it, but…hm. I think I’d go with Runaway IF (pain in the ass to actually plan anything out for it tho lol — I’d WANT that to be a long-form fic focused on Subaru running around + the manhunt that eventually culminates in Priestella but I don’t know how to fill that in, really), Crusch IF (though it’s been a while, and I still haven’t figured out a proper thematic resolution to the…predicament Subaru found himself in post-Arc 3 — the cost of not working backwards ig) — I actually really liked the Whale IF for a while but it seems like I was the only one who actually cared about that one lmaoo (though. It is still at the root of. Another fic I’ve been considering…) —

Of other people’s? I actually really like the Vampire IF made by @toon-topaz lol, I think it’s fun. But also, Re:63 by @spriteanon-re63 is really well done (I’m particularly a fan of the Chastity spinoff), and any of the one-shots by Silybum on Ao3 (or their multi-chapter fics, too) have the potential to be expanded SO much, and I’d gobble up all of them down to the bone. Oh — that goes for anything by Petalil, too (though I’m particularly a fan of Ruby Red.)

[bloopitynoot]

Reading SVSSS: Chapter 2

For those who don't know, I am reading SVSSS for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag bloopitynoot reads SVSSS. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read.

Chapter 2: Mission

Okay pre read thoughts here. This story is so good! I am totally loving the premise of this, the system mechanics are wonderful (so much sass) but also so unpredictable!

I'm not going to lie I am nervous for this mission that Shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu and co are about to go on. I just feel like things are about to get completely fucked LOL

again (as a reader not as system in book) points to Shen Yuan for noting how nasty the relationships are in this OG canon (p 63 re: Die-er and Old Master Chen- barf)

Okay but like I get it Shen Yuan- I still cannot imagine attempting to fake being a martial master OMG p.64

MOOD "Shen Qingqiu didnt even want to pretend to meditate, so he lay on the bed, just pretending to be dead" p65

unrelated to this plot but also related to this plot: I fucking love how MXTX is as a writer. I love the constant comments about the writing of women and side characters in fantasy writing it's very meta right now p67 (Re: shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu- i haven't decided what to call him at this point tbh- talking about how the "original author" wrote the shittiest female characters).

I am once again here to talk about how Shen Yuan talks about Luo Binghe (he is a child- another barf) but also Shen Yuan does have this future(?) omniscient (?) knowledge about about what he becomes as a fully realized adult character - it still makes me deeply uncomfortable RE: "Shen Qingqiu could only say that, as expected, the brilliant protagonist truly was overwhelmingly cool, awesome, insane, and badass, with a dick longer than the heavens" p68

RIP easy mode XD LOL p69

why is he naked tho??? p71

bless her heart- RE: everything about Ning Yingying p74

I can't. Re: Luo Binghe's crisis pp76-77

If shen Qingqiu fixes this entire story by accidentally making Luo Binghe fall in love with him I- *deep sigh * pp76-77

The way Shen Yuan keeps reading the filth out of these characters- SO MUCH shade! "Their IQ wasn't beyond saving!" p 81

thank fuck he finally unlocked the OOC feat p85

Okay but the Lin Xi Caves actually sound so stunning p88

Re stunning caves: well minus the blood and qi deviation LOL

When his headcanon for Liu Qingge is absolutely wrecked ahahahaha p93

Liu Qingge really hates Shen Qingqiu (I mean, I get it but like still, damn) pp 97-98

Unrelated but I adore the way this sect is organized. It is visually stunning with the various peaks, im fully picturing this gorgeous mountain range

The QUEEREST thought so far in this is Shen Yuan commenting on the demon woman's (now I know she is Sha Hualing- don't @ me) footware, I can't p102

wait what the heck! Shen Qingqiu's fighting is so elegant! pp 106-107

Luo Binghe: status- Broken p107

OMG he wants to protect this kid but the struggle of a protagonist (re: -1000 if Luo Binghe does not fight) p109

Hell yeah! I already love Liu Mingyan!!! p111

OMG he totally is accidentally causing Luo Binghe to fall for him. I can't-what a way to fix the plot. p112

The hate Shen Yuan has for Ning Yingying is too much XD I keep laughing, oh no. Him basically saying "omg thank you for running away I literally cannot handle you in this fight because you are a constant mess" p116

wait. WTF. Is Shen Qingqiu going to die?!?!?! p124

oh, thank fuck, Liu Qingge showed up pp129-130

bahahahah OFC he's "repaying for the cave" p131

oh damn well shit okay, that's one way to end the chapter.

I hope his cultivation is not fucked because of the poison!?!?!?

also jesus, that's a harsh way to get points. Does he level up in this?? I feel like he at least deserves a level up.

That's all for this chapter!

Tomorrow is date night for me and my partner so maybe no chapter- but we will see if I have time to read earlier or not.

[meimi-haneoka]

Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Chapter 78: Comments + JP-ENG translation differences

Hello hello!! End of the month, just witnessed Harvest Moon high in the sky (the last Supermoon of 2023!), and we're back like clockwork with another chapter of Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card!! I have to say the release of Clear Card chapters have often coincided with a Supermoon and I find that so funny, as well as fitting....the moon is such a big element in this arc!

And as we have seen in this arc, the moon is also a messenger of love, and there's so much of it in this chapter....feelings, conflicting emotions, but most importantly, talks of happiness. This chapter wrecked me with emotions even more than the previous one, as we finally got the Kaito/Akiho moment of "discussion" that we waited for so long....where the focal point of the entire arc is: how far can we push ourselves to make our loved ones happy? Is it right for us to arbitrarily decide for their happiness? Along the years, I've seen countless of complains for how the events of the story were unfolding, for how some characters did absolutely the hell they wanted and made decisions for others, but as I knew perfectly well, a story is something in constant development and the goal wasn't to show how helpless people are or how it was right for others to act in that way, quite the contrary. And we'll see with full force what that means in this chapter of the climax, which is surprisingly BIG (36 pages long).

I also have to (unfortunately) report a quite annoying translation mistake in the English version that can confuse people and trick them to believe that Sakura remembered about a certain someone. Along with the usual nuances and such.

BUT FIRST!!

Hehe, you know what's coming, right?

Akiho went THIS close to go full Greta Thunberg on a certain someone!!! 😂 Let's find out WHO it is under the cut!!

The Color Page

Our Sakura this month takes the color spread with one of the most beautiful portrayal of our little magician: dressed in a very elegant layered white dress with jewels, head covered by a white veil, immersed by half in a pond, she looks halfway between a bride and a priestess! And yes, I can already hear you screaming "Tsubasa!!1!1!!!!" because she vaguely reminds of little Sakura-hime at the reservoir....😆 But I think what really makes the atmosphere of this color page "magical" is the presence of countless spheres of light, which seem to be emerging from crystal water lilies and converge in a huge sphere, which really looks like the moon....just to go back to the incipit of this blog post, right? 😂 After observing this color page, I couldn't help but being reminded of the spheres of light that were featured in the color pages of chapter 52 and 63 (with respectively, Kaito and SyaoSaku). Back in my post of chapter 63 I had made an analysis about what the common thread between those two color pages could be, and especially the significance of those spheres of light. If they really are representing the feelings of love for your dearest person, then I'd like to think that here Sakura is being represented as a "fairy" fostering and releasing that love in the open, to help and save the people dear to her. Which is totally the image I'm getting not only from this chapter, but ever since we started to see what happened in the "re-written world". Sakura is literally a messenger of love. And I love that for her. ❤️

The editorial text in the JP version is referencing what Sakura told Akiho back in chapter 49, right after her "sister" shared with her the recount of her night walk with Kaito: "To me, you’re someone I want to see happy forever. Because you're my friend, and someone really precious to me"

"Blink To Say Yes"

The chapter starts with me making amends to Kaito for the nth time, asking for his forgiveness for doubting his intentions and emotional state way over what was due: as the dragon keeps flying away, Sakura grabs Akiho's hand and starts going after the creature, of course followed by Syaoran, Kero and Yue. Akiho (poor girl, still with a tear in her eye) notices with shock that the "portal" to the fake moon is completely disintegrating, revealing the real moon behind it. Flying side-by-side to the dragon, Sakura realizes that the creature got finally out of that place to avoid that Akiho would put herself in danger: in fact, with the portal disappearing like that, she might have been trapped inside that space forever! Sooo as usual, Kaito's actions are skillfully framed by CLAMP in a way that will make you misunderstand him and think he's being irrational or getting on everyone's nerves on purpose, but no, he was actually just putting Akiho's safety first, as usual. ❤️ I know there were some interpretations of him precisely doing this, but I thought it wasn't the case because Sakura broke the spell inside the fake moon, removing the pressure and all, so I couldn't see what danger he needed to protect her from: in fact, the looming danger was a different one, and it was well symbolized by those "bzzz" sounds and effects near the entrance when Akiho was getting in. I had noticed them but dismissed them as the instability of Touya's time magic. I should've known better! 😆 Sorry, Kaito. I know that the only one who can make you do anything at all is only Akiho! Therefore I'm still laughing at how Sakura tried to convince him to get out for half an hour, when all Akiho needed was to move an inch forward 😆😆😆 I also think that what she told him, the fact that she was sure to be in front of "her most important person", changed things for Kaito. His reaction was tangible, despite being hidden behind the eyes of a dragon. And therefore I'm still partially peeved and heartbroken at him, because before hearing that from her (and seeing her putting herself in danger), he was fully planning on staying inside that space forever. He was refusing to come out, knowing very well that the portal would've disappeared at any minute, eliminating any chance of saving him. How dare you.

Well. We were saying that Sakura realized the dragon's intentions right away, and we see her shouting, with a face halfway between shocked and fired-up, "This means she's important to you, too!" (good job ENG translation for not messing this up, I guess. I was worried). Damn right, Sakura. She must be so confused by this person dragon's behavior. It is all so crystal clear to her. It's not only in her head, all the signs keep confirming to her that he really does consider Akiho very important, even now, immutably. The time he spent in that cage didn't change anything for him (and that, if anything, makes everything even more heartbreaking because of how agonizing that must have been). Sakura just can't understand why this person is acting like this, since he truly does care about Akiho. Refusing to go back to her. None of the people around her behave in this way and for her it must be something very new to deal with - and this reminds me of what a blessing we had to get these new characters in this arc, so different from what she's used to, who sometimes pushed her beyond her comfort zone, hence expanding her experience and making her grow up.

Akiho seems encouraged by Sakura's firm statement, so she takes the matter in her hands and shouts to the dragon to please have a talk with her. She shuts her eyes tight, as if being desperate for him to listen to her.

And that's it. That's all it takes for Kaito to be ol' good Kaito and stop immediately at Akiho's request, looking intently at her. As if he's saying "I'm at your service". I've said it countless times in my blog posts, how Kaito is someone who really would do whatever he wants and listens to no reason, but when it comes to Akiho, he really cannot deny anything to her. Akiho sighs in relief at seeing him stopping, and she starts talking to him, so tiny in front of such a giant (is he supposed to look scary? To me he really isn't, he's quite cute) creature. Akiho is well aware, from the countless books she's read till now, that the ones who can have conversations with dragons are almost entirely people with marvelous capabilities (the ENG went for "strange powers" for this, I don't think it fits). She's got no magical powers, but she quickly comes up with a clever way of "communicating": blink your eyes to say 'yes', do nothing and stay like that to say 'no'. And so she immediately starts, because she needs to know, she needs to understand. It's her goddam*ed right to do so, and Kaito knows this very well, hence why he's not denying her the opportunity. Akiho fires the first question: "Are you the one who re-wrote the world?" Kaito blinks, admitting it. I can see a streak of sadness in his eyes as he opens them again. This doesn't make any good to Akiho, who looks pretty sad as well, at hearing that. It's like having one fear, and seeing it confirmed. But she goes on, explaining how the world she's living in right now is warm and caring, full of people who support her and dote on her as if she were one of their family. While she states this, we can see Tomoyo following the events from the tablet with a concerned face, and Touya looking more and more worn out by the time magic he's being keeping up, sustained by Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun.

Akiho is very intuitive, so it's easy to guess where the question is leading: "Did you rewrite it because I never had this, before? And for that, were you the one who erased any trace of you from inside of me?" The ENG version here adds a "Did you do it to bring me happiness?" which is not incorrect, of course, but it doesn't exist in the JP text, and as usual it's used to spoon-feed the readers as if they couldn't get there on their own (and to probably fill a bubble with something).

Kaito cannot lie to the burning question, and he blinks his eyes. We see appearing a "crease" next to his eye, a clever way from Mokona to show us that he's growing more and more distressed. The pain of remembering how her clan abused her, how they got there because of something he said, the pain that resulted from the decision he made when he was just a kid. And the next question is even more burning.

"Did I wish for it?"

Kaito does nothing, confirming he now understands that in fact, Akiho never asked for this. Never. And the girl herself confirms: "I don't remember (you), but I know. I would never wish for a happiness that did not include you". Kaito listens intently to her. I just can't imagine how it must feel to not remember a single thing about someone, and yet feeling all that love pouring out of you. Simply out of instincts.

I Want My Most Important Person Back

Then, with a very (very) resolute face, Akiho turns to her dear Sakura, and affirms: (JP) "Sakura-san. I want to bring my most important person back". Here it is again, the famous term that we CCS fans all know well, the code for "the person I love", that keeps being changed in the ENG translation to a less recognizable "favorite person", which I'm still not sure conveys the same meaning. Sakura agrees with a pleased smile, she's totally ready to do anything to give her true happiness back to her "sister". Then, she turns to Dragon Kaito, and here we start with the "parallels" that will enrich this chapter of many many additional emotions.

Yes❤️ it's a parallel with Lilie, from chapter 72. Same expression and all. Precisely from when she was telling her the words that Sakura is going to relay to Kaito now: "What is happiness, to you?".

And here I have to introduce probably the worst mess of a translation mistake of this chapter, that will surely confuse people and make them believe things that actually arent' true:

ENG: "Someone asked me that once, too. In a dream. But, try as I might...I couldn't remember who it was. Not until she crossed time and dreams to see me. I think she did that for this moment. And...I think that's why she left me this card in the end, too"

JP: "These are words I've heard in a dream. I can't really remember who said them, no matter how hard I try, but...that person crossed time and dreams in order to come to see me. It was surely for this moment. And...this last Card remained, too...was for this very moment, right?"

I sincerely have no idea how they could mess up and make Sakura say that she actually remembers about Lilie, after she came to see her. Lilie had been so clear about it, in chapter 72, that the Forbidden Magic would've made Sakura forget as soon as she exited the dream, and so it happened, indeed. Why making her basically say that she remembered, afterwards? This is against the script! Moreover, not happy with messing that up, they even made Sakura say that the last Clear Card remained was left by Lilie herself! That's nonsense, that's not what the JP text says! Momo told her that there were some Clear Cards that were protected by her with a spell and they were waiting for Sakura to call them up, that's HOW the Clear Card that we're going to see now is able to be here. Not because Lilie gave it to Sakura. And before anyone points out "yes, but the one who paid for that spell with her ring was Lilie", I have to remind you that Sakura is not supposed to know that. Momo never told her WHO paid that price. So basically this is a mess-up on all fronts. But let's go back to our story because the emotional moments are just escalating. Before Sakura mentions the Card, we can see for a moment Lilie's reflection in the Dragon's eyes. A clear sign that Kaito understood perfectly who Sakura was talking about! And I think it's so beautiful that Sakura, always listening to her intuition (remember how she wasn't very good at this, before? That she dismissed her intuition, and Syaoran told her that his mother taught him not to?), understands that THIS is the moment to get this question out, because here she basically posed this question to Kaito. And this will help him decide in a few pages.

Proceeding forward, we can finally meet the big absentee ever since Sakura secured it back in chapter 33: the Rewind Card!!! One of the most beloved Cards, obviously for its appearance that was based on Syaoran and its cuteness! This card is the last one that still had to appear and that never showed up in Clockland, a sign that Kaito wasn't able to put his hands on it and "drag it" into the fictional world created with Momo's magic. It's the last Card that was waiting to be called by Sakura. And so she does! Syaoran is quite surprised and provides a "Spiderman meme" moment when he realizes that the Card looks just like him! 😂 Sakura explains to him that Record was able to record this Card as well, so that's how she knew of its existence (and not because Lilie gave it to her, once again!!!).

It's time. Sakura announces to the Dragon that she's going to bring him back to "himself". Our girl does so because she wants to implicitly give him the chance to have a say in this. She doesn't really "ask", but it's like she's implicitly doing it, because she wants to make sure that this is something he wants too.

In fact, in a very emotional moment, he and Akiho exchange again a long stare. It's like a silent conversation is going on between them. The dragon is depicted with a painful expression, while Akiho is staring at him firmly and determined. He's still, to the very end, thinking he does not deserve to go back to his human real form and go back to her. But she's unwavering, and uncompromising. She wants him back, and she's going to have him back. Because, after all, under a pile of self-loathing and pain, this is what he wants too. This is his happiness. So, with a very suffering expression, he blinks his eyes one more time to say "go ahead". In his condition, this must have costed him a lot of effort. You know who they reminded me of, in this scene?

Yeah, them. I've been saying it for long time, agreeing with other friends affirming the same in their own posts, how I could see a clear parallel between Clone SyaoSaku from TRC and YunaAki in Clear Card. They didn't exactly go through the same things, but their experiences often overlapped. And this in particular is overlapping really well. As I wrote already in my Twitter thread, he's given a chance to go back, but he's crushed by guilt. He doesn't think he deserves it. But she stares FIRMLY at him, pulling him towards life, a life with her. And he closes his eyes, and caves in. Because in the end, this is what he wants too. To be with her.

So Sakura proceeds. She says that she doesn't know who the Dragon is, but the pocket watch does. And as said pocket watch levitates in the air from Akiho's hands towards the Rewind Card, Sakura explains that it does know him because it used to "weave time" together with him. And so, combining the Card with the watch, Sakura activates Rewind on Kaito, exactly as I expected!

And the moment is absolutely emotional, as we finally see again after 8 long chapters (and relative months), our dear Kaito's face!!! The way the Rewind Card "works" on him is also quite spectacular, from a visual POV, since the pocket watch seemingly "enters" the dragon and frees Kaito from within. The fact is, we don't see the pocket watch after he changed back, so now I'm wondering: did it stay inside of him???

But, whoops, something didn't quite go alright. The black wings of the dragon stick to Kaito's back. Kero observes him and wonders with Yue if he's been a creature like them this whole time, but fear not, Yue dissolves the doubt right away: he thinks he's a regular human magician (the kanji says 魔術師, magician, while the furigana reads ひと, person), it's just that the spell that was active on him (the "Seal of D", as we know) was probably so damn powerful that even borrowing the pocket watch's power (as said in the JP version) wasn't enough for Rewind to bring him completely back to his appearance. Well, you want my opinion? Those wings look FANTASTIC on him and I absolutely want him to keep them!!! (maybe with a little spell he can conceal them when it's not convenient?) 😂❤️ He looks like a dark angel and it's amazing.

Don't Decide My Happiness On My Behalf

But the real, heartwrenching emotional moment starts here. This is also the moment when I started emitting all kinds of inhuman sounds, so I'm grateful I'm not one of those people doing a live reaction on youtube or something because this would be the end of my reputation on the internet 😂😂😂😂

Akiho and Kaito, finally in his original human form, exchange a long stare, again. His face is showing perfectly how he's absolutely heartbroken at what he realized he caused to her. It's guilt adding over guilt. And as she finally looks at the face of the person her heart knows is the one she loves, she can't stop the tears from forming again in her eyes, while she poses the only REAL question that she probably wanted to ask all along:

"Why?"

And as I always do with pivotal moments, I'm going to continue with the direct translation from the JP text, because the ENG added something ("why did you leave me?", which contributes to convey Akiho's feelings and possibly makes this even more romantic) that wasn't there in the original, and I have to be impartial.

Akiho, JP: "Why did you choose to disappear....from the rewritten world?"

I wanted to put the JP version here also because an important verb is missing from the ENG version: choose. Akiho is questioning Kaito about his choice. Because yes, this wasn't a result of a whim, Kaito chose to disappear from her life. And now he has to answer for that. Akiho's face is twisted in pain, as if she's trying to control the tears that now profusely fall from her eyes, and contain an immesurable grief in realizing that her most beloved person chose to remove himself quite definitively from her life.

His reply, though, proceeded to shatter my heart even further, cause it's exactly what I expected and have been saying this whole time.

Kaito, JP: "Because I thought I wasn't necessary to your happiness"

This is the only line we'll hear from Kaito in this chapter. For the rest of it, he'll listen in silence, giving space to Akiho and trying to elaborate. Besides, I want to point out that for the first time ever, he uses "ore" as a personal pronoun while talking to Akiho, and he's also seemingly dropped the use of keigo, the polite speech that he used with basically everyone before. Signifying that he's finally being honest and open, he's being his true self.

In his reply, there's all the self-loathing and hurt and pain he's been experiencing till now. Not recently, but ever since he was a baby. Remember that this boy grew up completely devoid of love in his life, completely abandoned to himself, exploited for his powers by a congregation of criminals. Kaito is, himself, a victim of abuse too, and I would want the CCS readers to acknowledge that more. Because if we have to wonder how we came to this situation, well, this is how. This is the damage that growing up in that kind of environment can cause to people. And we don't have to go that far because, if we remove the "magic" factor from the Association, we can find environments of that kind even in our daily real life. Growing up in that environment didn't stop Kaito from developing attachment to a person. From developing love for them. But, as he grew up not knowing what his self-worth was, being used as a commodity by other people, he's been convinced this whole time that he was nothing to her. That when he managed to accomplish his goal, he wouldn't need to be there because she didn't need him anymore. And I know, I can hear you, "How is it possible that he didn't notice how Akiho looked at him and how she loved him?" That's precisely because of his mental condition that prevented him from seeing or even believing what he was seeing. Kaito thought that he was born alone, and he'd die alone. That no one would ever be able to love him. That's why. And it's heartbreaking that someone would live their life like that.

With such a condition, Kaito's intentions were good but he went down a twisted path to make them true, completely missing the right way to go about it. Akiho doesn't know anything about this, but the heartwrenching scene that follows is something that's absolutely in her right to say. It is something I anticipated so so much.

Akiho, JP (lit.): "Please don't decide my happiness for me! Even if it's you! Please don't tear up and throw away my most important person!!"

Sadness and anger are mixed with Akiho's tears while she pours out all of her pain. I wanted to feature the literal translation of the JP text because I think the verb used, 破り捨ててしまう, depicts a very heartwrenching scene in my head. It is a verb that it's akin to when you tear up a piece of paper and discard it in the trash.

This is literally what Kaito did with his existence, when he went through with his plan.

So Akiho here is not only scolding him because he dared depriving her life of her most important person (and she doesn't care if it's he himself, he's not allowed to do that), but also BECAUSE HE DISREGARDED HIS OWN LIFE IN DOING SO. He's treated himself as a disposable object. And Akiho can't stand that. She loves him so much, despite not remembering a single thing about him, that she can't stand the thought of him hating himself to that point. I think, the way the ENG translation portrayed it, focuses too much on Akiho scolding Kaito for not having the right to remove himself from her life, and completely misses the other, implied, darker part of her line.

Akiho is understandably wrecked and she would want to scold Kaito more, but as she says herself, she doesn't even know what name to call him with. He erased so much from her that she isn't even allowed the luxury to remember his name. But I think this scene here might actually be a foreshadowing for him to reveal his true name to her later, so I'm waiting in anticipation for this (I've been actually waiting ever since chapter 51!). In the meantime, to break a little the drama with a funny moment, I think she wanted to call him baka, but as she doesn't even know his name, she can't do that! 😂what do you think???

And as I always say, Eriol suddenly opens the communication with Sakura to bring bad news! 😂Kaho is exhausted and can't hold the time stopped much longer (furthermore, it seems even Eriol is participating to keep the spell up), so he informs Sakura of that and she thanks him with a worried face. Syaoran looks up and notices that a hole is appearing in the stopped environment, signifying that the time magic is wearing off. So Sakura turns to Akiho and asks her what she wants to do from now. Notice that "from now" well, cause it's very symbolic: it's as if Sakura is saying "other people chose for you till now, but now you're given the chance to finally decide by yourself". With a painful face, eyes drowned in tears, Akiho ponders for a moment and then says that she's been really, really happy to be part of Sakura's family, but if that's not real, then she wants to go back, no matter how much hardships and pain is awaiting ahead. Please register how difficult it must have been for Akiho to wish that. Because right now, she's got all she wanted, love, a warm family, friends and even her most important person is here with her. But the fact is, this arrangement was created by someone with magic, it's not real, it's not how things naturally came to be. Moreover, no matter how strong her love can be, she still doesn't remember anything about her most important person and all she experienced with him, and that is something that is eating her soul away, because she recognizes that she lost something invaluable. So she's willing to let go of all this comfort to go back to the life she had before, WELL KNOWING (because Kaito confirmed it to her earlier) that in her previous life there will also be a lot of pain awaiting her. Moreover, she adds that if there's anything she'll be able to change, then she wants to do that with her own strength (again, a detail that's missing from the ENG translation). And then, turning to Kaito with a very assertive face: "Together with my most important person".

Kaito at this point can only stare in shock at her. Because I'm sure that he thought that after making her cry and suffer this much, she wouldn't have wanted anything to do with him anymore. But, as Kaito hopefully will have all the time to find out, this girl's feelings are no joke. It's no flimsy crush. This is the type of love that binds you to your soulmate forever, and gives you the strength to forgive them when they make you suffer, if you can recognize that their heart was in the right place. Akiho wants to grasp control of her life, wants to be the one to completely make decisions from now on, but she also wants Kaito with her, not only by her side but also participating to those life decisions. She doesn't want to cut him off.

Sakura, with the sweetest smile ever, tells her (JP)"If you two will be together....everything will surely be alright". And here I have to point out two things in the ENG translation: that single "together" that sounds a bit overcautious, not specifying who's together, when in the JP text it's clear she's referring to those two (because the context comes from the panel right before), and then the choice to translate Sakura's iconic invincible spell with "I'm sure it'll work out". That's not how the English speaking fandom knows Sakura's invincible spell as, and from what I've been told, it's not even how it's been translated previously! So this makes pretty difficult for the English speaking fans to recognize that she's uttering her invincible spell here!

Especially cause, look what a wonderful and touching parallel they have done...

The one you can see above is coming from Volume 5 of the old manga, and it's the very first time Sakura uttered the invincible spell, releasing the Light and Dark Cards from inside herself. This parallel, where you can see that Mokona sensei strived to redraw the spread exactly as she did back then, really gives off a feeling of "coming full circle", especially cause when you put them one beside the other it's so easy to see how much Sakura grew since then. Back then, Sakura told those words to herself to comfort herself in a moment of panic. Now, Sakura is telling these same words to a beloved person in a critical situation, to encourage her that if she'll be with her most important person, everything is going to be alright, no matter what awaits ahead. It also reminded me of the comforting words that Yukito told Sakura back in volume 12 of the old manga, the night before Sakura ran to the bus stop to give Syaoran her teddy bear. Yukito told her that as long as both she and her most important person wished to see one another again, it would be fine. I can kinda sense that Sakura wanted to comfort Akiho in the same way, that as long as she and Kaito stay together, they can overcome anything ahead. And I found that absolutely wonderful.

Unfortunately, the awesome moment full of courage and love is interrupted because Syaoran notices the time magic has given up and the arrows start attacking them again, as expected. We see a very worrisome panel with Eriol crouching to the ground next to a passed out Kaho (poor Kaho!!!!), while he hold his staff and sends a remote protective spell to shield the kids from the oncoming attack.

Without wasting time, Kaito grabs Akiho and holds her tight in a protective embrace, curling his beautiful black wings on her to shield her, while she's still shocked (and with tears in her eyes). I have no shame in admitting that THIS panel turned my screams in ultrasounds and it's become my favorite one of the chapter!! Especially cause here we have that magician who couldn't even bring himself to touch his beloved Akiho's head to comfort her, now finally not hesitating anymore and holding her in a very tight embrace to protect her (still giving all of himself for her, I guess it's just his way to love her). The situation is dire: Syaoran activates his Fuuka Shourai to fight the arrows off, while Kero and Yue shoot their own attacks, because the arrows just keep coming at them non-stop. Kero tells Sakura that they're going to take care of the attacks, and Yue says that she's the only one at this point who can change radically the situation. Then, Syaoran, our brave hero, says that he will absolutely protect what Sakura wants to protect (I didn't like the ENG phrasing, at all!! "Whatever it is that you want to protect" sounds so dismissing towards Akiho and Kaito?? Is it only me having a bias at this point?), so he urges her to focus on what she can do (to change this situation)!! I found this moment very exciting....everyone is placing their hope in Sakura and they're gonna do what they can to protect everyone, Akiho and Kaito included (and Kaito took personally care of protecting Akiho by himself).

Sakura is left wondering what to do. "To turn things back to normal, then I should use Rewind one more time" but she expresses doubt at it being enough to complete the task, so she wonders what else she needs to do, while the final page shows in her hands both the Time Card and the Rewind Card!

Aaaaaaand this is how the chapter ends, we finally reached the bottom oh my gosh!! 😂 This chapter was so long but also so full of emotions, I really wanted to touch all the important topics and parallels that have been portrayed in these 36 pages. I know the post became infinite, but I wouldn't feel right to know that I left something interesting out.

I am so damn proud of my Akiho girl. Her assertive discussion with Kaito, tinted with a touch of anger, was exactly what I wanted and expected from her. Because she's sweet, yes, but also got a strong personality. And once you get her fired-up, she's not going to stop. She's a bulldozer. I mean, haven't you seen what she did in chapter 52/53 and 58 with Kaito?? She's definitely not afraid to confront people thanks to her strong nature. This finally elevates her character development in this arc. I'm also grateful to Sakura and her empathy, once again, because it's so beautiful to witness what she's doing for these people. And she's so wonderful that even her loved ones are helping her in this quest, because they all trust her and recognize that this is a way to make her happy too. I'm absolutely thrilled to have Kaito back, finally. And my heart bled for him when he gave that single answer to Akiho.

Despite seeming like we're almost at the end of the run, there are still some important matters to fix and explain, especially in regard to the magical artifacts, and how things will be once Sakura effectively manages to "go back". Will they remember, first of all? And will the situation be exactly like before? Because then, Akiho will have the artifact inside herself once again and they'll have to do something about that too. Also, Kaito's lifespan was pretty bad by the start of the Alice in Clockland play, so of course one has to wonder what they'll do about that too. I also expect one more YunaAki moment because we haven't really heard Kaito's version of the facts, the origin of his quest to save Akiho and how that turned into a "I'm going to give her a happy life too", which absolutely seems beyond what he would need to do if what moved him was only guilt for what he caused to her. Of course it's not only that. And I also expect to hear his apologies to Akiho, of course! ❤️ But gradually, because he must be a confused, hurting mess right now. Whatever else CLAMP sensei will decide to give us regarding those two, I'll take it as a blessed present. We're slowly but inexorably going towards the finale. I really can't wait to read the next chapter, which is expected by Halloween on October 31st! And as a YunaAki fan I can't avoid remembering that even chapter 48, when Akiho confessed covertly to Kaito, came on the day of Halloween of 2020! Will we get a real, spelled out confession exactly 3 years later???

As usual, I await your comments here or in my inbox, see you at the end of this month!!

[pure-garbage]

Sandbox Adventures Chapter Masterpost

I didn't realize quite how long this monstrosity was until I started typing it out. Have a handy, neatly ordered chapter list with links. Chapters containing smut are marked (S), so they're easy to avoid(Or not avoid...). Now in two parts because apparently even the chapter list became too long :p

First Chapter - Escape

2 - Stowaway

3 - Wisdom Of The Runaway

4 - Corrin Strikes!

5 - Oppressive Power

6 - Chilly Invitation

7 - Grueling Heat

8 - Devotion

9 - Unsolicited Truths

10 - Cursed Blade

11 - Quest To Find God

12 - Resolve Over Skill

13 - Guile Within G-8

14 - Assessment

15 - Straw Game

16 - Tashigi's Trap

17 - Bubbles And Iron

18 - Perplexing Heart

19 - Preoccupation Over Discipline

20 - Oil And Water

21 - Saucy Speculation

22 - Matchmaker

23 - Assume Too Much

24 - Silent Cues

25 - Wordless Proposal

26 - Stolen Treasure

27 - Muscle Memory

28 - One Calm Moment

29 - Nosy Friends

30 - Patient Mentorship

31 - Intense Practice

32 - Pleasure Cove (S)

33 - Quick Learner (S)

34 - Forbidden Fantasy (S)

35 - Consummation (S)

36 - Legendary Hands

37 - Careful What You Wish For

38 - Limes And Revenge (S)

39 - Culmination (S)

40 - Insatiable Demon (S)

41 - Tale Of The Scar

42 - Downtime

43 - Race Between Lovers (S)

44 - Torture And Torment

45 - Hefty Price

46 - Fury Of Asura

47 - Goddess Of Death

48 - Soap And Blood (S)

49 - Ten Seconds

50 - Broken Ribs (S)

51 - Ice And The Admiral

52 - Experience

53 - Kitten Claws

54 - Lullaby

55 - Menace

56 - Turmoil

57 - Harbinger

58 - Grey Clover

59 - Cling To The Truth

60 - Scorn

61 - Deadly Test

62 - Prevail

63 - Grit And Spunk

64 - Clean Getaway

65 - Revelry (S)

66 - Ill-phrased Proposal

67 - Buried Past

68 - Breakdown

69 - Weight Of A Promise

70 - Chasm

71 - Final Swim

72 - Re-Emergence

73 - Overcome The Shadows

74 - Time out!

75 - Versatility

76 - Faith

77 - Counter Tactics

78 - Total Satisfaction (S)

79 - Secret Arsenal

80 - Two-Faced Archipelago

81 - Back Half

82 - Valkyries' Wrath

83 - Familiar Tactics

84 - Down With The Gods

85 - Unlucky Thirteen

86 - Paw-Palm Express

87 - Unhampered Departure?

88 - Demand To Be Spoken

89 - Stargazers And Thieves

90 - Beset

91 - Redemption

92 - Worms And Maggots

93 - The Warrior's Path

94 - Curiosity

95 - Tokens

96 - One Year Later

97 - Earring Hunt

98 - Convenient Proposition

99 - Interrupted Rituals

== Click Here For Part Two ==

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, November 2

BUFFY: Now, this guy shows up two days ago, right? Right around the same time my bestest new little sister makes the scene. GILES: You think he and Faith are connected? BUFFY: Giles, there are two things that I don't believe in: coincidence and leprechauns. GILES: Well, Buffy, it's entirely possible that they both arrived here by chance simultaneously. BUFFY: Okay, but I was right about the leprechauns, right?

~~BtVS 3x03 “Faith, Hope, & Trick”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Beware of Boys (Spike, Dawn, PG-13) by veronyxk84

An embarrassing run (Fred Burkle, ensemble, T) by Bl4ckHunter

Come and Get Me (Spike/Fred, E) by Kittenwritings

Nocturne (Buffy/Angel, E) by missfiggy

Fuzzy Feelings (Buffy/Angel, G) by fatalfae

[Chaptered Fiction]

Potential Friend: Season Two, Chapter 2/22 (Jesse, ensemble, Amy/Jesse, canon relationships, T) by srmcd1

[Ukrainian language] Forward to Time Past//Вперед у час минулий, Chapter 63/67 (Buffy/Spike, E) translation by Uraniya

Dawn Rising, Chapter 69/? (Ensemble, LotR xover, T) by Luna_delCielo

Back to the Beginning, Chapter 3/? (Angel/Cordelia, G) by imaginationofadreamer

The Slayer Chronicles: Shadows of the Hellmouth, Chapter 9/9 (Xander/OC, ensemble, not rated) by Ellen2054

Whoa! Not What I Expected! 2, Chapter 2/3 (Xander, NCIS + The Sentinel xover, G) by danu40k

Buffy s7 Missing Scenes, Chapter 3/? (Ensemble, T) by Oliver (TaruUchiha)

Soul Mate Magic, Chapter 16/20 (Giles/OC, M) by Emma_M_Black

Death's Champions, Chapter 32/? (Faith, HP xover, M) by Khatix

You're a Beautiful Person, Chapter 2/? (Willow/Tara, M) by firagasauce

The Night We Met, Chapter 4/? (Spike/OC, M) by TheSadPoet

Time to Heal (5) (Buffy/Spike, not rated) by spuffybaby

Retribution, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Polarchica516

Giving In, Chapter 6 (Giles/Willow, M) by toboeokami

An Accidental Executioner in Sunnydale, Chapter 29 (Xander, ensemble, M) by schumacherjennifer39

Truth and Consequences, Chapter 28 (Buffy/Spike, R) by JamesMFan

Slayer's Soulmate, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by vampirische liebe

Little Light, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325

Rebehold the Stars (Love from the Other Side of the Apocalypse), Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Asokatanos

Incarnate, Chapter 20 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sigyn

Breaking the Code, Chapter 6 (Buffy, Dawn, Star Wars xover, FR7) by Buffyworldbuilder

Indecent Proposal, Chapter 26 (Buffy/William/Xander, E) by harrisxander2

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Reciprocity Spike has bad day (Spike, worksafe) by isevery0nehereverystoned

Artwork: [Drawing of Spike] (worksafe) by isevery0nehereverystoned

Gifset: buffy & giles per episode - Revelations (3.07) (worksafe) by buffygiles

Artwork: here is a spike screencap redraw . my favorite look-his 70’s era (worksafe) by blue-star-charmer-art

Gifset: Every Tara look: S5E02 Real Me (worksafe) by lovebvffys

Gifset: Cordelia Chase + Outfits (Season 1) (worksafe) by clarkgriffon

Artwork: The Master from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season One (worksafe) by nightheartcomics

Artwork: Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 Ep1 “Welcome to the Hellmouth” (Buffy, worksafe) by nightheartcomics

Artwork: Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer S2 Ep17 “Passion” (worksafe) by nightheartcomics

Gifset: Chemtrails Over the Country Club - Lana Del Rey (Buffy/Spike, worksafe) by theveryunlikelywonderland

Gifset: Buffy Meme: [4/10 Scenes] 5x22 The Gift (worksafe) by lovebvffys

Collage: Collage #222 (Buffy, Giles, worksafe) by thedecadentraven

Gifset: HalloweenHex 2024 - day 5 * a prophecy (btvs x 4.10) (Buffy, worksafe) by witchesnet

Fanvid: Back to Life (Buffy/Spike, R) by EverythingElse

Crafts: [Fan-made Scythe from an old re-design] (worksafe) by MoonSpider

Artwork: Grounded (Buffy/Angel, G) by MamaBewear

[Reviews & Recaps]

Angel 2x1 & 2x2 REACTION | "Judgement" & "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" by The Horror Bandwagon

Rewatching after many years! by theSunandtheMoon23

PODCAST: His Twin Rod (S5E3) by It Stakes Two

[Recs & In Search Of]

ISO: [Good fanfics to read - multifandom and BtVS/Bangel] requested by murdercrowsblog

Rec: Fuzzy Feelings by fatalfae (Buffy/Angel, G) recced by iwillrememberyoumarathon

[Fandom Discussions]

Anyone else just want a buffy the vampire slayer and angel investigations prequel series where it’s just about the fanged four by captaincake13

Rewatching season 1 of Angel and I forgot how charming Angel found Wesley by thequeenofsastiel

this right here, this episode [Lover's Walk], this is the funniest relationship that has ever existed in btvs To Me anyway by tenderjock

spike is like a cat leaving dead things on buffy’s doorstep and buffy is a dog person by uss-genderprise

i think s7 is the worst by a significant margin but it’s still a season of buffy! so the worst of a brilliant amazing life changing thing is still pretty damn awesome by bidet-of-evil

Not sure how unpopular a take this is but I really like Principal Snyder. He is genuinely one of my favorite minor characters on the show by coraniaid

The Real Hero of "Gone" - Doris Kroeger by Nikkolas

Episode battle : Wild at Heart vs Into the Woods by Stoney

Would you have liked to have seen Darla become a hero? by GlitterViking1

Andy Hallet/Lorne appreciation post by moses616

Have you ever had a dream involving BtVS? by InterestingCloud369

What is an episode that you like that fans seem to dislike by Scaredcat26

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

CONVENTION: James Marsters & Juliet Landau to Attend Hellmouth Con in Los Angeles, CA 14-15 June 2025 via dontkillspike

CONVENTION: James Marsters to Attend FAN EXPO New Orleans 10-12 January via dontkillspike

CONVENTION: James Marsters' Adelaide Supanova Expo schedule via dontkillspike

PUBLICATION: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Amber Benson Tackles Series Trivia for Tubi by bleedingcool.com

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[pilferingapples]

The Bishop in the Presence of an Unknown Timeline

David Montgomery, illustrious creator of The Siecle (gooooo go listen to it, read the transcripts, it's SO good) , today laid out the necessary historical timeline for the Bishop's visit to the Conventionist! I am copying that over here with permission:

Alright, I have consulted my sources and have interesting findings about the chronology of the Myriel chapters. Chapter X includes the following lines, reflecting popular comments about the Conventionist in town: He was a quasi-regicide. He had been a terrible man. How did it happen that such a man had not been brought before a provost’s court, on the return of the legitimate princes? ... As he had not voted for the death of the king, he had not been included in the decrees of exile, and had been able to remain in France. This references two things: the "provost's court" and the "decrees of exile." Both are real historical things, and both can be dated fairly precisely. The "decrees of exile" could refer to several different things. Promptly upon Louis XVIII's return after Waterloo, he issued a July 24, 1815 blanket amnesty for crimes committed during the Hundred Days — but exempted 56 Bonapartists from pardon. Most were allowed to (encouraged to, even) slip out of the country, where they had to remain for fear of prosecution for treason. But I think this most likely refers to another law, passed on January 12, 1816. This Amnesty Law (subject of fierce negotiations between the ministry and parliament, related mostly to whether it infringed on the king's prerogative of pardon and his July 24 amnesty decree) ultimately exiled the hard-core Bonapartists targeted by the July 24 decree, and also all Regicides who had sided with Napoleon during the Hundred Days. (Regicides who had stayed loyal were not banished.) Provost Courts were special tribunals where military provosts acted as accuser and prosecutor before a panel of civilian judges. Their was no jury, no appeal, and judgment (including death) was carried out within 24 hours. These had existed under Napoleon, but were abolished in 1814 at the First Restoration. Article 63 of Louis XVIII's "Charter of 1814" reads: "...extraordinary commissions and tribunals cannot be created. Provost-courts are not included under this denomination, if their re-establishment is deemed necessary." After Waterloo, the Provost Courts were re-created to deal with political criminals — seditious meetings, rebellion, and threats against the government and royal family. Crucially, however, the Provost Courts were re-established by a law of December 27, 1815. Given the textual references, if one assumes a realistic timeline and no authorial error, then Chapter X could not have taken place before January 1816, and likely (given that the exile decrees and provost courts are discussed in the past and not present tense) at least some time after that date.  Sources: Mansel, Philip. Louis XVIII. Rev. ed. Phoenix Mill: Sutton, 1999. Sauvigny, Guillaume de Bertier de. The Bourbon Restoration. Translated by Lynn M. Case. Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Press, 1966. The Charter of 1814: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/French_Constitutional_Charter_of_1814

[atsadi-shenanigans]

Feeding Alligators Index

Don't mind me, just re-organizing my stuff.

If you want to read Feeding Alligators on AO3, here's the link to chapter one: right here!

If you want to read it via tumblr:

Chapter 1 - Naked and Afraid

Chapter 2 - Friendship is Magic

Chapter 3 - PANTS!

Chapter 4 - Man vs. Wild

Chapter 5 - First Blood

Chapter 6 - Skeletons!

Chapter 7 - Potion of Tongues

Chapter 8 - Mind Your Language

Chapter 9 - You're (not) a Wizard

Chapter 10 - Atelier

Chapter 11 - Murder Buddies

Chapter 12 - Hustle

Chapter 13 - Psycho

Chapter 14 - U.S. Foreign Policy

Chapter 15 - It's a Goddamn Cult

Chapter 16 - When Animals Attack

Chapter 17 - Panties!

Chapter 18 - Untitled Training Montage

Chapter 19 - Bite Night

Chapter 20 - The American Red Cross Association

Chapter 21 - I Got Better

Chapter 22 - Swamp People

Chapter 23 - Paranoia Agent

Chapter 24 - From Druids, With Love

Chapter 25 - Splitting Atoms

Chapter 26 - Gray's Anatomy

Chapter 27 - True Blood

Chapter 28 - The Art of War

Chapter 29 - Knives Out

Chapter 30 - Auntie Knows Best

Chapter 31 - The Bachelorette

Chapter 32 - Munchies

Chapter 33 - Dream Date

Chapter 34 - Fireside Chats

Chapter 35 - The Devil Wears Douchebag

Chapter 36 - Glee

Chapter 37 - Gaslight

Chapter 38 - Gatekeep

Chapter 39 - Girlboss

Chapter 40 - Mirror, Mirror

Chapter 41 - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Chapter 42 - Slaughterhouse Four

Chapter 43 - The Proposition

Chapter 44 - Dance With the Devil in the Pale Moonlight (rating went up, new warnings apply).

Chapter 45 - Walk of Shame

Chapter 46 - Not Quiet on the Western Front

Chapter 47 - Soul Jar

Chapter 48 - Astarion and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Chapter 49 - Idihwisvsga

Chapter 50 - The Smallest Ember

Chapter 51 - I Lived Bitch

Chapter 52 - Only I Will Remain

Chapter 53 - Goblintown

Chapter 54 - Get Outta My Swamp

Chapter 55 - Love Shack

Chapter 56 - This Bitch

Chapter 57 - Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

Chapter 58 - Behind Enemy Lines

Chapter 59 - Plans Within Plans

Chapter 60 - 1812

Chapter 61 - It Compels You Though

Chapter 62 - It's My Party

Chapter 63 - I'll Cry if I Want To

Chapter 64 - Gandalf's Dilemma

Chapter 65 - Into Thin Air

Chapter 66 - Ra-Ra-Rasputin

Chapter 67 - Oh Eleanor

Chapter 68 - SMDH

Chapter 69 - Eat Your Heart Out, Van Helsing

Chapter 70 - Bad Blood

Chapter 71 - Resolutions

Chapter 72 - All Coming Together

[hadassahriv]

Fic Master List: Tian Ya Ke

I did a master list for my TWEWY fics, so now it's time to cover my other fandom: Tian Ya Ke. I appeared from the void with a fic in March 2022 and have written five more fics, one of them 65,000 words long, since then.

Strange how certain the journey (9,850 words) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Jing Beiyuan, Wu Xi (Qi Ye), Zhang Chengling Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Jealousy, Switching, Stories within Stories, Spoilers for TYK and QY, Non-Graphic Violence, Slight Canon Divergence Summary: When Wen Kexing watches Zhou Zishu and Jing Beiyuan together, he can see Lord Zhou. He never asked Zhou Zishu about his past before, but now they have time and maybe . . . maybe he wants to know. His feelings about Lord Seventh have nothing to do with it. - Storytelling as an act of love.

Notes: The fic that served as my introduction to the fandom. I had never even spoken to a single TYK fan and just showed up one day with 10k words of WenZhou in hand. TYK, QY, slight (mostly implied) canon divergence re: the WenZhou relationship timeline, and the beginning of it all.

We all write our own endings (3,710 words) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Zhou Zishu, Wen Kexing Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Time, Developing Relationship, Mid-Canon, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Spoilers for TYK and QY Summary: If I die, would it not be a loss for you?   In Zhou Zishu's experience, sex can be a currency, or a weapon. In this moment, with Wen Kexing, it's neither. - A point of divergence.

Notes: The canon divergence prequel to my first TYK fic, jumping off from the end of chapter 63. This is where I was officially writing a series, but all of the stories are pretty loosely linked and could be read standalone. It's also where I decided that every fic in the series would have a title from a Vienna Teng song, for no reason in particular.

For we are a woven thread (9,135 words) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Zhang Chengling Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Families of Choice, Murder Mystery, Small Town Horrors Summary: It should be just another night in a small jianghu town. And it would be, if not for the murders. Even backwater towns on the edge of nowhere have secrets. - A ghost story, of sorts.

Notes: This story is an interesting one for me because it has some dialogue exchanges I am particularly proud of, but gets the least attention of any of my TYK fics. That happens sometimes and I don't mind. But if you do read and enjoy it, I'm glad!

Uncover the weight of your bones (6,651 words) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Jing Beiyuan, Wu Xi (Qi Ye), Zhang Chengling Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Missing Scene, Slight Canon Divergence, Spoilers for TYK and QY, Post-Siege of Ghost Valley, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Nails of Seven Torments (Faraway Wanderers), Hurt/Comfort Summary: On Mount Changming, Wen Kexing cares for Zhou Zishu—and fears for him—as they prepare for the removal of the nails. A human experience and therefore one that Wen Kexing, so recently a ghost, finds himself laughably unprepared for. - Love in the spaces between.

Notes: This fic is me filling in some of the scenes we don't get at the end of the novel. This one is the most closely linked to the canon divergence, because it happens before the extras, so should ideally be read within the continuity of the series. But I respect a rebel, if you don't feel like doing that.

Of a tender history (2,503 words) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Zhang Chengling Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Top Wen Kexing/Bottom Zhou Zishu, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Married Sex Summary: To live is a peculiar thing. Or: Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu, in moments.

Notes: This is my gift fic for MT, from the Immortal Wanderers exchange, and not related to the other stories. Post-canon WenZhou with non-linear storytelling, which is something I really enjoy writing. Nothing heavy in this one—it's mostly WenZhou being happy together.

From Halfway Along (65,334 words) Chapters: 21/21 Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu Characters: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Gu Xiang (Faraway Wanderers), Zhang Chengling, Jing Beiyuan, Wu Xi (Qi Ye), Cao Weining Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Space Opera, Developing Relationship, Art Crime, Human Experimentation (mostly voluntary), corporate warfare, Canon-Typical Talk of Death and Dying, Canon-Typical Use of Husband and Wife (Faraway Wanderers), Extensive World Building, Families of Choice, Telepathy Summary: After dedicating years to the service of an empire, Zhou Zishu has walked away to spend what's left of his life wandering the galaxy. And if that freedom has come at a cost . . . doesn't everything? His plans did not include getting entangled with a dangerous man on a mission of his own. A man who not only looks at him, but sees.

Notes: I left this for the end of the list—the WenZhou space opera AU novel no one asked for but I was delighted to deliver. If I am known for anything in the TYK fandom, it's this fic. It is very much a Hadassah Story, with a lot of hallmarks of my style and sensibilities. I also structured it like a TV show, with cold opens in every chapter but (by design) one. I used to work in entertainment and From Halfway Along probably shows it more than any of my other fics.

[warnersister]

Chapter 12 - A hanging in the Spring of '63

The Highwayman Series | Chapter 11 | Chapter 13

You run down the stairs, ignoring every creasing and creaking step on the way, hurrying into the kitchen to open the cabinet and grab a single shot round from the casing. You load the gun and tug it along with you as you drag yourself back out the front door. Penny had already got the horses from the field and was feeding them with fresh hay out front, while Maverick was too-ing and fro-ing up and down the stairs with the men’s luggage. they carried little for men who travelled a lot, but they were honorary cowboys, so were more conscientious about their horse's wellbeing rather than their own.

you collected a small bag of belongings, you were thankful for your stubbornness to own little and stretch it to be a lot; as the majority of your personal items fit into the small luggage carrier that comfily sat on lightning's side without him kicking up a fuss about the excess weight. Penny attached that to your horse too, but you hadn't the time to thank her - instead setting off in a sprint in the opposite direction where the large crowd was anxiously stood in silence, prepared for the first hanging in decades.

"Today we see the righteous deaths of four highwaymen who stepped foot into the wrong goddamn town!" Sheriff Simpson announced, gaining a cheer from a few members of the crowd who were simply grateful to see their ages Sheriff still as determined as ever to fulfil his role and duty in this town. He stopped to cough into his precious rag, trying to absentmindedly ignore the blood collecting on it.

"These bandits have no reason to terrorise this town!" He said "That boy saved you Sheriff" Doctor Bates pointed out, scowling as the man as he held his sobbing wife close to his chest. "That he did, and i am grateful for my life - however i have ingested a foreign drug into my system: an illegal one!" He barks back "They shall be hung for their crimes against this country. They shall be hung for their crimes against California. They shall be hung for their crimes against Texas. They shall be hung for their crimes against Miramar. And he will be hung for his crimes against myself and my daughter." He spits "with no jury, Beau?" Mayor Kazansky asks from the crowd, but the sheriff can only go pale and avert his gaze from the all-knowing wise man. "The reverend has blessed you, may God forgive y'all in hell-"

"Let 'em down, daddy" A voice said calmly from amongst the crowd. the large group split in two, as if Moses repeating his parting of the Red Sea and there you stood; shot gun in hand, aiming it right at your father who stood next to the four men whom the rest of humanity deemed innocent. Beau swallowed harshly "put the gun down girl, and go home" he instructs "no." he raises his brows "no?" "no." you repeat, voice void of emotion. "Y' dont even know how to use tha' thing" he laughs, and you switch your aim; firing one of the two rounds loaded at a bucket behind him, hitting it dead centre and being more or less unaffected by the recoil. "there are a lot of things i can do that y' dont know daddy. tha' ya wont know." you say, re-zeroing your weapon on his wrinkled forehead. "you still think im the twelve year old who cried with her momma, who milked the cows, who cried into your shoulder. i am a twenty three year old engaged woman with a hell of a lot of life experience. momma's gone, daddy. its time to let me go too." you say and Beau doesnt know how to reply, he doesnt want too; because he knows that you're right.

there is a moment of stillness, where no one moves and no one does anything. "dont think i will not shoot ya" you threaten, tightening your grip "dont y'love me, girl? this if for y'own good." he splutters out and you laugh "no, this is for your own good. why'd it have to be Maverick who told me why Jake left five years ago, huh?" you ask and the others in the crowd look at the two of you in question "that the only reason he did not stay to be hung was 'cause you'dve made me kick the bucket!" people gasp "so untie the goddamn nooses and let these men down.” you instruct "loose your daughter and your life, see if i care" you grunt and Beau clears his throat, mumbling something.

"what was that sir?" the executioner asked "i said let the fuckers down. now" he repeat quietly but with a bit more intent. the four men are released from their death sentences and they all walk away from the showing ground and over to you, all standing behind you as the rest of the town seemed to follow. "c'mon gorgeous" Jake whispered and pulled gently on your shoulder when your stance didnt seem to waver. you hesitated, but lowered the gun, dropping it at your feet, turning to see Mav and Penny giving you the nod.

you take a deep breath and step back, turning from the man you thought you'd love until death "goodbye, daddy" you say, and a path between the people is made to allow you to all head towards your horses, saddling on and beginning to take the road westwards: not looking back.

Chapter 11 | Chapter 13

[cyberblink]

I haven't for whatever reason thought to post about this yet so here is my 130k epic Harry Potter with adults re-write aka The Order of the Phoenix and their Increasingly Desperate Fight Against The Unmentionable Man aka Sirius Black and the Crushing Weight of Being A Proper Adult.

I'm properly proud of it. It's up to chapter 63(?) now, which is ridiculous and I have around 20k words left to publish, most of it proper drama. I'm not 100% sure what I'm meant to do with my life now that I've finished it either, but that's something for future me to cope with as I'm currently just happy it's done.

[dramioneasks]

Do you have any recommendations for any completed ships that actually go through all the Hogwarts years? (and or more)

I assume you mean "fics" instead of "ships"?

Curls - echoesofmyfootsteps - T, one-shot - “The nickname was always my little indulgence—the one thing I shared only with you. Got you to react to me—think only of me. Like the whisp of hope that I could stay tethered to you somehow—however boorishly I used it.”One-shot taking place over many years at Hogwarts, as Draco Malfoy drives Hermione Granger crazy by teasing her about her hair, using one very special and only-between-them nickname. Gilbert Blythe-Anne Shirley vibes.Inspired by art from Catmint and Thyme.

Res Ipsa Loquitur - Halliwell19 - M, 63 chapters, Words: 433,069 - What if Draco Malfoy was sorted into Gryffindor? This is a retelling of the Harry Potter series as if Draco had been in Gryffindor and a slow burn Dramione friends to lovers story.

I Like Me Better by LeilahMoon - T, 20 chapters - Hermione Granger cannot wait to start her first year at Hogwarts and, when she meets Draco Malfoy on the red steam train, she’s even more certain that life is finally going her way. Unfortunately, Hermione’s journey is only just beginning as she battles to fight prejudices, maintain relationships, stay alive, and most importantly, ensure she isn’t expelled.This work forms Part I of a three-part series: Part I - ‘I Like Me Better’ (years one to three) Part II - 'This Feeling’ (years four to six) Part III - 'Going Down Fighting’ (years seven to eight)

One Moment by olivejuice28 - M, one-shot - It’s often the little moments that add up to big things.

The Children of the Dark Series (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) - cleotheo - T - It’s time for Harry, Hermione and Draco to start school. But what happens when two of the golden trio aren’t who they appear to be and are best friends with a Slytherin? Dark Hermione! Dark Harry!

Title: Contract Era Author: crochetaway Rating: T Genre(s): Romance Chapters: 8 Word Count: 19,716 Summary: Every generation only one or two Muggleborns are born. They are rare and very precious. Lady Hermione Granger finds out she’s a witch and sent off to Hogwarts. It comes to light that she has to accept a betrothal contract by the end of her seven years or she risks starting a war. Regency AU. Complete.

Slow Grenade by LeilahMoon - 4 Works - Hermione Granger cannot wait to start her first year at Hogwarts and, when she meets Draco Malfoy on the express train, she’s even more certain that life is finally going her way. Unfortunately, Hermione’s journey is only just beginning as she battles to fight prejudices, maintain relationships, stay alive and, most importantly, ensure she isn’t expelled. Follow the highs and lows of Hermione and Draco’s relationship as it develops from first year through to eighth.

-Lisa

[claristhegirl]

Finished Blazing Blade (FE7) Hector Hard Mode tonight!

Earlier this year, I decided on the long term goal of attempting to finish every mainline Fire Emblem game on the hardest difficulty. There's 8 of them I haven't even played yet (FE1-6 and the two DS games), and most of the games I have I've only finished on easier difficulties, so... there's a lot to do. When they released Blazing Blade on Nintendo Switch Online over the summer, that felt like a good place to start making serious effort towards this goal.

One unfortunate catch, though: I was starting from a new save file. And Hector Hard is unlocked by completing Hector Normal. And Hector is unlocked by completing Eliwood. And I decided I wanted to do Eliwood Hard as well. So in the end I did 4 different playthroughs of the game over the past several months. Suffice to say I've had enough of Blazing Blade for a very long time if not forever, lol. I am NOT going to miss the overly limited deployment slots.

Character and chapter info:

Farina (431 Battles / 271 Wins / 1 Loss)

Girl!

I planned on her being my main late-game carry since before the playthrough even began, and she performed far better than I even expected. She did get a good number of statboosters (Afa's Drops, Angelic Robe, 2 Goddess Icons, Talisman, Boots, Body Ring), but her four capped stats were (aside from Afa's Drops) all capped naturally. She had 18 Defense after promotion! She soloed a ton of late game without any trouble at all.

Florina (309 Battles / 184 Wins / 4 Losses)

Also Girl!

With the help of Lyn Mode statboosters she was my main carry until Farina came along, at which point she was still very useful but was outclassed by What The Hell Farina How Do You Have So Much Defense. Her absurd luck was incredibly helpful against all the Luna enemies.

Oswin (281 Battles / 138 Wins / 1 Loss)

Very lucky Oswin here, with almost every stat being above average. Turns out having an utterly absurd Defense stat is pretty good.

Hector (268 Battles / 116 Wins / 2 Losses)

...Very mediocre. 8 Skill before promotion... that he can't do until there's like 5 chapters left... ow ow ow. This game sure does have some baffling design choices.

Bartre (255 Battles / 149 Wins / 0 Losses)

Was required to use him for full recruitment, but then uhhh what the hell Bartre? What are these stats how are you 4 above average in both Skill and Speed oh my god.

Raven (221 Battles / 134 Wins / 2 Losses)

His level ups were largely not great, but he did get a LOT of Luck levels early on to shore up his main weakness and was otherwise carried by his absurd Hard Mode bases.

Fiora (203 Battles / 133 Wins / 1 Loss)

The least useful of the Pegasus Sisters this playthrough due to her lower strength, but still had a very nice niche with her Res. She got to be my main carry in Eliwood Hard at least!

Eliwood (156 Battles / 82 Wins / 0 Losses)

Pretty good Strength and Speed, though ultimately didn't get used too much.

Marcus (89 Battles / 52 Wins / 0 Losses)

Performed his Jagen role admirably.

Guy (78 Battles / 44 Wins / 0 Losses)

Being my first Hard Mode Bonuses character, I tried to use him, but then he failed to get a single point of Strength in 10 levels and was too weak to keep up.

Lyn (63 Battles / 34 Wins / 0 Losses)

Promoted at Level 17. I tried to use her early (especially thanks to aiming for Linus's Four-Fanged Offense) but her strength and defenses were just too awful to be worth using after that point.

Legault (26 Battles / 11 Wins / 2 Losses)

Yup he sure did steal things while having additional limited combat utility.

Serra (18 Battles / 5 Wins / 0 Losses)

My main staff user until Pent arrived, though she still stuck around whenever deployment slots actually allowed for it.

Pent (12 Battles / 6 Wins / 0 Losses)

Didn't get used much for combat, but he became my main staff user late-game.

Athos (6 Battles / 3 Wins / 0 Losses)

Yup he sure did a good job of "guaranteed final boss kill with Luna and some speed statboosters".

Ninian/Nils (3 Battles / 0 Wins / 0 Losses, combined)

I told myself this would be the playthrough I would actually use the rings more and then I still had barely used them by the time the game was over, oops. Oh well.

Turn counts and chapter info:

Pro. A Girl from the Plains (6 Turns) Ch1 Footsteps of Fate (6 Turns) Ch2 Sword of Spirits (7 Turns) Ch3 Band of Mercenaries (6 Turns) Ch4 In Occupation's Shadow (8 Turns) Ch5 Beyond the Borders (7 Turns) Ch6 Blood of Pride (7 Turns) Ch7 Siblings Abroad (10 Turns) Ch7x The Black Shadow (8 Turns) Ch8 Vortex of Strategy (9 Turns) Ch9 A Grim Reunion (11 Turns)

Ch10 The Distant Plains (23 Turns) Lyn Mode's Prologue through Chapter 9 were shared with my Eliwood Hard playthrough. Since you can't save between completing this chapter and choosing the character mode afterward, I had to redo this chapter. Had to wait at the end for Nils to reach Level 7 (why is that a thing...).

Ch11 Another Journey (18 Turns) Took a surprisingly annoying number of attempts, though I was probably being too reckless. Welcome to Hector Hard I guess.

Ch12 Birds of a Feather (7 Turns) Ch13 In Search of Truth (14 Turns) Ch13x The Peddler Merlinus (8 Turns) Ch14 False Friends (10 Turns) Ch15 Talons Alight (8 Turns) Ch16 Noble Lady of Caelin (15 Turns)

Ch17 Whereabouts Unknown (21 Turns) Had one of the soldiers die here because I wasn't expecting them to immediately rush to their death and get ORKO'd by the enemy right outside of the cell noooooooo

Ch17x The Port of Badon (17 Turns)

Ch18 Pirate Ship (12 Turns) Every other playthrough I ended the chapter early by defeating the boss, so it was interesting to actually play it out this time. Did still barely manage to steal the boss's item on the final turn, having to plan it out exactly several turns in advance.

Ch19 The Dread Isle (13 Turns)

Ch19x Imprisoner of Magic (44 Turns) Managed to defeat Kishuna first try, which I was really grateful for given how much time I spent grinding on his morphs beforehand lol.

Ch19x pt2 A Glimpse in Time (19 Turns) Ch20 Dragon's Gate (20 Turns) Ch21 New Resolve (15 Turns)

Ch22 Kinship's Bond (7 Turns) Lost an attempt annoyingly far in because of confusion with enemy ranges, and how it doesn't show that an enemy can attack from a space if another enemy is already standing there (even though said enemy can move or die...). Bleh.

Ch23 Living Legend (33 Turns) Was super worried about the HHM exclusive fog, but then I ended up having a significantly easier time than I did in EHM due to the altered boss locations and them not moving.

Ch23x Genesis (31 Turns) This had a terrifying first impression, but it became significantly easier once I remembered that the Barrier Staff exists.

Ch24 Four-Fanged Offense [Linus] (36 Turns)

Ch25 Crazed Beast (120 Turns) This is the start of massive turn count bloat due to going for supports (mainly Hector/Farina A, and later Eliwood/Lyn A just because). The GBA support system is such terrible nonsense. But anyway, first chapter with Farina, and I took advantage of all the monks that could do nothing to her to grind her to Level 2 promoted. She ended the chapter with 18 defense!!

Ch26 Unfulfilled Heart (12 Turns) Decided to go for the Armory on the final turn, which 18 Defense Farina + Nini's Grace was able to do while surviving Vaida easily.

Ch27 Pale Flower of Darkness [Jerme] (98 Turns). Aimed for Jerme's because I did Kenneth in my EHM playthrough, and Hard Mode bonuses favor the Jerme units regardless. Got Harken because I wanted to try him out with Hard Mode bonuses… and then never used him, but I did at least use his Brave Sword. Another bloated turn count due to supports.

Ch28 Battle Before Dawn (16 Turns) Farina rushed for Ursula and nearly soloed everything in the way, making this chapter easy once reinforcements were stopped.

Ch28x Night of Farewells (98 Turns) Another chapter with Farina rushing for the boss to stop reinforcements, killing Sonia on Turn 3. And then the rest was spent slowly cleaning things up while being terrified of the status staff enemies, and then spending forever to finally reach Hector/Farina A.

Ch29 Cog of Destiny (40 Turns) Florina got unexpectedly hit by a Berserk staff early on, which was terrifying but then none of the enemies around her managed to actually do anything to her.

Ch30 The Berserker (20 Turns) I gave it a decent amount of tries with Hector + Legault to try to steal the statboosters, but had way too much trouble and my strat required a lot of luck so I decided to not bother and cleared it super easily with Hector + Farina.

Ch31 Sands of Time (12 Turns) Warped to and killed the boss Turn 1, making the rest of the chapter mostly fairly simple (...mainly thanks to getting lucky dodges against the status staff enemies).

Ch31x Battle Preparations (6 Turns)

Ch32 Victory or Death (18 Turns) This chapter felt incredibly overwhelming. Farina could take on basically everyone by herself, but there being so many enemies meant she had to return to the main group to restock her weapons, and I also wanted to get every village. I thought the attempt was lost midway through, but I guess there's a 50 enemy limit, so a lot of the reinforcements I was worried about and expecting didn't show up.

Ch32x The Value of Life (33 Turns) Spent most of this chapter feeding kills to Hector because I felt like it, which is how he ended the game at Level 18.

Final Light (20 Turns) Finished off Nergal with an unnecessary Farina Triangle Attack, then killed the Dragon with the guaranteed Athos + Luna.

Total: 949 Turns

[sapphicscience]

ao3 wrapped 2023

tagged by @lesbianlotties tysm!

Works published: 24! damn

Wordcount: 90,504? that cannot possibly be right. it must be counting all of the ke fic that we finished the final chapter of this year

Kudos: 2,279

Hits: 25,186

Bookmarks: 366

Subscriptions: 110

Most popular by kudos: don't blame me (love made me crazy), the killing eve fic that took like three years to write lol. second place goes to with you, it's what i need, the taivan phone sex fic

Most hits: first place is same as above, second place goes to til the gravity's too much, my second ever yj fic

Longest: the ke fic again (32,162), second place to to be known so well (4,456), the homoerotic taishauna manifesto

Shortest: so you can sharpen your knife (798), the quick lottievan fic. ficlet?

Most Comments: the ke fic by far with 63, but if you don't count that bc most of the comments are from before this year, it's a tie between my girl is starshine (on a summer night), the "everyone is in love with nat" fic, and if i could hold you, the "what if van drew the queen" fic that ruined my life, both at 19 comment threads.

Fics that made me cry: see above re: if i could hold you ruining my life. it didn't actually make me cry but it's close enough

Fics that made me smile: the body as the precipice, van top surgery fic

gifts: i posted if i could hold you as a gift for rose @lottieurl bc it was her extremely brilliant idea that led to the fic's existence in the first place

collaborations: don't blame me, the ke fic, was a collab between me and @gaylorzwift ! i also consider "if i could hold you" a collaboration as well but it is not posted that way on ao3

events: yellowjackets appreciation week, yellowjackets october, taivan week!

thank you!! tagging @natscatorrcio @rootsmachine @staghunters !

For ease of copying: Works published: Wordcount: Kudos: Hits: Bookmarks: Subscriptions: Most popular by kudos: Most hits: Longest: Shortest: Most Comments: Fics that made me cry: Fics that made me smile: gifts: collaborations: events: